Oh, hey! Welcome to the community!
At Snow College, a small and vibrant campus in the heart of Utah, the housing and residence life team has made strides in transforming their processes using eRezLife Software. We sat down with Nathan Beck, Deputy Head of Housing and Residence Life, and Ian Spackman, Administrative Operations Manager, to discuss how the software improved operations, saved time, and enhanced the student experience.
A Paperless Revolution
One of the first major changes Snow College implemented was going nearly paperless—a stark contrast to their paper-heavy processes as recently as two years ago. With eRezLife, forms for everything from housing applications to health and safety documentation have moved online.
“Switching to digital forms has been an amazing change,” Nathan shared. “We use eRezLife for room assignments, housing preferences, and even unique applications like our Fine Arts Living Learning Community and all-gender housing requests. It’s streamlined so much of what we do.”
This shift has ensured that documents are stored securely and can be easily accessed, eliminating the need for hours of tedious tasks like scanning and filing. Student employees at Snow College are breathing a sigh of relief!
“The paperless aspect of eRez forms allows quick pivots or changes on the fly when we see something needs to be improved or adjusted without having to recreate RCRs or move-in paperwork last-minute,” said Ian. Housing programs know a thing or two about quickly adapting to shifting priorities.
Innovative Use Cases
Snow College has found creative ways to utilize eRezLife’s features. For instance, their housing application process includes self-selection, allowing students to pick and adjust rooms in real time. This approach accommodates the dynamic needs of students, especially in an area with a competitive off-campus housing market.
“We’ve also built forms to address unique needs, like requests for double-as-single rooms or married student housing,” Nathan explained. “These innovations help us manage occupancy more efficiently while meeting the diverse needs of our students.”
Another standout use case involves Snow College’s RA selection process. From program proposals and evaluations to staff hiring, eRezLife has become an indispensable tool. Nathan noted that the staff selection service has saved his team “aggregate weeks of time” by automating communications, tracking application scoring, and self-scheduling interviews within the eRezLife system.
Collaboration Across Campus
eRezLife’s flexibility has made it a valuable asset beyond the housing office. Recently, Nathan has introduced the software to other departments at Snow College. The Student Life Office uses it for student government election processes, and campus ambassadors rely on it for leadership team selection.
“Helping other offices use eRezLife has been fun,” Nathan said. “It’s great to see them adapt it to their needs, and it opens the door for conversations about cost-sharing – we’re continually looking for efficiencies across campus. It’s also been helpful to introduce other student leaders to the employment and leadership opportunities we offer within Housing and Residence Life. If they don’t find their best fit in Student Life, they can apply for positions with us.”
Enhancing Student and Staff Experiences
For Snow College’s staff, particularly RAs, eRezLife’s mobile-friendly design has been a game-changer. Whether verifying room assignments during a lockout or studying resident rosters as part of the RA leadership class, staff can access information instantly.
“Having student photos integrated into the platform has been a huge help,” Nathan shared. “It’s made it easier for our staff to connect names and faces, fostering stronger community relationships.”
The software has also enhanced the student experience. From roommate agreements tied directly to housing records to smoother processes for selecting specialized housing options, Snow College students experience the benefits of a user-friendly system.
Close Collaboration
Nathan highlighted Snow College’s work with IT partners to ensure seamless integration with their existing systems, including importing student photos from Banner. Adding student photos helped RAs build community by learning names and faces quickly. RAs can now easily identify residents during duty rounds, lockouts, and more.
“Now that everything’s digital, we’ve saved so much time,” Nathan said. “It’s allowed us to focus on what really matters—supporting our students.”
Looking Ahead
As Snow College continues to explore the full potential of eRezLife, Nathan is excited about future possibilities. From refining processes to further collaboration with other departments, the software is helping Snow College build a more connected and efficient campus community.
“We’re always discovering new ways to use eRezLife,” Nathan concluded. “It’s not just a tool—it’s a partner in helping us create a better experience for our students and staff.”.
Welcome to the community. We’re glad you’re here!
