SCHEV Facility Policy Guidelines
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) establishes guidelines for use and classification of Higher Education Facilities, which are used by George Mason and our Commonwealth peers. These unified guidelines enable capture and comparison of utilization metrics amongst peer institutions. Key guidelines and reports may be referenced using links to the SCHEV website in the sections below.
SCHEV Guidelines
In coding Archibus data, George Mason uses SCHEV guidelines as a baseline and may modify these codes to provide additional detail in the classification. For Example, Class Laboratory room use code 210 may be shown as 210W for “Wet” lab or 210C for “Computer” lab.
SCHEV Classroom and Class Lab Utilization Reports
Space Utilization Pilot Project
In Fall 2023, George Mason launched the first phase of the utilization of space study project on our campuses. Building on the work of the Master Plan and in alignment with George Mason’s 2023 Strategic Direction, the space utilization project will gather anonymous information through WiFi access points and anonymous data to identify how often spaces are used and by how many people. This information will help the university make informed decisions about how to orient our space around actual utilization.
Led by the Space Management team within Facilities & Campus Operations and in collaboration with the Office of the Provost, Information Technology Services, and Operational Finance & Enterprise Governance (OFEG), the pilot started in Fall 2023 with parts of eight buildings – Exploratory Hall, Horizon Hall and Fenwick Library, Engineering Building, Research Hall, Johnson Center, Van Metre Hall, and Discovery Hall. As of Summer 2026, zone-level monitoring (granular occupancy data for groups of rooms) covers 19 buildings, while floor-level monitoring (broader occupancy for entire floors) extends to an additional 43 buildings, bringing the total footprint of the program to 62 buildings across campus.
George Mason’s project partner, Lambent, provides innovative technology that distinguishes between multiple people and an individual using numerous devices, without gathering any personal identifying information or details of their usage. George Mason has selected Lambent due to their track record of privacy, as demonstrated in their recent work with William & Mary. Only aggregate and anonymous information regarding occupancy will be stored and made available for analysis and planning, making it impossible to link this anonymized data to an individual device.
Data gathered from the project will ultimately help inform George Mason decision making to improve current and long-term resource planning and space utilization. Potential applications include matching student support resources with actual student activity, improved classroom and lab scheduling, and optimizing building systems and services, among other assignments of university resources.
Details on the space utilization project and Frequently Asked Question will be updated throughout the project.