Capital Strategy and Planning

Help Guide

University Space Guidelines Table

Note: The minimum SF for an enclosed private office is 90 SF to assure ADA circulation requirements are met. Maximum assignable square feet (ASF) represents an amount that is applied to spaces within new construction or renovation. Actual ASF will vary for space assignments within existing buildings.

Employee CategoryOffice TypeMaximum ASF
PresidentPrivate Office350
Vice PresidentPrivate Office285
Associate/Assistant Vice PresidentPrivate Office180
ProvostPrivate Office285
Associate/Assistant ProvostPrivate Office180
DeanPrivate Office250
Associate/Assistant DeanPrivate Office150
Chair/DirectorPrivate Office150
Associate/Assistant Chair/DirectorPrivate Office140
Instructional Faculty (Full-Time)Private Office120
Research Faculty (Full-Time)*Private Office120
Part-Time Instr/Rsch Faculty,Visiting Scholars, Post-DocShared Office/Workstation35
Administrative/Professional FacultyPrivate Office120
Graduate Teaching AssistantShared35
Graduate Research Assistant*Shared48
Classified Staff**Workstation/Private Office64/100
Shops/Maintenance/IT & Operations SupportShared Workstation20
Part-Time or Wage StaffWorkstation/Shared Office48
Student EmployeeWorkstation20

*Additional space assigned for research faculty and graduate research assistants is determined by the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV) guidelines for ASF per $100,000 of annual research expenditures.

**Classified employees are assigned to workstations or shared enclosed offices. An approved business need is required for private office assignments. Trades/Support Employees are assigned to shared workstations.

Office Support Space Guidelines

Type of SpaceASF*
Waiting/Reception Area250
Storage Room100
Supply/Mail Room120
Copy Room (shared-one per floor)100
Pantry (one shared per floor)varies by program
Conference Roomvaries by # of seats
Other Service (determined by program)varies by program

*ASF may vary depending upon the program need within a project.

Facilities Background Data:

  • Sites  – helps to group buildings by location or campus and stores roll-up calculations.
  • Buildings  – stores an inventory of occupiable structures.
  • Floors  – stores an inventory of floors in all buildings.
  • Rooms – stores an inventory of spaces on a floor.
  • Divisions  – stores an inventory of an organization’s basic structure.
  • Departments  – stores an inventory of unique departments or cost centers.

Other Helpful Definitions:

  • Assignable Square Feet – as the usable or needed space for programs to operate within. It is simply the area in which one can place built-in or movable furnishings and equipment.
  • Non-Assignable Square Feet – refers to spaces that are necessary for the general operation of a building. Some examples include hallways, stairways, restrooms, mechanical and electrical rooms, custodial closets, the building structure, and other building support spaces.
  • Net Square Feet – can be both assignable and non-assignable. It is the sum of all areas on all floors of a building, plus that portion of space necessary for the general operation of a building.
  • Gross Square Feet – refers to the total amount of space that makes up a building.  It is the sum of all areas on all floors of a building included within the outside faces of its exterior walls. This includes the building structure, any floor penetration areas for circulation, and shaft areas that connect one floor to another.
  • Space Utilization – refers to how often a space is used during a given period. It can be measured by total hours of use or as a percentage of use during a specified time frame.
  • Space Efficiency – referred to the occupancy rate a space has when it is in use. It is typically used when determining instructional or laboratory space needs or when measuring how well current spaces are being occupied.
  • Stations – refer to individual places or areas in which an activity occurs.
  • Space by Funding Type– On any college or university campus, the above space definitions also apply to two basic types of funding classifications: nonrevenue-generating space and revenue-generating space. The distinction between them is important from a space management perspective because typically each has different methodologies and measures for assessing performance and efficiency.