Facilities Inventory: Function Code Types
Last updated: May 12, 2026
Content created: January 1998
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FUNCTION CODE: A code designating the purpose for which a room is being used. A single room may serve several functions. For example, a class lab may have two functions: "General Academic Instruction" 70% of the time with function code 1.1 and "Individual and Project Research" 30% of the time with function code 2.2.
For additional information, see Cornell University policy 2.7 "Reporting the Use of Facilities" at https://policy.cornell.edu/sites/default/files/vol2_7.pdf.
| FUNCTION CODES | FUNCTION CODES (continued) | FUNCTION CODES (continued) |
|---|---|---|
| Instruction and Departmental Research 1.1 General Academic Instruction 1.3 Special Session Instruction 1.4 Extension Instruction 1.5 Departmental Research Organized Research 2.1 Institutes and Research Centers 2.2 Individual and Project Research Public Service Program 3.1 Community Education 3.2 Community Service 3.3 Cooperative Extension Service Academic Support Program 4.1 Libraries 4.2 Museums and Galleries 4.3 Audio-Visual Services 4.4 Computing Support | Academic Support Program (continued) 4.5 Ancillary Support 4.6 Academic Administration and Personnel Development 4.7 Course and Curriculum Development 4.8 Teaching Hospital 4.9 Specialized Animal Recharge Services Student Service Program 5.1 Social and Cultural Development 5.2 Supplementary Education Service 5.3 Counseling and Career Guidance 5.4 Financial Aid 5.5 Student Support 5.6 Intercollegiate Athletics 5.7 Health Services Student 5.8 Housing Services Student Institutional Support Program 6.1 Executive Management 6.2 Fiscal Operations | Institutional Support Program (continued) 6.3 General Administrative Services 6.4 Logistical Services 6.5 Physical Plant Operations 6.6 Faculty and Staff Services 6.7 Community Relations 6.8 Housing Services Faculty and Staff Independent Operations Program 7.1 Institutional Analysis 7.2 Outside Agencies 7.3 ROTC Activities Unassigned (Assignable Room Types) 8.1 Capable of Use 8.2 Incapable of Use Building Services (Non-Assignable Only) 9.1 Building Space Non-Assignable |
- Note: Generally speaking, each room will be assigned a single function code if it is used for a single purpose, however, if a room serves multiple uses then a percentage allowance must be made to those functions selected from the codes listed below.
Instruction and Departmental Research
| Definition | Facilities Application | Limitations | |
| Activities whose outputs are primarily eligible for credit in meeting specified formal curricular requirements, leading toward a particular post-secondary degree or certificate granted by Cornell. It should include unit or personal research. | Areas that house activities of the instruction program are to be classified here if they serve the entire program or are under one of the subprogram classifications listed subsequently if they house specific portions of the instruction program. All classrooms are to be coded here. | Areas that house activities established to provide instructional service that are not credible toward degrees should be assigned to an appropriate category under the student service program, if the primary intent is to provide supplemental or remedial educational services for matriculated students, or to the public service program, if the primary intent is to offer instructional services for members of the community. | |
| 1.1 General Academic Instruction | Instructional program elements operating during the standard academic term, as defined by Cornell, that are part of a formal degree or certificate curriculum and are managed by the regular academic units. | Areas that house instructional elements operating during the standard academic term are classified here. Typically, faculty offices, laboratories, and classrooms etc., are classified under this subprogram. | Areas that house special session instruction (1.3) and extension instruction (for credit) (1.4) are also excluded. |
| 1.3 Special Session Instruction | Instructional activities that offer credit toward a formal degree or certificate and are in operation during summer session, interim session, or another period that is not common with the institution’s regular term. | Areas that are assigned specifically to special session activities are included, e.g., the summer session office that throughout the year is devoted to arranging admissions, scheduling, and other matters for summer session. Offices and laboratories devoted only to special session are also included here. | Facilities that serve all elements of the instruction program regardless of the term are more appropriately coded under general academic instruction (1.1). |
| 1.4 Extension Instruction (for CREDIT) | Instructional activities managed separately by an extension division and are applicable toward a formal degree or certificate, e.g., Extramural instruction. | Areas that are assigned to and/or house extension instruction are included, e.g., the extension offices and associated meeting rooms. | Facilities that serve all elements of the instruction program such as general classrooms and class laboratories are more appropriately coded under general activities that are managed separately by an extension division and are applicable toward a formal degree or certificate, e.g., Extramural instruction (1.3). |
