Student Housing Matters

Every year COCM hosts an Annual Meeting in Birmingham, Alabama. In February, COCM's Assistant Directors fly in from over 40 different sites for a week of learning, listening, sharing, and building community amongst fellow student housing professionals.

Being an Assistant Director of Housing can mean many things. Depending on the particular site, AD's have a variety of roles, responsibilities, and challenges in facilities, maintenance, operations and res life. During one session at the 2019 Annual Meeting we sat down with four of our assistant directors to discuss their experiences and perspective from what they have learned at their own site.

Our panelists are from very different sites with different students – and with that we get some great insight from their unique perspectives. Learn about all that goes into running on-campus housing and the creative ways these individuals have approached their everyday work to create an environment for student success.

The Panel Participants:

Omar Mahmoud, Assistant Director for Operations at The Heights at Montclair State University

Chris Adams, Associate Director of Maintenance Operations at South Campus Commons at Univ. of Maryland

Lupita "Pete" Morales, Assistant Director for Housing Business Operations at Green River College

Ryan Rosevelt, Assistant Director of Residence Life, First Year Residence Halls at Marshall University

Topics Covered

How you explain what you do in your role as an assistant director to your friends and family

Perspectives on both operations responsibilities as well as facilities responsibilities

What issues they see most often in their site-specific role, and how they manage that issue

The importance of walking alongside students on their individual journey

Working with international students who are adapting to being away from home

Educating residence on how to use appliances as well as how to deal with maintenance issues

Looking at new things like technology that student are interested in having in their residence hall

Lessons learned through their years of experience

How to grow in your career through these lessons learned

How being valued as an employee changed perspective on worth

How student housing is so much more than just putting students in rooms

Connect with Leigh Anne and COCM

Student Housing Matters

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Capstone On-Campus Management

Leigh Anne on LinkedIn

Brian served as the IT Coordinator at COCM for 10 years. In 2018, he left COCM to join the BL Harbert Team as an IT Manager for the US Group. In today's episode, Tara Wilkinson catches up with Brian to ask him about all that he learned from working with COCM and how it is impacting his new position.

Brian joined Capstone Development Group over a decade ago in a different role than where he ended up – as IT Coordinator. Soon after he started to work at Capstone, Brian noticed areas where some help might be needed, so he jumped in to help. Slowly, picking up more and more projects in IT, Brian was later asked to be the IT Coordinator for COCM in 2012. In this role, he managed a wide range of responsibilities. There was a home office structure, but then each individual site managed by COCM also needed IT support. Every site having an independent IT set-up, depending on the owner or campus, required Brian to build strong relationships with people to ensure everything stayed up and running. Brian also was able to join the Marketing team in the home office to work on website building, podcasting and other audio/video projects – allowing him to get creative within the company as well.

It is very clear through this interview with Brian that a "can-do" attitude leads to an immense amount of learning opportunities and growth. Brian credits the relational side of the roles that he has filled to the joy and rewards of his time working with COCM. The ability to work with the people who are on the "front lines" of student housing at the site level, has shaped his core values to always recognize all of the people it takes to make student housing successful.

Brian's decision to leave COCM was a very difficult one. Having worked with such great people, he truly still misses the community of Student Housing Professionals. His decision to move, albeit tough, has allowed him to stretch himself by stepping into a new field. Brian explains why he needed this shift and encourages others at COCM that it doesn't mean leaving the company to find ways to stretch yourself – he suggests to his former colleagues to engage in opportunities that are outside of your defined roles, and see what you learn. You never know where it will take you – whether to another site, a new role within COCM, or even toward a career shift that may take you elsewhere. The big takeaway? Always push yourself, and you will continue to have an exciting life journey.

