The UT System Building: Preparing for the Move
Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
Preparing for the New Space
Where am I sitting and what does my workspace look like?
By now, your department head may have shared your department’s floorplan, including where you most likely will be sitting. General floor plans that show where each department is located and the layout of the common areas soon will be posted on the OneUTSystem website. On the site, you will also find diagrams that show the furniture layouts for the various types of workstations and offices, including recommendations for the maximum number of moving bins to use in filling that size space.
Will we be able to perform a walk-through of the space before assigning workstations and offices? When is the final deadline to assign workstations and offices?
We will not have access to the building until after construction is complete in July, so you will not be able to do a walk-through before move-in. Videos and images are available on the OneUTSystem website that provide an overview of various floors and work spaces. There also will be an Open House on July 31 that will allow you to tour representative floors and work spaces. The final deadline to provide workspace assignments will be 30 days before your move. At that time, the Facilities Management (FM) team will reconfirm the seating assignments that departments provided in March/April and communicate any changes to the moving contractors in time for your scheduled move date.
When is everyone moving and where will each office be located?
The attached calendar shows when and to which floor each department is moving.
I may need additional storage due to some changes in our department. Can we revisit storage capacity (outside of offices/workspaces)?
All storage/file storage must be planned ahead of time. If your department has significant changes (i.e., more than just a lateral file cabinet or two), please ask your department Move Coordinator to contact FM immediately. If the issue is a large number of paper files, you should consider scanning them so that you won’t need to move them. This would also support System Administration’s attempts to go paperless whenever possible.
What happened to our chair selection? What about those who did not select a chair?
The chair you selected will be waiting for you in your workspace when you arrive. If you did not select a chair, one was selected for you. If you prefer something else, you will have an option to switch it out after you settle into your new space. We will have a selection of chair types available for you to test at the open house on July 31. If you have a special or ergonomic chair that has already been approved as an exception, please label it and it will be moved to your new workspace.
Since we are getting new chairs, can I take my current office chair home with me?
Sorry, but there are specific rules about how surplus state property is disposed of for higher education institutions. If you are interested in buying surplus property from state agencies, you can purchase items at the State Surplus store on Bohm Road. There you can also find items that were confiscated by TSA in the airport, including countless tiny Swiss army pocketknives.
What are our new street and mailing addresses?
The street and mailing address for the new building are the same: 210 West 7th Street, 78701.For mailing, just add your department name—no floor or room numbers, please.Your department name will be enough for our mail services team to get your mail to you.
How do we get letterhead and business cards with the new address?
Order cards and letterhead just as you always have using the online form. Just be sure to change the address to 210 West 7th Street, Austin 78701.Don’t include floor or room numbers—just your department name. Be sure to limit the quantities of letterhead and business cards ordered now with the current address since we’ll be moving in August. Any orders submitted in July or later should include the new building address.
Organizing for the Move
What will happen during the move? What do I have to take home?
You will receive more detailed instructions on the items to take home, how to pack and label the moving bins, and how your computer and other equipment will be moved well in advance of the move, but here are the basics.
You will receive moving bins at least a week before you move. These plastic bins are 12”x15” (measured inside) and have an interlocking top that folds together. You will pack all of your work documents, individual office supplies and small equipment, such as label makers, in those bins and label the bins with your new office/workstation number and last name.
If you have a laptop, take that home with you during the move. Contractors will pack and move all of your office computer equipment, including desktop computers. Be sure to label your computer and monitors before the move. The contractors will use large zip-lock bags to move peripheral equipment (such as mouse and keyboard). There will be no need for you to disconnect the peripherals. The contractors will reinstall your desktop or docking station and monitors and reconnect all peripherals in the new building.
Things you will need to take home before the move:
• Personal items - including photos, framed art, awards and personal artwork
• Plants
• Laptop
You will need to take your personal items home for several reasons. First, the movers are being paid to move office documents and equipment and will not be responsible for any damage to personal items. Second, our contract was based on moving office items only. Finally, you may not have the same amount of space for personal items in your new workspace. It is best for you to work in your new area for a while before determining which personal and decorative items you want to bring back.
What supplies do I need to pack and move? How will supplies be ordered and managed? What if I need something specific for our department?
Pack individual and department office supplies (e.g., staplers, tape dispensers, scissors) in the moving bins provided. Surplus supplies from individual work areas should be consolidated in the existing common supply areas and packed in bins to be moved. FM will not be packing office supplies or stocking office supplies in the new building as initially planned. Departments will continue to order their own office supplies (FM will order copier paper). However, there is no need to move kitchen or breakroom supplies—the breakrooms will be fully stocked when you move in. FM will collect any unused breakroom supplies for surplus after you move out and will maintain the breakroom supplies in the new building. FM will survey departments regarding breakroom needs before the move to ensure all necessary supplies are provided; specific requests may be submitted to FM after the move.
