Posts by: Alton Irwin

What To Say?!

What to Say? Happy Holiday! Merry Christmas? Happy Hanukkah? Merry Kwanza? Happy Festivus? It has been an interesting topic of discussion at every institution or company of which I have been employed. To “Merry Christmas” or not to “Merry Christmas,” that is the question. A majority of people I have encountered at my various institutions…

Free is a Good Thing

The driving motivation behind launching the Student Housing Matters blog in 2012 was a desire to “give back” to higher education.  To provide a platform for those dedicated to strong on-campus housing programs to share ideas and encourage each other.   We also wanted the blog to reflect an important value we possess – that well…

“Do Bold Experiments That Are Cheap to Try Out”

Recently, I watched a TED Talk by New York City’s Transportation Commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan. Sadik-Khan discusses projects that transformed the streets in all five boroughs of NYC. Listening to Sadik-Khan describe the renovation of 26 acres of space (including Times Square), changing the aesthetic of public areas, improving the efficiency of the buses, and increasing…

NACAS Virtual Roundtable: Housing Success Through Partnered Outsourced Management

Today (11/13/13) at Noon EST, there will be a NACAS Virtual Roundtable on the subject of “Housing Success Through Partnered Outsourced Management,” hosted by officials of Coppin State University and Capstone On-Campus Management.  It will be a short online presentation on how Coppin was able to enhance its services and still maintain fiscal control by…

Teamwork Does Lead to Success!

To be part of a successful team you need to be dedicated, focused and continuously improving your skills. Team members need to believe in themselves and trust their teammates. If you have the right attitude your student staff can become a cohesive team. As in athletics, working hard does not guarantee a “win.” However, I…

New Student Housing in Downtown Seattle for Cornish College of the Arts

Cornish College of the Arts, located in Seattle, has just announced plans for new student housing on their campus in downtown Seattle.  Capstone On-Campus is proud to partner with Cornish Housing and Res Life in a shared governance arrangement to manage this new, state-of-the-art facility. Check out the full story here.        

Tuition Price Growth Slowing at Public Colleges

The smallest annual increase in tuition prices in more than 30 years!  USA Today published this great news regarding the rising cost of higher education that to many people, has been a hurdle, if not an outright barrier. Check out the short video here.    

Developing Leaders in Student Affairs – Interview with Kim Moistner-Bartlett

You can listen to audio version of the podcast above (or via iTunes), or you can view the video version below. Kim Moistner-Bartlett sat down with us and talked about developing leaders and leadership skills in the higher education world. Kim is an individual who is passionate about developing leadership in higher education, and specifically in student affairs and…

Great Events in Student Housing History

The Multi Family Executive magazine recently did a pretty neat infographic on “Great Events in Student Housing History.”  It shows significant milestones from residential living on campus, from the 23rd century until today. One such fun fact from the document: The first known residential university in the world was established in 470 AD in Bihar, India.…

The NUFP Experience

Finding the right opening hook for a paper, especially blogs with their often vague prompts, was one of the hardest parts of my time in graduate school in Vermont. One may assume that unpacking my multiple identities of power and privilege, adjusting to sub- zero wind chills and “lake effect” snow, or functioning from the…