The Student Housing Matters blog explores ideas with leaders in higher education and the student housing profession. This is the place to find stories from those who have worked in the field for many years, podcast interviews, and videos about relevant topics in the student housing world.

It’s about matters relating to on-campus student housing, as well as why quality on-campus student housing really matters. We want this blog to serve as a forum for sharing ideas and insights about how your on-campus student housing can do things beyond simply housing students. How it can be used as a more powerful tool to recruit and retain students on your campus. We look forward to you joining us in the conversation.

Submit a Topic

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Employee Spotlight

Blog

Brian Kraft talks growing trends with Student Housing Business Magazine

February 28, 2024

View the full article in Student Housing Business Magazine’s latest issue. Operating On-Campus A look at some of the growing trends and best practices for third-party management on-campus. By Katie Sloan Enrollment is continuing to rise at many universities across the country — a fact which, alone, would be likely to substantiate a rise in…

Read More
Podcast

Celebrating 20 Years of Excellence: Financial Reporting in Student Housing with Emily Hill and Stephanie Lachina

October 12, 2023

I’ve always enjoyed the collaborative team aspect and problem-solving with clients,” – Stephanie Lachina Join us as we celebrate COCM’s 20th anniversary with the theme “Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present, and Building the Future.” On this episode of “Student Housing Matters,” Emily Hill, COCM Corporate Accountant, and Stephanie Lachina, COCM Financial Reporting Accountant, sit…

Read More
Blog

COCM Announces Vallyn Merrick as the 2021 Womxn’s Alliance Leadership Award Recipient

July 13, 2021

Capstone On-Campus Management (COCM) is proud to announce this year’s Womxn’s Alliance Award for Leadership recipient, Vallyn Merrick. Award recipients are higher education leaders in the student housing profession and beyond, who prioritize educating and engaging with other womxn leaders nationwide. This award recognizes an individual who cultivates connections for womxn, navigates barriers through education &…

Read More
Podcast

Meeting People Where They Are – with Corey Reedy

May 6, 2021

2019 Excel Award winner Corey Reedy doesn’t do what he does for the recognition. He truly cares about the people he works with, and that inspires him to meet them where they are. Today on Student Housing Matters, Corey explains how he provides individualized support to the staff and students he manages at COCM.

Read More
Podcast

Why the Excel Award Is a Win for Your Team– with Michelle Smith

April 28, 2021

The head coach may get all the kudos, but the folks who work behind the scenes truly deserve recognition too. Today on Student Housing Matters, Michelle Smith shares her history as part of the COCM founding team and explains why earning the Excel Award was a WIN for her entire staff at Florida Atlantic University.

Read More
Podcast

To Earn Respect, Be a Team Player – with Kerissa Hobstetter

April 21, 2021

Some student housing professionals are only willing to perform the duties listed in their job description, while others do whatever it takes to provide the best possible experience for residents. Today on Student Housing Matters, Kerissa Hobstetter explains how being a team player earned the respect of her colleagues—and the COCM Excel Award!

Read More
Podcast

Facilities & Operations in Student Housing – with Patrick Shanahan

February 9, 2021

What does it look like to serve students from the facilities and operations side of student housing? What does it take to keep a residence hall complex well-maintained and running smoothly? Patrick Shanahan is the Director of Facilities and Administration at The Heights, Montclair State University’s newest residence halls complex. Patrick has worked at The…

Read More
Podcast

Solving Complex Problems in Student Housing – with Kern Williams

February 2, 2021

LISTEN HERE: As you rise through the ranks of a career in student housing, you face more and more complex problems. Imagine, for example, taking on a site that has occupancy concerns, building issues AND staffing challenges. So, what do successful leaders do to avoid overwhelm and focus their energy on finding solutions? Kern Williams…

Read More