Compliance Status

Louisiana State University and A&M College is in compliance with this principle.

Narrative

The physical resources of Louisiana State University and A&M College (LSU) support the mission and goals of this land-, sea-, and space-grant institution. The campus contains 539 buildings that encompass 12,721,178 gross square feet of classroom, laboratory, office, auxiliary, and other space.  The university adds to and maintains its physical resources through master planning and facility design standards; capital outlay new construction and major renovations; space management/utilization; routine, preventative, and deferred maintenance; and equipment inventory management.

Table 1:  Breakdown by Type of Space
NACUBO Function	Square Footage
Instruction	1,454,691
Research	946,550
Public Service	228,954
Academic Support	1,080,535
Student Services	78,788
Internal Support	195,531
Operations & Plant Management	84,296
Auxiliary Enterprises	2,494,671
Other	2,710,384
NACUBO = National Association of College and University Business Officers

LSU also owns, operates, and maintains several satellite locations in the Baton Rouge area and within the states of Louisiana and Colorado.  While the majority of these locations are research-focused, the Geology Field Camp in Colorado provides required academic instruction to LSU students and students from other universities in Louisiana and other states. 

Table 2.  Identification of Satellite Locations Owned by LSU/LSU Agricultural Center
Facility Name	Location	University/ Department	Insured Sq. Footage	Use
Center for Advance Microstructure and Devices  (CAMD) [1]	Baton Rouge, LA	Chemistry	38,900	Research
South Campus	Baton Rouge, LA	University	138,839	Business & Technology Park
Hilltop Arboretum [2]	Baton Rouge, LA	University	9,043	Research & Public Service
Burden Research Center    Burden Botanical Garden   [3]    Rural Life Museum [5]	Baton Rouge, LA	LSU Ag Center [4]   University	Total: 77,119	Research & Public Service
Ben Hur Research/Fireman Training [6]	Baton Rouge, LA	University	245,715	Research & Public Service
Veterinary Animal Holding Area	Baton Rouge, LA	University	3,587	Research
Oyster Hatchery Operations Center [7]	Grand Isle, LA	Sea-Grant Institute	1,440	Research
Geology Field Camp [8]	Colorado Springs, CO	Geology & Geophysics	16,785	Instructional

LSU moved to its present location in 1922 and is located on the southern edge of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  It is composed of more than 2,000 acres of land and is bordered on the west by the Mississippi River and on the north, south, and east by business and residential areas of the capital city.  Most of the original campus buildings are included on the National Register of Historic Places, and part of the campus is designated a national historic district [9].  

The Campus Master Plan [10], adopted in 2003, utilizes the original 1923 plan by Theodore Link [11] as the framework of future growth.  It establishes a dynamic plan to accommodate the physical growth and development of the campus over the next 20 years.  The master plan supports the university mission, provides a campus-wide level of organization, fosters a sense of physical unity, promotes sustainability goals, and enhances the campus image.       

Campus Master Plan

LSU completed a comprehensive Campus Master Plan [10], which was approved by the Board of Supervisors in 2003 and updated in 2006 (Figure 1). This Master Plan provides a general overview for future development of the campus, and identifies a series of design principles intended to guide planning decisions in a manner that adjusts to the evolving needs of the university. Since the adoption of the 2003 Campus Master Plan, a series of district master plans have been completed in an effort to address specific needs of the campus, including Traffic and Transportation Master Plan (2005) [12], South Campus Master Plan (2009) [13], Campus Wayfinding Master Plan (2010) [14], the Hill Farm District Master Plan (2011) [15], and the Nicholson Gateway Master Plan [16] (Figures 2, 3, 4, 5).

Figure 1. Campus Master Plan

Figure 2. Hill Farm District Master Plan 2011

Figure 3. South Campus Master Plan

In 2008, LSU engaged in the development of a comprehensive master plan for its South Campus [13] property (6 miles south of the main campus).  This master plan facilitates the development of this +/-200-acre property to further enhance and strengthen the research mission of the university. This plan was approved by the Board of Supervisors in 2009, and serves as the principle guiding document for this satellite campus.

