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 she contends that this approach leads directly to student retention.

Kelly is the Director of Facilities and Operations for Rountree Commons at the University of Wisconsin—Platteville. In this role, she manages the day-to-day operations of the privately-owned residence hall, supervising the professional staff and monitoring the finances of the building. Prior to her work with COCM, Kelly served as Hall Director at UW—Stout for eight years.

Today, Kelly joins me to share her first experience in student housing as an Academic Resource Coordinator and explain why she was inspired to support other students in the transition to college. I ask her when she realized she could pursue student housing as a career, and she discusses the positions she held as an undergrad that led to her AHA moment at ACUHO-I. Kelly addresses the transition from working for a university system to COCM, offering insight around her responsibilities as Director of Facilities and the challenges of managing the finances of a residence hall. Listen in to understand how Kelly designs an action plan based on student feedback and learn why it’s important to make friends with the campus locksmith, fire inspector and parking staff!

Topics Covered

Kelly’s early experience as an Academic Resource Coordinator

How Kelly’s parents influenced her decision to become an ARC

The difficult transition to college for a first-generation student

How ACUHO-I inspired Kelly to pursue student housing as a career

The student housing positions Kelly held as an undergrad

Kelly’s years of experience as a Hall Coordinator and Director

Kelly’s transition from the university system to COCM

How Kelly developed an interest in facilities management

Kelly’s responsibilities as Director of Facilities at UW-Platteville

Why Kelly enjoys the financial piece of her role

The rewards of coming in under budget

How Kelly develops an action plan based on student feedback

How Kelly’s team has grown and developed a rhythm

The lessons Kelly has learned around deciding what to prioritize

Kelly’s advice on building relationships with key people on campus

Connect with Kelly

Kelly at UW—Platteville

Kelly on LinkedIn

Connect with Leigh Anne

Student Housing Matters

Student Housing Matters on Facebook

Student Housing Matters on Twitter

COCM on LinkedIn

Leigh Anne on LinkedIn

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, aligning skills taught with the needs of a modern economy.

Harlan is the newly appointed President of Cleveland State University. A highly regarded leader in higher education, Harlan has 30-plus years of experience at urban research universities. Harlan has served as a thought leader, academic administrator, business process changemaker, professor and student advocate. Prior to his career in higher ed, he served as a public defender in the city of Miami, litigating more than 50 trials in state and county court. Harlan holds a BS in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from George Washington University, and a JD from George Mason.

Today, Harlan joins me to walk us through the diverse career path that led to his current role as President of Cleveland State. I ask him about the value of an urban research institution as an anchor to its city, and he describes his vision for CSU as a driver of innovation. Harlan shares the previous accomplishments he is most proud of, from supporting faculty in conducting vital research to engaging students and staff in a university’s mission. Listen in for Harlan’s insight on the role of student housing in creating a living and learning community on campus and learn how mentors can help you in the pursuit of lifelong learning!

Topics Covered

The diverse career path that led Harlan to his new role with CSU

Harlan’s background in both academia and administration

The importance of a research institution as an anchor to its city

How a university can serve to draw people to the community

Harlan’s vision for Cleveland State as a driver of innovation

Attracting employers by aligning skill sets taught with market needs

Why 80% of CSU grads stay in the city of Cleveland

Harlan’s aim to engage students and staff in the university’s mission

How Harlan supports faculty in conducting research

Harlan’s take on students as clients or customers

The role of student housing in promoting retention and progression

Why student success should be the starting point for student housing

How student housing contributes to a living and learning community

Harlan’s advice around the pursuit of lifelong learning

The idea of MBWA (Management By Walking Around)

Connect with Harlan

Harlan at Cleveland State University

Harlan’s Opinion Piece on Cleveland.com

Harlan on LinkedIn

Connect with Leigh Anne

Student Housing Matters

Student Housing Matters on Facebook

Student Housing Matters on Twitter

COCM on LinkedIn

Leigh Anne on LinkedIn

‘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 look at the situation with Fresh Eyes and change the narrative, rebuilding the site’s reputation one step at a time?

Jeremy Steed is the Operations Director for Capstone On-Campus Management. He began his housing career as an RA while studying biology at the University of Alabama—Birmingham. Since then, he has worked in several roles with COCM, most recently leading a site takeover at a community college in East Peoria, Illinois. In that role, he built a residence life program from the ground up and headed the turnaround that rebuilt the site’s reputation in the eyes of the students, campus partners and community at large.

