Please turn off cell phones, pagers, and PDAs or set to a silent/vibrate setting.
If you must leave the program early, please do so in a manner that does not interrupt the presenters or the other program attendees.
Thank you for your cooperation.
ACUHO-I Annual Conference & Exposition
Program Committee

D. Cole Spencer, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Emily Glenn, ACUHO-I
Mannix Clark, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

The presenters will share their findings from a second year of surveying housing assignment professionals and share the best practices for housing assignment professionals. The program will also feature examples of “best practices” from several institutions that may work at your College or University. The ACUHO-I corporate librarian will share with participants how the resources at the International office may assist assignment professionals in doing their job.
Learning Objectives :
1. Participants will learn the best practices in housing assignments based on survey responses from their peers.
2. Participants will be exposed to resources at the ACUHO-I office that may be beneficial to assignment officers.
3. Participants will become familiar with other assignments practices and be given contacts for resources at other institutions.

Private 65
Public
* 1- 2 year college
Total
122
187

United States
*41 different states
Canada
China
New Zealand
1
1
176
9

Housing
Capacity
>499
Private
500-999
5
15
1000-2999 33
3000-4999 6
5000-9999 6
<10,000
Range
Public
8
12
46
25
0
27
5
148-7851 200-13,531

 FRESHMEN Live-On Requirement

Yes 52.4% (98)

No 47.6% (89)
 Sophomore Live-On Requirement

Yes 33.7% (63)

No 66.3% (124)

 Do you allow Juniors and Seniors to live in university owned housing?

Yes 96.3% (180)

No 3.7% (7)

 Only other freshmen: 40.6%
 Freshmen and upperclassmen: 58.3%
 Other: 11.8%
What about that “other”?






“96% of freshmen live together; others may be in a special program,”
“It depends on the age of the freshman. Traditional freshmen are with other freshmen, occasionally a sophomore. Older freshmen (20+) are put with people their own age.”
“We try to keep freshmen together unless space limitations dictate otherwise.”
“Most live with other freshmen, unless both the freshman and the upperclass student specifically request to live together.”
Honors students of all classes live together.

Q 5: When do you open for fall move-in?
What is your first day of class?
i.e.: How many days are between those dates?
 Average: 4.61
 Max: 19
 Min: 1
 Mode: 4
 188 responses; 187 usable.

Q6: When do freshman begin applying for housing?
Month
September
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
14
7
23
Number
34
35
21
14
27
12
Percentage
18%
19%
11%
7%
14%
6%
7%
4%
12%

Q7: When do you post (send out, allow to see on line) freshman assignments?
Month
April
May
June
July
August
September
Other
2
2
70
33
Number
19
20
41

Q8: Advance Payment/Application Fee for Freshmen
Advance Payment % of
Respondents
Application Fee % of
Respondents
NONE
$1 - $25
$26 - $50
40
11
20
NONE
$1 - $25
$26 - $50
16
0
3
$51 - $100
$101 - $200
>$200
12
08
09
$51 - $100
$101 - $200
>$200
15
25
42
• Of those with more than $200 advance payment, 63% are private institutions.
• Of those with both >$200 advance payment and >$200 non-refundable application fee, 60% are public institutions.

Q 9: What questions do you ask re: roommates on the freshman application?
 Housing Preference: 84%
 Smoke/No Smoke: 77.5%
 Personal Identifiers: 57.2%
 College/Program: 31%
 No Questions: 4.3%
So what are those personal identifiers?

Q 9: Freshman Housing Application:
Personal Identifiers





Specific roommate request
Alcohol (use or not)
Interests (music, hobbies)
Disability accomodations
Habits:


Sleep
Studying



Cleanliness
Introversion/Extroversion
Visitation

Q10: When do current residents begin reapplying for housing?
Month
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
Number
6
10
7
35
53
46
28
2
Percentage
3%
5%
4%
19%
28%
25%
15%
1%

Q11: How do current residents reapply for housing? Select all that apply.
Online
88 N/A
Select Own
Room
Reserve Space for Roommate
77
55
Random Assign 40
Manual
6
95
65
40









1st apply online for a contract, 2nd sign contract on line, manual room selection process
Manual for Residential Colleges
They can select buildings, but not specific rooms
Register groups and get selection numbers on line, select rooms in person
Apply like first year students
Use a lottery to determine who will receive an assignment in housing for the next academic year
Residents can renew current assignment on line in Feb. Draw new space at March lottery
We have an online component where students apply as a group, but they then come and pick their location manually.

