On the Job with Space Management

The Bulletin spoke with Denise Ramos, director of Sacramento State’s Space Management Office.

What do people think your organization does?
Most of the people on campus responsible for making space arrangements know that we schedule all the University’s academic facilities and outdoor spaces for instruction and events and that we coordinate related event services.

What do you really do? 
In addition to making the space arrangements mentioned above, we have a host of other responsibilities including training campus groups and individuals in the use of scheduling software, conducting space audits and classroom furniture audits, purchasing and maintaining the lecture furniture inventory, purchasing instructional furniture for laboratories and coordinating these requests with the academic departments.

The Space Management website provides more details of our responsibilities. See www.rms.csus.edu/space/about.aspx for information.

Describe your office and how it is set up?
The Space Management team has four full-time staff. Two customer service associates primarily focus on campus event scheduling responsibilities, coordinate related event services and primarily provide customer service. Other staff members provide office and department management, technical and training support, coordination of class-related facilities scheduling, furniture purchases and space allocation.

What surprises people?
First, that we are organizationally part of Risk Management Services, and second, the number of activities that are scheduled each year: In 2007, 15,474 unique classes, final exams and event requests were scheduled in University facilities involving close to 27,000 scheduling transactions to support those activities.

What’s your biggest challenge?
The biggest challenges are keeping up with changes in technology and the growth of the campus and its activities.

What do you get asked the most?
How do I reserve space for an event, and which space request form do I use?

The answers can be found on the Space Management website at www.rms.csus.edu/space/. Click on the Quick Links section for request form access.