Focused Report

Core Requirement 2.11.2

The institution has adequate physical resources to support the mission of the institution and the scope of its programs and services. (Physical Resources)

Off-Site Committee Finding

The Physical Resources of the Institution are outlined clearly in the Compliance Certificate with tables showing building locations, classroom utilization and funding levels for repair and maintenance. No mention is made in the Compliance Certificate of an assessment survey that speaks to the perception of adequacy of the facilities. Such a survey would be highly complementary to the information provided in the Facilities Inventory Report (FIR) filed in FY2007. The Campus Master Plan currently in use was presented in February, 1996, and the next one is planned for 2007-8. The major emphasis in the Compliance Certificate was placed on the performing arts center being planned. It is a facility that will be approximately 124,000 square feet and cost $27M and is scheduled for completion in 2010. The 800 seats planned does not afford a significant revenue generation opportunity, and the observed plans do indicate it will generate tuition revenue. Therefore the added costs must be borne by current resource areas or additional funding sources. In any case it is a significant planning issue that has the potential to impact the operational budget of the institution. The On-Site Committee is asked to assess the input by faculty and staff as to the adequacy of physical resources.

Albany State University's Response

Regarding the off-site reviewers mention of the potential financial impact of the planned new Performing Arts Center, it is not considered a problem as currently planned. It will be primarily funded by the state with additional participation by the Albany State University (ASU) Foundation. Our annual formula generated operating budget will also be increased by the state to fund its ongoing costs. The university also surveyed its faculty and staff in Spring 2008 to assess [1] their input on the adequacy of physical resources. The results of ASU's survey suggest that faculty and staff generally believe that classroom and lab space are inadequate to fulfill the university's needs (see results in [2] ). The university takes seriously these findings but would like the reviewers to consider the fact that ASU's growth in student enrollment has outpaced growth in added space for classrooms and labs. In fact, Albany State University has had no net increase in instructional space in over a quarter of a century. Further, as we indicated in our compliance certificate response, the Ray Charles Fine Arts Building is expected to add an additional 97,000 assignable square feet to the University's expansion efforts. The university is also making efforts to convert the ground floor of two residence halls to classroom space in order to better accommodate growing demand for academic spaces. Additionally, the University is currently implementing Resource 25, a computerized academic and event room scheduling system, in order to more effectively and efficiently manage and allocate existing space. Improved space allocation efforts began in 2007 with a detailed facilities audit of all campus facilities. Information from the audit will be used in late spring of 2008 to perform a rigorous analysis of how space is used at the University. Actions taken based on this analysis will provide the foundation for improving faculty and staff perceptions of campus facilities. While additional lab space would be optimal, existing laboratory space will be sufficient to meet current needs with scheduling of extended hours with week night and Saturday labs to address the issue of lab space deficiency.  

Supporting Documentation

[1] Email Notification to Faculty and Staff regarding Survey

[2] Results of Facilities Survey by Faculty and Staff, Spring 2008