Q12: When do you post current student reapplication assignments if not able to select own room?
Month
N/A
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
June
1
6
1
0
Number
98
10
22
23
14
12

Q 13: When you think best practices in assignments, what do you do well?
Online Notification
Website
Room Reapplication
Room Transfers
Communication to Residents
Early Arrivals
Temporary Housing
Use of Technology
Transgender housing
Roommate Matching
Others…

 Family/Married/Partnered Housing:

No: 61%

Yes: 39%
 1 Bdrm: 78%



2 Bdrm: 84%
3 Bdrm: 41%
Residence Hall: 2.5%
Bedroom percentages are from the “yes” responses.

 Graduate Housing

No: 44%

Yes: 56%
 1 Bdrm: 70%



2 Bdrm: 62%
3 Bdrm: 30%
Residence Hall: 25%
Bedroom percentages are from the “yes” responses.

 Faculty/Staff Housing

No: 70%

Yes: 30%
 1 Bdrm: 73%



2 Bdrm: 82%
3 Bdrm: 32%
Residence Hall: 10%
Bedroom percentages are from the “yes” responses.







In the last two years, what changes have you made due to security concerns? (all that apply)
Check criminal histories 19.1% (33)
Video cameras 44.5% (77)
Campus emergency system 84.4% (146)
None 8.7% (15)
Other 28.3% (49)
OTHER:




Police Officers living on campus
All Card Swipe to buildings
Additional Questions on housing application
Require student cell-phone numbers





Student Affairs: 86.7%
Business Affairs/Auxiliary Services: 10.5%
Finance & Operations: 5%
Other: 4%





Facilities Mgmt.
Enrollment Mgmt.
Student and Academic Services
Facilities & Operations
Public-Private partnership, with facilities under a foundation

Q17: Do you have gender neutral housing?
Number
Do not have 115
By floor 25
By suite 16
By bedroom 25
Percentage
69.7%
15.2%
9.7%
15.2%









There are a number of schools that indicated the following:



What does this question mean?
Case by case basis
Investigating and/or under consideration
Based on specific request through GLBT office
First time Fall 2008
Single Rooms
We don't specifically have this, but if asked we would work with student for placement in single w/ private bath.
We have one wing that allows for gender neutral
We tried to set aside a floor at the request of a student group here, but not enough applied so we didn't do it.
We arrange depending on individual requests, normally single rooms with private restroom





Letter 69.0% (129)
Email 45.5% (85)
Online 39.6% (74)
Other 9% (17)

Other Examples:
 Campus Portal




Postcards
Assignments handed out at Move-in
Handout at Orientation
Freshmen pick rooms online

Q 19: List reasons a resident can cancel their housing without penalty.
 Graduation: 93.6%


Study abroad: 85%
Student teaching/internship
(outside area)
: 70%


Marriage: 69%
Active military duty: 84%



Withdraw from Institution: 68.4%
Academically dismissed: 70.6%
Other: 21%

Q 19: Other reasons a resident can withdraw without penalty:
 Grace period


Medical/psychological reasons
Family emergency


Becoming a parent/pregnant
Judicial dismissal



Academic or judicial suspension
Case-by-case only; no firm reasons
No withdrawals without penalty

1-2
3-4
5-6
7-8
<9
Q20: Please share your staffing model for the assignments area?
None/NA
Assignment
Coordinator(s)
23.9%
Secretary/
Receptionist(s)
19%
HD/RD/AC
25.3%
62.2%
10%
1.7%
1.7%
0.6%
70.8%
7.1%
2.4%
1.2%
0.6%
18%
18.7%
10.7%
10%
17.3%

Q 21: In your opinion, what are the major issues facing housing assignments?
You are some worried folks!
…and with good reason!

 Student Expectations: 38%







“Students wanting private rooms, though freshmen probably get more from having a roommate.”
“The desire for students to have it both ways: privacy and community.”
“Every student wants a single room!”
“Student expectations and high sense of entitlement.”
“Students wishing you to make an exception for them.”
“Applicants changing their preferences late in the game.
Difficult to give them everything they want.”
“Students are becoming more picky about the process and seem to be less motivated to get to know others.”


Technology: 25%






“Affordable, user-friendly interface between housing assignments and online door access that updates in real time.”
“Roommate matching/notification of roommate; for us, it is making the process available online.”
“Systems forcing centralized assignment processes on all campus; they don’t allow a campus to better meet its own needs.”
“Using technology while still being personal.”
“Moving everything to an online process, including the contract.”
“Online programs not meeting the expectations of what the companies promise they will do.

Housing assignment software that meets needs of institution in terms of not only assignments/early arrivals, but billing, etc.

 Assigning/Roommate problems: 23%






“Students and parents using Facebook to make judgements about randomly assigned roommates.”
“Freshmen believing we can “match” without any work on their part to develop conflict management skills of negotiation and compromise.”
“Students going to Facebook or similar…to check out roommates in advance of talking or meeting with them, then wanting a room change.”
“Best friends thinking they can be roommates; it is rarely successful.”
“The roommate squabbles make the staff edgy.”
“Facebook has been problematic for incoming students.”

