Conference Room Scheduling

The Department of Facilities & Support Services features an on-line conference room scheduling program. This state-of-the-art scheduling software provides a space- integrated, on-line calendaring system that allows designated University of Miami School of Medicine employees (two per department) to schedule and approve all medical campus conference room bookings.

This unique program helps to keep precise track of the medical campus’ 46,000 square feet of conference room space. In addition to allowing on-line scheduling, it allows designated employees -- acting as gatekeepers -- to compare conference room floor plans, see a photo of the actual room, read a list of each room’s amenities, and run a query to better ascertain a proper room for his or her department’s particular need. All this can be accomplished, including the actual booking of a room, without ever picking up the telephone.  To request access call 305-243-2100.

Some of the primary goals of the on-line conference room scheduling program include centralizing the calendars of all medical campus conference rooms under one large umbrella and establishing utilization metrics on this particular type of real estate asset use. With this program, the Department of Facilities & Support Services can better determine which conference rooms are heavily used and which are not.

Selecting and booking a medical campus conference room has never been easier. After comparing conference rooms online and deciding which one best suits the needs of his or her department, the gatekeeper e-mails the contact in charge of that particular room to book a reservation for the room. In addition to the convenience it offers, the software is beneficial because it eliminates time spent playing “telephone tag,” and it also avoids the double booking of rooms.

Program Overview & Terms

Host Reservation Process
The Host Participant of each conference room shall be able to approve or deny a schedule request made by a requesting office designee. All conference rooms will require a minimum reservation notice of usage no lesse than two hours in advance. A Global Host Participants Contact List will be provided to all designated employees so that emergency scheduling can occur on any calendar with up to one-hour advance notice. (The Host Participant will have the final say on whether an emergency reservation is granted or not.).

Access to Calendars
No more than two contact schedulers per division will be issued the appropriate access to schedule and approve meetings.

Cancellations
On-line cancellations must be made no less than three hours prior to the time for which the conference room was reserved.

Lunch Period
If a conference room is routinely being used for lunch, the host department will be allowed to block a one-hour lunch reserve between the hours of 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. The Host Participant has the flexibility to choose whichever one-hour block (between 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.) best suits the department’s needs.

Arrangements will have to be made with host departments for an outside department to schedule usage during the host's pre-defined lunch period.

Official Scheduling Hours
Conference rooms will be accessible 24 hours a day.

Business Scheduling Hours
Normal scheduling hours are between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. NOTE: All calendars have the capability of scheduling during weekends and after business hours. It is up to both the Host Participant and request office designee to make the appropriate arrangements and approvals in gaining access and air-conditioning after normal operating hours.

Scheduling Recurrent Meetings
Recurrent meetings are allowed, but are restricted to three consecutive days. (This will exclude lunch-time scheduling.).

Room Cleanliness
All scheduled rooms must be left in the same clean and orderly fashion as they were originally found.

Future Subjects
Please look for additional guidelines on our website detailing:
Replacement of amenities due to normal wear and tear
Sign off on existing room amenities and physical conditions report
Dispute resolutions on misuse and abuse of rooms

Definitions

Global Access List – A list of all conference rooms open to the Medical Campus for on-line scheduling.

Exempt Rooms – Rooms exempt from the “Global Access List” shall fall under one of the three categories below:

• Conference rooms that require pedestrian access through and/or is located within clinic space
• Conference rooms located inside hospital clinic space
• Conference rooms located within sensitive or secured areas

Host Participants – The Department or Division that has had historical control or use of a departmentally assigned conference room.