Students moving into residence for the 2024-2025 academic year experienced a modern, streamlined approach to selecting their rooms, and even choosing their roommates, thanks to the newly implemented StarRez system.
StarRez, a user-friendly and reliable Residence Information System solution, has replaced and enhanced multiple existing services managed by Housing Services and Conferences Services. This upgrade simplifies the room selection process while offering more customization and autonomy for students.
Piloted over the summer by Housing and Residence Life Services, with support from Information Technology Services (ITS), StarRez empowers students to find like-minded roommates and choose their rooms. The system reduces the manual effort involved in room assignments, significantly improving the student experience.
The software facilitates the management of residence buildings and related processes and provides an easy access portal for students, streamlining overall residence management.
Positive Student Reception
“Students are incredibly positive about the new portal,” said Laura Storey, Executive Director, Housing and Residence Life. “They’re thrilled with the ability to select their own room and connect with like-minded roommates.
“Our staff are also enthusiastic, as they no longer need to make those choices for students, except in rare situations. All room assignments for this fall were completed in less than half the time because students were able to choose their rooms that quickly.”
Navigating the Learning Curve
The team continues to monitor 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 together to navigate the learning curve associated with StarRez’s smooth integration into existing processes.