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Volume 63 Issue 6

Thursday, October 23, 2025

THE USD VISTA VISTA

The Official Student Newspaper of the University of San Diego since 1968

USD launches campus space study Students and staff alarmed at boxes placed around campus

CADEN HAYNOR NEWS EDITOR The Campus Space Study at USD began in Summer 2025, taking inventory on existing academic and administrative areas, with a goal of trying to to maximize the use of buildings and classrooms. This inventory data collection is done through small white boxes that are plugged into the walls and connected to WiFi in classrooms, conference spaces, grouped or shared office spaces, community spaces and specialty spaces. A company called Occuspace makes these sensors, using WiFi and Bluetooth to detect the amount of people in a space. The sensors work by detecting signals from connected devices in an allotted area and use signal density and movement patterns to estimate occupancy levels. Occuspace sensors have been plugged into classrooms and office spaces since Summer 2025. Photo courtesy of @usd_business/Instagram USD junior Justin Cann explained his A University media relations our existing built environment goal of optimizing utility take on the space study. representative responded with a to be able to deliver high operation with this study. “I was never made aware statement and asked that it only quality undergraduate and “We want to be more that this was even happening,” be attributed to the University. graduate education, research sustainable,” Burton said. Cann stated. “Now that I know This statement explained why and other mission critical “We’re trying to really cut this is going on, I would have USD is conducting the campus student services,” the University down. We’ve had lots of space liked it if the school told us that space study this semester. explained. “The purpose of requests from people who when we all came back this “The goal of the space study the study is not to remove think we do not have enough semester. That’s pretty messed is to inventory and assess how programs or take away space.” space on campus, even though up and definitely invasive.” we are currently activating USD senior Briana Burton in 2020, we added 120,000 The USD Vista requested our existing academic and is working with the University extra square feet, so we were an in-person interview with administrative built assets and on this space study project as like ‘why are we still being the two steering committee identify recommendations as to part of the McNair scholars told there isn’t enough space.’ co-chairs of the space study. how we can improve or maximize program. She described the Also, we have our utilities on

Occuspace sensors detect Bluetooth and WiFi. Hailey Howell/The USD Vista

a schedule. So, let’s say that maybe someone reserved a classroom to be used every day, but in reality, they’re only going there one day a week between the hours of 12 and 2, for example. We don’t need to be pumping AC in that classroom all week if it’s only being utilized for a few hours during one day. So, it’s also to cut back on utility costs.” Burton explained that the goal of this study is not to reduce classroom space. “This doesn’t have to do with class

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