University of the Incarnate Word Delivers Big Results with a Small Operations Team + StarRez

The Challenge: Manual Processes, Limited Staff

When J.R. Chiodo-Benmuvhar, Associate Director of Residence Life and Housing Operations at UIW, took a deeper role in housing technology, the team was drowning in manual tasks. “Everything was manual,” explained J.R. “Weekly emails with room availability, temporary spaces, room changes… if you wanted to tell an RA about a new resident, it was either in that weekly email or another email you had to send.”

With ~1,200 beds and just one operations staff member plus a graduate assistant, the department was always racing to compile data, send updates, and manage occupancy. Sticky notes, paper forms, and routine in‑office tasks kept staff tied to desks and delayed answers for students and campus partners.

Manual communication also meant that information was often delayed or duplicated, with staff relying on weekly emails or handwritten notes to stay informed. There was no real way to see who was where or what needed immediate attention without physically being in the office.

The Solution: StarRez Dashboards and Centralized Workflows

UIW adopted StarRez's cloud‑based residential community management platform that brings together housing operations, insights, and communications into one system. The team leaned into two core capabilities:

Real‑Time Dashboards & Reporting

Dashboards replaced weekly emails with dynamic data, detailing:

• Empty and emergency rooms

• Occupancy and temporary housing

• Resident assignments by building and floor

• Custom data views tailored for different staff roles

“Dashboards allow my office of one to be able to communicate with our RAs and campus partners. It just spits out the info, even pictures, everything.”

- J.R. Chiodo-Benmuvhar, Associate Director of Residence Life & Housing Operations at the University of the Incarnate Word

StarRez’s dashboard and reporting tools give UIW an at‑a‑glance view of operations, eliminating spreadsheets, sticky notes, and delayed updates.

Centralized Notes Replace Delay‑Prone Logs

From roommate conflicts to maintenance issues, UIW shifted incident tracking out of siloed files and into StarRez notes. Instead of navigating a third-party conduct system and waiting days for updates, staff can log interactions/concerns, see case status at a glance, and follow up in real time.

“We started using our notes [for incident tracking]… instead of having to hound through Maxient or another system. Now I check StarRez, check the notes, and I know exactly what’s happening."

- J.R. Chiodo-Benmuvhar, Associate Director of Residence Life & Housing Operations at the University of the Incarnate Word

Anywhere Access

Because StarRez is web‑based, staff can check occupancy, room changes, and temporary assignments from anywhere; home, on call, or mid‑meeting. This mobility has unlocked flexibility the team never had before.

“With dashboards, we can check it while we’re in our apartment at home… I don’t have to come in, find that paperwork, then look through it."

- J.R. Chiodo-Benmuvhar, Associate Director of Residence Life & Housing Operations at the University of the Incarnate Word

The Benefits: Time Saved, Staff Freed, Students Served

Workload Reduced, Responsiveness Increased

Dashboards transformed a fully manual process into a dynamic, real‑time system where answers are available instantly. Instead of spending hours compiling weekly emails or chasing down paper notes, staff can now focus their time on student support and strategic improvements.

When UIW experienced staffing changes, StarRez allowed the team to adapt without compromising service. By automating routine tasks and making information easily accessible, the department reallocated time to more meaningful, student-facing work.

“It’s allowed us to pivot when we had that staffing change… instead of a full‑time person and a GA, one person can manage everything with StarRez."

- J.R. Chiodo-Benmuvhar, Associate Director of Residence Life & Housing Operations at the University of the Incarnate Word

Dramatic Drop in Follow‑Up Calls

Before implementing StarRez dashboards, J.R. and his team were often on the receiving end of anxious follow-ups from students and parents alike, especially when a room change, incident report, or maintenance issue triggered uncertainty. With critical updates stuck in emails or internal documents, families were frequently left waiting for answers.

By centralizing notes and making case statuses visible to all relevant staff, UIW shifted from reactive to proactive communication. Staff could now see at a glance whether a follow-up had occurred and if not, take immediate action. This eliminated guesswork and improved trust.

“We started seeing a decrease in phone calls.” J.R. estimates that follow-up calls from students and families dropped by 60%, simply because the team could respond faster and more consistently.

“We still get the occasional call. Some parents are just really involved, but the volume has dropped significantly,” he added.

Better Incident Tracking and Fewer Missed Concerns

The power of StarRez dashboards became especially clear during an unexpected facilities emergency. After a toilet overflow forced the relocation of 11 students, the Residence Life team needed to act fast and stay organized.

Before StarRez, tracking who had moved, where they were staying, and how long they’d be displaced would have involved emails and guesswork. But with real-time dashboards in place, UIW could:

• Instantly log each student’s new temporary room assignment

• Monitor follow-ups and updates from risk management

• Send timely group communications as spaces were cleared

• Ensure no student was left behind during the transition back

“They weren’t able to move back in until risk management gave the all-clear… Having them all tracked as relocated students meant I could communicate with them, update them, and remove them from the dashboard as they returned, all in one place.” J.R. emphasized. “It was an increase in responsiveness… which itself prevents the issue of someone falling through the cracks.”

Scaling for the Future

UIW isn’t stopping with dashboards. They’ve also invested in streamlining the housing portal experience, making applications and housing information more accessible and student‑friendly.

By building out the portal with residence hall floor plans, rates, and informative pages, they’re reducing confusion and engagement friction, which boosts portal usage and pre‑arrival confidence.

In the past, sharing room information like measurements, floor plans, or rates meant relying on the university’s website, which had publishing restrictions and turnaround delays of 24 to 48 hours for updates. Now, with StarRez, J.R. has full control.

“The housing portal is our one‑stop shop. Students click on it, and they get what they need whether that’s measurements, floor plans, or rate info... I can make updates immediately, without waiting on someone else.”

- J.R. Chiodo-Benmuvhar, Associate Director of Residence Life & Housing Operations at the University of the Incarnate Word

Since building out dedicated residence hall pages within the portal, complete with floor plans, videos, and rates, J.R. has tracked a steady stream of student engagement. “As I go through portal usage, the ‘Explore Residence Halls’ page sees a lot of visits. It helps students know what to expect and makes it easier to answer their questions.”

Advice for Smaller Institutions

Smaller institutions often hesitate at enterprise platforms, fearing complexity or cost. But J.R.’s experience proves:

“Even with the basics, without any special packages… you can tailor StarRez to your needs. It’s customizable and powerful even at a smaller size.”

- J.R. Chiodo-Benmuvhar, Associate Director of Residence Life & Housing Operations at the University of the Incarnate Word

He’s quick to recommend:

• Start with core features (dashboards, notes, automated emails)

• Use the customer support and knowledge base

• Lean into the community of other StarRez users

J.R.’s advice to smaller institutions isn’t theoretical, it’s based on UIW’s own experience. Despite having fewer than 1,200 beds and just one operations staff member, the university has used StarRez to build a highly efficient, responsive housing operation. Even institutions with less than 2,000 beds can unlock major efficiency gains without being overwhelmed.

By replacing manual tasks with automation, UIW has freed valuable staff time, increased responsiveness, reduced errors from manual tracking, and made operational data available anytime. For smaller teams with big goals like UIW’s housing growth initiative, StarRez isn’t just a housing system: it’s a partner in efficiency and service excellence.

Smaller team? Big goals? Ask about our StarRez Accelerate package - built to help lean housing teams modernize faster, with less lift.