Room Use Codes and Definitions
Room Usage is a program-oriented code that profiles the actual use/function of a room and helps determine its type of space. Classification often is determined by the program's funding: state, auxiliary, federal, or private; and, classification is often determined by whom the program serves. As with the use of all codes in this manual, the inventory specialist must choose the best code according to all relevant alternatives. Note that this code can be prorated to reflect more than one use/function. Room Use categories are listed below and defined on the following pages. Non E&G space is indicated by an asterisk (*).
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Room Use Categories
Instructional
Research
Public Service*
Academic Support
Student Services
Institutional Administration
Physical Plant Operations
Independent Operations*
Unassigned Space*
(go directly to Definitions)
Instructional
11 General Academic Instruction (Degree-Related)
12 Vocational/Technical Instruction (Degree-Related)
13 Requisite Preparatory/Remedial Instruction
14 General Studies (Non-Degree)
15 Occupation-Related Instruction (Non-Degree)
16 Social Roles/Interaction Instruction (Non-Degree)
17 Home and Family Life Instruction (Non-Degree)
18 Personal Interest/Leisure Instruction (Non-Degree)
Research
21 Institutes and Research Centers
22 Individual or Project Research
Public Service*
31 Direct Patient Care
32 Health Care Supportive Services
33 Community Services
34 Cooperative Services
35 Public Broadcasting Services
Academic Support
41 Library Services
42 Museums and Galleries*
43 Educational Media Services
44 Academic Computing Support
45 Ancillary Support
46 Academic Administration
47 Course and Curriculum Development
48 Academic Personnel Development
Student Services
51 Student Service Administration
52 Social and Cultural Development*
53 Placement and Career Guidance
54 Financial Aid Administration
55 Student Auxiliary Services
56 Intercollegiate Athletics
57 Student Health/Medical Services
Institutional Administration
61 Executive Management
62 Financial Management and Operations
63 General Administration/Logistical Services
64 Administrative Computing and Telecommunications Support
65 Faculty and Staff Auxiliary Services*
66 Alumni Records*
67 Student Recruitment and Admissions
68 Student Records
69 Public Relations
Physical Plant Operations
71 Physical Plant Administration
72 Building Maintenance
73 Custodial Services
74 Utilities
75 Landscape and Grounds Maintenance
76 Construction Project Management
Independent Operations (Non E&G)*
91 Independent Operations/Institutional
92 Independent Operations/External Agencies
Unassigned Space (Non E&G) *
02 Custodial Areas Appendix D, Categories of Room Usage Page 2 – August 2001
03 Mechanical Areas
04 Mothballed/Permanently Incapable of Use
05 Public Rest Rooms
06 Shell Space
07 Circulation Areas
Room Use Definitions
Instructional
This category includes all activities that are part of an institution's instructional program.
Included are rooms for credit and non-credit courses; for academic, vocational, and technical
instruction; for remedial and tutorial instruction; and for continuing education. Examples of
space that can be coded as instructional are classrooms (100 series), Laboratories (200 series),
Offices (300 series), Lounges (650), etc.
11 General Academic Instruction: This includes space for programs associated with academic disciplines offering credit courses as part of a formal postsecondary education degree or certificate program. Only degree related disciplines described in Appendix B CIP codes are classified in this category. Examples are liberal arts' programs at a college or university and academic associate degree programs at a community college.
12 Vocational/Technical Instruction: This includes space for programs that prepare students for immediate entry into a specific occupation or career. Instruction must be part of the institution's formal degree or certificate programs and associated with academic disciplines listed in the Technical and Occupational Specialties CIP codes. If instruction is occupation-related but not part of a formal degree or certificate program, it is Occupation-Related Instruction (15) or Public Service (33 or 34). Examples of Vocational/Technical Instruction are degree/certificate programs of vocational and technical schools and occupation-related certificate programs of proprietary schools.
