Activities Posters, 1873; 1885- | University of Illinois Archives

The Office of Space Programming, established in 1958 as the Central Office on the Use of Space, came into existence in 1967.¹ The Central Office on the Use of Space had three charges: 1) restructure and computerize the Timetable operations; 2) develop an equitable and workable method for allocating classrooms; 3) develop an equitable and workable method for scheduling the noninstructional and short-term instructional use of available space.²

When the Chancellor system was established and additional responsibilities were assigned to the Central Office, it was necessary to create separate offices: The Office of Space Programming and The Office of Space Utilization.

While the Office of Space Utilization has a separate office for each campus, the Office of Space Programming assumed overall responsibility for the three campuses of the University. In 1972 the Office of Space Programming was abolished and its responsibilities were divided between the Special Studies Office and the Short Range Planning Office. This reorganization lasted for eight months and in 1973 the University Office for Planning was established, comprising four offices: 1) Resource Planning; 2) Bureau of Institutional Research; 3) Long Range Planning and Analysis; 4) University Capital Programming Office.

The University Capital Programming Office was only created in 1976. The functions of the offices are more diversified. For example, one of the functions of the Resource Planning Office is to establish guidelines for the Office of Space Utilization of the three campuses, regarding matters of space. In essence, the responsibilities of the Office of Space Programming have been distributed among the four offices.³

1. Interview with William E. Stallman, Director of the Office of Space Utilization, February 13, 1976.

2. "The Office of Space Utilization", office notes, n.d.

3. Interview with Harlan D. Bareither, Associate Vice-President for University Office for Planning, September 13, 1977.