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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Higher Education

Podcast

From RA to Operations Director – with Jeremy Steed

June 15, 2018

Join the Conversation From RA to Operations Director – with Jeremy Steed   Time management. Customer service. Conflict mediation. Critical thinking. Teamwork.   Whatever your motivation for becoming a resident assistant, the position allows you to hone a number of incredibly valuable skills that carry over to any career you might choose to pursue. And…

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COCM: A Talent Agency of Student Housing Professionals

June 12, 2018

In this new series, “Questions to the President,” we are asking questions that dive deeper into COCM and its mission and values. We hope that as Doug Brown answers these questions, you learn more about who we are as a company and how we work to provide great services in our partnerships across the country.…

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Blog

Going Above and Beyond for Students

May 11, 2018

Marshall University, one of COCM’s campus partners, planned a surprise for one of their students this past week at graduation. Claudia Lea, one of over 1700 students graduating, was taken aback when Marshall University’s president, Jerome Gilbert, announced that her father, Major Brett Lea, had recorded a video to share from Germany where he was…

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Figuring Out How Many Beds You Need Keeping You Awake at Night?

November 13, 2017

We’ve got an App for that!   Introducing the Student Housing Calculator.  About 10 years ago, COCM developed a proprietary tool called the Student Housing Calculator, to help take the mystery and confusion out of the planning process for a campus housing program.  It is a tool we have used to assist numerous institutions with their…

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Gens X, Y, & Z and the “Academic Workplace”

September 25, 2017

  The Chronicle of Higher Education recently featured an article entitled “How Generations X, Y, and Z May Change the Academic Workplace.” College campuses are home to a variety of generations of students, faculty, and staff.  More senior faculty and staff may be a part of the Baby Boomer generation, characterized by hard work and grittiness.  Many…

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Profile of American College Presidents

June 21, 2017

Every five years, the American Council on Education (ACE) conducts a survey among college presidents from all walks of life in higher ed: public/ private and two-year/ four-year institutions. According to ACE, the study “contains data on presidential demographics, search and selection processes, career trajectories, and the duties and responsibilities of college and university chief executive officers.…

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Perspectives on Strong Campus Housing Partnerships From Both Sides of the Table

June 15, 2017

In the most recent copy of the NACAS College Services magazine, we did an article highlighting differing perspectives on public-private partnerships for on-campus student housing.  It’s a panel discussion where we assembled  four student housing professionals, all of whom have worked for COCM and a university, to interview them about their experiences with campus housing…

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COCM Student Housing Professional – Shelby Riddle

June 9, 2017

Earlier this month, COCM’s Merchant Card Services Coordinator, Shelby Riddle, was invited by Regions Bank to participate in a panel for their Commercial Card User Forum in Nashville, TN. Shelby discussed topics such as: Card management tips for organizations Best practices for misuse/fraud COCM’s overall commercial card program Efficient expense reporting and reconciliation processes COCM custom reporting…

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Blog

“Can the middle class afford college?”

May 23, 2017

Jeff Selingo’s recent article in the Washington Post entitled “Can the middle class afford college?” brought to light, very sobering and disheartening facts for middle Americans striving to earn a higher education degree and balance the crucial financial component. An excerpt from the article, raises the point of the discussion by My. Selingo “as college prices continue…

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13 Coolest College Towns

September 20, 2016

Now that we are back into the swing of fall with move-ins complete, this article from Jetsetter on the “13 Coolest College Towns” throws a different light on some of our favorite college towns (including one of my favorites – Chapel Hill!!)  

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Blog

City College of New York Ranks Among Top 1.2% Schools Globally

August 30, 2016

COCM is always proud to highlight the successes of our partner institutions. This week, the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) ranked The City College of New York in the top 1.2% of more than 25,000 institutions around the world. “The City College of New York, whose student population hails from more than 150 nations, ranks…

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How to Fix the Student Debt Crisis?

June 17, 2016

Acclaimed author Jeff Selingo lays out three changes in this brief LinkedIn article our next president could make that would lessen the burden of this ever increasing problem for today’s students, parents, and higher ed. Take a moment to consider future Mr. or Mrs. President!  

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