Floor plan layout with labeled rooms and measurements.

Updating Campus Space Records

Updating Campus Space Records

UC Davis is strengthening how departments document room occupancy and space use in FacilitiesLink as part of a Provost's START implementation recommendation related to Transparent Space Utilization and Tracking.

The goal is simple: ensure FacilitiesLink accurately reflects who occupies our spaces and how those spaces are being used. Read more about this initiative.

Accurate records allow campus to:

  • Understand room occupancy and building use
  • Align room classifications with actual use
  • Identify instructional spaces
  • Document office service rooms (break rooms, storage, mail rooms, lab service)
  • Recognize lobbies used for student study

This is not a new space inventory and is not tied to space reductions. It is a commitment to keeping existing FacilitiesLink records accurate and up to date. 

To help in with this effort, our teams have added new tools and functionality to help departments update, manage and communicate space information more efficiently.

What’s New in FacilitiesLink

Recent enhancements make updates easier:

  • Employee directory feed
  • Occupancy toggle in Room List view
  • All data can be exported into a spreadsheet including occupant names and emails.
  • Search by occupant name across the database
  • View the date an occupant was added
  • Classroom schedules now visible
  • Additional features available when stations are entered

Training & Support

We recognize that departments are balancing many priorities. The Space Management team will partner with you to support this work.

Support includes:

  • Video tutorials
  • Live Zoom trainings
  • Weekly office hours
  • One-on-one strategy calls

Space coordinators may delegate occupancy updates to others. Permissions can be adjusted based on role.

Step-by-Step Video Tutorial

Sign Up for Zoom Training Sessions

Visit the FacilitesLink Website 

E-mail FacilitesLink 

What You Need to Do

This effort primarily applies to CAOs and Space Coordinators.

  • Keep Occupant Information Current

  • Use the “Add Occupant” feature to:

    • • Enter occupant names directly into room records
    • • Remove former occupants promptly
    • • Update records when employees onboard, transition or leave
    •  

    For transient populations (e.g., graduate students), describe the group in the Room Name field.

  • Clarify Room Use
    • • Confirm room use code is current (e.g., 320-Admin Office, 210-Research Lab, etc.)
    • • Split rooms (X/Y) if they serve multiple functions
    • • Use Room Name to better describe office service rooms
    • • Identify lobbies with student gathering or study areas, if applicable
  • Annual Verification Every November
  • All occupancy and space use data should be accurate by the second Friday of November each year.

How This Benefits Your Department

 

  • Better Decision-Making
    • • Clear understanding of how space is used
    • • Informed assignment and recruitment planning
    • • Reduced duplication across HR, IT, Facilities and administrative teams
  • Improved Safety and Emergency Planning
    • • Police and Fire can calculate occupancy loads
    • • Emergency dispatchers have more reliable building information
    • • Departments can strengthen Emergency Action Plans and continuity planning
  • Stronger Communication
    • Instead of relying on an intermediary, departments can generate targeted occupant lists directly from the system.
    •  
    • • Download occupant names and emails directly from FacilitiesLink
    • • Quickly notify specific floors, suites or departments
    • • Communicate efficiently during construction and utility work, facilities projects, academic year transitions, classroom or instruction changes and temporary relocations

     

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Is this required?
  • Yes. Transparent Space Utilization was approved by the Provost as part of the START initiative in fall 2025.
  • Is this tied to space reductions?
  • No. This effort focuses on documentation and transparency, not reassignment of square footage.
  • How is this different from the space inventory?

  • This effort focuses more specifically on person occupancy and space use, including:

    • • Entering occupants using “Add Occupant”
    • • Providing greater detail about office service rooms
    • • Dividing rooms (X/Y) when multiple uses occur
    •  

    This complements, but does not replace, the formal space inventory process.

  • How often should records be updated?
  • Updates should occur whenever personnel onboard, transition roles or leave the university.
    All records should be verified annually by the second Friday of November.
  • Can I download the information?
  • Yes. All FacilitiesLink data can be exported into a spreadsheet, including occupant names and email addresses.
  • Who uses this information?

  • Accurate data supports:

    • • Police and Fire
    • • Facilities Management
    • • Campus Space Management
    • • Departmental HR and IT
    • • Project Inspectors
    • • UC Office of the President
  • What if I don’t have access to update records?
  • Permissions can be adjusted based on role. Contact the FacilitiesLink team for assistance.