University Housing

Points of Pride: Accomplishments FY08

Administrative

• Established two year contract option for incoming students; Established differentiated rates for different areas of housing, and separated the room and meal plan rates for maximum student flexibility.
• Successfully achieved 85.1% occupancy rate for Residence Halls.  Wall & Grand maintained 88% rate on average for the academic year.
• In collaboration with the Student Center, the Residence Hall Guidebook is printed in the 2008-2009 Dawgbook.  Each student living in the residence halls will receive a copy of the Dawgbook when they check in to their room in August.
• Emergency Evacuation signs were developed in conjunction with the University Housing Crisis Response Team and the SIUC Disaster Preparedness Committee. These will be in place in each student room by fall 2008.

Facilities

• In partnership with Student Development, an aggressive plan to evaluate and recommend solutions for the current Greek Row housing area was initiated. To date, the following has been conducted:
  • Timeline established for planning in fall 2007; Both qualitative and quantitative evaluations of Greek housing options have occurred; Conversations with each Greek chapter have been conducted and their input has been chronicled and categorized; In June of 2008, conducted site visits of Greek housing options at four institutions.  Results of these site visits are being compiled for presentation to Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.
• Progress on the recommendations from the 2007 Security Audit has been achieved. Proximity access and cameras have been installed in each of the three high rise buildings, and four buildings at Thompson Point will be equipped with proximity readers and cameras beginning in the fall 2008.
• Progress on the Mandated Sprinkler Project has occurred – Neely Hall Sprinkler project was completed in the summer of 2007, and four Thompson Point buildings will be completed by fall 2008.

Academic Initiatives

• Expanded the number of Living Learning Communities to include a living learning community for each academic college for fall 2008. Expanded the number of Faculty and University Associates.
• Initiated the Early Success Program for intervention with first year students regarding their attendance in English 101 classes.

Staffing

• In line with the 2007 Security Audit recommendations, hired four additional full-time Hall Directors, and doubled the number of Resident Assistants in Brush Towers and in the freshman areas of Neely Hall.
• Hired seven new Graduate Assistants for University Housing.

Assessment

• Implemented the following assessments:
  • Dining Staff Training Assessment; Resident Assistant Training Assessment; Organizational Climate Survey Assessment; EBI Resident Satisfaction Survey; Point of Service Surveys (various departments); Exit Surveys – Residence Halls and Family Housing

Residence Hall Dining

• Opened Wall & Grand Convenience Store.
• Expanded access to the Express Areas, cafés, dining halls and convenience store – in fall 2008 these locations will accept cash, Debit Dawg and credit cards.
• Began discussions with the College of Agriculture and Plant Services Operations on additional sustainability efforts to be initiated in the fall of 2008. Specifically, University Housing will:
  • Commit to using some of the produce grown on SIUC farms in the dining halls (Farm to Table initiative); Commit to using some of the meat grown on SIUC farms in the dining halls (Farm to Table initiative); Investigate providing the College of Agriculture the dining hall used cooking oil to use in a machine that turns the oil into glycerin and diesel fuel. The fuel, in turn, could be used in PSO and College of Agriculture vehicles; Sustainable bags and refillable water bottles, sponsored by University Housing, RHA, BTO and NRHH, will be provided to each Residence Hall and Wall & Grand student. No plastic bags will be provided in the Express Areas; instead.

Goals FY09:

• Expand established reward and recognition programs for Faculty and University Associates.
• Investigate opportunities with faculty representatives to recognize and reward outstanding Living Learning Community faculty.
• Work in conjunction with Living Learning Community sponsoring colleges and faculty/staff to determine how to more intentionally link FIG courses to each other.
• In conjunction with the Honors Program faculty, complete a plan for the establishment of the Honors College (Living Learning Community) by spring 2009.
• Continue to recognize academic success of high academically achieving University Housing residents in the Spring of 2008 with the University Housing Honors student reception, honoring students living in the residence halls who achieved a 3.5 GPA or greater for the fall semester.
• Work to maintain average GPA for University Housing residence hall students of a 2.75 for the fall semester and a 2.70 in the spring semester.
• Continue the Early Success System with English 101 to assist with the intervention for first year students.
• Pilot the MAP-Works program in University Hall and determine, based on a control group study, if the program should launch University Housing wide in fall 2009.
• Establish learning outcomes for students, including GPA targets for each housing area. These will be completed by August 2008 and utilized during the 2008-2009 academic year.
• Work with the John Gardner Foundations of Excellence program in order to establish a fully integrated, intentional First Year Experience program for SIUC.
• Strengthen the National Residence Hall Honorary, an organization recognizing community service and academic achievement during the 2008-2009 academic year.
• Expand the Black Togetherness Organization leadership and programming efforts.  Continue the expansion of activities sponsored by the University Housing Black Togetherness Organization (BTO) and the University Housing Social Justice Committee (SJE).
• Repeat and enhance the University-Wide Tunnel of Oppression program for presentation spring 2009.
• Enhance web resources concerning University Housing services and facilities for 2008-2009.
• Wall & Grand Apartments
  • Develop aggressive marketing strategies to reach and maintain the targeted occupancy rate of 95%.
• Student Needs Assessment
  • Continue activities of the University Housing Assessment Committee to coordinate the University Housing assessment process.  Adjust the Assessment Cycle for University Housing to reflect those assessments only conducted every other year.
  • Continue to progress on the recommendations outlined in the 2007 Security Audit.
  • Involve students in the University Housing/Residence Hall Dining consulting process in fall 2008.  Involve students in the RFP process for University Hall furniture replacement in fall 2008.
• Continue to progress on the University Housing Strategic Plan.
  • Advancement will be made on the rehabilitation and renovation project lists for 2008-2009.  Additionally, items not addressed in 2007-2008 will be added to this list as funding allows.
  • Advancement will be made on the state mandated sprinkling project, with the second phase of Thompson Point scheduled for this work in the summer of 2009.
• Work to achieve an occupancy level of 85% for the fall 2008 semester, with a target of 90% occupancy for the fall 2009 semester.
• Conduct a second satisfaction and effectiveness assessment of the Residential College.
• Develop, in conjunction with the honors faculty, a plan for the implementation of a SIUC University Honors Residential College.
• Solidify Phase II of the staff restructure plan (Management, Residence Hall Dining) by fall 2008 for possible implementation in spring 2009.
• On-line sign up for housing and room selection will be updated, and an expansion of this service will be conducted for fall 2009.
• An internal and external education program about University Housing services will be developed during the 2008-2009 academic year.