• Section 1 - Context
• Section 2 - Authority
• Section 3 - Scope
• Section 4 - Procedure
• General Rules for Allocation and Occupancy of University Space
• Research
• HDR Student Spaces
• Staff Workspace and Staff Rooms
• Interview, Meeting and Conference Rooms
• External Organisations
• Other Activities

Section 1 - Context

(1) Sets out key requirements for the management of space, operations of drones, naming of facilities and asset security management.

Section 2 - Authority

(2) Authority for this document is established by the Infrastructure and Asset Security Policy.

Section 3 - Scope

(3) This procedure applies to staff reviewing and allocating space for the University and the management of asset security.

Section 4 - Procedure

General Rules for Allocation and Occupancy of University Space

(4) Space allocated for use by organisational units must be periodically reviewed.

(5) New or refurbished general teaching classrooms must follow the requirements set out in the TEFMA Space Planning Guidelines.

(6) Property Services, in conjunction with stakeholders, determines common teaching spaces that are centrally managed, and those that are college and school supported specialist spaces.

(7) The University may implement procedures to support the regulation of parking including by defining criteria for the allocation of on-campus parking.

(8) Space is to be shared across organisational units to optimise its effective use.

(9) Space that is identified as being ineffectively utilised after an audit by Property Services may be reassigned or re-purposed.

Research

(10) Space is allocated within research laboratories to researchers and research teams for set periods of time, which normally equates to the expected life of the research project or grant. At the end of this time period, approval for use of the allocated space automatically expires, unless the project or grant has a formal approved extension.

(11) Research space that becomes vacant due to discontinuation of a project, expiry of a project or departure of the researcher or team, will be re-purposed by Property Services in consultation with the occupying college/school or portfolio.

(12) Laboratory space:

1. is reallocated as demonstrated needs change
2. must not be used to store inactive equipment or past experiments
3. must be reviewed annually by the responsible organisational unit.

(13) Research data (non-digital) storage space:

1. is allocated to colleges, schools and portfolios according to their data storage needs
2. must be managed in accordance with the Research Policy and Research Data Management Policy Process.
3. Purchase of suitable laboratory equipment should not be duplicated.

HDR Student Spaces

(14) Higher degrees by research (HDR) students must be provided with access to laboratory or studio research spaces as necessary for the completion of their program. In addition, appropriate, bookable and shared workspace must be provided to HDR students in accordance with the HDR Space Management Policy.

(15) HDR workspaces will be regularly audited by Property and Procurement and occupancy results reported to colleges and centres, the School of Graduate Research, controlled entities, and VCE.

(16) If HDR students require more significant storage space than that provided within the workspace then this must be accommodated within the school’s existing space allocation.

(17) Additional responsibilities of schools and HDR students in relation to HDR space management, are contained in the HDR Space Management Policy.

Staff Workspace and Staff Rooms

(18) Staff are provided access to appropriate workspace based on work function.

(19) Organisational units occupying space must be consulted on proposals to change access to or the purpose of those spaces as outlined in the consultation process in the Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA).

(20) Staff (0.6 FTE or greater) required to work from more than one campus and/or site will only be allocated a workspace at one location. At other locations, staff have access to shared space that operates on either a bookable or ‘hot desk’ basis.

(21) There is an overall space allocation target of 10m2 to 12m2 (NLA) per work point density including common spaces. This target takes into account all areas classified as being Non-Teaching (office space, reception, staff rooms, meeting rooms, resource and administrative support/storage areas) including common areas, access and circulation space, but excludes lifts, common stairs, toilets, voids, plant. Refer to the Property Council of Australia for NLA definition.

(22) Provision of staff rooms in the immediate vicinity of staff office and administrative areas is considered. The size of these areas is subject to space availability.

Interview, Meeting and Conference Rooms

(23) Interview, meeting and conference rooms must be booked through the standard booking system.

External Organisations

(24) Where a school or organisational unit wishes to provide space to accommodate an external organisation, they must:

1. seek advice from Property and Procurement
2. obtain approval from Property Services and the executive sponsor before any agreement is negotiated
3. ensure the agreement considers current commercial rates and at a minimum require a return equivalent to the operational cost incurred by RMIT in providing the space.

Other Activities

Operation of Drones

(25) Drones operated on RMIT campuses or locations, as part of a coursework or research program, must be operated safely and responsibly in accordance with RMIT’s HSW-PR26 Aviation - Drones Process.

(26) Application of this process ensures all RMIT Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) or drone operations are compliant with applicable safety legislation and are conducted in a safe, professional and socially responsible manner.

Naming University Facilities

1. All RMIT building and space names and any name changes must be approved by the Vice-Chancellor.

Asset Security Management

(27)  RMIT’s asset security management program must:

1. provide training and awareness programs specific to asset security management
2. apply appropriate asset security risk management methodologies to protect our People and Assets from harm (criteria per HB 167:2006 Security Risk Management Handbook)
3. identify the people and assets to be safeguarded from security-related threats and vulnerabilities the University may be presented with from time to time
4. recommend appropriate control measures including utilising contemporary technologies available to mitigate security-related risks to people and assets
5. support the Chief Information Security Officer to mitigate risks to information
6. assess and monitor the risk profile based on the current threat environment and adequacy of existing controls in place to delay, deter, detect, respond and recover from potential threats to assets
7. investigate, monitor and analyse security-related trends and recommend additional investment as appropriate to implement further supplementary measures to reduce security-related risk to a tolerable level.