Currently, LSU is engaged in the Nicholson Gateway Development Plan [16] [17] [18] for the +40-acre site on the western side of the main campus.  This property is directly adjacent to the Athletic District and is traversed by a major arterial state route (LA Hwy 30).  This master development plan will provide opportunities for improved student services, such as enhanced student housing, as well as other supporting retail establishments, complete with improved pedestrian access and safety components.

LSU is embarking on a project to transform the Nicholson Drive Corridor [19], the largest underdeveloped tract of university property remaining that is adjacent to the campus core. This will turn what has traditionally been the back of the campus into a new gateway district. Vacant and underused sites will house new campus facilities, and an improved landscape will create a sense of arrival to campus.  On March 18, 2013, the LSU Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the Nicholson Gateway Master Plan (Figures 4, 5) [20] [21].

Figure 4. Nicholson Gateway Development (2013)

Figure 5. Nicholson Gateway Development (2013)

Facilities Management/Construction Update

LSU has had tremendous growth as it relates to capital construction in recent years, with approximately $200 million in construction projects being completed in 2012-2013 alone. These projects have provided additional classroom, faculty office, and laboratory space.  From 2011-2015, $445,725,127 in construction projects have been completed or are scheduled to be completed on campus.  Major capital projects which were recently completed or are currently in construction include Animal & Food Science Building (48,250 gsf: Figure 6), Business Education Complex (156,000 gsf: Figure 7), Chemistry & Materials Building (88,975 gsf: Figure 8), Digital Media Center-LETC II (95,000 gsf: Figure 9), Parking Garage and Bookstore (752 parking spaces; 50,000 gsf bookstore: Figure 10), River Modeling Facility (18,750 gsf: Figure 11) and Veterinary Medicine Large Animal Disease Isolation Facility (17,800 gsf: Figure 12).

Facility design, planning, and construction on campus are governed by Policy Statement PS-23 Facilities Design & Development [22], which provides for an integrated approach to planning and design in order to create and maintain a physical environment consistent with LSU’s status as the state’s flagship university and in keeping with the 2003 Master Planning Document [10] and to establish the long term stewardship of LSU's facilities, environment, and space resources in support of the academic and strategic objectives of the university and in keeping with its established aesthetics.

Figure 6. Animal and Food Sciences Building

Figure 7. Business School Complex, E.J. Ourso College of Business

Figure 8. Chemistry & Materials Building

Figure 9. Digital Media Center

Figure 10. Parking Garage and Bookstore

Figure 11. River Modeling Facility

Figure 12. Veterinary Medicine Large Animal Disease Isolation Facility

LSU continues to upgrade the campus utility infrastructure and transportation system, which includes renovations to existing surface lots, construction of new surface lots, covered bus shelters, and improvements to the bicycle infrastructure (bicycle parking hubs and improved bicycle lanes).  In addition, LSU is advancing Easy Streets projects that will provide improved pedestrian circulation and safety by restricting car access, lighting upgrades, and landscape improvements in an effort to enhance the overall campus environment.  This includes the creation, approval, and implementation of a campus wayfinding initiative in 2011 [23].  Wayfinding is the experience of an individual attempting to make his/her way through an unfamiliar environment, such as the LSU campus. This program formalizes a family of signs that enhances the campus environment and improves wayfinding. The manual also serves as a definitive sign policy for LSU. 

A professionally licensed staff of architects, landscape architects, engineers, and interior designers in the LSU Office of Facility Services, Planning, Design, and Construction Department [24] work with campus departments to plan, design, and manage construction of buildings that are conducive to supporting the learning, living, and working environment in a manner consistent with the strategic initiatives and overall mission of the university.  Design Standards and Specifications were created as a guideline to assist architects, engineers, other design professionals, contractors, and LSU staff in understanding the preferences of the university in the development, maintenance, and repair of facilities. These standards [25] are used in the design and construction of new and remodeled buildings, site enhancements, and infrastructure on the LSU campus.    

