In a digital world, poor study space is a strategic liability.

In a previous post, I made the case that the ‘idea work’ of reading and writing requires at least 4 square feet of horizontal surface.  Whether by hand, keyboard or touch screen, a horizontal surface is an essential part of the technology.

The most densely packed study spaces are in libraries.  Depending on the hour and day even the side-by-side seats at large library tables are used.  It’s just like classroom or airplane seating.  The middle seat is least desired, but it gets used at peak times.  Such is the demand for functional study space on campus.

To get that 4 square feet of work surface with a chair and the aisles and rows, takes an average of 30 square feet.  Throw in a few areas of comfy chairs and coffee tables, and the average floor area per seat is pushing 35.

Research Project – In the Spring of 2012 my students at the University of Minnesota and I attempted to determine the amount of study space on and off campus.  This proved to be difficult, but classroom occupancy was easy.  Colleges and universities have measured it carefully since the 1950’s, but the relationship between classroom and study space is elusive.  This is of interest since active engagement in study is known to be essential to educational success.  Hence the question:  How much study space should be available?

Short answer:  at least 1 seat for every 2.5 students in class at peak classroom occupancy.

Longer answer:  The need for classroom and study space is similar to any other daily cycle of human activity.  From a facilities standpoint, the patterns of peak demand are similar to those of parking at a shopping center on certain days of the year.

Classroom occupancy tends to peak mid-day on Tuesday and Wednesday, and so does study space occupancy.

As a result of these patterns of classrooms and study space occupancy, it is possible to suggest the following ratios:

• 1 study space per 2.5 students in class at peak occupancy, and
• 12 square feet of study space for every seat at peak occupancy

These ratios produce values that are at least 4 times greater than most existing academic space models.

Strategic significance – As the digital transformation of higher education accelerates, the availability of effective study space will be of increasing importance.  Dorm room and apartment, home and office will continue to be important places to engage in ‘idea work’.  The adequacy of a campus’s libraries, coffee shops and other study areas will be linked to academic success.

The business model of coffee shops will provide less than a tenth of the total need.  Providing access to this critical resource is beyond the scope of the library or union alone. The adequacy of study space is a campus-wide challenge, for which few are prepared.

[A more complete version of this work will be presented at the SCUP North Central Conference, October 9, 2012.  Limitations – The data is limited to observations at the University of Minnesota. However, the observations document demand for study space that is more than 4 times greater than the existing space models.  From this I conclude that it is likely that existing space models did not place sufficient emphasis on the provision of study space.]

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