Student Housing Matters

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 earned her BA in Communications and Media Arts from Bethany College and her master’s in Student Affairs and Higher Education at Indiana State University. Katherine chose a career in student affairs because she loves working with college students as they begin to carve out their own niche.

On this episode of Student Housing Matters, Katherine joins Leigh Anne to discuss the recent roundtable she led with COCM housing directors across the country and share the team’s commitment to maintaining a positive attitude as we adapt to changing circumstances. She describes the challenges housing directors face in preparing for 2021 and explains what our colleagues are doing to maintain their mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing through this challenging time. Listen in for Katherine’s insight on how COCM housing directors are innovating around residence life to build community (within social distancing guidelines) and facilitate student interaction online.

Topics Covered

Katherine’s approach to the recent roundtable discussion she led with COCM housing directors across the country

The COCM team’s commitment to maintaining a positive attitude as we adapt to changing circumstances

How housing directors are building community through pop-up events and DIY programming

The challenges housing directors face in preparing for 2021 (i.e.: RA interviews, room selection, etc.)

How housing directors are using Discord and social media platforms to promote community and interact with students

What our COCM colleagues are doing to maintain their mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing

How COVID is teaching Katherine to be more intentional about making time to do the things she loves

Connect with Katherine Warren

Katherine on LinkedIn

Connect with Leigh Anne

Student Housing Matters

Student Housing Matters on Facebook

Student Housing Matters on Twitter

Capstone On-Campus Management

Leigh Anne on LinkedIn

Email media@cocm.com  

Direct download: Student_Housing_Matters_-_Katherine_Warren.mp3
Category:Join The Conversation Podcast -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

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 Associates based in Birmingham, AL, a company dedicated to making sure that your property and facility is secure, your gate system is functioning, and your employee’s time is calculated accurately. When it comes to security systems, they focus on the control function of opening and closing doors and gates to properties, video solutions, as well as analytics and monitoring.

On this episode of Student Housing Matters, Charlie joins host Alton Irwin to talk about security issues and how they have changed during 2020and the pandemic. When COVID-19 hit, GorrieRegan was able to continue to work as an essential business as they were implementing security systems. He discusses how the industry as a whole is focusing on ramping up the touchless technologies that have been developed over the last several years and how all projects are resuming later this year are wanting to take the approach of utilizing these touchless technologies. He also shares that during times of crisis, the innovation of different technologies grows exponentially, mentioning thermal technologies that over the course of this year have become more widely used. Along with an increase in usage, they are also seeing systems with thermal technology becoming more affordable and being utilized in creative ways.

Topics Covered

How Gorrie Regan and Associates started out and how they have grown to where they are today.

What happened to the company when COVID-19 first hit.

How they have continued as an essential business.

How they are reapproaching some projects with different technology because of COVID-19.

What changes they are seeing in the security industry.

What they are seeing in the different touchless technologies for security systems.

What they can offer to folks and businesses looking to implement some of these technologies.

Connect with Charlie Regan

Connect with Charlie on Linkedin

Learn more about Gorrie Regan at www.gorrieregan.com

Email info@gorrieregan.com to get in touch with Charlie Regan

Connect with Alton & Leigh Anne

Student Housing Matters

Student Housing Matters on Facebook

Student Housing Matters on Twitter

Capstone On-Campus Management

Alton on Linkedin

Leigh Anne on LinkedIn

Email media@cocm.com


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 Washington. As an undergrad at UW, she served as Summer Conference Desk Host and Conference Assistant before taking on a full-time position as Conference Coordinator in 2010. Christine was promoted to her current role in 2014, and in her 14 years in conference services, she has developed an expertise in building relationships with her staff as well as the clients they serve.

On this episode of Student Housing Matters, Christine joins guest host Erik Elordi to explain what Summer 2020 would have looked like for her team without the disruption of COVID-19 and describe what the UW summer conference season actually looks like running at about 10% of its usual activity. She shares how her reduced (and mostly remote) staff is adapting to Coronavirus restrictions and working to keep guests safe and comfortable on campus. Listen in for insight around how Christine’s experience can benefit institutions that closed and get her take on what conference services might look like in 2021 and beyond.

