In an effort to establish a consistent, clear and transparent operating schedule for key university buildings, the Division of Operations, in collaboration with the Provost’s Office, has developed a list of building hours for key Foggy Bottom Campus buildings for the fall 2015 semester.
The listing is posted on the website of the Division of Operations and was sent Wednesday to vice presidents, deans, directors and department heads across the university in a message from Alicia Knight, senior associate vice president for operations, and Forrest Maltzman, senior vice provost for academic affairs and planning.
Fall 2015 building hours were determined by evaluating scheduled activities in the buildings, the type of spaces located in each building and the general building utilization. Building hours also reflect the need to ensure that adequate study space is available for students around the clock and that those who need specialized studio or lab spaces are able to work beyond public hours.
The Division of Operations and the Provost’s Office also worked to create a greater level of consistency in building hours across the Foggy Bottom Campus.
“Finding the appropriate balance between building hours and utilization will both enhance the security of our buildings and assist GW in reaching its sustainability goals by reducing off-hours energy usage by limiting electricity and HVAC operations,” Ms. Knight and Dr. Maltzman said in their message to university leaders.
Gelman Library will continue to serve as the university’s around-the-clock study location for students. It will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the fall semester. In addition, the Marvin Center will continue to operate from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., seven days a week.
While most academic buildings are scheduled to close at 10 p.m. on weekdays, Duques Hall, the Academic Center and Science and Engineering Hall will remain open until 11 p.m. on weekdays.
On Saturdays, multiple buildings will be open to accommodate classes and student study activities. On Sundays, most academic buildings will be closed. However, Science and Engineering Hall will be open to members of the GW community from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. via GWorld card readers.
“It is also important to note that the hours listed are for general building access only. Authorized users will continue to have additional access as dictated by their appropriate circumstances,” Ms. Knight and Dr. Maltzman said. For example, researchers and faculty will continue to have authorized access to their workspaces after hours. Requests for such authorization should be initiated by schools or department chairs and directed to the GWorld Card office.
Extended hours will continue to be coordinated in certain buildings during the final exam period to provide additional late-night study space for students. A schedule of spaces available and hours will be issued later in the semester.
“Building hours will be reviewed each semester, taking into account any changes to campus operations, and any necessary updates will be made,” Ms. Knight and Dr. Maltzman said.