Fashion Institute of Technology Switches to StarRez for Higher Efficiency with Conference & Events, Student Housing, and More

Barriers to a Seamless Housing Operation

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), a renowned institution in New York City, has long been a leader in fashion, design, and business education. With a vibrant campus life and a sizable residential community, FIT recognized the need to modernize its housing operations to better serve students and staff. After utilizing The Housing Director (THD) system for two decades, FIT made a strategic decision to transition to StarRez, aiming to streamline processes and enhance the residential experience.

Prior to adopting StarRez, FIT faced several challenges with its existing housing management system. Managing summer conferences was one of the most pressing concerns, as the institution's prime location in New York City makes it a hub for interns and short-term conference groups. However, THD required numerous workarounds and manual processes to accommodate the influx of summer residents, leading to numerous inefficiencies and logistical hurdles.

"One of the biggest factors driving our transition was the challenge of managing summer conferences. Being in New York City, it's a lucrative opportunity, but our previous system required a lot of workarounds and manual processes. We needed a solution that could better handle the influx and complexity of our summer operations."

— Adam Sanchez-Gray, Assistant Director of Housing Operations

Another major challenge was visitation management. Previously, visitation management resulted in a high volume of office visits—between 500 and 600 per semester—from students needing assistance with visitation appointments. The manual nature of these processes was time-consuming and inefficient. Additionally, FIT struggled with its room selection and roommate matching processes. The absence of a dedicated roommate matching feature led to increased room changes and conflicts, causing stress for students who lacked the necessary tools to make informed choices about their living arrangements.

Finally, staffing constraints and the need for optimized financial and administrative operations meant that FIT required a system that could save time, improve resource allocation, and provide more comprehensive housing management solutions.

Enhancing Every Touchpoint of the Resident Experience

FIT identified StarRez as the ideal platform to address these growing housing challenges due to its flexible, comprehensive, and customizable suite of solutions. From summer operations to daily housing workflows, the StarRez platform empowered staff to simplify and automate processes, improve communication flows, and create a more seamless experience for students and campus guests.

Revolutionizing Summer Housing with Conference & Events

Among FIT’s most impactful enhancements was the adoption of the StarRez Conference & Events solution, which transformed how the institution manages summer housing. FIT hosts a wide range of guests during the summer months—including internal conference groups, short-stay residents, and interns from around the world—and previously struggled to accommodate these audiences with its legacy system.

“Conference & Events has been revolutionary—it’s helped us the most. It saves time, looks more professional, and provides a better experience for our interns and staff.”

— Adam Sanchez-Gray, Assistant Director of Housing Operations

StarRez enabled the creation of a dedicated intern portal that offers a polished, professional interface and integrates seamlessly with payment vendors—eliminating the manual workarounds that once burdened the team. Additionally, interns can now select their own rooms, a first for FIT, and the Housing team saved an average of 7+ hours a week on placements and resolving system limitations.

The visual occupancy graph embedded in the platform is also extremely beneficial, allowing different team members to easily understand availability, block spaces by group, cap reservations, and manage placements. The intuitive design supports smoother operations across departments and provides a clear view of room assignments and availability in real time.

On the financial side, invoicing has become far more transparent as well. StarRez generates detailed revenue breakdowns—including beds, linens, or early arrival or late departure fees—that make it easy to explain charges to interns and clients, while also streamlining communication with the Bursar’s Office. The ability to align operational decisions with financial agreements has made the Housing team more responsive and better equipped to answer questions.

A Platform That Powers Connection, Efficiency, and Care

Beyond summer housing, StarRez has enhanced nearly every aspect of FIT’s residential operations. From streamlining visitation management, providing seamless experiences for room and roommate selection, and building inclusive and student-centered process, StarRez saved FIT’s staff time, supported student success, and drove more efficient, responsive workflows.

Streamlined Visitation Management‍

With StarRez, FIT reduced in-person visitation-related office visits by more than 60%—from 500–600 per semester to just 200, saving staff an average of 12 hours a week. A transparent and intuitive system now empowers the Conduct and Community Standards Team and Public Safety to efficiently manage approvals, benchmark policies, monitor violations, and improve campus safety.

Efficient Room Selection & Roommate Matching

‍FIT combined new and returning student room selections into one streamlined process, eliminating the need for separate preparation periods and reducing administrative burden. The roommate matching feature has been particularly effective with first-year students, leading to a decrease of 42% in room changes during the fall semester and more compatible living arrangements.

Inclusive and Student-Centered Processes

StarRez supports FIT’s commitment to an inclusive housing environment with dedicated processes for Emotional Support Animals (ESA) and Gender-Inclusive Housing. These workflows provide students with a smoother, more accessible experience while giving staff the tools to manage requests thoughtfully and efficiently.

Comprehensive Resident Profiles for Holistic Support

With customizable resident profiles, staff can capture important information to better understand and respond to student needs. This functionality has been especially valuable in crisis situations or care scenarios, ensuring that students receive timely, personalized support.

A New Standard in Housing Operations

The transition to StarRez brought about significant positive changes in FIT's housing operations, streamlining processes and enhancing overall efficiency. By automating many manual tasks, the system allowed staff to redirect their focus toward strategic initiatives and student engagement rather than administrative burdens. The improved functionality of the room selection and roommate matching tools played a major role in reducing student anxiety, leading to a more positive and seamless residential experience.

The data-driven capabilities of StarRez provided the housing team with valuable insights, enabling more informed decision-making regarding occupancy management and resource allocation. With real-time access to critical data, FIT was able to optimize its housing processes, ensuring a more effective and student-friendly approach. Additionally, the flexibility of StarRez allowed FIT to adapt its housing operations to align with broader institutional goals, including initiatives focused on student wellbeing and belonging. With a system that seamlessly integrates financial operations, contract agreements, and resident engagement, FIT has set a new standard for housing management, ensuring long-term success and enhanced student satisfaction.

"StarRez has positively impacted our day-to-day operations. While we all hope for fully staffed teams, having the right tools—especially on the financial side—helps us manage processes more effectively and ensure accurate results."

— Marta Toledo, Housing Operations Coordinator

To learn more about how you can elevate your student housing operations, connect with our team.

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