| 1.5 Departmental Research | Space used primarily for research supported through unit budgets or personal funds and conducted to further teaching or personal interests. Design and objectives are defined by the individual by whom the research is being conducted and is not a portion of a project approved or reported outside the unit. | Areas included in this subprogram are those used primarily to conduct and administer unit and personal research activities. This includes staff and clerical offices, assistant offices, research laboratories, research services and greenhouses if used according to criteria outlined above. | Areas that serve all elements of the instruction program are most appropriately coded under one of the above classifications. Areas that serve organized research program are excluded from this category. |
Organized Research
| Definition | Facilities Application | Limitations | |
| Primary objective is the creation and dissemination of new knowledge. It consists of activities that have been specifically organized to produce research outcomes commissioned by an agency either external to Cornell or authorized by an organizational unit within Cornell other than the unit or section in which the research is conducted. | Facilities that house elements of the organized research program are to be classified here if they serve the entire program, or under one of the subprogram classifications listed subsequently if they house specific elements of the organized research program. | Facilities that house externally funded educational activities such as workshops, short courses, and training grants would normally be considered as either instruction or public service. | |
| 2.1 Institutes and Research Centers | Organized research activities that are part of formal research organization typically created to manage a number of research efforts. | Areas that house formal research organizations created to manage a number of research efforts within Cornell are classified under this category. | Areas that serve research activities that are normally managed within academic units are excluded from this category. |
| 2.2 Individual and Project Research | Research activities normally managed within the academic units. It consists of the various research related activities that have been created as a result of a contract, grant, or specific allocation of Cornell resources to conduct a study or investigation of a specific scope. Generally, such activities may be identified with the principal investigator and should be coded within his/her assigned discipline. Activities are normally of a temporary nature, e.g., created for a specified period of time, as contrasted to the more permanent nature of the research organizations within the institutes and research centers subprogram. | Areas that house research related elements created as a result of a contract, grant, or specific allocation of Cornell resources, are classified here. Typically, faculty offices, and nonclass laboratories devoted to project research are classified here. If the space has multiple uses, primary intent should be the guiding factor as to where to classify it. | Areas that house research organizations are not to be classified. here. |
Public Service Program
| Definition | Facilities Application | Limitations | |
| Established to make available to the public the various unique resources and capabilities of higher education. Objective is to provide services that are beneficial to groups external to Cornell. | Areas that house elements of the public service program are to be classified here if they serve the entire public service program. Areas that house specific elements of the public service program are to be classified under the subprograms listed below | Areas that house activities established to provide supplemental or remedial services for matriculated students should be appropriately coded under the student service program (5.0). | |
| 3.1 Community Education | Activities managed within the academic units or elsewhere within the institution to provide continuing education, e.g., noncredit instructional services, to members of the community other than matriculated students. Community education is considered to be those activities conducted under activities that have been established to provide an educational service to the various members of the community and are not part of the degree curriculum, e.g., short courses, professional review courses, etc. | Areas that house noncredit instructional services provided to members of the community other than matriculated students are classified here, e.g., the continuing education office or meeting rooms that are used only for continuing education. | Areas that house noncredit instructional services to provide supplemental or remedial services for matriculated students are classified under the Student Service program. |
| 3.2 Community Service | Activities established to provide general community services, excluding instructional activities. Community service activities are managed within either the academic units or elsewhere within Cornell and have been established to provide general public services to the community at large or special sectors within the community. Community service is concerned with making available to the public various resources and unique capabilities that exist within Cornell. Examples of community service may be conferences and institutes, general advisory services and reference bureaus, urban affairs, international affairs, radio and television, consultation, and similar activities. Community service activities are those for which the primary intent for establishing and maintaining the activity is to provide services that are beneficial to groups and individuals outside Cornell. | Areas that house general community services, excluding instructional activities, are to be classified here, e.g., offices devoted entirely to arranging such community services and meeting rooms where such services are held or provided. | |
