Room bookings

As part of the ongoing review of meeting room provision across campus, a number of meeting rooms that were previously managed or primarily used by individual Schools/Departments within a building will now become available for wider University staff to book.

The changes are intended to make better use of our existing meeting rooms across our estate and also make them accessible to all.

It is important to note that making a room available for campus wide booking doesn’t necessarily mean that all aspects of its management transfer from that particular Department or School. Specific responsibilities, including AV and room maintenance, may continue to sit with individual departments while the current arrangements are being reviewed.

The rooms will be available to:

• All University staff 
• Postgraduate Research (PGR) students 
• PhD students 

Following consultation with the relevant departmental staff across the University, only rooms identified as suitable for campus wide booking have been made available to book via Outlook at this time.

All existing rooms will remain visible in Outlook. Where restrictions do apply, these will be clearly stated in the Room Display information. In most cases, restrictions have been introduced due to health and safety concerns identified by departmental staff if opened up for all staff to book, which mean that room isn’t suitable for campus wide booking.

There’s no change to the rooms currently available through Booker; these will continue to be available as they are now.

To ensure the best experience when finding and booking meeting rooms, we recommend using Room Finder rather than relying on the search function alone. 

Outlook does not search rooms in the same way as a search engine, and typing common terms such as room names, building names, "meeting room", or capacity information may only return a limited number of results, even when suitable rooms are available.  

For the most reliable results, open Room Finder, select the relevant building (Room List) first, and then browse the available rooms. 

Room Finder will display room availability, helping you identify suitable spaces that are free at your chosen meeting time, and may also show room capacity information to help you select a room that is appropriate for the number of attendees. Following this approach will ensure you can view all available rooms within a building. 

Guidance document 

To make meeting rooms easier to find and identify across the University, a new standard naming convention has been introduced for all meeting rooms. The format is:

[Building Name] [Room Name] – [Room Definition] [Capacity]

This approach provides key information about a room at a glance, helping users select the most appropriate space for their meeting.

As part of this project, we assigned an automated capacity figure to each meeting room. This information was not previously held centrally, so capacities have been calculated using a design allowance.

The automated capacities provided are indicative and are not based on the room’s current furniture layout. In most cases, the calculated capacity should provide a reasonable representation of the room’s intended capacity and room type. The figure displayed should be used as a general guide and may occasionally differ from the number of seats currently available within the room.

Please check locally if you are unsure a meeting room will meet your size requirements. 

Who is responsible for the AV equipment in these rooms?

At present, responsibility for the maintenance and management of departmental AV equipment will remain within the department but it is under review as part of the IT Client Services project.

Further information will be provided if there are any changes to the current arrangements.

What should I do if the AV equipment isn't working?

If you experience a problem with AV equipment in a room, follow in room information about who to contact in the event of problem.

Routine meeting room bookings do not normally include dedicated technical or meeting support.

Yes, in some buildings. Door access protocols have changed to allow any staff member with a valid staff card to access the relevant building during its normal opening hours.

If a meeting room is booked outside the building’s normal opening hours, the booking system will display a message advising the user to contact the Servitor or Building Manager for that building to arrange access.

Meeting rooms can be booked outside normal building opening hours, however prior agreement must be obtained from Servitors or building staff to ensure access if available. Please refer to Timetabling's website for details of individual building opening hours and any specific arrangements.  

Timetabling - Building opening hours

Yes. Staff and students already have access to many University buildings outside core staffed hours. If staff are visiting a building for the first time, they should familiarise themselves with the fire evacuation and first aid arrangements for the building they are using. University Security monitor emergency alarms and carry out regular checks of buildings but if you notice anything that doesn’t look right, please contact Security: 0131 650 2257 (Internal: 2222).

Staff should ensure they evacuate buildings immediately if the fire alarm activates. 

Staff with a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) should ensure they are familiar with the evacuation arrangements for the building they are using. Temporary waiting spaces are signposted where applicable.

Eating and drinking hot drinks within individual meeting rooms may vary between buildings across the University estate but is generally allowed. Please ensure you adhere to any specific building restrictions. 

Where refreshments are permitted, users are responsible for ensuring that any rubbish is cleared away after the meeting and that the room is left clean and ready for the next user.

Can I arrange catering in meeting rooms?

Catering arrangements will depend on the individual room and building you’re planning to book the meeting room.

Where catering is permitted, staff should follow the University's normal catering procedures and any specific requirements for the building.

Who is responsible for clearing up after catering?

The person making the booking is responsible for ensuring that catering, rubbish, crockery and other items are removed at the end of the meeting.

Please leave the room in the condition you would expect to find it.

Recurring bookings may be permitted, but please consider if a recurring booking is absolutely necessary.

Where a room is in high demand, long running recurring bookings can prevent others from accessing the space.

Please check the accessibility information available for each room before booking. 

Existing bookings will remain unaffected. 

Please continue to engage with Conference and Events and book events through them directly.

UoE Collection - Conference and Events 

Information Services has also collated answers to some questions you may have about booking meeting room.

Meeting Room Update - FAQ

If you have any further queries regarding meeting rooms changes please email Space.Management@ed.ac.uk