OSU Space Survey

Each year, the Space Management Team works with colleges, departments, programs and units across campus to facilitate the OSU Space Survey.  The survey is conducted between February and June, allowing time in the summer for completing any necessary field verifications.

The purpose of the survey is to ensure OSU’s space inventory is accurately represented and managed. Accurate and timely space allocation and usage data supports effective facilities planning and budgeting activities, including indirect cost recoveries, space allocation, and capital planning.  

Working collaboratively with the designated Space Contacts across campus, the Space Management team verifies the following data and updates the OSU Space Management Database accordingly.  Data verified in the Survey includes the following.

  • Square footage of each room/space on campus
  • The Organization (college, department, program, unit) to which a space is assigned
  • Assignment of the correct Functional Space Use Code for each space
  • Assignment of the appropriate Facility (room) Type Code for each space

What's new about the Survey

Over the last year, several major improvements were made for the 2016 Survey to increase the accuracy and relevance of the data and to reduce the time and effort needed to complete the process. 

  • Our Space Team completed onsite space surveys across campus to verify and update floor plan AutoCAD drawings.
  • We greatly simplified and clarified our space use codes by moving to aligning to the Postsecondary Education Facilities Inventory and Classification Manual (FICM) standards, which is a standard practice for initiating, conducting, reporting, and maintaining a postsecondary institutional facilities inventory.
  • Our Space Contact directory has been updated and vetted through Deans, Directors and university leadership to include over 75 contacts.