13 Requisite Preparatory/Remedial Instruction: This includes space for formal instruction that provides students the basic knowledge and skills required by the institution before they can take formal academic courses leading to a postsecondary degree or certificate. Instruction is supplemental to the normal academic program and typically designated as preparatory, remedial, or developmental and taken prior to or along with courses leading to a degree or certificate. They generally are non-credit offerings, although in some cases' credit is given and the credit requirement for the degree or certificate is increased accordingly. Examples are preparatory/ remedial summer programs offered for students accepted under a conditional admission agreement and foreign language provided specifically to satisfy doctoral-level requirements.
14 General Studies: This space is typically administered by a continuing education office funded by state appropriations. Programs are open to the general public, and instruction is not part of a formal postsecondary degree or certificate program. Instruction provides knowledge, skills, and attitudes typically associated with a liberal art discipline, such as literature, mathematics, or philosophy. Examples are non-degree continuing education classes in great books, painting, sculpture, fine arts, and foreign languages for travel, computer literacy, and general education development programs.
15 Occupation-Related Instruction: This space typically is administered by a continuing education office funded by state appropriations. Programs are open to the general public, and instruction is not part of a formal postsecondary degree or certificate program. Instruction provides knowledge, skills, and background related to a specific occupation or career and focuses on the participant as a worker. Examples are continuing education classes for physicians and nurses, real estate institutes, word processing and spreadsheet classes, and non-degree-related career and vocational courses.
16 Social Roles/Interaction Instruction: A continuing education office funded by state appropriations typically administers this space. Programs are open to the general public, and instruction is not part of a formal postsecondary degree or certificate program. Instruction provides knowledge, skills, and background needed to function as a member of society or to interact with the variety of social institutions. It also includes instruction that deals with the person as a member of a particular social organization or institution. Such social institutions include, but are not limited to, the church, the community, and organizations associated with the various levels of government. Examples are continuing education classes in civil defense, consumerism, and languages for persons seeking U.S. citizenship.
17 Home and Family Life Instruction: A continuing education office funded by state appropriations typically administers this space. Programs are open to the general public, and instruction is not part of a formal postsecondary degree or certificate program. Instruction provides knowledge, skills, and capabilities ranging from the establishment, maintenance, and improvement of a home to a person's responsibilities as a member of the family unit. Examples are child development, gardening, do-it-yourself repair, and household budgeting.
18 Personal Interest and Leisure Instruction: This space is typically administered by a continuing education office funded by state appropriations. Programs are open to the general public, and instruction is not part of a formal postsecondary degree or certificate program. Activities support an individual's recreational or vocational pursuits or improve day-to-day living skills. The focus is on the individual as a user of leisure time. Examples are speed-reading, leadership development, folk dancing, and personality development.
This category includes activities specifically organized to produce research results. Included are research funded by institutional state funds and research funded by another state agency. Research areas funded by auxiliary funds is Auxiliary Enterprise (55 or 65), and federally and privately funded research areas are Independent Operations/External Agencies (92). Room Usage can be prorated to reflect a joint research effort. Note that laboratory space for this research is Non- Class Laboratory (250).
21 Institutes and Research Centers Included: This is space for research activities conducted within the framework of a formal research organization. Although organization is the criterion for classification, this category includes only activities carried out for the purpose of creating knowledge, organizing, or applying existing knowledge. Therefore, while an agricultural experiment station is used as an example, only the research conducted within the station is classified here. The criterion described in Public Service Category is used to differentiate between research and public service activities in agricultural experiment stations or other dual objective centers. Excluded from this category are federally funded research centers (for example, Argonne National Laboratories, which would be Independent Operations/ External Agencies 92). Examples of Institutes and Research Centers are Agricultural Experiment Stations, Center for Behavioral Science, Center for Study of the Aging, and Institute for Behavioral Science.
22 Individual or Project Research: This research normally is managed within the academic departments and has a stated goal or purpose and projected outcome. Generally, the research is for a specific time period as a result of a contract, grant, or specific allocation of institutional resources. If departmental research is an instructional activity, it is classified in the appropriate instructional category. If the research is conducted primarily for personnel development, it is Academic Personnel Development (48).