| 3.3 Cooperative Extension Service | Activities established as the result of cooperative efforts between the university and outside agencies, e.g., agricultural extension, urban extension, and is extended primarily for land-grant colleges, and universities. The distinguishing feature of these activities is that the programmatic and fiscal control is shared by Cornell with one or more governmental units. Historically, agricultural extension, and increasingly, certain urban extension programs, represent a significant commitment of resources that are not necessarily under the control of Cornell in terms of the programmatic direction of the activities. These cooperative extension programs are often a cross between independent operations and public service in that they represent a mix of resources belonging to Cornell. | Areas that house activities and services associated with cooperative extension services are to be classified here, e.g., rooms assigned to agricultural extension or urban extension. | These cooperative extension programs are often a cross between independent operations and public service. Areas under the control of an agency external to the institution are to be classified under the Independent Operations program. |
Academic Support Program / College or Department
| Definition | Facilities Application | Limitations | |
| Objectives are to provide support services that are an integral part of the operations of the primary programs through the retention, preservation, and display of materials or provide services that directly assist the academic functions of the institution. | Areas that house activities of the academic support program are to be classified here if they serve the entire program, or are under one of the subprogram classifications listed subsequently if they house specific segments of the academic support program. | Excluded are areas that house activities established to maintain the organization and provide operational support for the day-to-day functioning of the organization. Such areas are classified under the Institutional Support program. | |
| 4.1 Libraries | Activities that directly support the operation of a cataloged or otherwise classified collection of published material. | Areas that house activities supporting the operation and maintenance of a collection of published material are classified here, e.g., the general campus library, law library, engineering library, etc. | Use of the space function code 4.1 is only appropriate if all three conditions are met: (1) the collection is catalogued or otherwise classified, (2) the rooms that house the collection are a distinct and separate space specifically dedicated to the collection, and (3) there is a financial account(s) established with an accounting function code 456(Library) that supports and maintains the collection. *Note: Areas that are intended to serve as unit reading rooms should be classified under the appropriate category of the Instruction program. |
| 4.2 Museums and Galleries | Activities established to provide services related to the collection, preservation, and exhibition of historical materials, art objects, scientific collections, etc. | Areas that house activities established to provide audio and/or visual materials for use in the academic programs are classified here. | Research areas in museums or galleries should be classified under the appropriate category of the Organized Research program. |
| 4.3 Audio-Visual Services | Activities associated with providing audio and/or visual materials to support the academic programs at Cornell. | Areas that house activities established to provide audio and/or visual materials for use in the academic programs are classified here. | Areas that house activities that use audio/visual technology as part of the instructional process, e.g., language laboratories, are excluded. Areas housing dial access centers and learning resources are more appropriately coded under libraries (4.1). |
| 4.4 Computing Support | Activities established to provide computing support to the primary programs. | Areas that house such computing support activities are classified here. | Excluded are areas that house administrative data processing activities that are included as part of the Institutional Support program. In the case of a centralized center serving both academic and administrative needs, it is recommended that you attempt to distinguish between the areas required for supporting the administrative computing activities and those required for academic computer support activities. Areas housing computer assisted instruction activities should be handled in the same manner as closed circuit television areas, e.g., they may be identified with course activities and should be coded under the appropriate category of the instruction program. |
