Oh, hey! Welcome to the community.

We’re continuing our journey into occupancy management. When you pull your occupancy reports in eRezLife, you’re able to grab additional information along with the rooms and occupants. This data will allow you to stand out as a professional and help your stakeholders obtain rich information about your residence communities.

Leverage Your Data

In order to be successful as an occupancy manager, you need to leverage your data for your stakeholders. Tommy Tressler-Gelok, Director of Residential Education and Retention Specialist at Wagner College, believes the success of occupancy managers is determined by their ability to leverage their occupancy data and make it accessible for stakeholders. Tommy encourages his staff to think about how others on campus could benefit from the information in the occupancy report. By thinking beyond what is wrong and where the vacancies or voids exist, occupancy managers can create opportunities for greater student satisfaction and retention. 

Problem Solutionists

Staff who work in occupancy management have a tough job. Not only do you have to forecast and predict student behaviour, but your work also impacts the bottom line of your department and the retention of your student staff. How you manage waitlists or vacancies, how soon you offer buyouts, and how you place students or hold space can all impact student satisfaction and revenue. With so much on the line, what are some ways that you can ensure your success? 

Tommy refers to his occupancy managers as problem solutionists. His point is that they are more than problem solvers; they are the ones that need to come up with solutions and put those solutions into action. They are doing more than solving problems; they are implementing solutions that are sustainable and productive.

Rainy Day Rooms

Occupancy managers need to be amendable, flexible, and create opportunities for a positive experience in a seemingly negative situation. It is the occupancy managers who come up with the rainy day rooms, as Tommy calls them. Picture it: a water pipe bursts, and you have to relocate students. Consider the following options:

• Offer an upgraded room in a different building across campus or offer a similar room in the same building.
• Take a permanent move and only have to pack once or temporarily move and have to pack up and move back to their original room when the repairs are complete.
• Offer staff to help with packing and moving boxes in the next 24 hours or let the student know they have 48 hours to move.

The Power of Choice

Using the above example, you could make the decision and tell the student what they need to do. If all of the possibilities are available, why not let the student decide? The difference between a satisfied student and a frustrated student can ultimately impact retention. The above options may not always be available. However, do not underestimate the power and impact of choice. Choice gives students the feeling that they have some control over an emotionally-charged situation that, ultimately, is out of their control.

Great occupancy managers play a bigger role than sitting behind a desk, sorting students into rooms. Occupancy managers have the ability to significantly impact student satisfaction through their actions and the way they share their data.  

Welcome to the community.  We’re glad you’re here.

Tags: occupancy, occupancy management, Residence Life, vacancies