This includes programs established to make available to the public various unique resources and capabilities of the institution for the specific purpose of responding to a community need or solving a community problem. Institutions provide facilities and personnel outside the context of the institution's regular instructional, research, and support programs. These programs often are initiated and funded by an external group or agency. Activities generally are restricted to benefit a target group and would not be available unless funding is provided specifically for them. An example of Public Service is consulting which involves the application or skills to a specific concern or problem generally identified and/or defined by the client. In consulting, the primary objective is the solution of a problem, with education being either a secondary motive or a too for accomplishing the primary objective. Instruction may use a problem solving approach, but its primary objective is the transmission of knowledge rather than the solution of problems. Programs making institutional resources, services, and expertise available to the community-at large are Public Service. A campus radio station can serve as a laboratory for broadcast students, but it also is Public Service when it receives funding from national public broadcasting agencies and listener support grants. Many Public Service programs are part of the institution's instructional program, and Room Usage data is to be prorated to reflect Public Service and other usage when appropriate.
31 Direct Patient Care (Non E&G): This includes space for direct patient care (prevention, diagnosis, treatment, education, rehabilitation, etc.). The care can be for humans or animals (veterinary care). In the postsecondary setting, these services typically are provided by a teaching hospital, health science center, or clinic and are for the benefit of the community-at-large rather than for the institution's student body or faculty and staff. Patient-care for the institution's students is Student Health/Medical Services (57). Patient-care for faculty and staff is Faculty and Staff Auxiliary Services (65). Instruction, research, and administrative areas in teaching hospitals are not Direct Patient Care and are coded accordingly. Examples of Direct Patient Care space include patient rooms, ambulatory rooms, emergency rooms, treatment rooms, and diagnostic rooms. Examples of care provided in these rooms include medical/surgical, psychological, rehabilitative, patient educational, and dental.
32 Health Care Supportive Services (Non E&G): Included are areas that directly support teaching hospitals, health science centers, or clinics. Examples are blood banks, pharmacies, optical services, medical records, inpatient reception desks, admitting offices, and credit offices.
33 Community Services (Non E&G): Included is space which provides resources, services, and expertise to persons and groups outside the context of the institution's regular instructional, research, and support programs. These programs generally are sponsored and controlled by the institution. A fee often is charged for the service but it is not necessarily equal to the cost of the service rendered. Examples are consulting services, summer camps for public school students, community meetings, cultural and recreational programs that are not part of the Student Service program, psychological counseling centers that are not part of a health science center, and speech and hearing clinics.
34 Cooperative Services (Non E&G): Included is space providing resources, services, and expertise outside the context of the institution's regular instructional, research, and support programs. Administration and fiscal control are cooperative efforts with outside agencies. A fee often is charged for the service but it is not necessarily equal to the cost of the service rendered. Examples are consulting services, soil testing, and special institutes or seminars for companies or businesses.
35 Public Broadcasting Services (Non E&G): Included is space provided for the
operation and maintenance of broadcast services operated outside the context of the institution's
instructional, research, and support programs. Excluded are broadcast services, which are student
laboratories (General Academic Instruction 11), student broadcasting clubs (Social and Cultural
Development 52), and independent operations (Independent Operations/Institutional 91). Public
Broadcasting Services usually receive funding from national public broadcasting agencies and
listener support grants. They are staffed by professionals and can provide music, news, weather,
sports, and special programming.
Academic Support
This category provides support services for an institution's primary mission for instruction, research, and/or public service.
41 Library Services: This is centrally operated, staffed, and controlled library space for the collection, cataloging, storage, and distribution of published materials. Library Services are separately funded and do not include departmental libraries furnished by departmental operating funds. The CIP code for central library space is General Use (000000). Branch libraries serving specific disciplines are coded with the appropriate CIP (law, art, etc.) Examples of Library Services are materials' acquisition, information desks, indexes, reference services, stack areas, reading/stack areas, study areas, interlibrary loan offices, binding areas, and repairing areas.