| 4.5 Ancillary Support | Activities that provide support services to the primary programs and are not appropriately classified with the previous subprograms. Such ancillary support activities, when they exist, normally provide joint services to the instruction, organized research, and public service programs. | Areas that house ancillary support activities typically are teaching hospitals, demonstration schools, and special areas such as general glass blowing shops, barns, greenhouses and project buildings, etc. | Shops and similar areas that service specifically identifiable program categories should be coded under the appropriate category of the Instruction, Organized Research, or Public Service programs. |
| 4.6 Academic Administration and Personnel Development | Activities that provide administrative support and management direction for the primary programs. The intent of this subprogram is to provide a well-defined identification of the management function. | Areas that house the activities of unit chairs, college deans, and associated support staff are included in this category. | Areas that house the activities of Cornell’s executive and general administrative officers are more appropriately coded under the Institutional Support program. |
| 4.7 Course and Curriculum Development | Activities established to accomplish the planning and developmental activities for future (i.e., subsequent to the current budget period) instruction programs. The intent of this subprogram is to separate initially from the current operational aspects of the instruction program, those activities that may result in instructional offerings at some point beyond the current budget period. This subprogram may be thought of as reflecting investment costs for future instruction program elements. | Areas that are specifically devoted to course and curriculum development activities are classified here. | Areas that cannot be identified separate from the Instruction program should be so coded within the Instruction program. |
| 4.8 Teaching Hospitals * Note: This category may be reported separately or combined with (4.5) depending on reporting requirements. | Activities in teaching hospitals that provide services to the instruction, organized research, and public service programs. | Provided to maintain a separate tabulation of teaching hospital facilities that support health profession activities in the instruction, research, and public service programs. | Student health centers are excluded. |
| 4.9 Specialized Animal Recharge Services | Activities established for the husbandry of animals and for other services provided by animal research facilities for the benefit of specific projects for which billing rates have been or will be established. | Areas that house activities established for the husbandry of animals and for other services provided by animal research facilities for the benefit of specific projects for which billing rates have been or will be established. | Areas within Specialized Animal Recharge Service units that house activities such as procedure rooms, operating and recovery rooms, isolation rooms, and quarantine rooms directly related to research protocols, as well as rooms that house animals involved in research that are not generally removed from the facility for conducting the research should be classified under the appropriate category of Organized Research program (2.2). *Note: Where space is coded to Organized Research, it will be necessary to document the particular research projects being conducted. Protocols approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) may be used to meet these documentation requirements. |
Student Service Program
| Definition | Facilities Application | Limitations | |
| Overall objective is to contribute to the student’s emotional and physical wellbeing outside the context of the formal academic program. | Areas that house activities of the student service program are to be classified here if they serve the entire program or are under one of the subprogram classifications listed subsequently if they house specific portions of the student service program. | Areas that house activities that are creditable toward degrees are coded under the appropriate category of the Instruction program. Areas that house activities whose primary intent is to offer non-degree instruction to members of the community are coded to the appropriate category of the Public Service program. | |
| 5.1 Social and Cultural Development | Activities that have been established to provide for the student’s social and cultural development outside of the degree curriculum. | Areas to be classified under this category include those that house activities such as student activities, cultural events, student organizations, recreation, intramural athletics, and intercollegiate athletics. Areas such as student unions, bowling alleys, and sports complexes are included here. | Areas that house instructional activities creditable toward a degree are excluded. |
| 5.2 Supplementary Education Service | Activities that have been established primarily to provide matriculated students with supplemental instructions outside of the normal academic program. Generally, activities within this subprogram are established to provide remedial education service as contrasted to instructional activities that are a part of the degree curriculum. | Areas specifically assigned to providing supplemental instruction outside the normal academic program to matriculated students are included here. Some offices and classrooms may be assigned specifically for this type of usage. | Areas that house regular academic programs are excluded. Areas assigned to non-degree instructional activities for members of the community are also excluded. |
