Students who recently moved into residence for the 2024-25 academic year experienced a brand-new way of selecting their rooms, and even their roommates, thanks to the new StarRez system.
StarRez is an easy to use and reliable Residence Information System solution which replaced and enhanced several existing services managed by Housing Services and Conferences Services.
Piloted over the summer by Housing and Residence Life Services, and supported by ITS, StarRez allows students to find like-minded roommates and select rooms, alleviating the manual labor of room assignments and enhancing the student experience.
The software facilitates the management of residence buildings and related processes, and provides an easy access portal for students, improving overall residence management.
“Students are incredibly positive about the new portal,” said Laura Storey, Executive Director, Housing and Residence Life. “They’re excited by the idea of selecting their own room and finding like-minded roommates.
“Our staff love it because they no longer have to make those choices for students, except in rare situations. All assignments were done in less than a week and a half because students selected their rooms that quickly.”
The team continues to keep a close eye on how the system impacts residence operations in the long run. Some key metrics, like the number of rooms change requests during the academic year, are anticipated to decrease as students have had ownership and agency over the selection of their own room.
This successful implementation would not have been possible without a strong collaborative effort between Housing and Residence Life Services and ITS. The teams worked closely today to navigate the learning curve associated with implementing a new system and ensuring its smooth integration with existing processes.