Senate
Report to the Information Technology & Infrastructure Committee
INFORMATION ITEM
TOPIC: COU Triennial Space Survey
March 22, 2017
Julianna McCormick, Director, Campus Planning, Design & Construction Services
Roland Mech, Associate Director, Space Management and Planning
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. Purpose of the Report

To provide an overview of the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) Triennial Space
Survey and its process.
2. Key Background
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

The COU Committee on Space Standards and Reporting oversees the COU survey of
physical University facilities on a triennial basis.
The last COU report was prepared in 2013-14 and the 2016-17 reporting process is
currently underway.
Brock University’s 2016-17 COU Triennial Space Inventory forms were submitted to the
COU on Tuesday, January 31, 2017.
3. Next Steps
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
Data submitted by all Ontario Universities is reviewed and potentially edited by the
COU Committee on Space Standards and Reporting.
COU publishes the “Inventory of Physical Facilities of Ontario Universities” 2016-17,
December 2017.
4. Background Materials
Appendix 1 – COU Triennial Space Survey 2016-17 (2 pages)
Appendix 2 – 2016 -17 COU Triennial Space Inventory – Reporting Data (2 pages)
Senate IT&I Committee
TOPIC: COU Triennial Space Survey
March 22, 2017
Appendix 1
COU Triennial Space Survey 2016-17
Council of Ontario Universities (COU) Reporting
The Committee on Space Standards and Reporting undertakes reviews of space standards,
oversees the COU survey of physical facilities, and provides advice to COU on matters of
university space requirements and construction costs. The Associate Director, Space
Management & Planning is Brock University’s representative on this committee. Space usage
and allocation reporting is submitted to and prepared by the COU for the triennial “Inventory
of Physical Facilities of Ontario Universities.” The report tracks changes in University
facilities over time and compares the actual space to space that is typically required. In
2016 we collected information for the submission to the COU, in February 2017, for the
preparation of the 2017 COU Triennial Report.
Council of Ontario Universities’ Triennial Report
The Triennial Report is both a space inventory with detailed information on our use of the
space, and a formulaic space entitlement based on student numbers, hours in classrooms and
labs, faculty, staff, researchers, full-time, part-time etc.
The survey is a snapshot as of the fall term with student numbers as of the November 1st, and
our input numbers (FTE students, faculty etc.) must match ministry submissions. Staff, both
academic and administrative and full and part-time must be fully factored in.
Space Management and Planning coordinate gathering space data from the various
departments. A spreadsheet along with information on how to report the space is issued to
Academic and Administrative departments at the beginning of November and collected at the
end of the moth. This information is then compiled and used to verify and update our
Archibus space database. Institutional Analysis works with the Registrar’s office to compile
the student registration data base for undergraduate programs as well as Graduate Studies.
We compiled full time equivalent (FTE) staffing count data with assistance from Human
Resources and Institutional Analysis. This includes: All full-time faculty and academic staff,
administrative staff, post-doctoral fellows, instructors, research associates/assistants, and
part-time staff employed by various academic and administrative departments. We have also
collected and compiled information relating to student contact hours in teaching lab space.
All collected data is reported to the COU on forms provided by the COU Committee on Space
Standards and Reporting.
COU Triennial Report and the Facility Needs and Priorities (FN&P) Study
The data collected for the COU reporting is also being utilized by our consultants for the
analysis of our space inventory and space needs for the FN&P Study. Space Management and
Planning staff have been working in parallel on both the COU survey and FN&P study ensuring
that data will be aligned between the two final documents.
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COU Triennial Space Survey - Reporting Timeline
July – Sept. 2016
Space Management and Planning physically reviewed space allocations
throughout the University campuses and updated the Archibus database.
October 19, 2016
The COU Triennial Space Inventory Survey, user guide and forms were
issued to all Ontario Universities.
November 1, 2016
Documentation date for the survey. All information used for the survey
must be as of this date.