42 Museums and Galleries (Non E&G): This includes space for the collection, preservation, and exhibition of historical materials, art objects, scientific displays, and other related activities. The CIP code for central Museum and Gallery space is General Use (000000). Branch museums serving specific disciplines are coded with the appropriate CIP (pharmacy, medicine, etc.) Research associated with a museum is individual or Project Research (22). Examples of Museum and Gallery space include cataloging, repairing, specimen photography, specimen identification, exhibits, and reference services.
43 Educational Media Services: This includes space for audio, visual, and other media services that support instruction, research, and public service. Typically, Educational Media Services provide equipment (VCRs, projectors, tape recorders), prerecorded materials (video tapes, films), and media production (graphics designs, video production) for instruction, research, and public service. Areas that provide media production for institutional information, news, or public relations offices are Public Relations and Alumni Records (66).
44 Academic Computing Support: This space includes mainframe computer rooms and computer maintenance areas that provide support for instruction, research, and public service. This often is part of a central mainframe computer center, which also provides Administrative computing or Telecommunications Support (64) and in these cases, room data is prorated. This category does not include computer laboratories and study areas with computer equipment. Examples of Academic Computing Support space are mainframe computer rooms, areas for software development, equipment storage, computer personnel offices, and computer center reception areas.
45 Ancillary Support: This is space unique to a particular academic program or department, and descriptions are so numerous that categories were not created for them. Examples are demonstration schools, planetariums, animal quarters, kilns, glassblowing shops, nuclear reactors, university presses, and vivariums.
46 Academic Administration: This includes space for academic deans, department heads, and their administrative staffs. The category also includes academic advising offices where students receive counseling on courses to take and have degree plans prepared. Space assigned to administrative officers (vice presidents, vice chancellors, etc.) is Executive Management (61). Room Usage for deans and department heads who also teach is prorated to reflect Academic Administration (46) and General Academic Instruction (11).
47 Course and Curriculum Development: This space is for the formal planning and development of the institution's curriculum. Generally, these responsibilities are assigned to the academic vice president's area. Activities include course and curriculum research, curriculum development and modification, and curriculum evaluation.
48 Academic Personnel Development: This space provides the faculty with opportunities for professional growth and development. Included are departmental research areas when the research is for the professional development of academic personnel. Examples are rooms used for professional meetings, recitals, publishing, faculty development programs, and in-service faculty education programs.
This category includes space for programs that contribute to the emotional and physical well being of students as well as their intellectual, cultural, and social development. These programs are outside the context of the institution's formal instructional and research missions.
51 Student Service Administration: This is space for the administration of student service activities. Excluded are chief administrative offices (vice president or vice chancellor for student affairs) and offices for specific programs (placement, financial aid, etc.) Examples of Student Service Administration titles are dean of students, dean of student personnel services, and dean of women. Also included is international student advising when it is supported by state funds.
52 Social and Cultural Development (Non E&G): This space is assigned to programs that provide social and cultural development outside the formal academic program. Activities typically are supported by student fees and controlled by the student body. Excluded from this category is Intercollegiate Athletics (56). Examples of Social and Cultural Development are areas for orientation, students' legal advising, inter cultural services, student organizations, student newspapers, student government, intramural athletics, art exhibitions, concerts, drama productions (including green rooms), and recreation. Typical Room Types associated with Social and Cultural Developments are Special Class Laboratory (220), Office (310), Assembly (610), Exhibition (620), Recreation (670), and Meeting Room (680). In some disciplines, such as journalism and art, student newspapers and exhibitions also are instructional laboratories. Data for these areas is to be prorated to reflect dual usage.
53 Placement and Career Guidance Activities: In these areas are provided to assist students in obtaining employment upon leaving the institution. Offices that assist students obtain part-time employment as a means of defraying educational expense are Financial Aid Administration (54). Examples of Placement and Career Guidance are career placement offices, career counseling and guidance offices, and vocational testing services.
