Campus space use has been transforming for some time, and the COVID-19 pandemic only served to accelerate the transformation of an educational experience in a remote or hybrid format.
The pandemic’s sudden and sometimes stark disruption to operations has resulted in questions about the type of learning spaces needed in the future, and what an overabundance of space — particularly classrooms — can do to college budgets in the short term.
Whether enrollment or budgets are shrinking, growing, stable or variable, all institutions are candidates for a space utilization study. This presentation by Anand Sankey, Director of Maintenance Services for Western Michigan University, offers insight into how to measure, assess and optimize schools’ physical footprints in continued service of their educational mission.