Planning & Administration

Key Insights

Data sources

Any successful strategy is founded on good information. The key insights below are grounded in a thorough data collection and analysis, which evaluated quantitative and qualitative data points assembled during March and April of 2022.

Quantitative data (on the left) and qualitative data (on the right), separated by a ‘+’(addition) sign representing a combination of qualitative and quantitative data being utilized in the study. The quantitative data is described as information about space management, scheduling, staff and student commute distances that was utilized to derive analytical insights. The qualitative data is described to be gathered through interviews, group sessions, online surveys, mapping, and observation for balancing factual insights with user perception.

Considered in isolation from one another, quantitative and qualitative data may fall short. Evaluated in conjunction with one another they offer insights that otherwise may not be readily apparent. When assessing the data, we evaluated where qualitative and quantitative findings aligned, and where they didn’t support one another. Following is a selection of key insights about the campus spaces that lay at the foundation to a series of opportunities as the campus considers how its space may be optimized. 

Context among peers

Key Insight: Compared to peers, UW Bothell is space constrained.

What the quantitative data shows:

A two-dimensional scatter chart showing net assignable square feet(NASF) measurements like the Campus NASF/Employee FTE(vertical axis) and Campus NASF/Student FTE(horizontal axis) of multiple university campuses. The universities for which the measurements have been shown are UW Bothell, CUNY Baruch College, UW Tacoma, CSU Channel Islands, Arizona State U. West Campus, UW Seattle, U. of Michigan Dearborn, U. of Missouri St. Louis and Evergreen State College. UW Bothell has the lowest Campus NASF/Student FTE and second to lowest Campus NASF/Employee FTE. UW Seattle has the lowest Campus NASF/Employee FTE. The legend indicates the ranges of student FTE for each university.
Campus net square feet per student FTE, and per employee FTE
Excludes residential and parking garages.

A comparison of common space allocation indices between the University of Washington Bothell and its peers reveals that campus net assignable square feet (NASF) per student and per employee are both low. But not the lowest when it comes to NASF per employee FTE.

What we heard:

  • There is a general perception that the campus is short on space. This perception is supported by the peer comparison, with nuance that distinguishes between space per student vs. employee.

Office space allocation

Key Insight: Office space is the largest space user on campus. But office allocation does not reflect frequency of use.

What the quantitative data shows:

A bar chart showing percentages and values of the sum of area assignable(vertical axis) to various types of facilities and areas on campus(horizontal axis). The campus spaces included in the chart along with their space consumption percentages are office facilities(19.7%), circulation area(19.6%), classroom(10.6%), laboratory facilities(9.3%), residential facilities(8.6%), study facilities(8.4%), mechanical area(8.4%), general use facilities(7.4%), support facilities(3.1%), building services(3.0%), and special use facilities(2.1%) ordered from left to right.
Campus space distribution by space type
Excludes parking garages

What we heard:

  • Teaching faculty must share office space, even though they see the largest number of students.
  • Some staff must use open office space while private offices lie vacant.
  • Many of the staff interviewed anticipate working remotely at least two days a week.

Space and Identity

Key Insight: Each building contains multiple use types. This makes the relatively small campus hard to navigate and the integrated services more difficult.

What the quantitative data shows:

A stacked bar chart showing "sum of area assignable" measures for multiple space use categories like office facilities, classrooms, laboratory facilities, study facilities, general, support, residential and special use facilities, circulation and mechanical area, and building services in various buildings like Bothell UW1, Cascadia building 1, Bothell discovery, Bothell library, Bothell UW2, Cascadia building 3, Bothell library building 2, Activities and Rec center, Husky hall, UW Bothell Beardslee, Bothell library annex, Beardslee admin/HR, Bothell physical plant, E leadership center, Physical plant warehouse, Beardslee Cr Chan, Simonds green conservatory, Truly house, and Chase house ordered from left to right.
Space distribution across campus buildings
Excludes residential village

What we heard:

  • Students identified a lack of intentionality about the campus buildings, and a confusing experience getting oriented on campus.
  • Some staff voiced the desire to be housed closer to one another in order to better deliver integrated services to their students.

Instructional space

Key Insight: Classrooms are heavily scheduled, labs less so. To meet the need for an increase in hybrid and online class-taking space, the university should broadly consider instructional definitions and spaces.

What the quantitative data shows:

A two-dimensional line chart showing "average classroom utilization by hour and day" for Autumn 2021. It displays percentages of classroom space utilization(vertical axis) throughout the week(except weekends), with specific values for each hour of the day(horizontal axis). The chart illustrates an equivalent classroom utilization trend throughout the day from Monday through Thursday followed by a reduction of classroom utilization to half on Friday.
Classroom scheduled utilization by hour and day of the week

What we heard:

  • Some staff noted that class scheduling causes peaks and valleys of campus activity, leading to traffic congestion at specific times.
  • Interviews revealed that outdated classroom technology represents a burden for faculty and limits access to asynchronous learning.
  • Not all lab preparation space is considered adequate by some faculty, causing inefficiency in space use.

Community

Key Insight: Community is at the heart of the University, and an enriched campus community experience is priority. But community space is constrained, and perceived barriers exist.

What the quantitative data shows:

A horizontal bar chart displaying community space area measurements(horizontal axis) for four universities(vertical axis) that are the University of Missouri St. Louis (42.81), University of Michigan Dearborn (31.76), CUNY Baruch College (11.34), and UW Bothell (11.33).
General and Special Use Peer Comparison: Net area square feet / student FTE

On-campus general use space is limited. Compared to peer institutions, general and special use space per student is low. General use refers to meeting rooms, informal collaboration areas, and event space among others.

What we heard:

  • Students , faculty and staff identified “community” as the predominant word to capture the essence of UWB.
  • ARC falls short as a community magnet due to its status as a student only, reservable space that is not reliably available for informal “hang-out” time.
  • Faculty voiced having no reason to stay on campus. Spaces for informal interaction and serendipitous encounters are limited.