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Instructional Space

Instructional Space Operations

Instructional Space is a catchall term for any physical location primarily used for teaching and learning. This includes traditional classrooms, but also performance spaces, art studios, laboratories, and auditoriums. At Cal State Channel Islands, instructional space is collaboratively managed by the Division of Academic Affairs, the Academic Scheduling Office, Facilities Services, IT Services, and University Events.

Below you will find essential information about instructional spaces at CI, usage guidelines, and scheduling protocols, including how to reserve classrooms and teaching spaces, expectations for appropriate use, and resources for technical support. The page also outlines procedures for requesting special setups, prioritization of academic needs, and contacts for assistance with space management.

Instructional Space Information & Protocols

Details for Instructional Spaces at CI

Instructional Spaces at CI

Instructional spaces at CI are detailed in .

Instructional Space Categories

Instructional space at CI can be categorized as either Department-Operated or General-Use. General-Use spaces are either fully interdisciplinary or allocated to specific departments for priority during academic scheduling. Fully definitions of these categories are listed below:

  • Instructional space is referred to as ‘department-operated’ when primary use of the space is limited to department-affiliated classes and associated activities. For these spaces, only the operating department may make classroom assignments directly in CI Records for a given semester or schedule events or activities in 25Live. Any additional scheduling or reservation requests should be made to both the Academic Scheduling Office and/or University Events and the operating department chair or primary support staff member.

    Spaces should only be designated as ‘department-operated’ due to the specialized equipment or intended use of the space. Examples include dedicated biology and chemistry in Aliso Hall and art studios in Topanga and Napa Halls. These designations should be noted in all relevant space databases.

  • Any instructional space not assigned to a specific department’s operations (as defined above) is referred to as general-use. Management and operations of general-use spaces are the responsibility of the Division of Academic Affairs and the Academic Scheduling Office respectively. Departments may have priority for scheduling (defined below) for general-use spaces, but responsibility for management and operation remains with DAA and academic scheduling. All personnel should abide by the Guidelines for Courteous Use of Shared Space when in general-use spaces.
  • A department may have what is referred to ‘priority for scheduling’ (also called ‘priority use,’ or formally ‘first rights’) for a given instructional space. In these cases, a department may make classroom assignments directly in CI Records during schedule planning for a given semester, making as close to full use of both available timeslots and room capacity as possible. After the department has assigned all classes, any additional open timeslots may be filled with classes from other departments, on a first-come, first-served basis, by the Academic Scheduling Office. Priority allocations are made by Division of Academic Affairs space management personnel, in consultation with the Provost, affiliated school dean(s), and department chair(s). Any department not making sufficient use of any priority allocations may have said allocations reassessed by the Division of Academic Affairs.

Access Control

Access control detailed for instructional space can be found at the following link (requires myCI login):

Lockouts & Lockdowns

All classrooms on campus are equipped with lockdown, or public safety, buttons. You can review the location of these buttons and familiarize yourself with their mechanism by watching a from the º£½ÇÉçÇøCI Police Department. If the button is accidentally pressed during business hours (8:00AM - 5:00PM Monday through Friday), or you otherwise find yourself locked out of a classroom that should be open during business hours, please contact the Facilities Work Center at 805-437-8461 as soon as possible. Our campus locksmiths will be able to reset the lock and return the door to its scheduled lock/unlock cycle, or otherwise troubleshoot the issue.

If you find yourself locked out a classroom after 4:00PM, call the Police Department Non-Emergency line at 805-437-8444 to be let into the classroom. Please also notify Facilities at the start of the next business day so any recurring problem with locks can be addressed as soon as possible.

Reporting Concerns in Classrooms

For reporting any physical problems or needed repairs in classrooms, please use the following form:

For reporting any technological or AV problems or needed repairs, please use the following link to submit a ticket with IT Services:

For immediate assistance with technology or AV in a classroom, call the Help Desk at 805-437-8552.

Scheduling in Instructional Space

Academic Section Classroom Assignments

Classroom assignments for class sections follow the three-stage process outlined below for Fall and Spring scheduling. Classroom assignments during Summer sessions will be centrally scheduled by the Academic Scheduling Office.

  • As classes are created in CI Records during semester schedule entry, departments may directly assign any department-operated classrooms or any classrooms for which they have priority for scheduling. Any class sections being offered online, in an off-campus location, or by-arrangement should have the appropriate value assigned in the Facility ID during this stage. Any remaining class sections not placed in a department-operated or priority classroom should have their Facility ID left blank to allow for placement by the Academic Scheduling Office.

  • Any instructors or departments wanting to use a specific classroom or classroom type that is not already available through their department-operated or priority-allocated offerings should submit a request using the . This may include instructors teaching back-to-back and desiring placement in the same room, or requests for specific technology or equipment.