 Parents: 13%







“Parents.”
“Parents using Facebook or MySpace to track down roommates.”
“Helicopter parents who are more concerned about son/daughter’s assignment than the son or daughter.”
“Parental involvement; lack of student involvement.”
“Dealing with difficult parents whose ideas are different than the student’s.”
“Parents’ and students’ desire for immediate information.”
“Parents extremely demanding in reference to housing options.”



Facilities/maintenance: 12%



“Disparity between modern residence halls and older halls.”
“Decreasing desirability of aging housing…in need of renovation/replacement.”
“Outdated facilities and amenities,”
Special circumstances (ADA, trans, medical, genderneutral): 11%



“Gender and mental health issues,”
“Housing for students with special needs – private bathrooms, carpetfree lounges, etc.”
“Transgendered housing,”

Rounding out your concerns…
 Cost control/price competitiveness
 Retention of students in halls
 Communication with students and parents

Communicating with a message/medium to which students will respond

Students/parents not reading contracts completely.


Security (for students’ physical being, for data)
 Staff limitations (budget cuts, ability to deal with issues personally and completely)
 Overflow/capacity


7 respondents replied “none” or “n/a”!
 One said:

“No issues for us, made easier by the fact that
98% of our rooms are single!”

2.
3.
5.
6.
1.
4.
Received doctor’s note that the stress of the assignment is affecting the mother and father’s health (not the student)
Need a roommate who fishes.
Student did not tell parents she ‘flunked out’ until move-in day when she did not have a room
Student arrived with a butler, who wanted to know where he would live
I will give a $1,000 tip to get this room
“I can’t live in a double because I’m allergic to sharing”.

1.
2.
3.
Parent said “why are you calling me? I told her she would have to get used to it and deal with it.”
Can you call my son on his cell phone? He is in the other room.
During Orientation, one father ‘told off’ another father who claimed the computer was biased against his daughter’s application

Q 23: Is there a question we should have asked but didn’t?


Thanks for the kudos! 
A few respondents said they didn’t know what
“gender-neutral” means.

Rooms in which students of the opposite sex are allowed to live together. Advocated by some gay and transgender activists as an option for students who might feel uncomfortable rooming with someone of the same sex; also as an option for all students whose ideal roommate might be someone of the opposite gender.

Q 23: Is there a question we should have asked but didn’t?
 Comments on the clarity of questions or the answer options were the most frequent:



Several people mentioned their opening date for fall move-in is different for freshmen than other classes, but we only asked for one date.
We didn’t provide enough dates for when housing assignments are distributed; as early as Feb; as late as June.
We didn’t provide enough dates for when housing assignments open.

Q 23: Is there a question we should have asked but didn’t?
 You wanted more technology questions:




“What type of assignment software do you use and does it work well…?”
“Maybe more questions about how assignments technology integrates with other systems and processes on campus.”
“The use of technology to make assignments, match roommates, coordinate billing, complete applications, etc.”
“Who’s using a home-grown system and who [has] purchased software.”

Q 23: Is there a question we should have asked but didn’t?


How you make assignments



“If assignments are not random, how are new vs. returning students prioritized?”
“I know our institution struggles with assigning lottery numbers.”
“I think methods of pairing first-year roommates would be helpful to know.”
Automation vs. the personal touch:

“Benefits/costs (not just financially) of in-person vs. electronic assignments.”

Q 23: Is there a question we should have asked but didn’t?


The types of housing you have


“Our housing consists of dormitory, shared and selfcontained units of all kinds.”
“We are all traditional dorm rooms. Not suites.”
How you handle conflict


How institutions handle room/roommate switches; “are there fees? Is there a freeze period?”
“We have sent out over 600 new student assignments, and received approximately 100 calls and e-mails stating the student’s desire for a change…is this a common percentage?

Q 23: Is there a question we should have asked but didn’t?
 Questions that better-applied to your school


“I have a feeling that most smaller colleges have different needs than larger colleges when it comes to housing.”
“We are a two-year institution so most of these questions were somewhat difficult to translate to our terminology.”

Q 23: Is there a question we should have asked but didn’t?
 Staffing structures

“Optimal assignments staff pattern,”

“Secretary is shared and I oversee the building directors/area directors with assignment area only.”
 How you handle contract appeals:

“Do schools follow a refund schedule so that the longer a student resides in the hall the less they will be refunded?”

 D. Cole Spencer, University of Illinois Urbana-
Champaign, dcoles@uiuc.edu
 Emily Glenn, ACUHO-I, emily@acuho-i.org
 Mannix Clark, University of Minnesota, Twin
Cities, clark108@umn.edu
 http://sites.google.com/site/housingassignments/