From Manual to Magical: The Impact of StarRez at Gonzaga University

‍Gonzaga University, located in Spokane, Washington, is home to over 3,000 students living across 21 residence halls. With a strong commitment to student success and staff satisfaction, the Housing and Residence Life (HRL) team has leveraged StarRez to streamline their processes and enhance the overall housing experience. The partnership with StarRez has led to significant improvements in three key areas: support for students with approved accommodations, automation of housing tasks, and the overall student experience.  

Next-Level Support for Students with Accommodation Needs

At Gonzaga, about 1 in 13 residential students have an approved accommodation request. Historically, to provide the best service to this group of students as possible, the HRL team would host an in-person, hands-on process to support students with accommodations approved by the Disability Access office. After a student met with Disability Access, the HRL office received documentation on the type of accommodation for the students and completed their placement. However, with such a demand for housing accommodations, the HRL team searched for a more efficient way to accurately assist these students.  

“Housing selection looks identical for all students, but it’s set up to support students with accommodation requests. We strive to give those students the same online experience.”

-Lisa Owens, Associate Director, Gonzaga University  

While inviting students for an in-person meeting provided a supportive high-touch experience, it also posed a few challenges. This process proved to be time-consuming for both students and staff as the number of students requiring approved accommodations steadily rose year over year. Each student had to individually meet with a staff member to assess the available options and make their selections. Because of this lengthy and cumbersome process, students frequently missed class to maintain their place in line.

Transitioning to Online Services for Improved Experiences

When Gonzaga needed to quickly pivot to an online room selection process, they were able to configure the StarRez portal to meet their needs. The move to an online process required minimal change to the existing online room selection process within the housing application. Room configurations were updated to create room profiles corresponding to each of the accommodation options. Students were coded to match their available options, ensuring they would see all available spaces that met their approved accommodation.  

After rolling out their new online process, Gonzaga experienced such success that even as the number of approved accommodations increases year after year, 97% of these students choose to participate in online room selection.  

With their new process, the HRL team continued effectively supporting students without increasing staff resources. Students with accommodations now select rooms the same way the general student population does, making this a more inclusive and transparent experience. Students who decline to select their own room are assigned to a space meeting their accommodation by the HRL staff. All students can include roommates during room selection.  

“Not only is online room selection more transparent, but it results in less tears and tissues. Students have shared this process minimizes stress and provides them more time. Everyone is happier.”

-Lisa Owens, Associate Director, Gonzaga University

Overall, the move to a more student-friendly accommodation process has saved the housing team over 28 hours for each room selection process, even with the increase in approved accommodations.  

Automation Paves the Way for Accurate Billing Practices

Before implementing StarRez, the billing procedures at Gonzaga University were highly manual and time-consuming. For example, summer billing required over 170 hours of work across the Housing and Residence Life (HRL) team and other campus offices, such as Finance. This manual process was not only labor-intensive but also prone to inaccuracies, leading to inefficiencies and increased call volume from residents seeking clarifications and corrections.

The utilization of StarRez has enabled Gonzaga to automate housing billing, which has significantly reduced the workload for the HRL team. Automated billing for damage charges has streamlined the entire process, providing students with clear explanations and the ability to appeal those charges online. This automation has led to a 98% decrease in call volume to the Housing Office, as students receive all the necessary information upfront, minimizing confusion and the need for repeated inquiries.

“Our front desk is much happier now that they’re not getting the same call over and over. They get all the information from the beginning.”

- Lisa Owens, Associate Director, Gonzaga University

By using data subscriptions to configure unique task automations, the HRL team has minimized the risk of human error and ensured that the billing process is set up appropriately. These automated methods have saved significant time and resources, allowing the team to focus on more strategic initiatives and improving overall operational efficiency. This transformation has not only benefited the staff but also enhanced the experience for students, making the billing process more transparent and straightforward.

Meeting Student Expectations Boosts Satisfaction

The Gonzaga HRL team has made numerous enhancements with the help of StarRez to significantly improve the student experience and meet their evolving expectations. The transition to an online room selection process through StarRez has been a game-changer. This move has provided students with more options and resulted in fewer complaints about their housing accommodations by ensuring that students can select buildings and spaces that meet their needs with the roommates they prefer.

In the event students are unhappy with their assignments, the HRL team has implemented an automated room change process they call "Room Shop and Swap." This initiative has saved the team 235 hours of work per summer on processing room change requests, as the process is completely self-service for residents. Approximately 400 students participate in the swap and shop process, which has significantly increased student satisfaction by providing a hassle-free experience before move-in.  

Additionally, the introduction of single sign-on (SSO) into StarRez has made logging into PortalX much easier and more convenient for students. StarRez is now an extension of other familiar campus systems that students already use, and students don’t have to remember another username and password.

“The use of single-sign-on has gotten great feedback from students. It just simplifies everything from Admissions to Housing to Financial Aid as soon as the student gets admitted.”

- Lisa Owens, Associate Director, Gonzaga University

The Gonzaga HRL team's commitment to creating a more enjoyable and efficient housing experience has paid off, making the student journey at Gonzaga University smoother and more satisfying. By leveraging StarRez, they have managed to streamline operations, save time, and focus on strategic initiatives that benefit the entire student body.  

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