campusreview. com. au
ON CAMPUS
Superlab to the rescue
Applying science’ s interdisciplinary trend to laboratory design would be a fine solution to cost and efficiency woes.
By Geoff Hanmer
Teaching practical science is one of the most expensive components of providing a university education. The cost of offering these courses is high because of the academic and technical staff resources required, the use of substantial and sometimes expensive consumables, and the high capital and operational cost of the laboratory facilities themselves. That last expense is often two or three times the cost of general academic space per square metre of gross floor area( GFA).
The problem is exacerbated by low rates of use for most teaching labs. At most of the Australian universities ARINA Hayball measures, undergraduate lab use rates are less than 20 per cent in a 50-hour week, with many at less than 10 percent. This is because labs are typically dedicated to one discipline only, and in some cases may be used only a few times a semester.
Typically, the delivered cost of a new practical science laboratory will be between $ 6000 and $ 10,000 per square metre GFA, excluding equipment. The cost of a yielded square metre of usable floor area( UFA) can be more than $ 20,000. This means the capital cost of providing a single new undergraduate place in a practical laboratory can easily exceed $ 250,000, including preparation areas and circulation. This of course does not include the equipment, consumables and academic and professional staff expenses necessary to make the lab operational.
The average STEM undergraduate student will contribute less than $ 30,000 a year to university coffers after the Pyne reforms. For example, the University of Western Australia will charge fees of $ 16,000 plus the proposed Tier 4 payment of $ 12,045, giving an income of $ 28,045. Most universities will have less.
In normal circumstances, a practical laboratory will be the venue for about half a STEM student’ s contact hours. This means that �
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