Participating in new FAS space strategy 

Participating in new FAS space strategy 

(Department cascade by FET December 2021) 

Dear Colleagues, 

I am pleased to be writing you today with news about exciting changes in FAS  that will allow us to best support our people as we embrace the flexible work model employees desire.  

What We Have Heard from You 

Over the last 20 months, we have learned—through survey data and individual and group conversations—that many of our administrative staff have thrived working from home while continuing to deliver exceptional service to support the mission of UCSF. And we know, from focus groups conducted in the fall, that when staff plan to come on-site post-March-1, they want to see other people and feel connected to a community. We also know, from calculations comparing staff’s expected days on-site to existing floor plans and numbers of workstations, that our current spaces are way too big for what we need. If we do nothing, our spaces will feel empty and less safe.  

FAS Work Hubs 

Thus, as a commitment to the future of work, the FAS Executive Team (FET) has endorsed a new space strategy, FAS Work Hubs, to foster connection and allow for the flexibility our people desire. I want to share with you some details about this strategy and why I support [department name]’s participation in it. 

We are planning for three primary Work Hubs that consolidate and co-locate FAS staff and provide drop-in individual and team spaces. 

  • The 4th floor of the Mission Center Building (MCB) - Several FAS departments will consolidate and co-locate into a primary space with department “zones” for Finance, HR, Audit, PMO, and SVC. We will also experiment with a collaboration suite that teams can reserve for ad hoc project sprints, team building or a combination of group and individual work. 
  • The 6th floor of MCB - IT will consolidate on the 6th floor of MCB, where some shared spaces will also be available for use by all FAS staff. IT will keep a few of their secure spaces on the 3rd floor. 
  • 654 Minnesota Street – Real Estate is consolidating on the 2nd floor into a reconfigured, flexible space. Police and CLS will continue in their existing space at 654 Minnesota and elsewhere, given the on-site nature of much of their work. 

What to Expect in the Hubs 

Each participating department will have a zone that includes individual assigned workstations for administrative staff coming in 4-5 days per week and shared workstations for staff coming on-site 2-3 days per week. Each department zone will also include unassigned workspaces that can be reserved for use by staff who work on-site less frequently. All FAS staff will also have access to a variety of spaces, including conference rooms, huddle rooms, individual workstations and collaboration suites, so that individuals and teams can work in the ways in which they are most effective. 

This approach: 

  1. Meets the need for community, flexibility & safety desired by both leadership and staff through co-location with others from FAS departments 

  1. Right-sizes FAS space via thoughtful consolidation in an era of remote and hybrid/flexible administrative work 

  1. Allows us to re-configure workspaces to support how we work today and into the future 

  1. Provides access to drop-in spaces at 654 Minnesota St., MCB and Parnassus 

  1. Allows FAS to serve the enterprise by relinquishing large, contiguous spaces that can be made available for other UCSF teams and departments currently in need of administrative space 

  1. Utilizes existing FAS space in a building with ample daily parking and close proximity to public transportation 

When It’s Happening 

The Chancellor has designated March 1, 2022 as the date when employees who have been working remotely may return on-site. The FAS Telework and Workspace Program (TWP) project teams are planning with that date in mind, so that staff wishing to work in the hubs on March 1 will be able to do so. While our intent is to reuse as much technology and furniture as possible, we also are dealing with the reality of supply chain delays for additional needs, and as such, it will likely take more time to fully outfit the FAS Work Hubs.  

Where to Get More Information 

I know you likely have lots of questions, including things like How will I reserve a space? and Will the department hubs have everything I need to do my work? Our department contact for such questions is the TWP Change Champion who will share information with us as it becomes available. In the meantime, if you would like more information on how we arrived at this strategy, I encourage you to review the FAS Space Story, which provides extensive background in an easy-to-read format. 

I'm excited to support ongoing telework while also right-sizing our spaces to foster community, flexibility and safety when on-site. We also are taking an approach that will rely on continuous check and adjust, so that we can continuously improve our spaces to meet our needs.  

There’s more to come as the work gets underway; in the meantime, I wish you a joyous holiday season and a Happy New Year.