Heating and Cooling Policy

General Guidelines

During daytime hours the target heating temperature is 68 degrees for academic and administrative areas and 70 degrees for residence halls.

During nighttime hours the target heating temperature is 60 degrees for academic and administrative areas and 65 degrees for residence halls.

Occupancy set point for the cooling season is 76 degrees.

If an area’s normal occupancy hours extend into nights and weekends, the office will be heated to the daytime target temperature during those hours. If normal occupancy hours need to be extended on a temporary basis, Facilities Management should be notified.

Special events outside the normal occupancy hours must be scheduled through Conference Office three days in advance.

The beginning and end of the heating period, as described below, is the time the temperature will be turned up or down, and it will take some period of time for the temperature to reach the target temperature.

Residence Halls
 Daytime heating hours are 7 am to 2 am.
Nighttime hours are 2 am to 7 am.
Weekends will follow the same schedule.

Administrative Areas
Daytime heating hours are 7 am to 6 pm.
Nighttime hours are 6 pm to 7 am.
Weekend target temperatures will be the nighttime target temperatures.

Academic Areas
Daytime heating hours are 7 am to 10 pm.
Nighttime hours are 10 pm to 7 am.
Weekend daytime are 10 am to 4 pm.

When the College is closed, all spaces are set to nighttime hour target temperatures.

Event spaces scheduled through Conference and Event Services are heated to occupancy set point when events are scheduled. Certain public spaces are heated beyond the regular heating hours. Please schedule after hours meetings in these spaces.

Library
Sunday – Thursday: 7 am to 2 am
Friday and Saturday: 7 am to 10 pm

Blanchard Every Day: 7 am to 2 am

Kendade Atrium Every Day: 7 am to midnight

Work Area Space Heaters

If a work area is regularly below the established target temperature during the daytime, FM will evaluate the area. Temperature will be measured at desk chair seat level. If the system cannot be adjusted to achieve the target temperature, FM will issue a space heater for temporary use until the system can be repaired. FM will keep a record of all heaters issued and the heater will be collected after the system is repaired or at the end of the heating season.

If you have a space heater in your work area that was not issued by FM or was purchased by your department, please contact Facilities Management for an evaluation of your work area. Any unapproved space heaters will be removed by the department supervisor or Facilities Management when found.

Department funds should not be used to purchase space heaters. Employees are not to bring personal space heaters, they must be provided by facilities. If unapproved personal space heaters are found, the owner will be required to remove it.

Space heaters must be turned off and unplugged when the work area is not occupied.

Exceptions to Heating and Cooling Policy

There are locations and times when exceptions to this policy may appropriately be granted. In the following instances if a specific request is made to deviate from the heating and cooling policy, it will be accommodated.

Exception 1:

If such instances occur outside of daytime heating hours, daytime heating set points will be scheduled.

Exception 2:

Regardless of when the instance occurs, if a specific request is made to deviate from the heating and cooling policy set point it will be accommodated.

Permissible exceptions include:

Events that involve direct payment to the College for the use of space, such as summer conferences and events at the Willits-Hallowell Center (exceptions 1 and 2).

Events scheduled by Development, Admissions, or other departments that are specifically identified by division heads at the beginning of each semester and the summer if the request is made at the time of the event (exceptions 1 and 2).

Areas housing equipment, collections or animals that have special temperature requirements, including computer machine rooms, animal labs, archives and museum collections (exceptions 1 and 2).

To protect the facility itself (for example, in extremely cold weather) (exception 1 and 2).

Scheduled extended day or weekend hours for administrative departments for specific projects or tasks. Requests should be made by the department manager to Facilities Management during normal business hours at least three days before. (e.g., Admission reading days; Student Financial Services packaging times; Financial Services financial statement production/audit) (exception 1).

Extended hours at the end of a semester in accordance with a specific agreement regarding duration and extent (exception 1).

Examples of requests that should not result in exceptions:

  • Internal campus meetings. These should be held during daytime heating hours or in facilities with appropriate hours of operation.
    Individual requests based on convenience.
  • Events other than those listed above.

All requests during normal business hours should be made to the Facilities Management office. After hours heating concerns during the heating season should be made to the Central Heating Plant (2016). After hours cooling concerns during the cooling season should be made to Public Safety and Service (2304).

For additional information, please contact Facilities Management at ext. 2012.

Additional Information on Energy Conservation is available at Energy and Climate Change.

Policy Issued: November 22, 2005
Revised: December 9, 2024