    For department chairs submitting multiple requests, please direct your staff to do so directly to the Academic Scheduling Office during the schedule entry period.

    Requests for use of spaces priority-allocated to other departments may be made via email during this period – requests for use of department-operated spaces should include proof of authorization by the operating department, unless a standing agreement between departments has been established.

    Assignments will be made directly in CI Records by the Academic Scheduling Office, with confirmation of the assignment sent via email. The following rules apply to priority classroom requests:

    • A preliminary deadline for specific requests will be communicated in the overall schedule planning timeline for the semester – any requests received after this deadline will only be addressed after those requests that met the deadline have been assigned.
    • Any additional requests will be addressed first-come, first-served, up to final assignment deadline(s) for the semester.
    • Class sections scheduled at off-template timeslots requesting general-use classrooms will be assigned last regardless of the requested classroom or class type.
    • All class sections requesting specific classroom assignment must be created in CI Records before any requests can be approved and classrooms assigned.
  • For any class sections without classroom assignments after Phase 2, classrooms placements will be made in 25Live using the Optimizer algorithm. Any class sections unable to be placed will be referred back to the department with suggestions for alternative timeslots. All classroom assignments, except departmental changes in department-operated spaces, are final as of the last day of classes of the preceding semester.

Requesting Classroom Needs or Reassignments

For initial classroom assignments, please follow the protocol outlined by your department or school for submitting requests to departmental scheduling staff.

For assistance with classroom needs once a classroom has been assigned, contact the appropriate personnel:

  • Furniture or Equipment Needs: submit via the form.
  • Software Needs (for student or instructor stations): submit
  • Disability Accommodations: for student accommodations, contact DASS; for employee (faculty and staff) accommodations, contact Human Resources
    • Note: final classroom assignments depend on institutional priorities and space availability; accommodation-related classroom reassignments are made in consultation with the Academic Scheduling Office and the Division of Academic Affairs to determine both availability and suitability of the requested classroom.

For requesting a classroom reassignment after the Schedule of Classes has been published, contact your departmental scheduling staff or the Academic Scheduling Office directly. Please do so as soon as possible - due to operational restrictions, changes to classroom assignments for an upcoming semester will not be possible after the preceding semester has ended (example: submit reassignment requests for Spring 2026 no later than the last day of the Fall 2025 semester) unless necessary due to capacity, technology, or equipment needs not met by the original assignment.

Scheduling Final Exams

All class sections conforming to the will have final exam timeslots assigned automatically in CI Records - standard practice is to assign the timeslot in the same classroom assigned to the class section. Exam timeslots for off-template class sections should be determined in consultation with the Academic Scheduling Office before being added to the class section.

If instructional needs require scheduling an alternative location for the final exam, this location should be added directly to the final exam timeslot in CI Records. Please contact the Academic Scheduling Office or your department scheduler to add an alternative location to the final exam assignment.

All final exams should be scheduled using CI Records - please do not schedule any seated final exams directly in 25Live.

Class Related Activity Scheduling

In cases where additional academic activities will occur related to a scheduled class section in an instructional space, reservations should be made in 25Live in consultation with department scheduling staff or the Academic Scheduling Office. When making these reservations in 25Live, the 'Type' must be 'Class Related Activity.'

Class Related Activities are distinct from events in that they a) are directly tied to a class section, b) are organized by the instructor of the class section, and c) will not be open to any individuals not enrolled in the class section. Examples of Class Related Activities include:

  • Ad hoc class sessions outside of the scheduled class meeting times such as an orientation, midterm exam, field trip, guest lecture, or other standalone activity.
  • Recurring meetings outside of the scheduled class meeting times such as dedicated office hours or open lab hours.
  • Space reservations for individual or small group student activities associated with Directed Individual Study (DIS), internships, service learning components, or dedicated research classes.
    • Note: the primary differentation for this category is if the instructor is doing the organizing/scheduling; if the students are self-organizing, they should take advantage of open student study spaces.

Class Related Activities should be scheduled during operating hours for the space being requested, or with assistance from personnel who have access to the space after hours. If you need assistance in identifying an available space or need to make use of a space outside of operating hours, contact the Academic Scheduling Office for support.

Reservations made for Class Related Activities in 25Live are only for the purpose of reserving the space - activities should be making use of the space as-is or consulting with Division of Academic Affairs personnel to provide any additional materials, equipment, or services.

Class meetings should be scheduled using CI Records unless an exception has been arranged in consultation with the Academic Scheduling Office.

Scheduling Events in Instructional Space

University events are supported by the University Events (UE) team. To request the use of a classroom or other instructional space for an event, please follow the instructions provided by UE.

Contact Information

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