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Student housing is evolving quickly. Enrollment patterns, student expectations, and aging facilities are reshaping how campuses plan and operate residence communities. Here’s how COCM sees the market—and where universities can win with the right strategy and partnerships.

Challenge: Evolving Demand & Expectations

Enrollment continues to grow at many institutions, and with it, student expectations for residential experience. COCM’s perspective on growing trends highlights the importance of on-campus quality and best practices for third-party management.

Opportunity: Use Data to Right-Size Housing

Turn enrollment and housing data into decisions with the Student Housing Calculator. Model demand, unit mix, and capacity needs—so new beds, renovations, and rates match what students actually need.

Challenge: Aging Facilities & Budget Pressure

Deferred maintenance and outdated spaces can drag satisfaction and occupancy.

Opportunity: Proactive Capital Planning

COCM’s Capital Projects builds a proactive 10-year plan, phasing improvements and managing scopes, bids, and vendors—so campuses can modernize within budget and with minimal disruption.

Challenge: Limited Internal Bandwidth

Campus teams juggle operations, residence life, finance, and compliance—leaving little time for strategic initiatives.

Opportunity: Third-Party Management Built for Campus Goals

With flexible third-party management, COCM can operate turn-key or share responsibilities—aligning staffing, residence life, marketing & leasing, occupancy management, financials, and more to your housing goals.

Challenge: Knowing What to Fix First

When everything feels like a priority, improvement can stall.

Opportunity: Fresh Eyes, Clear Roadmap

Fresh Eyes Consulting focuses on organic growth—relating full-time enrollment trends and campus-service alignment (dining, financial aid, etc.) to housing positioning. The result is a clear set of phased recommendations your team can act on.

Challenge: Delivering New Beds On Time

Large projects strain bandwidth and timelines.

Opportunity: Partnership Models that Scale

COCM collaborates on complex developments, including a graduate housing P3 at the University of Maryland—demonstrating how the right partnership can add beds on schedule and aligned with campus goals.

Challenge: Sustaining a High-Service Culture

Consistency across teams and sites can be difficult without shared ownership.

Opportunity: An Employee-Owned Partner

COCM is 100% employee-owned, aligning our culture and accountability with your outcomes for the long term.

Next Step

Whether you’re troubleshooting today’s challenges or planning for tomorrow’s demand, COCM can help. Explore Operations & Management, Fresh Eyes Consulting, and Capital Projects, or connect with us to discuss your campus.