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.

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Employee Spotlight

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.

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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.

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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!

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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…

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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…

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Podcast

Marketing & Leasing in the Student Housing World – with Brittany Oliver

January 26, 2021

How do you design a marketing plan that attracts residents to a particular student housing community? What if you’re responsible for promoting 35 different sites, each with their own unique culture and set of amenities? Brittany Oliver is the Site Marketing Coordinator for COCM, where she works with our 35-plus partner institutions and their onsite…

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Podcast

Getting Connected on a New Campus – with Amy Lorenz

September 26, 2019

Student affairs professionals are sometimes hesitant to pursue a role with COCM, thinking that the transition back to a university setting will be challenging. Today, Amy Lorenz joins guest host Tara Wilkinson to share her successful move from facilities and operations at Capstone to UNF, explaining how to make connections on a new campus!

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