Topics Covered

How working in conference services as an undergrad inspired Christine’s career in the space

What Summer 2020 would have looked like for Christine’s team without the disruption of COVID-19

Christine’s commitment to building positive relationships with clients and working as a team

How the Summer 2020 conference season at UW was reduced to 10% of its usual activity

What Christine’s team is doing to adapt to COVID restrictions and keep summer guests safe and comfortable

How Christine is reorganizing duties around a reduced staff (most of whom are working remotely)

What Christine is doing to keep summer conference organizers engaged and encourage them to schedule for 2021

How Christine’s experience can benefit institutions that didn’t have guests this summer

Christine’s interest in helping develop the new normal for conference services moving forward

Connect with Christine Sismaet

Email sismaetc@uw.edu

Connect with Leigh Anne & Erik

Student Housing Matters

Student Housing Matters on Facebook

Student Housing Matters on Twitter

Capstone On-Campus Management

Leigh Anne on LinkedIn

Erik on LinkedIn

Email media@cocm.com

Direct download: Student_Housing_Matters_-_Christine_Sismaet.mp3
Category:Join The Conversation Podcast -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

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 work for your campus takes creativity, research, and planning.

Erik Elordi is the Director of National Conference Services for COCM. He specializes in reviewing campuses’ summer programs and providing support, direction and management of the implementation of a tailored plan via a management partnership. His passion for approaching campus revenue with an entrepreneurial mindset drives him to help campuses solve the problem of generating revenue over the summer months. While the summer of 2020 brought a set of unique challenges, Erik is looking to summer of 2021 opportunities and currently building a small library of resources for student housing professionals to learn how to leverage the campus amenities during summer months.

For universities and colleges that do not have a management agreement with COCM, our corporate team can help by taking our Fresh Eyes Consulting approach and focusing specifically on conference and summer programming. Our team provides for those interested in knowing how much more they could be making off of the summer months outcomes, reports and implementation plans to help put conference services together or help grow and build on the ones that the campus may already have in place.

Why do so many campuses miss out on the opportunities that the summer months provide for revenue? For a lot of institutions, conferences are a secondary thought – which makes sense. It often falls to the student housing department, and that task often falls behind because during the academic year the student housing department is so focused on making the student experience great for the students. Then, summer becomes a scramble.

By having Erik as a dedicated person, he is able to help campuses think about these opportunities all year round and leverage those summer months as much as possible. COCM encourages campuses to put in the time to prepare for the summer months so they don’t leave money on the table by not using all of their campus assets during all twelve months.  

 

Topics Covered

  • Erik’s background experience in housing in Oregon and Washington
  • Why he takes an entrepreneurial approach to summer months and why that excites him
  • Seeing summer housing as opportunity to keep rates lower for students during the regular year
  • How his team at Cornish College of the Arts built and developed a conference program from the ground up
  • How summer programming also helps with recruitment and a pipeline into the college into the future
  • The story behind Erik’s entrepreneurial approach to building summer revenue
  • Why building resources for others looking to develop similar programs is so important to Erik
  • How COCM can take a look at your own campus housing through the Fresh Eyes Process providing recommendations on how to grow that
  • Why a lot of campuses are missing out on these opportunities and the questions they have about the potential
  • Why COCM takes the approach of thinking about potential summer revenue opportunities year round
  • How any campus can connect with COCM to get their questions answered and talk about the opportunities for conferences and summer programs

Connect with Erik

COCM’s Conference Services

Erik on Linkedin

Erik on Twitter

 

Connect with Leigh Anne & COCM

Student Housing Matters

Student Housing Matters on Facebook

Student Housing Matters on Twitter

Capstone On-Campus Management

Leigh Anne on LinkedIn

Email media@cocm.com


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 is COCM’s Director of Operations at Nine East 33rd, a high-end apartment complex that houses students from Johns Hopkins University. Prior to her work with Capstone, Kristen served as Associated Director of Housing at The George Washington University and Community Director at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. She has 10-plus years of experience in higher education and student affairs, and Kristen holds a Master’s in Educational Policy & Leadership from Marquette University.

