• Section 1 - Purpose
• Overview
• Scope
• Section 2 - Policy
• Core Business Hours
• Basic Services
• Opening Hours
• Buildings
• Outdoor Areas
• Commercial Tenants (U@MQ)
• Safety
• Exceptions
• External Clients
• Central Register
• Review Cycle
• Compliance and Breaches
• Section 3 - Procedures
• Section 4 - Guidelines
• Section 5 - Definitions

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) To outline the minimum levels of support to be provided for the safe operation of Macquarie University teaching, research, and support services and facilities.

Overview

(2) The University is a large and complex organisation. It provides a range of services through a range of facilities. The availability of these facilities and the range of services provided during the published opening hours will vary depending on the type of facility, the needs of students and staff, and the ability of the University to ensure it can meet associated health, safety and equity obligations, and its resource management and sustainability objectives.

Scope

(3) This Policy applies to all users of Macquarie University learning and teaching spaces, research, and support services and facilities. It covers all University property and that of its controlled entities.

Section 2 - Policy

(4) The University will provide the basic services during its core business hours. The University will also determine the additional services for teaching, research and support services and facilities it will provide during some or all of the core business hours, having regard to its health, safety and equity obligations, and resources management and sustainability objectives.

(5) The University will determine the conditions for access to its services and facilities.

(6) Access to some services and facilities will be restricted to holders of a valid Macquarie University Campus Card. Students and staff will be required to show their card on request from a staff member.

(7) All University buildings will:

1. allow fire egress through at least one door at all times; and
2. have at least one entrance that requires access via a Campus Card.

(8) The University reserves the right to deny access to any or all of its services or facilities as it so determines.

Core Business Hours

(9) The University defines its core business hours as:

1. 7:00 am – 10:00 pm (weekdays); and
2. 8:00 am – 6:00 pm (weekends).

(10) Core business hours operate only during the official Session 1, 2 and 3 teaching periods, including any associated examination periods.

(11) Outside these sessions, the University reserves the right to:

1. reduce the availability of its services or facilities;
2. reduce the level of support provided by its services or facilities; and / or
3. close access to the service or facility completely.

(12) The University reserves the right to vary its core business hours and the services and facilities it provides at its absolute discretion.

(13) Core business hours do not operate on public holidays or University concessional days. Therefore, there will be no teaching conducted on public holidays or University concessional days.

Basic Services

(14) During core business hours (and in the case of the student information and referral hotline, outside those core business hours), the University will staff its facilities to provide agreed basic services.

(15) The University defines basic services as:

1. the availability of a 24/7 student information and referral hotline – 1800 CARE MQ (1800 2273 67);
2. the availability of network connectivity (i.e. via Macquarie OneNet);
3. food and beverage being available somewhere on campus (note that the specific availability will vary and could be through a vending machine); and
4. access to online study materials, library databases and administrative forms.

(16) The University will work towards ensuring these basic services are always available during core business hours, however, there will be some circumstances where the services will not be available:

1. where services / facilities are withdrawn for maintenance;
2. unexpected staff absence;
3. unexplained failure of equipment / technology; and
4. event or act outside the control of the University (e.g. extreme weather conditions).

(17) Administrative support will be provided during core business hours, but not all areas of support will be available during all core business hours. The University will work towards providing optimum levels of administrative support services, having regard to its health, safety and equity obligations, and resource management and sustainability objectives.

Opening Hours

Buildings

(18) Macquarie University Property will open and close buildings according to the following timetable, but reserves the right to open and close buildings at different times if appropriate for any reason:

(19) Individual rooms within a building may be locked when the building is open.

(20) Where a building is closed during the above hours, the Security Office will be responsible for allowing access to authorised persons or opening the building.

(21) The published opening hours will determine the opening and closing times for all other buildings.

Outdoor Areas

(22) Outdoor areas are available for bookings between 8:00 am – 9:00 pm.

Commercial Tenants (U@MQ)

(23) All tenants will publish their opening hours on the Campus Life website.

Safety

(24) The Campus Security Manager, Macquarie University Property, will work with Faculty Executive Directors, Library staff and Heads of Offices to develop, implement and monitor the relevant campus security plan during core business hours.

(25) The Vice-Chancellor or Vice-President, Finance and Resources, or the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), together with the Campus Security Manager, Macquarie University Property, will need to approve access to services or facilities outside core business hours. The approval will be conditional upon an approved security plan being developed, implemented and monitored.

Exceptions

(26) In all cases, access to services or facilities will not be permitted after 2:00am on weekdays, or midnight on weekends, public holidays and University concessional days. Exceptions will only be permitted for staff and higher degree research (HDR) students who have prior written approval from the Executive Dean / Head of Office. This permission will need to indicate that approval has been granted to a specific staff member or HDR student to access an identified service or facility between 2:00 am – 7:00 am weekdays, and midnight and 8:00 am on weekends, public holidays and University concessional days.

(27) Approval is discretionary and will depend on the legitimate need of the staff member or HDR student. In all cases the University will only approve access if it is able to satisfy itself that safety can be maintained and that the University’s resource management and sustainability objectives are not compromised.

(28) Non-HDR students will not be permitted access to services or facilities outside core business hours. The only exception will be the after hours study rooms, when open.

(29) Where services or facilities are provided outside core business hours, the provision of the full range of basic services cannot be guaranteed.

External Clients

(30) Authorisation by Campus Life will be required for any events requested by external clients. The Event Manager will be responsible for development of the associated safety plan.

Central Register

(31) The Executive Director, Property will:

1. maintain a central register detailing the availability of services and facilities outside core business hours;
2. include details related to access conditions; and
3. communicate these details to students and staff on an annual basis.

Review Cycle

(32) The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) or Vice-President, Finance and Resources will review the provision of its teaching, research and support services and facilities on an annual basis to ensure they continue to meet the needs of client base.

Compliance and Breaches

(33) The University may commence applicable disciplinary procedures if a person to whom this Policy applies breaches this Policy (or any of its related procedures).

Section 3 - Procedures

(34) Nil.

Section 4 - Guidelines

(35) Nil.

Section 5 - Definitions

(36) The following definitions apply for the purpose of this Policy:

1. Resources includes physical, financial and human resources.