Student Housing

The mission of Residential Life is to provide learning communities by developing programs that promote academic success and personal development and to provide attractive, clean, comfortable, and safe facilities that meet the needs of the campus community [26].  The department strives to be a premier living/learning community that embodies the highest standards of campus housing.

The Department of Residential Life is the steward of 1.9 million square feet of facilities, 20 residence halls, two undergraduate student apartment complexes, and two family and graduate apartment complexes with a capacity to house 6,973 students. The facilities were built in the time span from 1923 to 2012. At the turn of the century, over 80% of undergraduate housing was constructed prior to 1968. The finishes, internal arrangements, and infrastructure of these facilities have outlived their life expectancy and are in need of renovation or replacement to provide the quality expected by students. In response the situation, Residential Life contracted with Hanbury Wright Evans Vlatts + Company to develop a Comprehensive Housing Master Plan [27]. In conjunction with the LSU Master Plan [10], this plan includes designs to improve the living-learning experiences for students living on campus and provide the Residential Life pillar in support of the LSU Flagship Agenda [28].

The initial plan called for a $290 million investment over 15 years. However, the hurricane season of 2005 (Hurricanes Katrina and Rita) forced a revisit of the plan near the five-year mark. The review resulted in a revised investment target and an expanded time line in which the last project will be completed in 2027. In accordance with the revised plans, projects are moving forward for the renovation/construction of facilities in support of the living-learning goals of the Flagship Agenda [28] and the Comprehensive Housing Master Plan [27]. To date, 57% of the single student housing is new or has received a major renovation with an investment of over $200 million.

Figure 13. Housing Invenotry and Projected Inventory 1997-2028

Honors College Housing

East Laville Hall reopened in 2012 after a complete renovation that included the construction of the new in-fill to connect the two halls and to provide housing for a “Faculty in Residence.” This completed the Honors House renovation, with the West Laville renovation having been completed in 2010.

Figure 14. Honors House Courtyard: East & West Laville Halls

Residential College One Complex

The second phase of the Residential College One Complex was completed in 2012 with the construction of North Hall and the Faculty in Residence building.  The project completed the Residential College One Complex, which replaced North and South Graham Halls, which were built in the 1968 and 1958, respectively. Phase 1 was completed in 2007 and was the first new resident halls constructed on the LSU campus in 39 years.  The total project has a capacity of 783 suite style beds, four classrooms, offices for faculty, quite study space on each floor/wing and many other amenities.

Figure 15. Residential College One Complex

Blake Hall

Fall 2008 saw the completion of the renovation and addition of Blake Hall.  This project was a complete renovation of the existing building and the addition of a new wing that added 100 suite beds to the housing inventory.

Figure 16. Blake Hall

Annie Boyd Hall

Construction started on the renovation of Annie Boyd Hall in 2012, and the facility is to return to the inventory for fall 2013.  The project includes a complete demolition of the interior with new central air and heat, new windows, new roof, new infrastructure, and an expanded front patio.

Figure 17. Annie Boyd Hall

New Residence Halls

Plans are also to build two new residence halls to add an additional 660 beds to the undergraduate inventory; construction of the first building will start in 2014. Both buildings will be suite bath with classrooms, faculty offices, and other amenities. The first building is planned for LEED Silver certification, which will be the first building on the main campus that is LEED certified. The LEED green building certification program “encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through a suite of rating systems that recognize projects that implement strategies for better environmental and health performance” [29].

Figure 18. Planned New Residence Hall, Part I

Family and Graduate Housing

Edward Gay and Nicholson Apartments provide housing for 569 students, 113 spouses, and 88 children, totaling 803 residents from 52 countries; more than 90% are graduate students. In addition, family and graduate housing hosts 33 research associates, visiting professors, and post-doctoral researchers. The Edward Gay and Nicholson Apartments are 74% full.  Children enjoy a variety of programming, including a Haunted West Campus Apartments (WCA) event hosted by the WCA Community Council and a Thanksgiving program hosted by Herget Residential College. Both apartment complexes have served LSU well but are in need of replacement. 