On this episode of Student Housing Matters, Kristen joins guest host Alton Irwin to explain how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted her residents at Nine East 33rd. She describes the property’s unique position as off-campus housing for Johns Hopkins students and discusses the university’s thoughtful response to the crisis and role as a trusted resource for up-to-date information. Listen in to understand how Kristen’s day-to-day looks different working from home (with two kids!) and learn what her team is doing to maintain contact both with residents who are staying at Nine East 33rd and those who are sheltering elsewhere.

Topics Covered

Kristen’s background in student housing + current role as Director of Operations at COCM

The unique position of Nine East 33rd as off-campus student housing

Johns Hopkins’ thoughtful response to the Coronavirus pandemic

How Johns Hopkins is supporting Maryland’s response to COVID-19

What Kristen’s team is doing to ensure the health and safety of residents at Nine East 33rd

The gift baskets and door hangers Kristen is using to maintain regular contact with residents

How the Nine East 33rd staff is communicating with residents who are sheltering elsewhere

How Kristen’s day looks different working from home with two children

Kristen’s message for Nine East 33rd residents and campus partners at Johns Hopkins

Connect with Kristen

Kristen on LinkedIn

Nine East 33rd

Johns Hopkins University’s COVID-19 Info & Resources

Connect with Leigh Anne & Alton

Student Housing Matters

Student Housing Matters on Facebook

Student Housing Matters on Twitter

Capstone On-Campus Management

Leigh Anne on LinkedIn

Alton on LinkedIn

Email media@cocm.com

Direct download: Student_Housing_Matters_-_Kristen_Franklin.mp3
Category:Join The Conversation Podcast -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

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 of Housing Operations at the Campus Corner Apartments at Green River College in Auburn, Washington. She oversees operations for the 340 students living on campus, 179 of whom have remained on campus through the COVID-19 shutdown. Pete is committed to building a diverse and equitable community in an environment where 80% of the residents are international students. 

On this episode of Student Housing Matters, Pete joins guest host Alton Irwin to discuss her team’s response to Coronavirus. She describes the diverse population of international residents she serves, weighing in on why she advocated to keep student housing open and what innovative strategies her team is using to stay in touch with its residents. Listen in for Pete’s insight around how the GRC team is navigating social distancing guidelines and learn what customer service, communication and cleanliness processes they plan to continue even after the pandemic is over.

Topics Covered

Pete’s role as AD of Housing Operations at Green River College

The diverse population of international students at Green River

What Green River leadership did to plan for COVID-19 in February

The Instagram account Pete’s staff is using to stay in touch with residents

What processes Pete’s team plans to continue once the crisis is over

How Pete’s team navigated move-in/out with social distancing guidelines

Why Green River student housing advocated to stay open

How Pete’s staff communicates with students who are learning English

How a typical day in Pete’s office looks different right now

What Pete’s team is doing to improve customer service to residents

Connect with Pete

Green River College

Pete on LinkedIn

Gator Pond on Instagram

Connect with Leigh Anne & Alton

Student Housing Matters

Student Housing Matters on Facebook

Student Housing Matters on Twitter

Capstone On-Campus Management

Leigh Anne on LinkedIn

Alton on LinkedIn

Email media@cocm.com

Direct download: Student_Housing_Matters_-_Lupita_Pete_Morales.mp3
Category:Join The Conversation Podcast -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

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 Marshall.

Connect with Us

Student Housing Matters

Student Housing Matters on Facebook

Student Housing Matters on Twitter

Capstone On-Campus Management

Email media@cocm.com

Subscribe on iTunes

Direct download: Join_the_Conversation_with_Alton_and_Heather.mp3
Category:Join The Conversation Podcast -- posted at: 9:58am CDT

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 of Residence Life at Edgewood Commons on the campus of Frostburg State University. She has dedicated 14 years to working with students and is currently working towards a Doctor of Education in Administration and Leadership Studies at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. As part of her research there, Heidi is taking an in-depth look at workplace bullying within student affairs. She hopes to use her research to encourage people to have conversations around the topic. Heidi recently published an article in About Campus titled, When the compassionate are abusive: workplace bullying and student affairs.

