This research offers a novel hauntological perspective to examine the evolving nature of complex learning spaces in higher education. In times of change and disruption, we draw on Derrida's concept of hauntology -- which posits that the past and future 'haunt' the present -- to analyse educational experiences. Our study comprises eighteen focus groups and seven individual interviews with students and educators at a large metropolitan university business school. Collaborative and abductive coding reveals critical insights into participants' perceptions of absence and presence in their experience of traversing learning spaces. Three key themes emerge: what we bring to, how we traverse, and what we are missing from higher education. The findings advocate for more fluid, adaptive approaches that balance educator and student agency while acknowledging inherent uncertainties. By highlighting the temporal dimensions shaping learning spaces, this research proposes more nuanced and responsive educational design, within and beyond the classroom.