University strategies Teaching and Learning Infrastructure. Victoria University places a high priority on providing a campus environment that enhances the student experience. An important component of that strategy is to provide high quality teaching and research spaces that meet the needs and expectations of our students. To achieve this, Victoria University audits the quality of teaching space and undertakes improvement works. The University has in excess of 500 teaching spaces. A detailed audit of these spaces has been undertaken and compared against the University’s design standards. The design standards include IT and audio visual capabilities as well as the quality of furniture, fittings and amenity of the overall space. Based on the results of the audit, rooms were classified into three categories as follows: • Upgrade – some 292 rooms were identified as requiring upgrade work in order to fully comply with the standards. The estimated cost of these works is approximately $14m. • Re-task – 19 rooms were identified as having physical limitations such that they cannot be appropriately re-worked to meet the design standards and are to be converted to other uses. • Maintain – Approximately 190 rooms met the design standard. Capital funding is provided in each year’s budget to undertake the necessary classroom upgrade works. To date high priority projects at the Footscray Xxxxxxxxx and Footscray Park campuses have been completed. As part of the VU Blended Learning strategy, VU has developed an integrated and comprehensive Strategy for Upgrading Learning Spaces at VU to support blended learning activities following the implementation of the new eLearning system in 2014. In addition to teaching space upgrade works the University is also undertaking a programme of creating informal learning spaces. This programme is aimed at creating interesting and inviting internal and external spaces which encourage and facilitate casual interaction, learning and collaboration. Works have been undertaken at St Albans, City Flinders, Footscray Park and the Footscray Xxxxxxxxx campuses. The University also places a high priority on meeting the TEFMA benchmarks for teaching space utilisation. Each semester an extensive audit of room frequency occupancy and utilisation is undertaken and compared to the TEFMA benchmarks. Victoria University is at or near the frequency benchmark for most space types at its larger campuses. Our benchmark performance for occupancy and utilisation is lower. This is typical of most universities due to the i...