Topics Covered

The value of stepping into roles that are outside your job description

Serving others through relationships – and how that impacts your work success

Learning the skill of working with all different types of people – and finding joy in the process

Connect with Brian

Brian on LinkedIn

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Student Housing Matters

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Capstone On-Campus Management

Leigh Anne on LinkedIn

Every year COCM hosts an Annual Meeting in Birmingham, Alabama. In January, site directors from over fly in from over 40 different sites for a week of learning, listening, sharing, and building community amongst fellow student housing professionals.

Being a Director of Housing at any university comes with a variety of roles, responsibilities, and challenges. During one session at the 2019 Annual Meeting we sat down with four directors to discuss all of these things. Our panelists are from very different sites with different students – and with that we get some great insight from their unique perspectives.

Learn about all that goes into running on-campus housing and the creative ways these individuals have approached their everyday work to create an environment for student success.

The Panel Participants:

• Rafael Cordwell, Director of University Affiliated Housing at Millennium Hall, Paca & Tubman Houses at Towson University
• April Yost, Director of Housing at Glen Oaks Community College
• Scott Schatzer, Director of Operations at First Year Residence Halls at Marshall University
• Alexis Ireland, Director housing Operations at Claremont Graduate University

Topics Covered

• What it means to be a "Student Housing Professional"
• The many roles involved in serving students through student housing
• Diversity of different universities and how needs may look different than others
• The importance of communication and adapting to the needs of the campus
• Challenges that come with new housing on a campus
• How collaboration is key and being unified as a team on campus allows people to thrive
• Identifying the basic needs of students
• Understanding the partnerships that affect you as a site director and your students
• Perspectives on students today compared to when they were students
• Parent involvement in their student's college experience
• How technology plays into the student experience and accountability for staff
• How working for a third-party manager has impacted the panel participants' careers
• The variety of experiences given to a student housing professional through COCM
• Opportunities to grow within student housing with a holistic approach
• How working for a private company in student housing has opened doors for learning
• Understanding the "why" behind everything done on campus and at the site

Connect with the Panelists

Rafael Cordwell on LinkedIn

Rafael at Millennium Hall

April at Glen Oaks

Scott Schatzer at Marshall University

Alexis at Claremont

Connect with Leigh Anne and COCM

Student Housing Matters

Student Housing Matters on Facebook

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Capstone On-Campus Management

Leigh Anne on LinkedIn

Opening a brand-new residence hall, on a campus that is not used to serving its students 24/7, is quite an undertaking. How do you manage the expectations of a diverse student population? How do you initiate support services after traditional hours? How do you build the foundation for a successful community—without the luxury of established policies and procedures?

Rob Olson is the Director of Facilities and Capital Projects at Green River College, and Greg Houghton is the Director of Finance and Operations at Northeastern University. But prior to their current roles, both Rob and Greg worked with guest host Tara Wilkinson at COCM. In fact, the trio was part of the pioneering leadership team that established Green River College's first on-campus student housing program.

Today, Rob and Greg join Tara to reconnect and reflect on their experience as part of the startup leadership team at Green River. They discuss the challenges of opening a brand-new residence hall and fostering a successful community—in a community college setting. Greg explains why he values the diversity of opportunity COCM provided, and Rob describes the supportive feeling of community he experienced working with the Capstone Family. Listen in for insight around the rewards of building something from nothing and learn how their background at Capstone helped Rob and Greg grow into their current roles in higher education.

Rob's transition from the construction industry to student housing

How Greg discovered student affairs as a profession as an RA

Rob, Greg and Tara's experience on the startup team at Green River

The leadership team's challenges in opening a new residence hall

The rewards associated with 'building something out of nothing'

How the COCM Team at Green River forged lasting relationships

How COCM supported Rob in advancing his career

Why Greg values the diversity of experience he gleaned at COCM

The significance of building relationships with on-campus partners

How to capitalize on the multitude of opportunities in higher ed

Rob on LinkedIn

Greg on LinkedIn

Connect with Tara

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Capstone On-Campus Management

Tara on LinkedIn

Close your eyes and picture a community college. Did you envision student housing? You may be surprised to hear that many campuses DO have housing, and just like any four-year school, living on campus has an impact on student success. The catch is, student housing cannot be just a building on campus; it must provide an experience that engages the students who live there.

