Student Housing Matters

There are over 100 languages spoken at Queens College. It is one of the most diverse higher education institutions in the United States.  So how can other colleges, universities, and companies across the country become more proactive in their diversity efforts? Frank Wu is the first Asian American President of Queens College in New York. He is also the author of Yellow: Race in America Beyond Blac...

We all know about the supply chain issue. Manufacturers, companies, and even individual buyers know they're more susceptible to issues receiving their products than ever before. But what is the impact on the furniture and student housing industries? Division Twelve is a minority-owned contract furnishings company, representing the finest manufacturers in the contract furnishings industry. Presiden...

Higher education has evolved drastically over the last century. These unprecedented times have put the strategic leaders of colleges and universities inside a whirlwind of financial, demographic, and social challenges. On today's episode of Student Housing Matters, guest host Alton Irwin sits down with Richard Gaumer and the authors of the new book Leadership Matters: Confronting the Hard Choices...

It's important for students to feel valued in the place where they live. And emotional intelligence is key in giving Gen Zers that sense of belonging and connection.  So, what can student housing organizations do to make EQ a priority? How can we create a culture where students feel seen, heard and understood? Natalya Cook is one of the newest team members at COCM. She serves as Marketing Coordina...

How do you achieve 100% occupancy in a new student housing community—during a pandemic? ReNesha Martin is the Director of Affiliated Housing at Bowie State University's Christa McAuliffe Residential Community and Entrepreneurship Living Learning Community (ELLC) , a new development designed to support aspiring entrepreneurs and other business-minded students with the resources and space for collab...

Conference service programs have been in survival mode through the pandemic, adapting to challenging circumstances one day at a time. But in-person events are starting to come back, and it's time for colleges and universities with summer programs to get prepared for the 2022 season. Erik Elordi is the National Director of Conference Services at COCM, a program that both supports our current instit...

Corey Reedy doesn't do what he does for the recognition. He truly cares about the student housing professionals he works with, and that inspires him to meet people where they are and pour into them as much as possible. But Corey does appreciate being recognized with the Excel Award because it lets him know he's doing something right! Corey Reedy is Regional Vice President at Capstone On-Campus Man...

"The [COCM Excel] Award is given to one person, but it's really comprised of everybody on the team. It just happens to be that one person who received it because everybody pushes you to be better and do better. You always see the head coach gets all the kudos, but it's really the folks that are behind the scenes working day in and day out—they're truly deserving of it as well." —Michelle Smith Mic...

Some student housing professionals are only inclined to perform the duties listed in their job description. And others are team players, willing to get their hands dirty to keep things running smoothly. Kerissa Hobstetter falls into the second category, doing whatever needs to be done to provide the best possible experience for her residents. Kerissa is COCM's Assistant Director of Operations at F...

If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life. And lucky for COCM, Scott Schatzer loves to serve others. Scott is the Talent Recruitment and Wellness Coordinator at the Capstone corporate offices, assisting the operations team in the recruitment, hiring and onboarding of field staff and managing COCM's Learning Management System and Employee Retention and Wellness Program. Scott fo...

A strong leader stays calm in a crisis, taking whatever is thrown at them in stride and simply doing what needs to be done. And it is Jeremy Williamson's ability to stay cool, collected and confident when problems arise that his colleagues admire most. Jeremy is the Director of Housing Operations and Facilities at University Village and The QUAD Student Housing Communities on the campus of Califor...

Western University of Health Sciences takes a whole-student approach to educating future healthcare professionals. And that complements the way COCM's Meera Ramsoondar-Cuevas serves her team and the students she works with, connecting with people through the lens of their individual experience. Meera is the Director of Housing Operations at The Daumier at Western University of Health Sciences in P...

Most of us associate summer on campus with conference programs. But summer interns need housing, too, and many campuses are capitalizing on this need. So, what does a summer internship student housing program look like? Would it work on your campus? And what are summer interns looking for in a place stay? Emily Eskridge-June is the Director of Housing and Residence Life at Cornish College of the A...

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 Heights since it opened its doors in 201...

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 serves as Regional Manager and Co-Chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusi...

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 Pieper is the Site Marketing Coordinator for COCM, where she works with our 35-plus partner institutions and their onsite team members to ensure that each of our student h...

Student housing professionals have faced one challenge after another in 2020. When it comes to residence life, this has not been an ideal year, as the pandemic has kept us from doing most of our traditional programming. So, how are housing directors building community in the COVID era? Katherine Warren is COCM's Assistant Director of Residence Life Campus Housing at Illinois Central College. She e...

Over the course of 2020, different industries have been impacted in a variety of ways. Today, we take a look at the topic of security – specifically the tracking of the coming and going of people within facilities. Students come and go from student housing facilities all hours of the day – so how do we keep them safe and secure during a pandemic? Charlie Regan is President of Gorrie Regan and Asso...

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 Conference Services at the University of Wa...

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 to really wor...

Serving university students who live off-campus puts Kristen Franklin in a unique position. Yes, she works closely with the highly regarded research institution her residents attend. But her team also has the freedom to individualize their services and work independently. So, what are the pros and cons of this arrangement when a global pandemic closes the campus and takes classes virtual? Kristen...

When the Coronavirus shut down college campuses across the US, most student housing facilities closed as well. But what do you do if the majority of your residents are not from the US and may not have the option to simply go home? How do you continue to serve students and stay connected with them when you're required to stay at least six feet apart? Lupita 'Pete' Morales is the Assistant Director...

COCM understands the importance of motivating a team and driving engagement during a time of isolation and unfamiliar work environments. In order to determine how residential faculty working on campus and remotely at Marshall University are adapting to conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic we interviewed Heather Smith, Assistant Director of Operations of the First Year Residence Halls at Marshal...

We all want to work in an environment that somehow feeds our souls. What happens when we encounter a workplace that does the exact opposite? Heidi Yoder began researching workplace bullying within student affairs in the Fall of 2018. Now, she's sharing some of her insights on preventing toxic workplace environments and handling instances of abusive leadership. Heidi Yoder is the Assistant Director...

It's well known that a career in higher education leaves you with many transferable skills. Are those skills useful outside of your workplace? How can we use what we've learned working with students to better ourselves and our communities?  In 2009, Nicole Terrell joined COCM as a first-time Assistant Director in a brand-new residence hall at Marshall University. In Nicole's role at COCM she devel...