In 2008, LSU re-affirmed its commitment to providing on-campus graduate and family housing and began exploring the feasibility of a Public-Private Partnership to satisfy the graduate housing need, and subsequently Residential Life began the planning process to supply the family housing need.  On March 18, 2013, the LSU Board of Supervisors approved the Nicholson Gateway Master Plan [16] [17] [18] with over 1,200 beds for housing upperclass and graduate students in a mixed-use development.  Construction may start as early as 2014 and be completed by 2018. 

In 2011, an architectural program was prepared for 150 units of family housing to be constructed on campus.  The requirement is planned to be submitted in the 2014-15 Capital Outlay Program and is expected to be completed in 2018 to replace the Edward Gay Apartments.

Conference Housing

Each summer, Residential Life provides on-campus housing accommodations for a diverse collection of groups, including athletic and cheerleading camps, professional workshops, and college immersion programs. 

In 2012, more than 8,600 children and adults participated in 67 summer camps and conferences that logged more than 33,000 bed-nights.  Of these groups, 45% were athletic or cheerleading groups, 13% were focused on transitioning successfully to the university, and 30% were college preparatory or academic programs.  The remaining 12% included service-based and professional groups.  By housing such a wide range of groups, the department is able to generate revenue and attract potential future LSU students who may one day choose to live on campus.

Residential College Program

Core to the Vision 2010 and 2020 strategic plans has been the development of living-learning communities that have evolved into a robust Residential College Program of two cross-discipline and six discipline-based residential colleges [30].   Currently over 50% of residence hall beds are housing first-year students in a residential college living-learning program. The success of the on-campus programs is assessed annually through grade point averages, retention to second year, and six-year graduation rates.  They are significant when compared to first-year students living off campus.

Table 3.  Comparison of living site, grade point average (gpa), retention to second year, and 6-year graduation rate.
	GPA	Retention (%)	6 yr grad rate (%)
Residential College	2.81	85.7	69.4
On-Campus1	2.90	85.9	68.9
Off-Campus1	2.72	78.9	59.6
On-Campus2	2.79	85.1
Off-Campus2	2.62	78.3

The success of the housing program is generally indicated by the numbers, but student opinion provides another, generally more useful, measure.  LSU currently houses 70% of the first-year student class on campus and is working to house 85%. Residential Life annually uses the Educational Benchmarking Inc. (EBI) survey to gauge its performance.  In 2012, Residential Life received an “Excellent” in three key indicators (>5):

Vision 2010, the department’s strategic road map for the last decade, was completed, and a new strategic plan, Vision 2020 [31], was introduced to guide the department through the next decade with a renewed focus on learning, communication, sustainability, development, and improvement. The success of Residential Life strategic planning and subsequent action items over the last decade are visible in the improvement of the key EBI indicators over the last ten years.

Housing Demand

Fall 2012 brought the largest first-year class in the history of LSU and, with it, a continued demand for on-campus housing. To meet the challenge, Residential Life increased the housing inventory by 1,000 beds for fall 2012 vs. 2010. This was accomplished by the $1 million investment to return Kirby Smith Hall to the housing inventory from retirement.  The effort provided 350 suite-style bedrooms for fall 2011.  Additional beds were added in 2012 via renovations and new construction.  Residential Life spearheaded the establishment of an off-campus housing site in 2010 for students unable to live on campus [32]. 

Capital Outlay

Louisiana funds major renovations and new construction on campus through the capital outlay process. As a requirement of the State Capital Outlay process [33], LSU annually submits a prioritized five-year plan for capital improvements to the state legislature through the Board of Supervisors and Board of Regents [34] [35] [36]. This plan is the result of intensive university-wide planning efforts that include the Office of the Chancellor/President, Office of Facility Services, the Facility Design and Development Committee, Office of Academic Affairs, and the Office of Finance and Administrative Services, with the chancellor/president serving as the final decision maker.

