200 Research and Teaching Laboratory Facilities
General Research & Teaching Codes comments: Laboratories and their related areas are used for activities associated with research, scholarly activity, and teaching that requires student observation, practice, or experimentation. A laboratory is a facility characterized by special purpose equipment or a specific room configuration which ties instructional or research activities to a particular discipline or a closely related group of disciplines. These activities may be individual or group in nature, with or without supervision. Laboratories may be found in all fields of study including letters, humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, engineering, etc. Laboratory facilities can be subdivided into four categories: research laboratories, scholarly activity rooms, class and special class laboratories, and open laboratories. A research laboratory is used for research, experimentation, observation, research training, or structured creative activity which supports extension of a field of knowledge. A research laboratory or office also serves as a venue for graduate and undergraduate students to participate in investigative or creative efforts, in the form of individualized instruction, serving as an extension of their formal academic requirements. Scholarly activity rooms are rooms assigned to instructional programs which are used by both students and faculty for study, discussion, library, and collections repositories. Class and special class laboratories are used for scheduled instruction. An open laboratory supports instruction or learning but is not formally scheduled (except in the Performing Arts of Dance, Music, and Drama).
210 RESEARCH LABORATORY OR STUDIO
Data Value Name: RESEARCH
Definition: A room used for laboratory experimentation, research, or training in research methods; or professional research and observation; or structured creative activity within a specific program, if the setting requires equipment, activity areas for special performance or practice (art, dance, music, drama), or structural support beyond that of an office.
Description: A research laboratory or studio is designed or equipped for faculty, staff, and students for the conduct of research and controlled or structured creative activities. Activities may include experimentation, application, observation, composition, or research training in a structured environment directed by one or more faculty or principal investigators. They do not include those practice or independent study projects and activities which, although delivering "new knowledge" to a student, are not intended to do so to a broader academic (or sponsorship) community (e.g., a presentation or publication). This category also includes labs which are used for experiments or "dry runs" in support of both instructional and research activities. Includes facilities for human subject observation if activity in which they are participating is primarily one of research. Includes research art studios which may have requirements for high ceilings, additional ventilation, or special provisions for water or electricity. Also includes research performance facilities which require large stage or performance areas.
Exclusions: Excludes rooms in which the primary activities are not for research purposes. Rooms used primarily for student practice, experimentation and observation activities which do not contribute to the extension of a field of knowledge are Class or Open Laboratories (260, 261, 270). Rooms used for research that do not require specific additional infrastructure support, physical design, fixed equipment or special set-ups are coded as Research Office (211) or Academic Office (310). Does not include testing or monitoring facilities (e.g., seed sampling, blood testing, water or environmental testing rooms) which are part of the campus' central service system (760). For example, autopsy rooms and morgues in the campus Police, Fire, or Environmental Health and Safety departments are part of the central campus service system and are, therefore, more appropriately coded as Central Service (760).
211 RESEARCH OFFICE
Data Value Name: RESRCH OFC
Definition: A room used for experimentation, research, or training in research methods; or professional research and observation; or structured creative activity within a specific program, and which primarily contains office-type accommodations.
Description: Includes offices or similar rooms in which professional and staff researchers and graduate students engage in desk, computer, or "table top" research and which do not require additional or specific infrastructure support such as built-in equipment, ventilation, water or electrical provisions, or additional performance space.
Exclusions: Excludes the faculty member's primary office (if this can be determined) and postdoctoral scholar's office, which are more appropriately coded as 310-Academic Office. Departmental library study rooms and informal discussion or meeting rooms for students and faculty are more appropriately coded as Scholarly Activity (250).
Stations to be reported: The number of researchers that can be accommodated in the room at one time.
225 RESEARCH LAB/ STUDIO SERVICE
Data Value Name: RSCH LABSV
Definition: A room that directly serves one or more primary research laboratory or studio facilities as an extension of the activities in those rooms and which is not intended as a permanent work station area.
Description: Included are projection rooms, telecommunications control booths, coat rooms, preparation rooms, closets, material storage, balance rooms, cold rooms, stock rooms, dark rooms, equipment issue rooms, tissue culture rooms, locker rooms, showers, and similar facilities, if they serve research laboratories or studios. May include media production and computer facilities which primarily support research laboratories or studios.
