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Thinking outside the box can provide the space for innovation and change to happen. That’s what happened when the University of Cincinnati asked eRezLife if we would consider an on-campus training program.

The Problem

Long-time clients, the University of Cincinnati had experienced some staff turnover over the last few years. The new folx had some ideas but lacked the awareness of the system to be able to implement their changes and Dr. Trent Pinto, Director of Resident Education & Development, saw an opportunity.  Well, it’s unclear if it was Trent or his staff that saw the opportunity but Dr. Pinto took the initiative, reached out to eRezLife, and put the wheels in motion.

Among the institution’s eRezLife School Admins (primary users) are Dr. Mika Karikari, Associate Director of Resident Education & Development, and Aleia White, Assistant Director of Academic Initiatives. Both Dr. Karikari and White didn’t feel that they had the confidence to effectively manage their site, and saw great benefit in training their team broadly on the ins and outs of eRezLife. Dr. Karikari stated, “There’s value in the whole team knowing the information, asking questions as they arise, and understanding the explanation behind why things are done the way they are … I now feel more confident navigating the system.”

The Lightbulb

The idea was simple.  eRezLife could come to campus and train the 40 staff members that regularly use the system. Dr. Pinto has been a steadfast supporter of eRezLife’s annual User Conference since its inception in 2019 and appreciates the value of in-person education, training, and connection.  As he considered the learning and development opportunities for his own team at the University of Cincinnati, he knew that he couldn’t send 40 people to eRezLife’s conference. He brought the idea to the Client Success team at eRezLife almost immediately, the train was leaving the station for Cincinnati!

The Moments

The training curriculum was a collaborative effort between Dr. Pinto, his leadership team, and the team at eRezLife. We wanted to cover the fundamentals while ensuring we met the specific needs of the Cincinnati crew. As users of our residence education management service and the staff selection service, we decided to split the training into two streams. Doing this allowed us to cover more topics in the limited time we had while making the information relevant and specific to each group.

Cate, Colton, and Jenna spent a day with the University of Cincinnati staff, connecting and training their staff. The day concluded with a maker space session: time allocated to building out the processes they want with the direct support of an eRezer.  Staff came with their ideas and were able to build out their ideas with the direct support of an eRezer at their side. Dr. Pinto commented that he wished the schedule was at least a day and a half to give more time to the maker space and include a student session so staff at all levels could be involved. 

The Future

“There’s something that can’t be reproduced from in-person learning because relationships matter! We spent the time getting to know the eRezLife team, which makes me feel more compelled to reach out to one of them when I need help with something instead of cold emailing a vendor begging them for help.” – Dr. Karikari

A huge benefit of on-campus training is the ability to cater the training to meet the specific needs of your team. But the benefit that can be overlooked but extremely valuable is that connection to the eRezLife team. Confidence combined with comfort in asking for help when you need it is the winning combination when it comes to innovation. You can be confident enough to use the system, try new things, and ask for help if they don’t go exactly as planned.

The Possibilities

We also value discovery, as we actively seek new ways of embracing opportunities and handling challenges as an opportunity to learn and innovate. We are committed to delivering the best products and support possible. If you have an idea about how we can support your use of eRezLife on campus, let us know! We’re looking forward to working with you and making 2023 our best year yet.

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

Tags: community, Community Building, Residence Life, residencelife, staff transition, student affairs, training