Renovations and Deferred Maintenance

LSU grew rapidly after World War II, and many new buildings were added to the campus in the decades after the war.  Louisiana suffered severe budget shortfalls in the 1980s at a time when many older buildings were in need of major repairs. These major maintenance items were deferred beyond the ideal replacement time [37].

Capital renewal and deferred maintenance (DM) funding falls outside of the normal funding stream of building and grounds maintenance.  These funds are included annually in the state’s Capital Outlay program, from the sale of General Obligation Bonds, as either a specific capital renewal project or under the allocation for Major Repairs for State Buildings.  Since 2004, projects approved for funding with major repairs funds are tied to a state-wide facility conditions assessment, VFA Report [38], completed by the State of Louisiana.

Twenty-five major capital renewal projects were completed between 2004 and 2011 with a total investment of $99,715,338.  Five of the projects completed were in buildings included in the university’s National Historic District: the Journalism building (1930), the Gym-Armory building (1930), the Music & Dramatic Arts building (1932), the French House (1936), and Himes Hall (1938).  Deferred maintenance projects completed in the same time period included a total investment of $19,115,435 on 104 projects.  Due to recent budget shortfalls, the state has not provided deferred maintenance funding in the last five years.  

Campus Renovation & Construction Projects (2004-2014)

Business Education Complex	New Construction
David Boyd	Graduate School Renovation
Choppin Annex	New Construction
Engineering Lab Annex	Building Renovation
French House	Exterior Envelope, Roof, Windows & Doors
Himes Hall	Computer Testing Lab Renovation
Hodges Hall	Mass Communication Renovation
Johnston Hall	Law Enforcement Online Renovation
Journalism	Building Renovation
Lab School Gym & Performing Arts	New Construction
Lockett Hall	Classroom Renovation
Music & Dramatic Arts	Building Renovation
Nicholson Hall	Building Renovation and Addition
Parking Garage/Bookstore	New Construction
Tiger Band Hall	New Construction
Woodin Hall	Replacement of HVAC System

 

Campus Dining Renovation & Construction Projects (2004-2014)

459 Commons	Building Renovation
The Five	Building Renovation

 

Athletic Facility Renovation & Construction Projects (2004-2014)

Alex Box Stadium	New Construction
Bernie Moore Track Stadium	Renovation
Football Operations Center	New Construction
PMAC	Building Renovation
Tiger Gift Shop	Building Renovation
Tiger Habitat	New Construction
Tiger Park Softball	New Construction
Tiger Stadium (South End Zone Expansion)	New Construction
Tiger Stadium (West Upper Deck)	New Construction

Residential Life

Since 2005, Residential Life has invested more than $7.4 million in 58 small annual projects addressing deferred maintenance. The projects include elevators; domestic hot water boilers; flooring; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems; roofs; and fire alarm systems.  Over the last decade, all elevators have been replaced, all fire alarm systems have been upgraded, every building has been painted on the inside and waterproofed on the outside, and all but five roofs have been replaced.  In addition to small annual projects, four buildings received total renovations through the capital outlay process at a construction cost of approximately $38 million.

Residential Life Renovation & Construction Projects (2004-2014)

Annie Boyd	Building Renovation
Blake Hall	Renovation and Addition
East Laville	Building Renovation
Evangeline	Building Renovation
New Residence Hall	New Construction
Pentagon Service Building	Building Renovation
Residential College-Phase I	New Construction-South & West Buildings
Residential College-Phase II	New Construction
West Laville	Building Renovation

The Housing Master Plan addresses the major renovation, replacement, and construction of the housing inventory and is primarily funded through the sale of revenue bonds. In addition, all new or renovated facilities have a Maintenance Reserve Account (MRA) to support long-term maintenance needs that can be funded by a onetime deposit of 10% of the construction cost or an annual deposit of 1.5% of the construction cost (adjusted for inflation).  To date, the balance of existing MRA is $5,706,700.