Tracy Morris has 17 years of experience as a community college administrator. Most recently, she served as Vice President for Student Services at Illinois Central College, where she leveraged her doctoral research on community college student housing and a relationship with COCM to transform the ICC student housing experience. In October, Tracy took on a new role as Compliance Officer with Joliet Junior College. She believes in the power of higher education to transform people's lives.

Today, Tracy joins me to share her take on the role of student services in supporting the social and emotional needs of students. She discusses her path from high school teacher to community college administrator, offering insight around how her own experience as a community college student ignited her love of learning. Tracy also explains why there is no such thing as a typical community college student, how involvement can help adult students get their confidence back, and how COCM went about transforming the student housing experience on her campus. Listen in to understand the importance of a flexible floor plan in the design of student housing and learn about the connection between engagement and the success of student housing on a community college campus!

Tracy's take on the power of higher education to transform lives

The role of student services in facilitating student learning

Tracy's path from HS teacher to community college administrator

Tracy's experience advising adult students who had lost their jobs

Why there is no such thing as a typical community college student

How involvement helps adult students get their confidence back

Tracy's personal experience as a community college student

Tracy's doctoral research on community college student housing

The link between engagement and the success of student housing

How COCM transformed the student housing experience at ICC

The tangible change in dynamic when staff knows the residents

How student housing can be detrimental if there's no connection

The significance of a flexible student housing building plan

The value in a holistic support model with tech-guided self-service

Why the student debt crisis makes community colleges crucial

Tracy on LinkedIn

Student Housing Matters

Student Housing Matters on Facebook

Student Housing Matters on Twitter

Capstone On-Campus Management

Leigh Anne on LinkedIn

Even among student housing professionals, few are familiar with the idea of nonprofit ownership. What is it? How does it work? And why would a university choose to work with a nonprofit to develop student housing facilities?

Will Givhan is the President and CEO of the Collegiate Housing Foundation, the country's premier nonprofit provider of student housing. Since its inception in 1996, the 501(c)(3) has financed over $2.1B in student housing facilities, completing 55 projects at 40 schools in 24 states for a total of 31,940 beds. Will has been involved with Collegiate Housing since 1998, serving as outside legal counsel during his tenure at the law firm of Hand Arendall. He became the foundation's in-house legal counsel and COO in 2011 and took the helm in May of this year.

Today, Will joins me to share the unique origin of the Collegiate Housing Foundation and his path from outside legal counsel to President and CEO. He explains the foundation's role in financing, building, owning and operating student housing facilities and the diverse reasons why colleges and universities might choose nonprofit ownership. Listen in for Will's insight around the satisfaction of providing students with quality housing that promotes both social interaction AND academic success!

The unique origin of the Collegiate Housing Foundation

Will's path to his current role as President and CEO

The foundation's role in financing and building facilities

The advantage of the foundation's tax-exempt status

How a college benefits from working with a nonprofit

How rating agencies account for nonprofit ownership

What will has learned about the way universities work

Will's insight on student housing as a learning facility

Collegiate Housing Foundation's continued rapid growth

Collegiate Housing Foundation

Will on LinkedIn

Student Housing Matters

Student Housing Matters on Facebook

Student Housing Matters on Twitter

Capstone On-Campus Management

Leigh Anne on LinkedIn

To be a successful leader in the student housing space, you need buy-in from all of the players involved. But how do you determine what's driving each stakeholder and make decisions accordingly? Brian Kraft argues that learning to listen is the most critical skill for leaders in student housing.

