The Student Housing Matters blog explores ideas with leaders in higher education and the student housing profession. This is the place to find stories from those who have worked in the field for many years, podcast interviews, and videos about relevant topics in the student housing world.

It’s about matters relating to on-campus student housing, as well as why quality on-campus student housing really matters. We want this blog to serve as a forum for sharing ideas and insights about how your on-campus student housing can do things beyond simply housing students. How it can be used as a more powerful tool to recruit and retain students on your campus. We look forward to you joining us in the conversation.

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Posts by: Alton Irwin

Photo Contest: Week 2 Summary

September 3, 2013

We received so many awesome pictures the last two weeks. We’re going to let YOU decide the grand prize winner in a couple of days but first, check out some of the best pics we received the last week of the contest.

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Move-In: Behind the Scenes

August 29, 2013

On college campuses across the country, this time of year is one of great activity and a lot of excitement. Tens of thousands of students from coast to coast are settling into their new homes. Making the transition a smooth one for incoming Freshman, returning Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors, and Grads is a monumental feat that…

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Photo Contest: Week 1 Summary

August 26, 2013

Check out some of the best pictures from the first week of the “Move-In Photo Contest.”  Remember the contest continues for another week and ends next Monday (Sept. 2).  See the contest details for ways to submit!

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The Beloit College “2017 Mindset List”

August 22, 2013

The Beloit College “2017 Mindset List” is out for the current generation of entering college students (born in 1995).  From their site, here is a description of the list itself. Each August since 1998, Beloit College has released the Beloit College Mindset List, providing a look at the cultural touchstones that shape the lives of students…

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Don’t Take Anything Personally

August 19, 2013

I recently read The Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz.  One of the agreements is Don’t take anything personally. don Miguel Ruiz further shares that, “nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and…

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How Are Students Paying For College Costs?

August 15, 2013

Interesting article on a recent survey by Citigroup and Seventeen magazine of high school seniors and college students regarding how they are paying (or planning on paying) for education. Here are some of the responses that grabbed my attention: Nearly 4 out of 5 college students are working part-time, but only 18 percent pay their…

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Move-In Photo Contest!

August 13, 2013

It’s that time of year again… That time when the masses of students are migrating back to campus and moving trucks are getting ready to be unloaded.  It’s one of the busiest times of the year for on-campus housing – move-in!  And we’d love to see you in action.  So, we’re putting on a photo…

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The Golden Ticket

August 8, 2013

Perhaps the most stressful event for a student moving to a new housing community is move-in day: parents driving with their son or daughter to a new place, trying to figure out when and where to check-in and start moving all of your electronics and plastic storage boxes, and figuring out where the closest TARGET…

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Director of UW-Platteville Residence Life Honored as Woman of the Year

August 5, 2013

Congratulations to Linda Mulroy-Bowden, Director of UW-Platteville Residence Life, for being named one of the two Women of the Year at UW-Platteville.   She has been with UW-Platteville since 1990, and as stated in the linked article, began her career there as an assistant director in student housing. Linda will be recognized for this award during…

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International Student Affairs – Interview and Photos with Tonya Neumeier

July 31, 2013

If you have ever wondered what student affairs in higher education looks like on an international scale, don’t miss the video below.  Tonya Neumeier, Vice President of University and Client Relations at Capstone On-Campus, sat down with us and re-lived the ACUI International Study Tour of the Arabian Gulf.  In the video podcast below, she…

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The New Normal

July 26, 2013

Very interesting article this week in the Wall Street Journal on the trend of parents giving their children less cash to pay for college expenses. According to this article, parents contributed $5,727 from income and savings in the 2012-13 academic year, compared to $8,752 in the 2009-10 academic year – a drop of $3,025. Interestingly,…

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Arabian Gulf Study Tour: Thinking Back

July 25, 2013

Now that I’ve returned from the Gulf Study Tour (and recovered from jetlag), I’ve been able to discuss my experience with colleagues who didn’t go on the trip. In doing so, I have had some interesting revelations that only time and reflection would allow. The first is that showing superior hospitality was incredibly important to…

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