In recent years, housing and residence life programs have put increased effort and attention towards improving the experience and process of room assignments. With the utilization of new technologies to assist, on-campus residents often play a more active role in selecting the residence halls, rooms, and even roommates. Therefore, having an understanding of how students perceive these processes and how their satisfaction with room assignment relates to their broader housing experience is crucial.
During the 2016-2017 academic year, Skyfactor piloted a series of new questions related to the room assignment process, evaluating the types of processes, satisfaction with the process, and satisfaction with the outcome of the room assignment. This research note highlights that pilot, exploring resident satisfaction with the room assignment process and how that satisfaction relates to their broader housing experience.
The questions highlighted in this research note are those which were selected following the pilot to be added to the ACUHO-I/Benchworks Resident Assessment moving forward.
Key Questions:
- How many students select their own rooms or provide preferences?
- How satisfied are students with the room assignment process?
- How does satisfaction with the room assignment process relate to their broader housing experience?
How Many Students Select Their Own Room Assignment or Provide Preferences?
Figure 1 displays the percentage of students who selected their own room compared to those who did not but provided preferences and those who did not select a room or provide preferences. Just over half of on-campus residents indicated they selected their own room, with another 37% indicated that while they did not select their own room, they did provide preferences. Just 8% of on-campus residents indicated that they neither selected their room nor provided preferences.
Key Points:
- The majority of students are able to pick their own housing arrangements.
- Generally, students are satisfied with the room assignment process
- Students who are more satisfied with available housing choices are more likely to be satisfied with their housing experience.
- Students who are highly satisfied with their housing arrangements are more likely to be satisfied with their overall university experience.
To access all the data in this robust research note, just fill out the form to the right. Looking for more thought leadership related to housing and residence life? Check out our blog, When Should I Conduct a Resident Assessment? by Dr. Sherry Woosley.
