Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

PCC spaces: Collegewide space utilization audit

As part of the one-college model, Portland Community College is evaluating how space is used and managed to support student success, sustainability, and long-term growth. In partnership with Arcadis, PCC conducted a comprehensive space utilization audit to assess current use of classrooms, Career Technology Education (CTE) learning spaces, offices, and shared areas, identifying opportunities for improved space management across the college.

About the project

This project supports the college’s shift toward a more coordinated, collegewide strategy for managing classrooms, offices, and shared spaces. The goal is to help PCC operate more efficiently and better align space use with academic and operational priorities using a data-driven approach.

Read the full Space Utilization Audit Report

• Appendix 7.0: Table of Contents
• Appendix 7.1: Rock Creek Campus, Building 2 – Program Analysis
• Appendix 7.2: Scheduling Parameters
• Appendix 7.3: Facilities Plan Phase 1 Space Utilization Report Comparison
• Appendix 7.4: Campus and Building Plans Complete Book
• Appendix 7.5: Space Survey
• Appendix 7.6: Computational Analysis

Background

PCC is committed to better understanding space use across the college. To gather insights, the college has conducted three major audits – in 2017, 2022, and this most recent study in 2025 – as part of its ongoing comprehensive facilities planning.

These audits support PCC’s efforts to understand and adapt to evolving space needs, shaped in part by the rise of hybrid instruction, which now comprises 40% of all courses. Like many higher education institutions nationwide, PCC is seeing lower space utilization as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in learning and working patterns, including hybrid work and the growing use of virtual meetings, both on and off campus. The continuous growth of Career Technical Education (CTE) programs also underscores the need for flexible, responsive, and coordinated space planning.

Data collection and coordination

The PCC space utilization audit involved extensive data collection and coordination, incorporating CAD, Revit, and campus building plans, alongside Astra Schedule data for classes and events. However, leveraging scheduling data to understand utilization was challenging since not all space use is captured in Astra Schedule. By analyzing data from multiple sources and academic terms, the audit identified space utilization patterns that underscore the importance of transitioning scheduling and space management systems to the one-college model – a central recommendation of this report.

In addition to these methods, PCC implemented Occuspace, a technology that uses sensors to collect real-time occupancy data by detecting Bluetooth and WiFi signals. This technology provides valuable insights into space usage, helping to identify patterns in occupancy and informing adjustments to optimize space allocation and enhance user experiences. By integrating Occuspace data, PCC aims to make data-driven decisions for more effective space management across its campuses. The integration of Occuspace data supports smarter, data-informed decisions about space use across campuses.

Bookable Learning Space available at Rock Creek Building 2

 

Findings

The analysis of space utilization data at PCC highlights challenges and opportunities for improvement across both classroom and office environments. The findings reveal that even during peak periods, classroom utilization reaches just 50% at the most active campus, with a lower average across the rest of the college.

Office space presents similar challenges. PCC currently has more than 330,000 square feet of office space, most of which is directly managed by individual departments or campuses. Without a centralized system, coordination of space is challenging, which limits the college’s ability to utilize the space in ways that best fulfill PCC’s mission of supporting student success.

Recommendations

Based on the audit’s findings, PCC is considering the following recommendations to guide future space planning efforts:

1. Centralized scheduling: Improve coordination, streamline operations, reduce conflicts, and allow for more detailed data collection to inform space management.
2. Integration of academic and facility planning: Leverage space management data to better align academic and facilities planning, ensuring space decisions support educational and strategic goals.
3. Investment in space management infrastructure: Hire a Space Manager to oversee collegewide space use and ensure consistent management practices.
4. Proactive space management: Adopt new space management strategies to optimize utilization and increase operational efficiency.
5. Formation of a Space Committee: Establish a committee to develop policies, review requests, and support transparent decision-making.

Space management matrix

This matrix provides a comprehensive overview of existing challenges, recommended strategies, actionable steps, and anticipated benefits related to PCC’s space management practices. Organized into four key focus areas – scheduling, data collection, decision-making, and implementation – the matrix highlights opportunities to improve coordination, enhance data-driven planning, optimize utilization, and ensure more transparent, strategic use of collegewide space resources. Download the space management matrix »

