Planning

Overview

The Facilities Planning group supports and implements the University's mission, master plan and goals through the physical resources of the University. We promote the wise stewardship of the University’s physical resources through effective space planning, small project planning and capital project planning for the Morgantown, Beckley and Keyser Campuses.

Space Planning

Space on campus is a critical resource to support the University's mission. Facilities Planning engages in campus-wide space planning efforts by working with stakeholders to align the use of physical space with the University’s mission and goals. To achieve this, Facilities Planning established the University’s space guidelines and adheres to these six key principals when planning space:

1. Space planning and management is to support WVU’s strategic plan and comprehensive master plan.
2. Effective space planning is logical, transparent and data informed.
3. Space is a financial resource and should be efficiently and effectively utilized to its highest and best use for the University as a whole.
4. All spaces belong to the University. The University has authority and responsibility to allocate space to specific users for certain periods of time, to review those allocations periodically, to assess utilization, and to relocate space as needed.
5. Space assignments are not permanent. Space is assigned to activities and not individuals. As such, space should be reassigned as activities change.
6. Space that is vacant or deemed underutilized will be reassigned or repurposed. Space that is vacated due to reorganization, unit relocation or other programmatic changes will revert to central administration. However, the unit remains the steward until such reassignment occurs.

Small Project Planning

As department needs change, the spaces they occupy occasionally require physical alterations. Facilities planning assists departments with small project planning by working with stakeholders to define project requirements, develop drawings to reflect project requirements, develop a budget, and submit for University approval. Often, small project planning includes project types such as general-purpose classroom updates, creating a new academic center, relocating a unit into new space, or updating laboratories. Once a project scope is defined and budget has been approved, the project is sent to the Design and Construction unit to manage construction.

Capital Project Planning

Prior to the design of capital projects, a Program of Requirements is developed that delineates the goals and objectives of the capital project. It ensures the goals and visions of upper administration are incorporated, and delineates the type, relative size and use of spaces to be created. The Program of Requirements also validates site information, infrastructure concerns, basic utility information, and meets space guidelines as managed by the Facilities Planning unit.