Exclusions: Does not include service rooms that support research offices (226). Also does not include service rooms that support classrooms (125), class laboratories (265), or open laboratories (275). Animal quarters (580), greenhouses (590), and central service facilities (760) are separately categorized. Does not include long-term storage areas used to house infrequently used or inactive research equipment and materials; these areas would more appropriately be coded as Storage-General and Research (720). Does not include media production (560) or computer facilities (510) which primarily support central campus operations; however, if these types of facilities primarily support a research laboratory or studio, they would be coded as Research Laboratory/Studio Service (225). Shops providing equipment, design, and repair services primarily to research may be coded as Research Lab Service (225) or Shop-General and Research (710).
226 RESEARCH OFFICE SERVICE
Data Value Name: RSCH OFCSV
Definition: A room that directly serves one or more primary research offices as an extension of the activities in those rooms.
Description: Included are coat rooms, supply and storage areas, records rooms, private (restricted access) circulation areas, etc., if they serve research offices.
Exclusions: Does not include service rooms that support research laboratories or studios (225). Also does not include service rooms that support classrooms (125), class laboratories (265), open laboratories (275), or offices (335). Animal quarters (580), greenhouses (590), and central service facilities (760) are separately categorized.
250 SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY
Data Value Name: SCHOLAR AC
Definition: A room that supports the study needs of faculty, staff, students, and others who are involved in research.
Description: Includes departmental study rooms that provide materials or study space for faculty, researchers, and students. Includes departmental libraries not associated with the campus library. May include collections for use the review for faculty, staff and students in the department, or be used for presentation and exhibit of student materials. The room may be equipped with terminals, carrels, shelved books and materials for use in the room, and audio-visual equipment for in-room use. Includes commons areas used primarily by graduate students and other researches for informal research, individual and group study, or consultation and discussion.
Exclusions: Excludes exhibit rooms (660) that primarily serve a public audience. Scholarly Activity rooms are distinguished from Conference rooms (340) by their primary use, which is to meet departmental study needs, and are not intended for formal gatherings or meetings. Excludes study facilities (see 400 series) which are primarily associated with the central campus and branch (non-departmental) libraries.
255 SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY SERVICE
Data Value Name: SCHOLAR SV
Definition: A room that directly serves a scholarly activity room (250, 251, or 252) as an extension of the activities in those rooms.
Description: Includes storage areas, records rooms, equipment issue rooms, coat rooms, closets, etc., if they serve scholarly activity rooms (250, 251, or 252).
Exclusions: Does not include service rooms that support offices (335); research laboratories, studios, or offices (225, 226); conference rooms (345); or study rooms (455) in central or branch libraries.
260 CLASS LABORATORY
Data Value Name: CLASS LAB
Definition: A room used primarily for regularly scheduled classes which requires special-purpose equipment or a specific room configuration for student participation, experimentation, observation, or practice in an academic discipline.
Description: A class laboratory is designed for or furnished with equipment to serve the needs of a particular discipline for group instruction in formally scheduled classes throughout the academic year. The design of the space or equipment in the room normally limits or precludes its use by other disciplines. Included in this category are rooms generally called teaching laboratories, instructional shops, computer laboratories, drafting rooms, group studios, and similar specially designed or equipped rooms, if they are used primarily for group instruction in regularly or formally scheduled classes. Computer rooms used primarily to instruct students in the use of computers are classified as class laboratories if that instruction is conducted primarily in regularly scheduled classes.
Exclusions: A teaching laboratory is a Special Class Laboratory (261) if its design or permanently installed specialized equipment or set-up makes the room unsafe, impractical or expensive for use by courses not requiring such equipment or set-up. A teaching laboratory which is available predominantly or exclusively for informal, individual or unscheduled instruction (like some computer labs), or scheduled instruction in the Performing Arts (Dance, Music, Drama) is an Open Laboratory (270). This category does not include rooms generally defined as Research Laboratories (210). Does not include gymnasia, pools, drill halls, laboratory schools, demonstration houses, and similar facilities that are included under Special Use Facilities (see 500 series). Rooms for tutoring or training not tied to instructional programs are coded as Tutorial or Training Rooms (470).
Stations to be reported: The number of students that can be accommodated in the room at one time.