54 Financial Aid Administration Activities: In these areas provide financial aid counseling and evaluation, financial aid records maintenance and reporting, and student employment services. Also, included are student loan offices.
55 Student Auxiliary Services (Non E&G): Provided in these areas are housing administrative services, food services, retail services, concessions, and specialized services. A fee often is charged for the service but it is not necessarily equal to the cost of the service rendered. If the service benefits students, faculty, and staff, data is prorated to reflect Faculty and Staff Auxiliary Services (65). Examples of Student Auxiliary Services are bookstores, cafeterias, snack bars, vending areas, photo copy areas where a fee is charged, duplicating areas where fees are charged, billiards rooms, childcare centers for children of students, and telephone switch rooms where service is provided to students in dormitories.
56 Intercollegiate Athletics (Non E&G): This includes all areas involving intercollegiate athletics: athletic directors' offices, coaches' offices, training rooms, dressing rooms, stadiums, gymnasiums, athletic meeting rooms, cheerleading offices, concessions, athletic fund raising areas, and sports information offices. Some athletic departments provide tutors and academic study rooms with computers and libraries. As with the academic departmental study rooms, access may be restricted but the usage remains General Academic Instruction (11). Data on offices of athletic staff members who also serve on the faculty is prorated to reflect General Academic Instruction (11).
57 Student Health/Medical Services (Non E&G): This is space for student medical care and services, behavioral counseling, wellness programs, dental care, rehabilitative care, and patient education. These programs typically are supported by student fees and/or income from fees charged for services rendered. Examples are infirmaries, student health services, counseling centers, and wellness programs.
This category includes space for operations that provides planning and executive direction, public relations, employee services, and student recruiting and admissions.
61 Executive Management: This is space assigned to boards of regents, chancellors, provosts, presidents, vice chancellors, vice presidents, vice provosts, and emeritus executive management administrators. Also included here are offices that report directly to the chief executive officer: internal audits, risk management, affirmative action, institutional attorney, institutional planning, human resource management, and assistant to the president.
62 Financial Management and Operations: This space includes financial management and fiscal offices that generally come under the wing of the institution's chief fiscal officer. Examples are comptroller, business manager, bursar, payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable, travel reimbursement, accounting, cashier, and internal auditing if the internal auditor does not report directly to the chief executive officer.
63 General Administration and Logistical Services: This space is used in the administration of personnel programs, real and personal property management, purchasing operations, transportation, public safety, and security. Examples are personnel administration, faculty/staff insurance administration, faculty/staff records, room scheduling, facilities' management and reporting, room scheduling, campus police, trash collection, purchasing, shipping and receiving, inventory control, central storage, motor pool, campus mail, and printing and duplicating services. The category also is General Administration and Logistical Services for space assigned to affirmative action officers, human resource officers, and risk managers who do not report directly to the chief executive officer.
64 Administrative Computing or Telecommunications Support: This space includes mainframe computer rooms, computer maintenance areas, telecommunications switch rooms, and telecommunications maintenance rooms that provide administrative support. This often is part of a central mainframe computer center that also provides Academic computing Support (44). In these cases, room data is prorated. This category does not include computer laboratories and study areas with computer equipment. Telephone switch areas that provide service to dormitories are Student Auxiliary Services (55). Data for switch areas that provide both institutional and residential service is prorated Administrative Computing or Telecommunications Support and Student Auxiliary Services (55). Telephone closets are Non-Assignable Mechanical Areas (03). Examples of this space are mainframe computer rooms, areas for software development, equipment storage, computer personnel offices, and computer center reception areas.
65 Faculty and Staff Auxiliary Services (Non E&G): These areas provide housing administrative services, food services, retail services, concessions, and specialized services. A fee often is charged for the service but it is not necessarily equal to the cost of the service rendered. If the service benefits students, faculty, and staff, data is prorated to reflect Student Auxiliary Services (55). Examples of Faculty and Staff Auxiliary Services are faculty/staff clubs; faculty/staff coffee shops, vending areas in faculty lounges, wellness programs where fees are charged, and child care centers provided only for children of faculty and staff. Governmental relations activities other than those assigned to the institution's legal office also are Faculty and Staff Auxiliary Services.