| 5.3 Counseling and Career Guidance | Activities established to provide counseling services, career guidance, and placement services for the student body. | Areas that house the activities of placement bureaus, counseling centers, etc., are included in this category. | Areas used by faculty for informal student counseling or health services counseling are excluded. |
| 5.4 Financial Aid | Activities established to provide financial aid and assistance to students. | Such activities as financial analysis and counseling, work-study and student employment, scholarships, loans, grants, and records and collections are included here. Typically, such areas are offices and associated conference rooms. | Excluded are placement bureaus for students leaving the institution. |
| 5.5 Student Support | Activities established within Cornell to provide convenience services to the student body or services to special student groups. It may be difficult to discriminate between convenience services provided for the benefit of students and those provided for faculty and staff, e.g., a central cafeteria for both. In such instances, the program element will typically be identified to the student support subprogram unless the primary intent is clearly to provide services for the faculty and staff. | Areas that house such activities as student housing, health services, veterans’ assistance, disadvantaged assistance, food services, and retail services and concessions are included here. Typically, bookstores, student health centers, residential complexes, and cafeterias are classified under this category. | Excluded are areas that house similar activities specifically for members of the staff. |
| 5.6 Intercollegiate Athletics * Note: If a clear separation of space can be made and there is a desire to record this space separately from category 5.1, the the category 5.6 should be used. However, this subcategory may have to be combined into 5.1 for external, to Cornell, reporting. | Activities associated with the performance of intercollegiate athletics. It is assumed that the primary intent of such activities is to enhance the student’s development. | Provided to keep separate tabulation of facilities devoted to the Cornell intercollegiate athletics program although the total amount of such space is also included in the category 5.1. Areas such as basketball arenas, team locker rooms, and coach offices are to be included in this category if their primary function is intercollegiate athletics. | Areas used primarily for intramural activities and/or instructional activities are excluded. |
| 5.7 Health Services (Students) *Note: For external reporting, this category may be combined with subprogram 5.5, however for Cornell’s use this subprogram will be listed separately. | Activities associated with providing students with medical services, including dental and psychiatric care. | Areas designed to manage and provide health service to students are included in this category. | Faculty and staff health care services are excluded. |
| 5.8 Housing Service (Student) *Note: For external reporting, this category may be combined with subprogram 5.5, however for Cornell’s use this subprogram will be listed separately. | Activities associated with the student dormitories and student housing office. | Areas that are designed to manage and to provide residential accommodations to students are included in this category, including quarters for dorm counselors and matrons. | Faculty and staff accommodations are excluded. |
Institutional Support Program (University)
| Definition | Facilities Application | Limitations | |
| Activities that provide operational support for the day-today functioning of the organization. The overall objective of the institutional support program is to maintain the institution’s organizational effectiveness and continuity. | Areas that house the activities of the institutional support program are to be classified here if they serve the entire program, or are under one of the subprograms listed subsequently if they house specific portions of the independent operations program. | Areas that house activities associated with management of specific academic organizations units are excluded. | |
| 6.1 Executive Management | Central executive-level activities and other activities concerned with the management and long- range planning for Cornell, as contrasted to any one program within Cornell. | Areas that house such central operating activities as legal services, executive direction (the governing board, the chief and senior executive officers), analytical studies, institutional research, long-range planning, etc. are included here. | Areas housing administrative data processing activities and logistical services, and physical plant operations are excluded. |
| 6.2 Fiscal Operations | Central operations activities related to fiscal control, investments, and functional program elements related to the fiscal operations of Cornell. | Areas that house the activities of the fiscal operations of Cornell are included here. | Areas housing financial aid and counseling activities for the student body are excluded |
