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Space Planning - City Campus Space Use and Charging Procedure

This is not a current document. It has been repealed and is no longer in force.

Section 1 - Background and Purpose

(1) The purpose of this Procedure is to clarify how teaching rooms, meeting rooms and common spaces on the City Campus can be used by internal and external clients for non-teaching and learning activities and when a charge for use applies.

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Section 2 - Scope

(2) This Procedure applies to use of all spaces on floors 2, 3 and 20 of the Collins Street City Campus.

(3) While the purpose of the City Campus is expressly for teaching and learning by La Trobe’s post-graduate students, on-going requests are received for use of spaces by internal and external clients. This Procedure provides clarity on use of teaching rooms, meeting rooms and common spaces within and outside operating hours by internal and external clients.

(4) This Procedure also provides a City Campus Schedule of Fees and Charges and when they are applicable to space use.

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Section 3 - Policy Statement

(5) Refer to the Space Planning Policy.

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Section 4 - Procedures

Part A - Operating Hours

(6) Regular operating hours are from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm Monday through Friday.

(7) The City Campus operates throughout the calendar year (summer/winter, S1/S2) for teaching and learning

(8) Use outside operating hours:

  1. Block (intensive) teaching from time to time may operate on weekends with advance scheduling;
  2. External events or functions may be considered outside of operating hours on a case-by-case basis. Staff and air-conditioning charges (if applicable) will apply.

Part B - Teaching Rooms

(9) Priority use of teaching rooms is for teaching and learning activities. Timetabling has first priority for scheduling classes in all teaching rooms.

(10) Once the timetable is set, timetabling releases unused rooms to web room bookings and may be booked by staff for other activities.

(11) Following release through web room bookings, all room bookings are restricted for review and approval by the City Campus operating staff. If a booking is an external event or function, operating costs will apply.

(12) When an operational cost applies to teaching spaces:

  1. There is no charge for ‘internal use’ of a meeting room. However, future penalty rates may apply (2018+) for cleaning costs if a room is left in poor condition following an activity.
  2. An operational cost will be applied for all ‘external events or functions’ booked in a meeting room.

Part C - Meeting Rooms

(13) Meeting rooms are bookable through Book La Trobe.

(14) All bookings are restricted for review and approval by the City Campus operating staff. If a booking is an external event or function, operating costs will apply.

(15) When an operational cost applies to meeting rooms:

  1. There is no charge for ‘internal use’ of a meeting room. However, future penalty rates may apply (2018+) for cleaning costs if a room is left in poor condition following an activity.
  2. An operational cost will be applied for all ‘external events or functions’ booked in a meeting room.

Part D - Common Spaces

(16) Priority use of common spaces is for students.

(17) There are five public common spaces at the City Campus: 2nd floor Foyer, 2nd floor common area, 3rd floor Terrace, 3RD floor lounge, 20th floor lounge. 

(18) Due to impact on student spaces (kitchens and teaching rooms), these common spaces can not be booked on their own for internal use or external events or functions.

(19) On a case by case basis, an entire floor (including the public common spaces) may be booked if the request is approved by the Chair of the City Campus Steering Committee or similar. Operating costs will apply when booking an entire floor for use.

Part E - Space Charging

(20) When an operational cost applies to meeting rooms:

  1. There is no charge for ‘internal use’ of a meeting room. However, future penalty rates may apply (2018+) for cleaning costs if a room is left in poor condition following an activity.
  2. An operational cost will be applied for all ‘external events or functions’ booked in a meeting room.

(21) When an operational cost applies to teaching spaces:

  1. There is no charge for ‘internal use’ of a meeting room. However, future penalty rates may apply (2018+) for cleaning costs if a room is left in poor condition following an activity.
  2. An operational cost will be applied for all ‘external events or functions’ booked in a meeting room.

(22) On a case by case basis, an entire floor (including the public common spaces) may be booked if the request is approved by the Chair of the City Campus Steering Committee or similar. Operating costs will apply when booking an entire floor for use.

(23) From 2018, applicable fees and charges for the City Campus will be published in the University’s annual ‘Non-Academic Fees and Charges’ schedule, endorsed by the Finance and Resources Committee.

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Section 5 - Definitions

(24) For the purpose of this Procedure:

  1. Operating costs: Costs charged for external events or functions. Costs include: casual time to set up/take down the room; cleaning and waste removal; security; air-conditioning, etc. Operating costs exclude catering costs which are the responsibility of the space user to organise.
  2. Internal space use: Using a space for La Trobe teaching, learning, research or staff meetings that support La Trobe administration, research and Colleges and is facilitated by a staff or student of La Trobe University.
  3. External events or functions space use: Using a space for an activity other than La Trobe teaching, learning, research or staff meetings that support La Trobe administration, research and Colleges. An external event or function is facilitated by someone who is not a staff or student of La Trobe University.
    1. If an internal area of La Trobe deems an event or function is important (due to partnerships or other agreements), that area may choose to pay for the operating costs for the event or require the event organisers to pay the costs.
    2. From time to time, external events or functions (i.e. conferences) essential to La Trobe’s business may be required to secure space in advance of timetable completion. In 2018, a proportion of rooms will be removed from the timetable and designated for future bookings of these event types. Where required, these requests may be submitted to the City Campus Coordinator for endorsement from the City Campus Steering Committee.
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Section 6 - Stakeholders

Responsibility for implementation – Executive Director, Infrastructure and Operations; Executive Director, Student Services and Administration.
Responsibility for monitoring implementation and compliance – as per table below.
Team Action
City Campus Coordinator Review and revise this Procedure annually (January).
City Campus Coordinator Review and update fees annually in the University’s ‘Non-Academic Fees and Charges’ schedule for endorsement by the Chair of the City Campus Steering Committee.
City Campus Coordinator Receive requests for external events or functions (to use spaces designated removed from the timetable). Submit requests to the City Campus Steering Committee for action.
City Campus Steering Committee Review and act on requests for use of City Campus space for external events or functions for spaces not included in the timetable.
Chair of the City Campus Steering Committee Endorse annual revisions to this Procedure.
Chair of the City Campus Steering Committee Endorse annual fees for City Campus space use for publication in Finance’s annual ‘Non-Academic Fees and Charges’ document.
College General Managers; Executive Director Student Services and Administration; Executive Director Infrastructure and Operations Confirm the proportion of rooms (prior to timetabling for S1) for removal from the timetable for use by external events or functions.