When Residence Stands Up for Commuter Students: The Commuter Student Hostel at Walter Gage Residence

1. Student Housing and Hospitality Services When Residence Stands Up for Commuter Students:The Commuter Student Hostel at Walter Gage Residence Oana Toma Residence Coordinator Place Vanier Residence University of British Columbia Rana Hakami Residence Life Manager Walter Gage Residence University of British Columbia

2. Student Housing and Hospitality Services

3. 36330 undergraduate students • 8352 graduate students • 8650 students living in single-student housing • 796 family student housing units

4. Student Housing and Hospitality Services What’s the big deal with Commuter Students at UBC? 19% 81%

5. Student Housing and Hospitality Services Pop Quiz 1: • What percentage of CS do you think live: • With parents, guardians, or relatives? • Alone or in shared rental? • In a personally owned home?

6. Student Housing and Hospitality Services Defining Commuter Students at UBC 10% 19% 6% 37%

7. Student Housing and Hospitality Services So what is the big deal? • Engagement – • commuter students are less engaged… how do we know? • Awareness – • staff and faculty awareness of the demographics, needs, and issues… why? • commuter students are not accessing the resources available… why?

8. Student Housing and Hospitality Services Residence Life + Commuter Students =

9. Consult, Consult! Proposal Drafted Sr Mngrs discuss ideal Sr Mngrs Approve Proposal Feedback from Students/ Staff/ Faculty Implementation Student Housing and Hospitality Services What did we learn from getting this off the ground? VPS Initiative: Engage Commuter Students

10. Student Housing and Hospitality Services Commuter Student Hostel Some Logistics Highlights: CSH is available Sunday – Thursday. Reservations not available for Sunday evenings preceding a holiday Monday. CSH Nightly Rate is $30. Maximum of 2 night stay in 7 night period. Reservation available 30 days in advance or less. Opens mid September, closed during the winter break, opens mid January, closed after exams. Student numbers of guests are screened upon registration to ensure service is used by commuter students – not current residents or non-student.

11. Student Housing and Hospitality Services The Truth About Year 1 • 222 nights booked • Revenue ~ over $6,500 (CSH), $15,500 (total incl. Winter Break Closure) • 17% occupancy for Year 1 Term 1 • 11% occupancy for Year 1 Term 1 & 2 • Total capacity: ~ 3000 stays/year • Total potential revenue at 50% capacity: $32,000 • Total cost of losing 16 8-month contracts: • $70,910 (16 students remain on the lottery waitlist)

12. Student Housing and Hospitality Services Comparison: Year 1 vs Year 2 11% occupancy Year 1 Term 1 & 2 33% occupancy Year 2 Term 1 (no special programs) 50% occupancy Year 2 Term 1 (special programs) nights booked

13. Student Housing and Hospitality Services Pop Quiz 2: Most popular day of the week? # of stays

14. Student Housing and Hospitality Services Pop Quiz 3: Most popular month? # of stays

15. Student Housing and Hospitality Services Pop Quiz 4: Does use vary based on gender? Year 1: Term 1 & 2 Year 2: Term 1

16. Student Housing and Hospitality Services So did they like it? The Student Perspective! • After the first year, a survey was sent out to 85 students, and 23 responded (28%). • 87% identified as undergraduate • 95% identified as full-time • Almost all students said they would stay there again, and refer their peers to the CSH. • The majority either had early morning class/exam, or exceptional circumstances that made commuting very difficult.

17. Student Housing and Hospitality Services How did students find out about CSH?

18. Student Housing and Hospitality Services Was it useful? The Faculty/Staff Perspective! • After the first year, a survey was sent out to 59 faculty and staff, and 26 responded (44%). • Virtually everyone who responded knew about CSH and had recommended it to students – with mixed success… • Most frequently received feedback from faculty/staff: • Better promotion and marketing of service to students! CSH

19. Student Housing and Hospitality Services Challenges Identified • Marketing • Logistics • Setup, Maintenance & Day-to-day Operations

20. Student Housing and Hospitality Services Challenges Identified • Marketing • Strategies

21. Student Housing and Hospitality Services Challenges Identified • Marketing • Logistics • Setup, Maintenance & Day-to-day Operations

22. Student Housing and Hospitality Services Challenges Identified • Marketing • Logistics • Setup, Maintenance & Day-to-Day Operations

23. Student Housing and Hospitality Services Student Housing and Hospitality Services: • Allan DeJong (General Manager) • Nance Moseley (Rooms Manager) • Debra Elliot (Front Office Manager) Facilities & Building Services: • Dan Devlin (Building Services Manager for Walter Gage and Child Care) Publications: • Deborah Johnson (Editorial Assistant) Student Development: • Kim Kiloh (Student Development Officer) • Lydia Hol (Student Directed Seminar Coordinator) • Janice Robinson • Director, Residence Life THANK YOU!

24. Student Housing and Hospitality Services REFERENCES Hol, Lydia. (2009, September). Commuter student hostel. Connections: Life at UBC, 2, 32. McClanaghan & Associates. (2009, December). UBC student housing demand study. Retrieved from http:// www.planning.ubc.ca/news_events/whats_new/ articles263.php Planning and Institutional Research. (2008). National Survey of Student Engagement – UBC Vancouver. Retrieved from http://www.pair.ubc.ca/surveys/nsse/index.htm Sullivan, Sean. (2009, September 8). UBC launches one-of-a-kind commuter hostel. UBC Reports, 55 (9), Retrieved from http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/2009/09/04/ubc- launches-one-of-a-kind-commuter-hostel/

25. Rana Hakami 604.822.2071 rana.hakami@ubc.ca Student Housing and Hospitality Services MORE INFORMATION Oana Toma 604.822.2868 oana.toma@ubc.ca http://www.housing.ubc.ca/student-residences-van/commuter-hostel