A new co-working space called CoWork Commons will open in University Capitol Centre (UCC) on Nov. 4 to provide an alternative work space for University of Iowa employees who are working remotely and others who need occasional desk and meeting space and access to office equipment they may not have at home.

The space, located at 2070 UCC in the northeast corner of the upper level, will feature various work-station configurations including single desks, small and large tables, meeting rooms, areas for group collaboration, and more. Some space in CoWork Commons will be reservable via an online reservation system, while other space will be open for drop-in work.

Available equipment will include monitors, whiteboards, printers, telephone access, and high-speed internet.

CoWork Commons is for employees working mostly remote and hybrid during the pilot period of the Future of Work initiative, says campus planner Joe Bilotta. Employees are encouraged to use this space in lieu of their current home or university office when appropriate.

“This area is designed primarily for meeting and collaborating and can support a workshop or a meeting from two people up to 18 in the larger meeting room,” says Bilotta. “It  will also have individual resources that many people working remotely might not have access to, such as printing on 11x17 paper, for example. Or maybe their internet went down and they need to come to campus.”

UCC was chosen to pilot the co-working space due to its proximity to the main campus, ample parking in the adjacent ramp, food options, and easy access to the outdoors.

“We are going to be learning from this space,” says Bilotta. “By the end of the second Future of Work pilot period in June 2022, we hope to have a good idea of whether there is a need for more of these spaces on campus.”

Users of the new space will be able to suggest changes and provide input for future improvements throughout the Future of Work pilot.

The initial Future of Work pilot period, established to allow colleges, departments, and units to pilot alternative work arrangements for staff—including remote and hybrid work—after experiencing remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, is underway. It began Aug. 2 and runs through Dec. 31. University Human Resources announced Nov. 4 that a second phase of pilot period is being extended from Jan. 1 through June 30, 2022. 

Alternative work arrangements will allow the university to compete with other employers for top talent, especially in fields where remote or hybrid work already is the norm. Additionally, remote and hybrid work arrangements can help retain employees and allow some to remain in their Iowa hometowns rather than moving for work, benefiting the state as a whole.