66 Alumni Records (Non E&G): This is space for operations that maintain relations with the alumni. Examples are maintaining mailing lists, and other data on the institution's former students. Alumni offices also maintain data on funds raised. Sports information offices are Intercollegiate Athletics (56).
67 Student Recruitment and Admissions Activities: In these areas include the identification and recruitment of prospective students and the processing of admissions applications.
68 Student Records Activities: In these areas include maintaining, handling, and updating records for current and former students. Examples are registrars' offices and transcript offices.
69 Public Relations/Development: This space is for operations that maintain relations with the local community and general public about the institution. Examples are news and information offices that provide news releases, internal newsletters, institutional brochures, and other news publications.
This category includes space for operations providing maintenance of buildings, grounds, and utilities and for planning and designing future plant expansions and modifications.
71 Physical Plant Administration: This includes space assigned to the physical plant director, campus architects, and construction engineers.
72 Building Maintenance: This space includes Shops (720), Offices (310), and other areas required for the routine repair and maintenance of buildings and structures.
73 Custodial Services: This space includes Offices (310) and other assignable areas required for custodial service. Custodial closets are Non-Assignable Custodial Areas (02) if reported on the facilities inventory. Custodial closets are Non-Assignable Custodial Areas (02) if reported on the facilities inventory.
74 Utilities: This space includes Offices (310), Shops (720), and other areas required to provide heating, cooling, light and power, gas, water, and other utilities necessary for the operation of the physical plant. Mechanical rooms are Non-Assignable Mechanical Areas (03) if reported on the facilities inventory.
75 Landscape and Grounds Maintenance: This includes Offices (310), Shops (720), Field Service (560) buildings, and other areas required for grounds maintenance and landscape.
76 Construction Project Management: This includes institutional staff that manages and/or oversees construction projects.
This category includes space for operations owned or controlled by the institution as an investment or space owned by the institution but leased and/or controlled by an outside agency. This space is Non-E&G since it is unrelated to or independent of the institution's mission.
91 Independent Operations/Institutional (Non E&G): This space, usually designed to generate income, provides activities unrelated to the institution's mission and is not intended to provide service to students, faculty, and staff. The institution controls the space. Examples are commercial rental property, conference centers, hotels, restaurants, independent public school districts within the institution, and development or fund-raising offices.
92 Independent Operations/External Agencies (Non E&G): This is space controlled and/or leased to outside agencies, including state agencies. Examples are facilities provided to a community college to teach nursing, federally funded research centers and other operations. When one institution leases and/or controls space on another institution's campus, the institution owning the space reports it as Independent Operations/External Agencies (91), and the institution controlling the space should report its actual usage.
This space is not assigned to directly support programs but may be necessary for the general operation of a building. This space is considered unassignable space.
02 Custodial Areas (Non E&G): This is space used for the protection, care, and maintenance of a building. Examples are trash rooms, custodial rooms, custodial locker rooms, and custodial storage/supply rooms.
03 Mechanical Areas (Non E&G): This includes rooms that house mechanical equipment such as central utility plants, boiler rooms, air conditioning/air handler rooms, mechanical service shafts, telephone closets, air ducts, and others. Elevator space also can be included in this category.
04 Mothballed/Permanently Incapable of Use (Non E&G): This space is temporarily unassigned, scheduled for demolition, or terminated/withdrawn from service.
05 Public Rest Rooms (Non E&G): These rest rooms are accessible to the public. Private rest rooms are service areas.
06 Shell Space (Non E&G): This is unfinished space designed to be converted into usable space at a later date.
07 Circulation Areas (Non E&G): This space includes those areas of common access, transit, or general use that are accessible to the public and are not used for instructional purposes. Examples include atriums, entrances, hallways, passageways, walkways, lobbies, corridors, foyers, reception areas and waiting rooms.