To address the renewal needs of the facilities waiting for a major renovation or replacement, a facility maintenance program was developed on a simple life-cycle model. Funding for the program is budgeted at 10% of the annual gross revenue each year. This simple set of basic facility standards was initially adopted from life-cycle models and, over the last decade, was the catalysis for more than $61 million in projects to renew the housing inventory. This model has expanded over time into a comprehensive program based on four pillars: safety/security, improvements, infrastructure, and furnishings.

Maintenance and Operations

Maintenance and operations of buildings and grounds are coordinated through the LSU Office of Facility Services, Facility and Utility Operations (F&UO) department and are governed by Permanent Memorandum (PM) 14, Operation & Maintenance of Physical Plant [39].  Services not performed by the department, such as elevator maintenance, repair, and inspections, are contracted out on an annual basis.  Annual fire safety inspections are performed by state fire marshal personnel accompanied by Facility Services departmental staff.

LSU’s Preventative Maintenance Guide [40] lists the necessary maintenance schedule for various types of equipment and is managed through the computerized work control system Maximo.  The guide illustrates the preventive maintenance to be performed for each area and includes the job plans from Maximo that detail every task to be performed.  Preventive maintenance services ensure that all facilities and grounds are maintained and are fully operational (e.g., air-conditioning systems, elevators, fire pumps) to support Facility Services’ mission to support the university's vision, mission, and goals [41] [42] by providing all campus entities with quality facilities combined with cost effective and responsive maintenance, utilities, design and construction services.

Non-routine problems and issues submitted by the campus community are sent to the Work Control office in Facility Services. These requests are assigned to the appropriate maintenance, custodial, or grounds team for resolution. Work orders are processed through the computerized work control system in Maximo to ensure that corrective measures have been employed and that an appropriate response is sent to requestors. 

The LSU Office of Facility Services, Facility and Utility Operations currently has 442 full-time employees [43] who work in seven service areas: Facility Maintenance, Facility Systems, Environmental Maintenance, Energy Services, Utility Services, Building Services, and Landscape Services.  F&UO maintains 539 buildings comprising 12.4 million gross square feet of space.

Parking

The current number of parking spaces on campus adequately meets campus needs.  With surface, street, and garage parking, there are 26,032 spaces over 224 lots and eight streets and overflow grass areas for special events parking.  Parking standards provided by Campus Master Plan consultant Sasaki Associates, Inc. (Boston, MA) [10] stipulate students’ parking needs of one parking space per 3.5 FTE students plus the number of employees.  For LSU, this formula (including LSU Law Center and University Laboratory School students) requires a total of 13,437 spaces, and the University has nearly double this amount.  In 2013, a new parking garage at LSU Union Square was opened.  The nearly 750 parking spaces are divided among student parking, faculty and staff parking, and paid meter parking.  The count does not include adjunct and special event grass parking, which leaves adequate room for expansion and can increase the count by another 1,290 spaces over 22 lots and temporary grass areas that can accommodate another 6,000-7,000 vehicles.

The Chancellor’s Parking/Transportation Task Force received a Parking and Transportation Master Plan [44] from Walker Parking Consultants of Houston on April 19, 2005. This plan is intended to complement the university’s overall Master Plan adopted by the Board of Supervisors in 2003 [10].

The issues that the consultants were instructed to address included:

• Perceptions of parking and transportation problems and the expectations of the university;
• Community;
• Adequacy of parking and transit for resident students, commuter students, and faculty/staff;
• Adequacy of linkages between parking areas, residential areas, and academic areas;
• The role of peripheral shuttle parking vs. convenient structured parking;
• Issues of access to campus destinations related to heavy volumes of traffic accessing the core
• Campus; and
• Conflicts between pedestrians and vehicular traffic.

Based on recommendations received in the report, the LSU Parking and Transportation Services  has created a twenty-year capital improvements plan to repair existing parking lots, build new parking structures (one has been constructed and opened in April 2013), reduce traffic patterns in the core campus, and complete a wide range of other traffic and parking improvements.

