Oregon State University Adopts StarRez to Revolutionize Housing Transparency, Communication, and Efficiency

Oregon State University (OSU) has long been recognized for its commitment to innovation, sustainability, and excellence. In 2021, OSU’s housing team embarked on a transformative project to modernize their operations, ensuring a seamless experience for students and staff alike.  

The OSU housing team faced increasing pressure to deliver efficient, student-focused services while navigating the complexities of a 365-day operation. While Adirondack’s The Housing Director (THD) supported their housing operations for many years, the team increasingly recognized the limitations of their existing tools and processes and embarked on a journey to overhaul their housing system with a more advanced solution that would set them up for future success.

This transformation was driven by a desire to improve the student experience, reduce inefficiencies, and future-proof their operations. OSU’s decision to switch to StarRez marked the beginning of a journey toward optimizing communication efforts, transparency, and scalability.

Overcoming Challenges with System Reform

Before adopting StarRez, OSU’s housing operations relied on a patchwork of disconnected systems that created significant challenges. THD was efficient with assignments, however, housing operations relied on their internal IT team to create other modules for use with THD, like package tracking, key logging, and room inventory and inspection. These inefficiencies were magnified during critical periods, such as the housing application season, where applicants struggled to navigate multiple systems. None of those other systems integrated with each other, so it required manual work in each system to gather information needed, leading to inconsistent experiences and a surge in customer service inquiries.

Staff often found themselves burdened with redundant manual processes that slowed down operations and created room for errors. For example, room change requests prior to students’ arrival in THD lacked resources that would enable students to complete the process on their own. Additionally, the lack of integration between housing and other campus departments, such as dining services and facilities management, meant that critical data was siloed, making collaboration difficult.

Compounding these issues was the University’s ambitious cloud initiative, which aimed to modernize infrastructure and security standards across departments. University Information and Technology’s (UIT) limited time and resources meant that module maintenance and updates for an on-prem housing solution fell in the list of priorities. With the cloud initiative taking center stage, UIT aimed to upgrade all systems to the cloud and move away from OSU’s self-hosted on prem solution. By consolidating systems and moving to the cloud, OSU hoped to improve both the student experience and staff efficiency.  

"With our old system we did not have many staff engaged in it which made it hard to get information shared constantly. What we were doing was not going to work into the future."

-Brian Stroup, Director of Operations and Facilities, Oregon State University

Choosing a Strategic Partner for Long Term Success

Faced with these challenges, OSU’s housing team recognized that incremental changes within THD would not suffice. They needed a transformative solution capable of addressing their immediate needs while supporting long-term growth. StarRez emerged as the ideal partner, offering a robust platform with intuitive functionality, advanced cloud security, and comprehensive features tailored to housing operations.

Transitioning to StarRez was an opportunity to redefine processes and enhance collaboration across departments. The housing team partnered with internal stakeholders, including Dining Services, UIT, Housing and Conferences and Facilities to ensure that the new system aligned with university-wide objectives. These discussions helped identify critical priorities and set clear goals for the implementation process as well as implement a single-source of truth for information regarding housing.

"StarRez’s flexibility and configurability were exactly what we needed to address our unique challenges. Their team was instrumental in helping us map out a path forward."

-Brian Stroup, Director of Operations and Facilities, Oregon State University

By focusing on areas where StarRez could deliver immediate benefits, OSU’s housing team created a roadmap that balanced innovation with the practical realities of day-to-day operations. This strategic approach ensured a smoother transition and laid the groundwork for long-term success.

Immediate Benefits from Moving to a Cloud-Based Solution

Below are just three of the immediate benefits OSU's housing team experienced after implementing StarRez.

1. Streamlined Communications: A Win for Students and Staff

One of the most immediate benefits of StarRez was its impact on communication. StarRez Communications enabled OSU to consolidate and streamline messages to students, dramatically reducing the volume of incoming customer service inquiries that needed to be responded to by staff. Previously, front desk staff managed hundreds of emails daily; now, they handle just 60 per week, resulting in a 90% reduction in email inquiries per week.