| 6.3 General Administrative Services | Activities established to provide central administrative services to Cornell’s support program elements related to student records and staff personnel. | Areas that house general administrative activities such as administrative data processing are classified here. | Areas housing data processing activities that serve the primary programs explicitly are more appropriately coded under the Academic Support program. |
| 6.4 Logistical Services | Activities established to provide procurement services, supply and maintenance of provisions, and the orderly movement of support materials for the campus operation. Included within logistical services are central activities related to the environmental health and safety of the staff and students. | Areas that house activities such as central stores, central laundry, and campus enforcement officers are included in this category. | Excluded are areas that house the logistical service activities of specific organizational units within Cornell. |
| 6.5 Physical Plant Operations | Activities established to provide services related to the campus grounds and facilities. | Areas that house activities related to maintaining existing grounds and facilities, operating utility services, creating new facilities, and/or modifying existing facilities are included here. | This category includes only those areas that house the activities of physical plant units, not the areas maintained by them. |
| 6.6 Faculty and Staff Services | Activities established to provide support services for the faculty and staff, and those activities for which the primary intent of their establishment is to provide support and convenience services to the faculty and staff. | Areas such as faculty clubs are to be included in this category. | Areas that house service activities where the primary intent is not obvious, e.g., a central cafeteria, should be classified under the Student Service Program. |
| 6.7 Community Relations | Activities established to maintain relationships with the general community, the Cornell alumni, or other constituents, and to conduct activities related to development and fundraising. | Areas that house community relations activities should be classified here, e.g. the alumni office, public relations office. | Areas that house activities related to the objectives of this institution are excluded. |
| 6.8 Housing Service (Faculty and Staff) | *Note:For external reporting this category may be combined with subprogram 6.6, however for Cornell’s use, this subprogram will be listed separately. | Areas that are designed to manage and to provide residential accommodations to faculty and staff are included in this category. |
Independent Operations Program
| Definition | Facilities Application | Limitations | |
| Activities that may be viewed as not related directly to the objectives of Cornell’s higher education. | Areas that house activities of the independent operations program are to be classified here if they serve the entire program, or are under one of the subprograms if they house a specific portion of the independent operations program. | Areas that house activities related to the objectives of this institution are excluded. | |
| 7.1 Institutional Analysis | Activities that represent operations owned or controlled by Cornell and are foreign to, or independent of, Cornell’s mission. | Areas such as commercial rental property for income, a pancake house, a spaghetti factory, etc., are included here. | Areas that house operations controlled by external organizations are excluded. |
| 7.2 Outside Agencies | Activities that are controlled or operated by outside agencies but are housed or otherwise supported by Cornell. | Areas that house the activities of outside agencies are classified here, e.g., the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education that has its offices on the campus of the University of Colorado. | Excluded are areas that house operations controlled by Cornell but are foreign to Cornell’s objectives. |
| 7.3 ROTC Activities | Activities that support the Reserve Officers Training Corps as managed by Cornell. | Areas to be classified under this category include those providing supplemental instruction outside the normal academic program. Some offices and classrooms may be assigned specifically for this type of usage. | Areas that house operations controlled by external organizations other than ROTC are excluded. Also excluded are areas supporting athletics and student activities. |
Unassigned (For assignable Room Types Only)
| Definition | Facilities Application | Limitations | |
| 8.1 Capable of Use | Limited to rooms that are not in use at the time of the Inventory but are capable of use. | ||
| 8.2 Incapable of Use | Limited to rooms that are not in use at the time of the inventory because they are incapable of use. |
Building Services (For Non-Assignable Room Types)
| Definition | Facilities Application | Limitations | |
| Limited to classifications of non-assignable areas. | Included only for purposes of completing the program classification dimension of the procedures. | ||
| 9.1 Building Space (for Non-Assignable Room Types Only) | Applies only to the space necessary for the proper functioning of a building. | Since the 9.0 category is utilized for aggregate purposes only, the code 9.1 has been added to the overall coding to account for areas such as utility ducts, corridors, that will be included in this category. The above non- assignable areas to be classified here are necessarily recommended for collection so that a complete record of all spaces can be maintained. |