Star Rez is going to take over as the software program used for all Saint Anselm College room selection this spring. Going away from the prior spreadsheet mode, Star Rez aims to be a more efficient way to allow students to select housing for the coming year.
Christine Gallardo, Assistant Director of Residential Life and Education, gave a presentation at the Student Government Association meeting on Feb. 26. She explained why the change was being made and how the process will look different to students. “We are using software now as opposed to the spreadsheets,” Gallardo said. “This is going to cut down the manpower needed on the Res Life side and be easier for students.”
Up until this year, the room selection process involved applying for a living style, such as a double, triple, or apartment, and being assigned a day for room selections for those styles. From there, students would be sent a spreadsheet of a map of the building and all the available rooms. Students would then receive a phone call from Res Life asking what room they are selecting and the room would be taken off the spreadsheet.
The new process will look different. Students will have to complete a roommate matching process before inputting specific people they are planning to room with. Students will the agree to housing contracts for the year. One specific difference that comes with the new process is checking out for breaks needs to be done on Star Rez and failure to do so will result in a $50.
Similarly to the old process, each style of living will have a different selection date once applications are open on March 4. From there, a list of suggested roommates will be provided regardless of prior commitment to roommates. You can also sears up friends within the portal rather than finding roommates based on the survey. The group then selects a group leader who has the ability to add and remove people from the group and will ultimately select the room on selection night. Gallardo emphasized the importance of ensuring that the group leader is reliable and has no conflicts on selection night.
On selection night, the process will be similar to the prior one. However, everything will be done through the Star Rez portal and not through a phone call. The portal will prompt the leader to select rooms, assign bedrooms, and shows details about the space and living areas. The selected rooms will be saved for two minutes after selection. Students need to hit save and continue to confirm the selection before the clock in the top right runs down.
Since this is a new process for both Res Life and students, tutorials and information sessions will be held throughout the process. Students received an email with a link to a pre-recorded Zoom lecture about the process. An information table will be inside Davison Hall during deadline days so students can understand the new process. After all rooms have been selected, students will receive a survey on how this new experience was and what successes and problems there were.
When asked about the need for these changes, Gallardo emphasized the importance of having it all be done through the software and not needing the manpower throughout the selection processes. “It is going to be easier for you guys (students) and us (Res Life)”, she said during the presentation to SGA.
During a time where the college is publicly reviewing the budget and expecting significant cuts both in academics ans operations, Gallardo answered with a simple “No” when asked about whether or not this change is in correlation with the cuts.
Applications for housing began March 4 and students are encouraged to make sure they meet the deadlines for their living styles.