On this episode of Student Housing Matters, Heidi joins me to talk about why she chose to take a closer look at workplace dynamics within student affairs. She shares how her research has progressed since she started her doctoral degree, sharing some particular instances of workplace bullying she uncovered through a qualitative survey of colleagues in the field. Listen in for Heidi’s advice on how individuals and their managers can take steps to prevent problematic workplace environments.

If today’s podcast raised some questions for you about workplace bullying, email them to media@cocm.com. We hope to have Heidi back on the podcast to answer your questions soon.

Topics Covered

Heidi’s career in student housing and residence life

What constitutes workplace bullying and abusive leadership

How Heidi gathered responses for a qualitative survey on workplace bullying

How lived experience informs Heidi’s research

How residence life and student affairs differ from other workplaces

Why managerial training is essential for new supervisors

Understanding your employee handbook and finding people to confide in

Connect with Heidi

Heidi’s Article in About Campus

Heidi on LinkedIn

Connect with Leigh Anne

Student Housing Matters

Student Housing Matters on Facebook

Student Housing Matters on Twitter

Capstone On-Campus Management

Leigh Anne on LinkedIn

Email media@cocm.com

Subscribe on iTunes

Direct download: Student_Housing_Matters_-_Heidi_Yoder.mp3
Category:Join The Conversation Podcast -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

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 developed a resident handbook and worked to guide first years struggling to transition to university life. After COCM, Nicole went on to work in loss prevention at Target. Today, she is raising a family, serving on community boards, and teaching cross-fit to kids.

On this episode of Student Housing Matters, Nicole joins guest host Tara Wilkinson to reminisce about her time as an AD. Nicole shares how building a sense of community in a first year residence hall relates to supporting members of the community she now lives in. She also weighs in on how working in higher ed pushed her outside of her comfort zone and taught her how to deal with tough situations. Listen in for Nicoles’s insight on how her experience with CCOM continues to influence the way she approaches supporting others in her local community and what ‘paying it forward’ really means.

Topics Covered

How Nicole got involved with COCM

Nicole’s experience working with first years in a new residence hall

How Nicole’s role as an Assistant Director prepared her for future positions

The importance of reaching out to others in your community

Nicole’s lasting relationships with former COCM colleagues

How COCM helped Nicole push past her boundaries

Connect with Tara

Student Housing Matters

Student Housing Matters on Twitter

Capstone On-Campus Management

Tara on LinkedIn

Direct download: Student_Housing_Matters_-_Nicole_Terrell.mp3
Category:Join The Conversation Podcast -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

Rafael Cordwell believes that you don’t choose your profession, your profession chooses you. And in the beginning, Raf resisted a career in student affairs—despite encouragement from more than one of his supervisors at Southern Connecticut State. But higher education had other plans for Raf, and today, he aspires to impact campus culture and policy for the better as a senior leader in the field.

Raf currently serves as COCM’s Director of University Affiliated Housing at Towson University in Towson, Maryland, and the Director of Leadership and Business Development at Driven2Inspire, a professional training and keynote speaking firm. Raf was selected to be a part of the inaugural cohort of the Ujima Institute, a prestigious program offered by NASPA, the Association for Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. Raf earned his BA in English and Master’s in Women’s Studies at Southern Connecticut State University and is currently pursuing his PhD in Higher Education Administration at Morgan State.

On this episode of Student Housing Matters, Raf joins me to share his experience at the Ujima Institute, explaining its purpose in supporting higher education and student affairs professionals of color who aspire to senior-level and faculty positions. Raf describes the incredible level of energy among attendees as they shared their lived experiences and walks us through the values exercise he learned at Ujima that had the most profound impact on him as a leader. Listen in for Raf’s advice to young professionals considering a career in student housing and learn how residence life chose Raf to be a leader in college administration.