Brian is the Regional Vice President at COCM. He is responsible for supporting the directors of six properties on the east coast and serving as a liaison among institutional partners, owners and the home office. Brian has 19 years of experience in student housing, serving at large public institutions and small private campuses all over the country before joining Capstone in 2009. His background in mathematics and data analysis informs the way Brian assists site staffs in performing more efficiently and improving their ability to forecast issues.

Today, Brian joins me to discuss his path from undergrad RA to Regional VP. He explains the competition he faced to become a Resident Assistant and the reasons he was drawn to the position. Brian shares the deans who mentored him as an undergrad, his decision to pursue grad school, and how his assistantship integrated his background in math. He also offers insight around his student-centered approach and his current challenge in prioritizing the needs of diverse stakeholders. Listen in to understand the most rewarding part of Brian's role at COCM and learn how to leverage listening to have a successful career in student housing!

The competition to be an RA in Brian's undergrad experience

Why Brian was drawn to the RA's duty to connect with residents

The deans who mentored Brian when he was an undergrad RA

Brian's decision to pursue grad school rather than teach math

How Brian's assistantship merged student housing and teaching

Brian's student housing roles in Florida, California and Ohio

Brian's transition from the university setting to COCM

Brian's student-centered approach to student housing

Brian's challenge in prioritizing the needs of all stakeholders

Brian's responsibilities as Regional Vice President at COCM

Why Brian enjoys sharing what he's learned with colleagues

How communication and listening are key to success

Brian's advice around challenging yourself to try new things

Brian at COCM

Brian on LinkedIn

Student Housing Matters

Student Housing Matters on Facebook

Student Housing Matters on Twitter

Capstone On-Campus Management

Leigh Anne on LinkedIn

What are the key differences in working as a student housing professional for COCM versus a public institution? How does working within the confines of a bureaucracy for a university contrast with serving a housing-focused private company? And how can the two work together for the good of the students they serve?

Gray Bekurs is the Vice President for Business Development at COCM, working with the marketing team to pursue new management and consulting opportunities. Gray began his career in student housing as Hall Director at Mississippi State, and he had ten years of experience as a residence life professional before joining the COCM team for the first time in 2004. Gray transitioned to the public sector in 2014, serving as Director of Auxiliary Real Estate Operations at The University of Louisiana at Lafayette. His background in the public and private sectors gives Gray a unique understanding of holistic nature of student housing.

Today, Gray sits down with COCM CMO Alton Irwin to discuss his positive experience with student housing as a college freshman and explain the shift in his career focus from music education to housing. He shares his belief in student housing as an important element of access to higher education and describes his initial interest in COCM as an opportunity to learn the business side of operations. Gray addresses the differences between his work in the public and private sectors, offering insight around his experience dealing with related departments like parking and dining. Listen in to understand Gray's goals as VP of Business Development at COCM and learn how the organization can serve struggling institutions through management or consulting services.

Gray's positive experience with student housing as a college freshman

Why Gray shifted his career focus from music education to housing

How housing affords students access to higher education

Gray's interest in COCM as an opportunity to learn fiscal responsibility

The contrast between working in the public and private sector

How Gray learned about related aspects of housing like parking and dining

The importance of integrating with other departments

Gray's goals as VP for Business Development with COCM

Gray's intention to explore untapped markets and promote COCM

How COCM can serve struggling institutions via consulting or management

Gray at COCM

Gray on LinkedIn

Student Housing Matters

Student Housing Matters on Facebook

Student Housing Matters on Twitter

Capstone On-Campus Management

Leigh Anne on LinkedIn

There is no doubt that institutions of higher learning face a number of challenges, not the least of which is an unsustainable financial model. Tuition, fees, room and board no longer pay the bills—despite sticker prices as high as $72K a year! So, how do colleges and universities design innovative solutions and continue to thrive in the 21st century?

Brian Mitchell is the founder and president of Academic Innovators, a consultancy that helps colleges and universities learn to adapt and evolve in the ever-changing world of higher education. Brian served as president of Bucknell University (2004-2010) and Washington & Jefferson College (1998-2004), and he spent seven years leading the Association for Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania (AICUP). Brian is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post and Academe, and he is the co-author of How to Run a College: A Practical Guide for Trustees, Faculty, Administrators, and Policymakers.

