Shared teaching space

Information on booking and using shared teaching space across the University

The Teaching Space Coordination Group (TSCG) was convened in 2020 to facilitate the sharing of lecture theatres and seminar rooms across the University for teaching. Over the past four academic years, the TSCG have sourced space, free of charge to bookers, for nearly 6000 teaching sessions (excluding cancellations),equating to 9000 teaching hours, utilising 14 different University buildings.

Initially part of the University’s pandemic response, this hugely successful project was designated as a business as usual service in 2022/23. The activities of the TSCG report jointly to the Education Committee and Building and Estates Sub-Committee.  As of April 2024, the TSCG has a refreshed membership with new representatives from all academic divisions. The aim is to further develop the sharing of teaching space, in response to the Estates Strategy, and in alignment with the work of the Digital Transformation projects. 
 

Find out more

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Enquiries are accepted for:

  • Lecture theatres and seminar rooms
  • Sessions that take place during the hours of 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, during weeks 1 to 8 of term

Enquiries are not accepted for:

  • Labs or computer suites
  • Evening, weekend, and out of term bookings
  • Catering bookings
  • Events that are not teaching sessions – please contact the Oxford University Event Venues team: venueenquiries@admin.ox.ac.uk
  • Exams – please contact the Exams and Assessments team: eas@admin.ox.ac.uk
  • Significant and/or long-term space allocation enquiries – please contact the Space Management team: space.management@admin.ox.ac.uk

To book a shared teaching space, please complete the following steps:

  1. Read the guidance notes
  2. Fully complete a booking enquiry form
  3. Submit your completed form to teachingspace@admin.ox.ac.uk by the enquiry deadline for the term, detailed below:
Term Enquiry deadline Booking confirmation date Start of term

Michaelmas 2024

Friday 30 August 2024

Friday 20 September 2024

Sunday 13 October 2024

Hilary 2025

Friday 22 November 2024

Friday 13 December 2024

Sunday 19 January 2025

Trinity 2025

Friday 14 March 2025

Friday 4 April 2025

Sunday 27 April 2025

After the enquiry deadline, the TSCG booking enquiry team will assess all enquiries and where possible, source a suitable shared teaching space to meet your requirements. You will be notified of the outcome of your enquiry by the booking confirmation date.

Enquiries are welcome beyond the enquiry deadline, and will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis after the booking confirmation date for those enquiries submitted by the enquiry deadline.

Alongside your booking confirmation, you will receive any information the space owner wishes to share with you regarding the correct and safe use of the facilities, and how to seek support on the day of your teaching session. Please ensure that this information is shared with and read by all teaching and support staff who will be in attendance at the teaching session.

Teaching and support staff in attendance at the teaching session are responsible for the correct and safe use of the teaching space, the conduct of students, and are to be the point of contact for the space owner if necessary.

All teaching and support staff and students, should adhere to the University’s standard health and safety policy and roles and responsibilities for health and safety management whilst using University space.

You are required to detail on your booking enquiry form what IT and AV equipment you need, and the TSCG booking enquiry team will endeavour to source a shared space that meets these requirements.

It is your responsibility as the booker to contact the AV Support Service on av-support@it.ox.ac.uk to book lecture capture (Reply/Panopto) or Teams recording of a teaching session if necessary. Please refer to the IT Services guidance on Lecture Capture and Microsoft Teams found on the right-hand side of this page.

On-site IT and AV support varies across shared teaching spaces, and you will be notified of what support will be available to you as part of your booking confirmation.

To ensure the smooth running of the teaching session, it is recommended you use the IT and AV equipment within the shared space which will be checked and supported by the space owner, rather than personal devices.

Please refrain from making enquiries 'just in case' your preferred space elsewhere is unavailable. This prevents other users with a genuine need from accessing the space they require and results in wasted resources.

In the event of a confirmed booking needing to be cancelled, please email teachingspace@admin.ox.ac.uk with two clear working days’ notice where possible and let us know your reason for cancelling.

If you have availability to share your space, please contact teachingspace@admin.ox.ac.uk who will be delighted to talk to you about how you can assist.

Booking enquiry form

DOWNLOAD BOOKING FORM GUIDANCE NOTES

DOWNLOAD BOOKING ENQUIRY FORM

 

Guidance on Lecture Capture and Microsoft Teams

DOWNLOAD IT SERVICES GUIDANCE

Contact us

TSCG Booking Enquiry Team

teachingspace@admin.ox.ac.uk

 

AV Support Service

av-support@it.ox.ac.uk