November 4, 2016
Information was sent to all Academic and Administrative Departments
throughout the University for verification of their space and use.
November 25, 2016
All responses from the departments were returned to Space
Management and Planning.
January 2017
Survey information was compiled, refined and forms completed for final
review and approval.
Institutional Analysis, Registrar’s Office, Library and Human Resources
all provided data and input on the survey. Space Management and
Planning compiled the data and completed the forms.
January 2017
COU Triennial Survey space inventory forms were reviewed with the
Vice-President, Administration.
February 7, 2017
2016-17 COU Triennial Survey submission date.
Brock’s forms were submitted on January 31, 2017.
Mar. – Nov. 2017
COU Committee on Space Standards and Reporting reviews submitted
data from all Ontario Universities. Edits to Brocks submitted forms may
be required via this process.
December 2017
COU publishes the “Inventory of Physical Facilities of Ontario
Universities” 2016-17
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Brock University
2016 -17 COU Triennial Space Inventory – Reporting Data
Senate IT&I Committee
TOPIC: COU Triennial Space Survey
DATE: March 22, 2017
Appendix 2
The following is a brief overview of the more significant differences on how we are reporting data for
2016-17 as compared to how it was reported in 2013-14.
FORM 1 - ACTUAL SPACE INVENTORY BY SPACE CATEGORY
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Total Net Assignable Square Meters (NASM) of Category 1-15 space 103,644.27 m2 up from
98,229.25 m2 reported in 2013-14. This increase is largely to do with the new Marilyn I. Walker
School of Fine and Performing Arts opened September 2015.
Category 5.4 Library Study Space, a large area of study space in our Library had been incorrectly
Categorized under 5.2; this is now corrected.
The amount of reported Category 6 Athletic / Recreation Space has decreased from 2013-14 as
any space used for Education and Kinesiology teaching labs is now prorated and correctly
reported under Category 2.1 Class Labs.
Category 11 we have identified and accounted for Informal Study space in corridors around
campus.
Category 13 Health Services has increased due to the fact that student counselling rooms in
Student Wellness are to be included in this category.
Some adjustments to the categorization of spaces.
FORM 2 - ACTUAL SPACE INVENTORY BY BUILDING
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•
•
Total reported area of 255,110.06 m2 up from 241,685 m2
Increase in Actual Space Inventory is largely due to the construction of the Marilyn I. Walker
School of Fine and Performing Arts and Gateway Residence.
Archibus has improved the accuracy of our reporting which also accounts for some of the
increase in GFA.
FORM 3 - INSTRUCTIONAL AND RESEARCH LABORATORY INVENTORY AND RELATED INPUT MEASURES
Faculty FTE
• Total Faculty FTE reported is 674.70 down from 859.75 reported in 2013-14
• Graduate TA’s were included in previous reporting and should have been excluded
• Faculty TA’s were included in previous reporting and should have been excluded
• Visiting and Online Instructors were included in previous reporting and should have been
excluded
• Contact hours have decreased mostly due to the fact that Lecture Lab hours were previously
included and should have been excluded.
Research Associates
• Total Research Associates, the report is 13.31 down from 52.33 reported in 2013-14
• Research Associates should not include Research Assistants
• Research Assistants are to be carried under Academic Department – funded by research
• Only Research Assistants that are not students are included i.e. Masters complete.
Brock University
2016 -17 COU Triennial Space Inventory – Reporting Data
FORM 4 - SUMMARY OF INPUT MEASURES
Academic Departments - FTE
• Total Non-Academic Office staff reported is 308.68 up from 255.19 reported in 2013-14
• Research Assistants are to be carried under Academic Department – funded by research
• There were some corrections made on which positions are to be included in reporting.
Administrative Departments - FTE
• Total Administrative Departments reported is 494.73 down from 523.98 reported in 2013-14
• There were some corrections made on which positions are to be included in reporting.