Academic Affairs Process and Procedures

Last update:  December 2021

Note:  Faculty members should consult their unit head and/or dean's office first regarding internal procedures for the following kinds of requests.

Facilities Requests:  Where and When to Direct Requests
Space Assignments:  Where and When to Direct Requests
Classroom “First Dibs” Request Information 
Academic Space Committee 

Note on Facilities Projects:  While minor work orders (such as broken items or malfunctioning equipment) can be sent directly from a unit to Facilities Services, more significant requests should be made by your dean’s office.  Consultation with Facilities Planning, Facilities Services, or the Office of the Provost is available before a formal request is made, to answer questions about design, cost, timing, and the appropriate path.  Due to budget constraints, building codes, strategic priorities, and other issues, not all requests can be honored.  Colleges should determine internal deadlines in order to meet the university deadlines indicated.

Process: Requests should provide details about facilities, budget and I.T. implications, timeline, and rationale. Requests will first be considered by the office of the initial contact. If needed, requests will be shared with other offices for information and approvals via the Academic Space Committee (described below).

Note: for scheduling of group study rooms in the University Libraries: https://www.gvsu.edu/library/group-study-rooms-5.htm

Classroom “First Dibs” Request Information

Course scheduling is completed annually by colleges and units.  Classrooms are assigned as “first dibs” to specific colleges, and may be then assigned to individual units.  Requests can be made to change “first dibs” assignments.    Deadline for the next academic year:  May 1 (for example, requests received by May 1, 2019 will be considered for fall, 2020).  Requests will be reviewed monthly.

Requests must include a statement of support from the college dean which prioritizes multiple requests from within the college.  It is best practice to first find an internal solution to the request before submitting to the Academic Space committee. If an internal solution cannot be found, a statement needs to be included detailing the reasons why an internal solution is not feasible.

Requests must also include:

• justification for changes
• new curricular initiatives involved in request
• plans for usage
• data backing up request, including how the room will be filled to capacity (15 sections per week, 45 credit hours)

Academic Space Committee

Purpose: The Academic Space Committee is an administrative committee that brings together expertise and areas of responsibility on campus in order to make decisions about the assignment and re-purposing of existing academic space, and to provide advice related to evolution of space use on campus and the creation of new academic space.  Academic space includes classrooms and other teaching spaces, offices assigned to academic departments, special event space, conference rooms, and other space used for high impact academic student activities.

Procedures:  The Academic Space Committee will define procedures for units and colleges to make requests revolving around academic space.  Generally, requests would come with an endorsement from a Dean.  The Committee will meet once a month to discuss requests and will approve, deny, request modifications of the request, or forward the request to a more appropriate decision-making office or committee.

Membership (as of Dec 2024):

• AVP, Office of the Provost, Facilities (co-chair)
• AVP & Registrar (co-chair)
• AVP, Office of the Provost, Resource Management
• AVP, Facilities Planning
• AVP, Information Technology, or designee
• Associate Dean (for scheduling and facilities), CLAS
• Associate Registrar
• Senior Project Manager, Facilities Planning
• Faculty Facilities and Planning Advisory Committee representative