The ability to schedule emails and send targeted mass communications has been a game-changer, ensuring that messages reach the right audiences at the right time. This shift allows front desk staff, many of whom are student employees supported by program specialists, to focus on higher-value tasks rather than manually managing email responses.

Additionally, Resident Self-Service empowers students to find answers to their own questions within a customized, intuitive housing portal. Whether it’s updating personal information, reviewing meal plan options, or tracking housing assignments, students now have the tools to independently access critical details. This autonomy not only improves the student experience but also alleviates pressure on staff.

"Having tools like StarRez in place has given our staff room to breathe. We’ve seen a noticeable drop in stress levels, especially during high-volume times like assignments."

-David Prinz, Assistant Director of Occupancy Management, Oregon State University

With these improvements, staff can now allocate more time to strategic initiatives, such as proactive outreach campaigns. For example, senior student staff members have been able to focus on personalized call campaigns, directly engaging with students to address concerns and strengthen connections. This proactive approach represents a significant shift from the reactive communication style necessitated by the old system.

2. Empowering Students with Transparency and Control

In addition, StarRez has enabled more transparency into the housing journey. Features such as room profiles, self-selection tools, and configurable identifiers for specific housing areas, have redefined the student housing experience, ensuring every student has equal access to the housing options available to them.

Previously, the system segmented students into specific areas based on housing preferences and requirements - like organized roommate groups, living learning communities, and approved accommodations - creating an uneven experience. Now, with enhanced visibility into available spaces and the ability to form roommate groups, students are empowered to make informed choices. This equitable process not only improved the student experience but also increased the volume of applications, particularly among returning students, whose applications have doubled in the last two years, due to enhanced visibility into room and roommate selection through StarRez.

"The transparency and autonomy provided by StarRez have leveled the playing field for our students. This has been key to the success of our housing operations."

-David Prinz, Assistant Director of Occupancy Management, Oregon State University

The waitlist feature further supports this transparency, offering students real-time updates on their status and improving back-end waitlist management for staff. This year alone, the demand for housing has been so high that the university implemented time frames for contract submissions, reducing last-minute rushes and improving operational efficiency.

Room changes have also decreased significantly, thanks to the improved process, allowing students to find suitable accommodations upfront. The autonomy and tools provided by StarRez ensure that students can access the information they need, when they need it, creating a more seamless and satisfactory housing experience.

"The improvements in visibility and self-service tools have been fantastic. Our students now feel empowered to make decisions that align with their needs."

-David Prinz, Assistant Director of Occupancy Management, Oregon State University

3. Operational Excellence: Empowering Staff Through Innovation

Student and professional staff alike have experienced notable efficiency gains since the implementation of StarRez. At the top of the list is the data visibility created with customizable dashboards for every building. These dashboards allow team members in other functional areas (example: residence life and marketing) to do their jobs more efficiently with accessible, real-time data.

"Before StarRez, staff were frequently bogged down by requests for reports. Now, data is available at their fingertips, empowering them to act quickly and efficiently."

-David Prinz, Assistant Director of Occupancy Management, Oregon State University

StarRez’s cascading capabilities have further streamlined operations by integrating multiple campuses into a single system. Staff across OSU’s three residential campuses can now access tailored views that align with their unique needs, avoiding information overload while fostering seamless collaboration. The ability to manage assignments, applications, and processes harmoniously has transformed how OSU’s teams work together.

The reduced reliance on UIT for routine tasks has also been a major advantage. StarRez’s intuitive interface and robust reporting capabilities enable staff to handle more responsibilities in-house, reducing delays and promoting independence. For example, the ability to create highly specific, granular reports has been particularly valuable, replacing the limited and inflexible reporting options of the previous system and the need to rely on the UIT staff to create those reports.  

Building on Success for Future Growth

Oregon State University’s journey implementing new processes with StarRez is far from over. The housing team continues to explore new ways to leverage the platform’s capabilities, driving further improvements in communication, visibility, and operational efficiency. By embracing innovation and collaboration, OSU is setting new benchmarks for student-centered housing success.

To learn more about how you can migrate to a single software solution for your residential housing operations, visit our website.