Today, Brian joins me and COCM CMO Alton Irwin to discuss his 'unintentional career' in higher education, from history professor to AICUP lobbyist to president of Bucknell. He explains the value of a liberal arts education in training students to speak, write, use technology, apply quantitative methods and work in a collaborative setting. Brian addresses his interest in the transfer population and the challenges faced by colleges in the 21st century, describing how those pursuits led him to found Academic Innovators. He also shares the themes of his book, offering insight around the unsustainable financial model currently employed by university systems and the importance of a differentiated mission. Listen in to understand what's next for Brian and learn about his vision for the future of higher education!

Brian's path to an 'unintentional career' in higher education

Why Brian credits his college experience for teaching him to think

Brian's experience in the lobbying division of the AICUP

Brian's service as the president of two universities

The interests that led Brian to found Academic Innovators

The role of the liberal arts in educating citizens

The three inflection points that caused major shifts in higher ed

Why the current financial model of university systems is unsustainable

The number of colleges and universities that merge/close every year

Brian's aim for How to Run a College to be practical AND inspirational

Brian's take on governance as the weak link in university systems

Brian's insight around the importance of having a differentiated mission

Why strategic relationships may have more impact than new programs

Brian's next steps in terms of writing and speaking on higher education

Academic Innovators

Brian on LinkedIn

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Student Housing Matters on Facebook

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Capstone On-Campus Management

Leigh Anne on LinkedIn

How to Run a College: A Practical Guide for Trustees, Faculty, Administrators, and Policymakers by Brian C. Mitchell and W. Joseph King

The Paddy Camps: The Irish of Lowell, 1821-61 by Brian C. Mitchell

Moody's Study of College Closures

Inside Higher Ed's Poll of CFOs

Many professionals in the world of student housing began as RAs, gaining exposure to the industry as college students and eventually realizing the opportunity to pursue a career in the space. But what if you weren't a resident assistant in college? How do you get into student housing with a background in what seems like a vastly different industry?

Jeremy Biddy is the Vice President of Operations for Capstone On Campus Management. In that role, he oversees all of the operations in the field and serves as a conduit for regional managers and regional VPs to report to the home office. Jeremy worked as both a Site Director and Regional Vice President for COCM before taking on his current position as VP of Operations.

Today, Jeremy joins me to share his unconventional route to the industry, explaining how his practice in managing crises as a District Loss Prevention Manager for Kmart translated to student housing. He describes how his first boss and mentor taught him to be firm but caring and offers insight into the experience that made him realize he could make a living in the field. Jeremy walks us through the challenges and rewards of his role at COCM, offering insight around the satisfaction of finding a creative solution that works. Listen in for Jeremy's advice on diversifying your experience and stepping out of your comfort zone to take on new opportunities—even if they fall outside your current job description!

Jeremy's experience as a retail District Loss Prevention Manager

How Jeremy's experience managing crises translates to student housing

How Jeremy's first boss taught him to be firm AND caring

The opportunity Jeremy had to run a program as a young professional

Jeremy's affinity for interacting with students and staff

The unique skill set required for a career in student housing

Jeremy's current role as VP of Operations at COCM

What Jeremy has learned about dealing with difficult employees/clients

How Jeremy works with staff to find a solution in each unique situation

Jeremy's appreciation for positive feedback from parents and partners

The reward that comes with finding a creative solution that works

Jeremy's advice around pursuing a diverse range of experiences

Why it's important to have a network of support that offers honest advice

The value in taking on opportunities outside of your specific job description

Jeremy on COCM

Student Housing Matters

Student Housing Matters on Facebook

Student Housing Matters on Twitter

COCM on LinkedIn

Leigh Anne on LinkedIn