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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On-Campus Student Housing

Podcast

How I Got into Student Housing – with Jeremy Biddy

August 31, 2018

Join the Conversation Podcast How I Got into Student Housing – with Jeremy Biddy Many professionals in the world of student housing began as RAs, gaining exposure to the industry as college students and eventually realizing the opportunity to pursue a career in the space. But what if you weren’t a resident assistant in college?…

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Blog

Ribbon Cutting at UMass Boston’s New Residence Hall

August 30, 2018

UMass Boston excited to open its first-ever residence Students now can truly call UMass Boston home. This past Tuesday, Mayor Walsh, Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman, University of Massachusetts President Marty Meehan, local elected officials and university supporters gathered to celebrate a ribbon cutting for the very first residence hall at the University of Massachusetts, Boston…

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Podcast

Understanding Diversity of Sites – with Brian Kraft

August 30, 2018

Join the Conversation Podcast Brian Kraft on Diversity of Sites When it comes to student housing, there is simply no way to copy/paste a set of processes on each new campus. Rather, you need to gain an understanding of the institution and the property itself and customize your approach based on the circumstances at hand.…

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Podcast

How I Got Into Student Housing: Kelly Podach Francis

August 29, 2018

Join the Conversation Podcast How I Got Into Student Housing – with Kelly Podach Francis When a residence hall comes in under budget, that money can be invested in the building itself. But how do you make decisions around what improvements to prioritize? Kelly Podach Francis designs an action plan based on student feedback, and…

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Podcast

Driving Innovation at the Urban Research University

August 15, 2018

Join the Conversation Podcast Driving Innovation at the Urban Research University – with Harlan Sands How can an urban research university serve as an anchor for its community—attracting employers and giving talent a reason to stay in the city after graduation? Harlan Sands believes that the key is to serve as a hub of innovation,…

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Podcast

Rebuilding the Reputation of a Struggling Site

July 11, 2018

Join the Conversation Podcast Rebuilding the Reputation of a Struggling Site – with Jeremy Steed ‘We came in humble and approachable, wanting to collaborate.’ How do you turn around a student housing site that has spiraled into decline? Where do you begin when all of the problems—occupancy, reputation and facility issues—are intertwined? How do you…

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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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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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10-story Hamilton tower breaks ground at the Community College of Philadelphia

September 13, 2017

As housing on community college campuses continues become more and more frequent, The Radnor Group and the Community College of Philadelphia are continuing that trend.  Congratulations to the David Yeager and The Radnor Group on the ground-breaking for this project.  All the best for a successful project! Read more about the project here: 10-story Hamilton…

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Grand Opening For New Student Housing At Glen Oaks Community College

August 25, 2017

So honored to serve Glen Oaks Community College as manager of this new, first-time housing for their students.  Excited to see how this new housing is going to enhance student success on the campus! Click here to read more! Grand Opening for GOCC Student Housing

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’s Move-In Photo Contest is Back!

August 9, 2016

COCM is excited to announce the start of our annual move-in photo contest! Since move-in season is so spread out across the country, we are going to be accepting submissions over the course of the whole move-in season. And on September 16, we’ll select 4 of the top photos to win $100 Amazon gift cards. We…

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