261 SPECIAL CLASS LABORATORY
Data Value Name: SPEC CLSLB
Definition: A room used primarily for regularly scheduled instruction for student participation, observation, experimentation, or practice in a field of study, but for which the configuration, set-up, or equipment makes its use unsafe, expensive or otherwise inappropriate for use by courses that do not require such equipment or set-up.
Description: A special class laboratory is characterized by the fact that its specialized equipment, design or set-up are generally permanent features of the room, intended to meet the curricular needs of very limited program offerings. The nature of such a room makes it inappropriate to schedule other courses that do not need its special features, due to the expense in relocating equipment, the potential for harm to the equipment or the students.
Furthermore, the room does not lend itself to other activities, such as unscheduled instruction, research or other gatherings. A Special Class Laboratory is similar to a Class Laboratory in its use for regularly or formally scheduled instruction, but differs from a Class Laboratory in the degree of specialization that makes its availability and utilization extremely limited. It is distinguished from an Open Laboratory (270) in that the latter is primarily used for unscheduled (but required) individual instructional practice, observation, participation, or experimentation, or for any laboratory-type instruction in the Performing Arts (Dance, Music, Drama).
Exclusions: Does not include gymnasia, pools, drill halls, laboratory schools, demonstration houses, nonhealth clinics. Rooms for tutoring or training that are not tied to facilities departments in instructional programs are coded as Tutorial or Training Rooms (470).
Stations to be reported: The number of students that can be accommodated in the room at one time.
265 CLASS LABORATORY SERVICE
Data Value Name: CLS LAB SV
Definition: A room that directly serves one or more class laboratories or special class laboratories as an extension of the activities in those rooms.
Description: Includes projection rooms, telecommunications control booths, coat rooms, preparation rooms, closets, material storage, balance rooms, cold rooms, stock rooms, dark rooms, equipment issue rooms, etc., if they serve class laboratories. Includes special rooms used for preparation of lab-type demonstrations in instructional space.
Exclusions: Does not include service rooms that support classrooms (125), open laboratories (275), research facilities (225, 226), or tutorial or training rooms (475). Service areas that support teaching laboratories for I&R Performing Arts (Drama, Music, Dance) are coded as Open Lab Service (275). Animal quarters (580) and greenhouses (590) are separately categorized. Storage of infrequently used or inactive class laboratory materials and equipment may be coded either as Class Laboratory Service (265) or Shop-Teaching Laboratory (721). Shop facilities serving class laboratories with equipment design and repair may be coded as Class Laboratory Service (265) or Shop-Teaching Laboratory (711).
270 OPEN LABORATORY
Data Value Name: OPEN LAB
Definition: A laboratory used primarily throughout the academic year for individual or group instruction that is informally scheduled, unscheduled, or open; or a laboratory used for scheduled or unscheduled instruction in the Performing Arts (Dance, Music, Drama).
Description: An open laboratory is designed for or furnished with equipment that serves the needs of a particular discipline or discipline group for individual or group instruction, and which meet one of the following criteria: (1) the use of such room is not formally or regularly scheduled, or (2) the room is used for practice in the Performing Arts (Dance, Music, or Drama). Included in this category are rooms generally called music practice rooms, language laboratories used for individualized instruction, studios (for music, dance, or film production), individual laboratories, self-paced computer laboratories, and self-instructional multi-media laboratories.
Exclusions: Laboratories with regularly and formally scheduled classes are class laboratories (260) or special class laboratories (261). This category also does not include rooms defined as research facilities (210 or 211) or scholarly activities (250, 251 or 252).
Stations to be reported: The number of students that can be accommodated in the room at one time.
275 OPEN LABORATORY SERVICE
Data Value Name: OPEN LABSV
Definition: A room that directly serves one or more open laboratories as an extension of the activities in those rooms.
Description: Includes projection rooms, telecommunications control booths, coat rooms, preparation rooms, closets, material storage, balance rooms, cold rooms, stock rooms, dark rooms, equipment issue rooms, and similar facilities, if they serve open laboratories.
Exclusions: Does not include service rooms that support classrooms or seminar rooms (125), class or special class laboratories (265), research facilities (225, 226), or scholarly activity areas (255). Animal quarters (580), greenhouses (590), and central service facilities (760) are separately categorized.