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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Student Housing

Podcast

The New Normal of Conference Services – with Christine Sismaet

September 1, 2020

The conference services team at the University of Washington was looking forward to serving 11,000 overnight guests and facilitating 200 overnight conference sessions this summer. But 2020 had other plans, and though the campus did not close, Christine Sismaet and her team had a very different season than expected.  Christine is the Operations Manager of…

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Podcast

Utilizing Conferences and Summer Programming for Income Growth

August 18, 2020

Conferences and summer programs offer institutions an opportunity to generate revenue that can reduce the financial burden placed on students during the academic year. And it’s not just housing – a strong, efficient summer program brings revenue to other campus entities as well, including dining services, athletics, facilities, and even academic departments. Developing these programs…

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Blog

Top Channels for Communicating with Students – with Mellissa Taylor

April 10, 2020

During her tenure at COCM, Mellissa Taylor quickly became known among students as The Housing Lady. So, what did she learn as the face and voice of student housing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham? How have those lessons around communicating with students carried over to her current role in higher ed?Mellissa serves as…

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Podcast

Perspectives on Student Housing Facilities and Operations – Recorded LIVE at the 2019 Annual Meeting with COCM Assistant Directors

April 10, 2019

What all is involved in running a student housing site? And who are the people behind the scenes managing and operating all the jobs that need to get done? During the 2019 COCM Annual Meeting, we sat down with four assistant directors – with various roles, including building operations, maintenance, business operation, and residence life – to learn from their experiences and stories.

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Podcast

21st Century Challenges Facing Higher Education – with Brian Mitchell

September 6, 2018

Join the Conversation Podcast 21st Century Challenges Facing Higher Education – with Brian Mitchell There is no doubt that institutions of higher learning face a number of challenges, not the least of which is an unsustainable financial model. Tuition, fees, room and board no longer pay the bills—despite sticker prices as high as $72K a…

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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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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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