How can I move my exercise ball that I sit on?
Deflate your ball by removing the small plastic plug and put it in a moving bin. We will have an inflation station at the new building in the wellness center that you can use to inflate your ball.
Who is moving our department’s common area items?
The move contractors will move the common area items. However, you will need to tag the items or pack them in a labeled moving bin so the movers will know where they go. Generally, we will not be moving any current furniture, including couches, chairs, tables, lamps or coat racks. If you have a piece of pre-approved specialty furniture, then tag this for the move. These are generally specialty ergonomic furniture items that FM has vetted and included in the move budget.
Will we be moving our filing cabinets or will there be filing cabinets in the new building?
Existing file cabinets will not be moved. If you requested filing cabinet space, there will be filing cabinets for your area. If you think you may need additional storage space beyond what was requested for your department, please ask your department Move Coordinator to contact FM immediately to discuss options.
Who will be moving the IT equipment? Will they ensure that cords are appropriately managed?
A specialty contractor will be moving the IT items from your area, including your desktop computer, docking station, monitors and any printers or scanners. They will set up your equipment and will ensure that cords are stored and managed in the workspace. Be sure to set out and tag any surplus laptops so they move with you. The IT peripherals will be placed in a large zip-lock that will be tagged.
How can we make sure confidential papers are secure during the move? How do we verify that locks for the furniture are not universal so that my keys do not work on similar file cabinets within the prototype space?
FM will provide zip ties to use in securing moving bins. If you need padlocks or combination locks, or additional file security, please ask your department Move Coordinator to contact FM. The locks on the new furniture will have individual cores so that keys cannot be interchanged.
Can I bring my coat rack?
All workspaces will have a locker long enough to hang coats and jackets and other foul weather gear. The Building Committee feels it is important to guard against a hodge-podge appearance, so standalone coat racks are discouraged.
I have never moved before – how can I prepare?
If you have never moved before, there are many things you can do to prepare for the transition as we get closer to the move date:
• Identify any hard copy (printed) information you need. Scan all the documents you can and then shred or recycle those hard copies you no longer need.
• As you pack your desk, prepare a folder of items and notes you may need on your first day. You can put that on top of a bin before closing it, or take it with you.
• Begin taking home all personal items.
• Acknowledge the feelings you may have for your current space. Those of you who have been in Ashbel Smith Hall and O’Henry Hall a long time may feel especially sentimental about your space. We will provide a wall in ASH where feelings can be expressed through writings, artwork, or photos for all of our old buildings. There also will be a time capsule in the new building where selected items from the old buildings will be preserved.
• An Employee Move Manual will be provided as we get closer to the move that will include checklists, hints, and suggestions to make the move go more smoothly.
How long do we have to unpack the bins? How long can we keep the bins after the move?
Most departments can unpack within five business days, but we understand that some staff may be traveling or on vacation. FM will leave dollies with the department move coordinators at locations of their choosing. After emptying their bins, staff will take them to their department’s designated location(s). When the dollies are nearly full, the move coordinator should submit a work order to have FM pick them up. FM is prepared to pick them up daily if needed.
In the New Building
What is the “floormates program”?
The floormates program was created to ensure there is dialogue and collaboration among the various departments on each floor. There will be shared responsibilities connected to the common areas that should be coordinated, such as running and emptying the dishwasher and regularly emptying the refrigerators of science projects gone wrong. Although FM will check the supplies and restock when necessary, floormates can also contact them for supply needs. All designated floormates contacts will be invited to an event in June so they can get to know each other, and meetings will be held as needed in the new building.
Can I put a film over the glass on my workstation or in front of my office for some privacy? If not, why not?
No, film on the glass is not allowed. To help define the type of space employees wanted in the new building, an Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR) exercise was performed before design of the new building even began. A group of 39 System Administration staff representing all levels of seniority and job descriptions spent 14 hours defining what we wanted our new building to be for us. One of the top 10 requirements was that the building provide light equity, expressed as, “Abundant natural light to stimulate productivity and as a part of a healthy workspace focus” and “Provide natural light that filters through to all work stations and offices.”
OPR Task Force members also wanted the building to be sustainable and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. The clear glass is critical for “light harvesting,” which means the building was designed so that interior workspaces located away from windows also receive natural light. To support these OPR elements and maintain the LEED certification, office and workstation glass cannot be light blocked in any way. This includes not only film but also anything placed above the solid workstation wall panel, such as books, files, decorative elements or anything taped/posted on the glass.
Can we say which way our computer will face? Is this an option? Which work surface in offices / workstations are sit-to-stand?
This is one of those, “please live with it first, then let us know” items. We are asking everyone to settle in for six months and then ask for changes, especially changes this major. Facilities Management will then work with the departments to make sure that everyone is comfortable in their new spaces.
Why did we go with the lower workstation height – I thought most people wanted higher walls?