Space Inventory/Utilization

Space Inventory is maintained and updated by the LSU Office of Facility Services Planning, Design & Construction department and is governed by PM-42 Physical Facilities Inventory & Analyses [45].  PM-42 directs administration to maintain an accurate inventory of its facilities and to provide a means for determining that such facilities are appropriately used.  The systematic study of utilization data enables the university to: 1) make the most effective use of existing space and provide factual information in support of university requests for additional facilities, 2) provide an effective management tool for the establishment of building priorities, and 3) complete reports to various state and federal agencies.

LSU uses a Facility Database system to maintain and update space inventory. It is used by all departments across campus as a self-reporting system to update each department’s space inventory [46].  Space inventory is updated annually, and departments are encouraged to update their assigned space inventory throughout the year to ensure that inventory remains current throughout the year.

LSU provides an annual report to the Louisiana Board of Regents [47] as required by the Louisiana Constitution. The Board of Regents, a state agency, coordinates all public higher education in Louisiana. The board began operations in January 1, 1975, succeeding the Coordinating Council for Higher Education. The Board of Regents consists of 15 volunteer members appointed by the governor to six-year overlapping terms.  Regents are drawn from Louisiana’s seven congressional districts, and one student member is appointed by the Louisiana Council of Student Body Presidents as its representative on the board.

The Louisiana Board of Regents annually analyzes space and utilization data received from all of Louisiana’s public higher education institutions.  Utilization data for teaching space, classrooms, and class laboratories is compared against established benchmarks among the four-year and two-year institutions.  This information is found in Comprehensive Standard 3.11.3.  Briefly, in 2012, LSU’s ratio of assignable square feet to student contact hours, gave a classroom space factor of 0.91. For classrooms space, a space factor less than or equal to 1.0 is an indication of optimum use. This suggests that LSU is using its space optimally. For laboratory space, a factor less than or equal to 2.5 is an indication of optimum use. A space factor greater than 2.5 but less than 4.0 indicates an acceptable use of laboratory space. Any space factor greater than 4.0 would indicate excess space. LSU (including Ag and Law) has a laboratory space factor of 5.22, suggesting excess laboratory space at LSU [48].

In 2012, LSU’s average utilization of classrooms was 16.8 hours of use per week compared to the Board of Regents benchmark of 30 hours per week.  Based upon the reported data, LSU ranked number 6 of the 14, 4-year institutions. The Board of Regents also has established a benchmark of 60% of student station use per week for classrooms.  Based upon the reported data, LSU reported an average student station use per week of 44.8%, ranking LSU at number 11 of 14 [48]. In 2012, LSU’s average utilization of class laboratories was 7.3 hours of use per week compared to the Board of Regents benchmark of 20 hours per week.  Based upon the reported data, LSU ranked number 8 of the 14, 4-year institutions. The Board of Regents also has established a benchmark of 80% of student station use per week for class labs.  Based upon the reported data, LSU reported an average student station use per week of 58.1%, ranking LSU at number 5 of 14.

Management of these resources by the Facility Development Department, reorganized to become the Planning, Design & Construction department, assists in achieving the university’s mission to use available space to the utmost efficiency. The current space needs analysis was conducted from 2004 through 2011.

Currently, 50% of teaching spaces are departmentally controlled and are not being scheduled in the university’s facilities database.  The resulting underreporting of actual utilization is the basis of the unfavorable reporting rate of classroom and class lab space use when compared to the other four-year, public institutions of higher education in the state of Louisiana.  The Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost is currently requiring all departments to schedule all teaching spaces in the facility management database and in the registrar’s class scheduling program by the beginning of fall semester 2013.  

Summary

LSU, through its master planning, capital outlay prioritization, construction services, design standards, and routine, preventive, and deferred maintenance efforts is providing the physical resources conducive to its instruction, research, and public service mission. Additional information related to physical resources at LSU are also addressed in Comprehensive Standards 3.11.1, 3.11.2 and 3.11.3.