Focus area	Existing	Recommendations	Action items	Benefits
Scheduling	Decentralized scheduling uses tools like Astra Schedule and Google Calendar based on space type. Specialized programs limit College schedulers from fully utilizing space capacity. Space agreements are not always formally recorded. Siloed scheduling leads to missed opportunities for optimizing space use College-wide. Bottlenecks occur in scheduling general education classrooms and computer labs. Outdoor spaces are categorized under existing buildings. Office spaces, meeting rooms, and library spaces are not included in Astra Schedule.	Proactively manage all College space, not just scheduling. Develop a consistent approach to scheduling all spaces across the College. Enhance collaboration between program-specific spaces and the scheduling team. Include accessibility features in room characteristics (e.g., sinks, projectors). Track outdoor spaces more effectively in AiM and Astra Schedule.	Hire a Space Manager to oversee Collegewide space use. Develop a simple and consistent process for requesting space Collegewide. Eliminate space ownership by clarifying: “Space is assigned, not owned.” Unify scheduling teams from centers, PAC, and athletics with campus schedulers. Provide broad training on scheduling approaches and software.	Reduce operational costs by consolidating College space and open hours. Expand programs by identifying and utilizing underutilized spaces. Track space accessibility to help support services understand the impact on students during maintenance.
Data collection	Fragmented scheduling leads to inefficient space use and data inconsistency. Academic courses are scheduled in Astra Schedule. Events are scheduled using Astra Schedule and Google Calendar. One event category groups all events together. Revenue-generating events are tracked in multiple systems, making it difficult to assess space, time, fees, and overhead. AiM space data lacks a reliable system for regular updates and internal surveys.	Centralize scheduling for academic and support spaces. Activate or identify software to enable consistent and comprehensive scheduling. Strategic course scheduling initiative highlights the need to better utilize software capabilities. Audit spaces annually with support from a space manager. Utilize AiM software survey tools to aid in space audits. Improve data collected at the time of reservation for later analyses.	Identify spaces to be scheduled in Astra Schedule; Google Calendar will only be used if it integrates with Astra Schedule. Create a labeling system to categorize and sort event types. Collect data on events that cannot be accommodated and the reasons behind it to better understand unmet demand. Utilize Astra Schedule improvements after implementing Workday. Flexible spaces need adaptable technology, like cloud-based software or powerful computers for diverse class needs.	Run thorough reports on Collegewide space use with all scheduling in Astra Schedule. Quickly gather and analyze data to support informed decision-making. Increase rental opportunities to generate true revenue income. Include all reservations in Astra Schedule for a holistic view of space use. Reduce double bookings and avoid misconceptions about space availability.
Decision-making	Multiple approaches to request changes in space use, moves, or other space needs. Space use decisions lack awareness of overall utilization and operational costs. Value and cost of College assets are not fully understood. Backlog of office space change requests due to an unclear decision-making process.	Implement a unified process for space allocation decisions that align with College goals. Use space utilization data to guide future capital projects.	Assemble a Space Committee to develop a space management policy for the College. Empower the Space Committee to make decisions on space use Collegewide. Set minimum space utilization targets to optimize usage. Coordinate regularly with Academic and Student Affairs to address space needs. Evaluate popular reserved spaces and general classrooms to guide future design and renovation decisions. Invest in space management to optimize usage and efficiency.	Defined transparent process to ensure fair and equitable space allocation. Faster response to providing improved workspace functions for staff and program needs.
Implementation	Burden of moving is delayed or falls on staff, with only one coordinator Collegewide. Rented space overhead costs for external partners are not tracked, and overhead costs are not factored into revenue-generating events. Office space assignment is untracked, causing “ownership” issues and decentralized management. Storage spaces are not managed or tracked.	Strengthen the connection between academic planning and facility management. Understand the full cost (room plus overhead) of renting space to external partners. Record and analyze declined event rental requests to identify hidden demand for space. Maintain current staffing and hire additional support for moves and space assignments. Revise office space policy with insights from the office space study and committee input. Engage staff to understand modern workspace needs. Evaluate the cost benefits of long-term leases versus short-term rentals.	Develop space policies with clear guidelines for space use. Set breakeven thresholds and profit targets for revenue-generating events and align with College mission. Create guidelines for when and how much rental fees can be waived. Outline procedures for collecting, dispersing, and using short-term event rental revenue. Promote events that bring people to campus to support strategic enrollment.	Reduced wait times for updated spaces and moves. Staff feel heard and their workspace needs are addressed. Less space wasted on temporary “make-do” assignments. Improved space functionality across the College, making navigation easier for students and staff. Lower operational costs for underutilized spaces, saving overhead in general funds when operational hours are reduced.

In collaboration with campus stakeholders, the college will continue using data-driven decision-making to manage spaces that foster student success, faculty innovation, and institutional sustainability.