Tour - Department Head Offices

Summary

Just as the Captain does, department heads need a space to engage in work relating to the running of their department onboard the ship with all relevant office equipment to hand and without interfering with bridge operations. In addition, this room is usually the preferred place where the department head can hold private discussions.

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Additional Information

Description

Slightly smaller than the Captain's and the First Officer's rooms, each department head aboard a starship has his or her own office space, and each is configured slightly differently based upon their needs and the duties of their department. With the exception of the chief engineer's and chief medical officers offices (which are both located within or just off their areas of primary responsibility onboard the ship), the standard configuration of a department head office consists of:

A suitably large desk facing the door that as standard is over 50% covered in control surfaces and data screens. Behind the desk and manufactured into the bulkhead is a large control and data viewing panel to enable the officer to maximise the visual space that they can project their work on to. A small alcove as part of the structure of this panel is for use as a replicator.

Along the wall occupied by the external viewport is usually a low couch and a coffee table in order to work in a more relaxed posture or to conduct more informal meetings, and one small chair is present, able to be moved between the coffee table and the front of the officer's desk.

Many department heads decorate their offices with objects of personal value, and some have the office space reconfigured completely, with the work being conducted by the engineering department.