FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
As universities continue to seek new cost-cutting opportunities and greater efficiency, attendees at a recent Q4 virtual Higher Education seminar called for higher education leaders to start 2026 by rethinking their change management strategy for transitioning away from private faculty offices.
Hosted by workplace solutions provider HubStar, the online event was attended by campus planning leaders along with facilities management (FM) professionals who specialise in managing campus buildings.
The discussions found that many Higher Education (HE) institutions are now making better use of underutilised campus spaces by creating more student collaboration areas and tailored workspaces to attract study-from-home students back onto the campus. But the controversial issue of shared faculty office spaces is hampering further cost-savings.
A poll held during the discussions revealed that 37 per cent of the institutions represented at the virtual seminar currently have a mix of private faculty offices and shared flexible spaces. However, the survey found that few HE institutions have a consistent approach to moving from private to shared faculty office spaces.
Attendees heard how academics are resisting the introduction of shared faculty offices and called for a greater focus on using the latest workplace technology, including sensors and Wi‑Fi signals to gather accurate usage data for private faculty offices. They believe this may provide the evidence needed to justify a shift from private to shared faculty spaces.
Joe Harris, HubStar’s Director of Business Development, said: “In our experience, the best solution is a phased, data-driven transition that balances efficiency with faculty trust. You have to start small with a pilot scheme that designs spaces around privacy and collaboration.”
According to the 2026 UK Facilities Management Market Research Report by askporter, facilities management professionals want clear, verifiable evidence of work being delivered, with teams that can communicate progress in real time. This requires technology that is affordable, intuitive, and quick to adopt.
Yet the report found that:
Over three quarters of FM professionals (76 per cent) experience operational inefficiencies caused by siloed software which results in a lack of real-time visibility.
Communications challenges lead to maintenance issues, with 73 per cent of teams being forced into reactive problem-solving on a weekly basis.
A worrying level of compliance gaps, with 44 per cent of admitting that half or less of their compliance tasks are tracked and automated within their systems.
Closing this gap requires the establishment of transparent and consistent communications using affordable software that gives FM teams the ability to track, evidence and improve their services.
This webinar provides a valuable overview of the main findings of the report by askporter followed by a panel discussion by FM thought leaders on practical, strategic solutions that can help close this communications gap.
To register for the webinar taking place 29 January 2026 at 11:00am click here.
