Assigning Workspace & Workspace Furnishings

Responsible Unit: Facilities | Executive Lead: Vice President, Technology & Operations
Association policy, accreditation standard(s), and/or regulation(s): None
Created: 3/2025 | Reviewed/Revised: Effective: 5/2025

Workspace Assignments  

The goal in assigning workspaces is to ensure, in a transparent and fair way, that PNWU employees have the environment necessary to fulfill their work duties and the university’s mission. 

On-campus workspaces are assigned priority based on position, percent of full-time employment equivalent, and percent of an individual’s time on campus. The location of workspaces is given priority based on neighborhoods of like positions and department affiliation.

University space is managed by Facilities in coordination with the academic and operational neighborhoods throughout campus, with major processes, moves, and projects reviewed at least quarterly in accordance with shared governance practices within the University Space Committee. When there are competing priorities and as necessary, the Executive Leadership Team will make final decisions. 

The following guidelines are dependent on available space and the amount of time physically spent on campus.

Definitions

Priority – Used to describe descending order of importance, not necessarily a hard and fast rule. If there’s space available, a person with less time on campus or a lower FTE can use a private office until there’s a need for space from someone with more time on campus or a higher FTE. 
Neighborhoods – A somewhat defined physical area of campus populated by a department or program. In general, the intention is to keep people who work together in the same area.
Dedicated Office – A private office used by one person.
Dedicated Workspace – Assigned workspace, cubicle or private office.
Shared Office – A private office used by multiple people, either at the same time or individuals on scheduled, assigned days.
Hot Desk – A cubicle or public desk space available for use when needed on campus but not assigned. University-wide hot desks may be scheduled or first-come-first-serve, depending on location. Usually furnished with multiple monitors, keyboard, webcam, and laptop docking station.

Examples

• An administrative assistant is full-time and time on campus is 40 hours a week. They have a dedicated workspace, likely a cubicle or reception desk based on their position. 
• A full-time faculty member who is on campus 40 hours a week, with the possible exception of summer semesters when they are not teaching and may come to campus infrequently. Based on their position, FTE status, and time on campus, they have priority on a private office in their program’s neighborhood. 
• A full-time faculty member lives out of town but commutes to campus for teaching and student advising about 15 hours a week spread over two days. While the FTE is 1.0, the time on campus is less than .6 (24 hours). Priority assignment would be a shared faculty office in their program’s neighborhood. 
•  A .5 administrative assistant in a program has time on campus of 10-20 hours a week. Though the eligibility guidelines above are for a shared office or cubicle, there’s an open private office in the department’s neighborhood. With the coordination of the program’s administration, that person can use this space until another position of higher space priority needs it. If a new full-time faculty member is hired and needs a private office, this .5 position will need to find a shared office or cubicle per the guidelines before a new private office is found for the faculty member.
• A full-time Director comes and goes to campus as needed for meetings and technical work. The hours on campus are extremely variable, and they primarily need a landing spot between meetings. Though the position’s organizational peers might have a private office, given the undefined hours, a prioritized, dedicated space probably isn’t justifiable. A shared office or a hot desk is ideal. 

Policy Resources

• Establishing and Creating University Policies and Procedures (Policy)
• Policy Template (password protected)
• Procedure Resources (password protected)
• PNWU Alumni Association Bylaws
• COM Bylaws
• PNWU Bylaws

For assistance with policies and procedures contact:

Dee Dennis
ddennis@pnwu.edu