Topics Covered

How Raf was encouraged by his early supervisors to pursue a career in higher education

How the opportunity to impact campus culture and policy inspired Raf’s decision

The role Raf’s academic background in gender studies plays in his work in residence life

Why working with different types of people is both the most challenging and rewarding part of Raf’s job

How Raf helps students and their parents through the transition to college life

The Ujima Institute’s aim in supporting higher ed professionals of color who aspire to senior-level positions

The high level of energy among Ujima Institute attendees in sharing their lived experiences

Why Raf would encourage others to apply for the Ujima Institute

The values exercise Raf learned at the program that had a profound impact on him as a leader

Raf’s advice for young professionals considering a career in student affairs

Connect with Raf

Raf on LinkedIn

NASPA Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education

Ujima Institute

Connect with Leigh Anne

Student Housing Matters

Student Housing Matters on Facebook

Student Housing Matters on Twitter

Capstone On-Campus Management

Leigh Anne on LinkedIn

Email media@cocm.com

Subscribe on iTunes


Winston Churchill led Britain through both World Wars. But how would he fight the invisible enemy we face today? How might Churchill approach the current situation with Coronavirus?

Dr. Larry P. Arnn is the President of Hillsdale College, where he also serves as a professor of politics and history. He earned degrees from Arkansas State and Claremont Graduate University and studied at Oxford University, where he was the Director of Research for Sir Martin Gilbert, the official biographer of Winston Churchill. Dr. Arnn is also the author of Churchill’s Trial: Winston Churchill and the Salvation of Free Government and the editor of The Churchill Documents.

On this episode of Student Housing Matters, Dr. Arnn joins guest host Alton Irwin to explore what Winston Churchill might say about the situation we face with Coronavirus. He discusses Churchill’s leadership style in challenging circumstances, describing Churchill’s fight-hard-to-win-fast approach to war and explaining why he believed that serious judgements cannot be made with expertise alone. Listen in to understand how Dr. Arnn thinks about making decisions for Hillstone and learn how we can leverage Churchill’s idea of shared sacrifice to combat COVID-19.

Topics Covered

Churchill’s leadership style in challenging circumstances

What Churchill might tell us if he were alive today

  • Be impatient, find strategy to win fast
  • Give people tools + autonomy to use

Why serious judgements can’t be made with expertise alone

Weighing the health, mental health and economic impact of COVID-19

The unprecedented suspension of in-person classes at Hillstone

Dr. Arnn’s approach to making decisions for Hillstone

  • Don’t make difficult decisions until you HAVE to
  • Never make decisions alone

The factors Dr. Arnn considers re: bringing students back to campus

Connect with Dr. Arnn

Dr. Arnn at Hillsdale College

Books by Dr. Arnn

The Churchill Documents by Martin Gilbert

The Churchill Project

Connect with Alton

Student Housing Matters

Student Housing Matters on Facebook

Student Housing Matters on Twitter

Capstone On-Campus Management

Alton on LinkedIn

Email media@cocm.com


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 the Assistant Director of Honors Advising and Retention at UAB. But her first role out of graduate school was that of Assistant General Manager of Marketing and Resident Services with Capstone, where she was responsible for community engagement for UAB student housing. Mellissa earned her graduate degree in Student Affairs at Florida State University.

On this episode of the Alumni Series, Mellissa joins Tara Wilkinson to explain how she connected with COCM through contacts at UAB, her undergraduate campus. She weighs in on the most effective ways of communicating with students, describing the challenges of TLDR in email communications and the value of social channels like Instagram and Snapchat. Listen in for Mellissa’s insight on the enduring relationships she built at COCM and learn how her Capstone colleagues helped her grow a thick skin early in her professional career!

Topics Covered

How Mellissa connected with COCM through contacts at UAB

Mellissa’s responsibilities as Marketing Manager with COCM

  • Representative at recruitment, admission events
  • All housing assignments

Mellissa’s insight on communicating with students via email

Using channels like Snapchat, Instagram and text messaging

Mellissa’s enduring relationships with colleagues at COCM

The lesson Mellissa learned at COCM on growing a thick skin

Connect with Mellissa

Mellissa on Facebook

Connect with Tara

Student Housing Matters

Student Housing Matters on Facebook

Student Housing Matters on Twitter

Capstone On-Campus Management

Tara on LinkedIn


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