University Classroom Oversight Committee
Purpose
The University Classroom Oversight Committee (UCOC) is a collaborative group of CAS and CAPS/SEM/GS faculty and administrators working with the Registrar and representatives from Conference and Event Services, Facilities Management, Information Technology Services, and Teaching & Learning Technology to set and maintain standards for classroom design, layout, and equipment; the committee also serves an advisory role in decisions about classroom capacity and assignment, as well as expectations for classroom use. The committee monitors the quality and functionality of all university classrooms, and makes recommendations for improvements and renovations. As part of this responsibility, the committee reviews and makes decisions about requests by academic departments for priority or dedicated use of classrooms. In addition, the committee collaborates with colleagues in Faculty Development in order to align pedagogical practices with instructional spaces.
Current Membership
Ongoing Classroom Assessment
The UCOC is participating in an ongoing beta test of Educause's Learning Space Rating System as a way to make informed decisions about future classroom development and upgrades. This standardized classroom assessment process allows Bethel to respond well to local needs while still considering broadly accepted higher education standards and trends.
Classroom Standards
The UCOC has developed a list of standards (pdf) that established Bethel's best practice design principles, recommends appropriate technology, describes appropriate furniture, and endorses specific recommendations about room capacity. This document was first developed based on work done with the Credo consultants as part of the Bethel University campus master plan adopted by the Board of Trustees in 2011. While drawing on the Credo recommendations, the committee also consulted classroom design guides/manuals from several other educational institutions, read several articles and book chapters, conducted focus groups, and participated in conferences and site visits.
The standards were updated in Spring 2018 and again in Spring 2022.