The mission of the Instructional Space Advisory Group is to serve as a formal structure for developing and proposing policies for management and enhancement of classroom space. The committee will develop standards (including seating, lightening or darkening, and audio and visual information transfer) for classrooms, oversee the campus information system on classrooms, review the adequacy and appropriateness of classroom space and advise the Registrar on classroom scheduling and other matters regarding classrooms. ISAG recommends priority, schedule and budget for classroom renovation. This includes the selection of classrooms to receive alterations, equipment upgrades, major maintenance and repair work, or major renovation. The committee is expected to work closely with the Space Allocation Advisory Committee.
The committee's work shall be guided by two principles:
1. Students have a fundamental right to a classroom learning environment that allows them to see anything presented visually, to hear any audio/oral presentation free from noises and distortions, and to be physically comfortable (air flow, temperature, furniture, etc.) regardless of the method of instruction used.
2. Faculty members have a right to teach in classroom space that provides for the display and/or projection of material, for variable groupings of students, and for access and use of specialized instructional materials and equipment as may be necessary for instruction appropriate to the discipline. While the primary focus of the committee's work will be general assignment classrooms, it is to oversee the policies and management of all campus classrooms.
Membership. The Instructional Space Advisory Group is comprised of 15 voting members:
1 - Vice-president for Business and Finance (appointment)
1 - Registrar (Provost representative)
1 - IITS (Vice Provost Information appt.)
1- Instructional Development Program
7 - Dean's appointments (Colleges of A&S, CHSS, Engineering, Pharmacy, Nursing, Resource Development, and Business)
2- Faculty Senate appointments
1- Student Senate representative
1- Graduate Student Association representative
The Committee shall have the support of facilities, telecommunications, budget office, and health and safety personnel, among others, as needed to carry out its tasks. Individuals from these areas would serve as non-voting members of the committee. The committee may add non-voting members at any time to assist in the completion of its mission.
Dissolution of the Instructional Space subcommittee of the SAAC. It is recommended that the instructional space subcommittee be disbanded and the instructional space responsibilities of the space committee that duplicate this committee be abandoned. The SAAC would retain its overall responsibility for space assignment, while the ISAG would be concerned with the adequacy and quality of classroom space.
A systematic approach for evaluating, creating and maintaining acceptable classroom environments that facilitate the teaching and learning processes is necessary. Upon completion of a general assignment room survey and numerous discussions with faculty, administration and staff, the lack of coordination among the many people who are involved with classrooms has contributed to classroom environments that do not effectively facilitate the teaching and learning process. A coordinated approach is necessary to ensure that classroom environments effectively support the instructional mission of the University.
Although the Registrar's Office is considered the "owner" of classrooms, classroom ownership is shared but not coordinated among colleges, academic departments, physical plant, administrative and faculty committees, Office of Information Services, etc. The general lack of upkeep and the lack of allocation of resources to classroom maintenance and improvements have contributed to the poor classroom conditions that exist in most of our classrooms. A group whose purpose is to develop a systematic approach for evaluating, creating, monitoring, and disseminating information about instructional space on an ongoing basis is essential as to providing faculty and students with the best possible classrooms for teaching and learning. The group's membership should include representative from the campus community who are major stakeholders whose participation is essential to managing and improving classroom space.
EVALUATION REPORT PROVOST DEHAYES posted 9/18/14
OPEN ACCESS POLICY (5/24/13)