The Classroom Advisory Subcommittee (CAS) supports the Office of Classroom Management and its planning for lifecycle maintenance and renewal. CAS recommends no further cuts to the classroom lifecycle funds to maintain the basic-level of maintenance and renewal of classroom infrastructure.  CAS furthermore recommends restoring funding to the FY08 levels by the 2016-17 biennium, in order to provide a quality standard for classroom facilities, technology and support that is appropriate for a major, nationally ranked university.

COMMENT:

Students and instructors deserve classroom space that contains technology that is working and furnishings that are not broken and are in reasonably good and safe condition.

Classroom facilities and technologies require periodic maintenance and replacement, and identification of and planning for lifecycle costs is a fiscally prudent approach to management of classroom facilities and technology infrastructure.  Deferred maintenance is expensive in the long run.

We note with great concern that classroom upgrade work continues to be funded primarily with one-time funds (e.g., capital projects like STSS). The recurring lifecycle costs for these classrooms have not been funded. We are, however, accruing these costs. Given the importance of general-purpose classrooms, we cannot continue to defer these costs without jeopardizing our teaching and learning mission.

Central classroom operational recurring funding levels had risen to 79% of requirements (FY08) then fell to 37% of lifecycle need with recurring cuts in FY09, 10, and 12. Concurrently, the amount of managed learning space grew with new buildings and the addition of student study space. Because of low funding levels and increased demand for resources, faculty and students will be required to use facilities and technologies that have outlived their planned lifespan.  This will degrade the learning experience.

In addition to classroom responsibilities, OCM has been assigned the management and maintenance of over 29,000 square feet of student study space. These study spaces represent an additional $2.4 million in OCM-managed assets. In January 2011, OCM received one-time funding for the update of multiple study spaces on the St. Paul campus but has not received funding for recurring maintenance and renewal requirements.

The following charts illustrate a problematic trend: OCM's funding is decreasing while assigned space and tech equipped rooms is increasing.