Today, Jeremy joins me to explain how he became the Site Director at a struggling facility, discussing the gradual decline of the property under previous management as well as its interconnected reputation, occupancy and facility issues. He walks us through COCM’s Fresh Eyes process and offers insight as to why rebuilding trust with the campus partner became top priority. I ask Jeremy how he rebuilt the site’s reputation with a complete rebrand, and he addresses the significance of open, honest communication with students.  Listen in for Jeremy’s advice around getting out ahead of a property on the decline and learn how he went about creating a better, safer living environment for the students at Illinois Central College.

Topics Covered

How Jeremy became the Site Director for a struggling facility

The site’s gradual decline under previous management

The site’s intertwined reputation, occupancy and facility issues

The Fresh Eyes process COCM used to assess the site’s problems

Why rebuilding trust with the campus partner became top priority

Why a complete rebrand was necessary to change the narrative

The use of focus groups to determine student experience, needs

Using honest communication being present with students

How building trust with the institution translated to parents, students

Jeremy’s advice around preventing decline with annual walk-throughs

The significant increase in occupancy at the site each of the last 3 years

How Jeremy created a better, safer living environment for students

The rewards of turning around a struggling site

Connect with Jeremy

Jeremy at COCM

Jeremy on LinkedIn

Connect with Leigh Anne

Student Housing Matters

Student Housing Matters on Facebook

Student Housing Matters on Twitter

COCM on LinkedIn

Leigh Anne on LinkedIn

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 though the field of student housing is less familiar to the general population, it affords the opportunity to give back and do work that truly matters, whether you’re working one-on-one with students as an RA or overseeing operations from the main office.

Jeremy Steed started his housing career as a resident assistant in 2010 while studying as an undergraduate student at the University of Alabama—Birmingham. Since then, he has worked in several roles with Capstone On-Campus Management at various institutions, and Jeremy’s experience ranges from working at a large public university to leading a management takeover at a community college. Today, he serves as the Operations Director for COCM, working under the premise that ‘each day presents a new opportunity to do something great.’

Jeremy joins me on Student Housing Matters to discuss how financial considerations and the need for leadership experience informed his initial motivation to become an RA. He shares the benefits of serving as a role model and mentor to students, explaining how the role motivated him to stay on top of his game. I ask Jeremy about his path from RA to Operations Director, and he describes the shift in priorities that led him to pursue student housing as a career. Listen in for Jeremy’s insight around listening first and tailoring your approach to the individual—and learn how the skills you develop as an RA can translate to whatever career you choose.

Topics Covered

Jeremy’s initial motivations for becoming an RA

The benefits of being a role model and mentor

How serving as an RA motivated Jeremy to succeed

Jeremy’s path to from RA to Operations Director

Jeremy’s ability to tailor his approach to the individual

The value in a career that affords the opportunity to give back

How working on-site differs from the main office at COCM

The skills you develop as an RA that translate to any career

Connect with Jeremy

Jeremy at COCM

Jeremy on LinkedIn

Connect with Leigh Anne

Student Housing Matters

Student Housing Matters on Facebook

Student Housing Matters on Twitter

COCM on LinkedIn

Leigh Anne on LinkedIn

Dr. Lisa Guion Jones joined us to discuss the pivotal role of persistence, passion, and people in higher education.

Timothy Evans joins us today.  Timothy is the assistant director of operations at the University Village Apartments, an on campus housing facility at California State University San Marcos.

One of the biggest topics in higher education these days is student debt.  And Tim has such a neat back-story that makes him passionate about getting out of, and staying out of, debt.  And with where Tim works, he is in a unique position to speak into the lives of students staring down the possibility leaving school with substantial debt.

COCM's Jeff Kirkpatrick shares his story of how a dangerous situation propelled him into being an RA and eventually a full time student housing professional.

In this "How I Got Into Student Housing" series, we've been talking to housing professionals to understand how they got into this field.  In every episode of the series, you’ll hear how a mentor and/or a situation guided each person into something they love.

In this episode we interview COCM's director of Towson Place Apartments, a student community at Towson University.  

Va'Shajn Parr, Director of University Village and the Quad (on-campus housing) at CSU San Marcos spoke with us about the service he is using to solve the resident package delivery problem.

President of COCM, Doug Brown and Executive Vice President, Sandy Hill sat down with us to talk about how they got into the student housing world and then to COCM. The conversation winds through their background, funny stories they’ve had while traveling, and where they see the future of COCM.

This is a special video podcast version of a series we’ve had on our regular podcast, “How I Got Into Student Housing.”  If you haven’t been following this series, the episodes are designed to be a fairly quick look into how these housing professionals got into this field.