Lessons that Foodservice Operations can take from the successes of Housing and Residence Life.
It’s easy to suspect you’ve accidentally fallen into an echo chamber. With so many emergency wagon-circling sessions since March – and with such a keen focus on how foodservice is having to quickly react – it feels like we’ve been head-down in our own small slice of the industry for eight months now.
So when the thought hit us that perhaps other facets of college and university might have a better perspective on the pandemic, or might even have a silver bullet that we could be able to apply to dining, we thought it’d be a good idea to poke our head back above water and check it out.
To that end, we reached out to our good friend Ray Tennison, Senior Director at Scion Advisory Services, to see how close College/University Housing’s experience was to Dining Services. Turns out, pretty close. And that’s a good thing
Question 1: What were some of the challenges faced by college/university housing departments? (student expectations, sanitation, communication, planning etc.)
Financial challenges
Housing budgets were significantly hit across all institutional types, sizes, and regions. The financial challenges are immense in the short-term, but reserves may be tapped, thereby delaying capital improvements or modernization projects, creating a ripple effect.
More concretely, due to the abrupt onset of the pandemic and quick reaction to close campuses, many institutions issued prorated refunds to students. Add to that a loss of revenue from summer camps and conferences. This fall, many (but not all) are operating at lower occupancy to provide appropriate social distancing and lower density in housing facilities.
Operational challenges
There have been heightened sanitization procedures that now occur with increased frequency. New methods, equipment and disinfecting products – immediately in high demand – often experience a delay in delivery due to temporary supply chain issues.
Staffing issues such as availability, safety and training are ongoing challenges. Housing and Residence Life departments are actively coordinating with dining operations to provide a seamless experience for students, including timing and scheduling, as well as how the available space is being utilized to best suit the needs of the moment.
Maintaining a positive student experience
Both large-scale residence hall events and impromptu “hang outs” in residence hall lounges/game rooms are not a common experience now, which impedes the ability to build community and instill a sense of belonging and an affinity to the residential experience or even to the institution itself.
Question 2: Where have they had to pivot the most from their pre-opening plans to now?
Housing and Residence Life departments are now juggling the realities of current operations in an entirely unique and unprecedented manner, while also being in constant “response mode” to address the ever-changing dynamic of the pandemic in each residence hall (on the campus, in the town, in the region, etc.,), yet while also planning for the next cycle (next year’s housing selection/lottery, incoming student housing applications, hiring residence hall staff, etc.) without knowing fully what the degree of COVID-influence will be.
Staff time and resources are likely disproportionately dedicated to aforementioned “response mode”: confirmed or presumptive cases, exposures, provision of isolation housing/meals, responding to student mental health concerns in a campus environment that is marked by diminished interpersonal interaction and community, safety inquiries from students and parents, etc. All these issues factor into an erosion of opportunities for student mentoring, leadership development, co-curricular education, support, etc.
Question 3: Have you heard of any big brag moments by universities since re-opening?
The pandemic has prompted an acceleration of change in higher education that was otherwise due or impending.
Institutions are embracing technology faster than ever before, both for immediate implementation (e.g., online reservations for common spaces/amenities) and for future facility planning (e.g., touchless tech, ventilation, design elements).
Programs are responding and adjusting to their growing recognition of how Gen Z students view “college.” That they view the value proposition of higher education not simply for the education itself, but also for an expected outcome after conferral of a degree (e.g., jobs). That they have an expectation of inclusion, equity, and justice at the core of their collegiate experience. That they need services and programs that center on wellness (physical/mental or physiologically/psychologically).
Big successes happen when institutions are clear with their expectations and assert what is required for in-person operations and campus housing to continue, making it into a shared community effort. Clear communication about operating plans instills confidence in students and parents alike. The perception of ongoing efforts surrounding the pandemic should be less about the “COVID Police” and more about community responsibility. Purdue Pledge is a great example of positive framing with clear communication.
Institutions where housing and residence life is involved in decision-making or broader efforts (seamless communication strategy, space planning, student engagement) proves more effective. Institutions that establish robust testing protocols allow on-campus housing to remain a safe and viable option. A few institutions have even employed wastewater testing as a way to more accurately and proactively test to track and prevent outbreak.
Question 4: Any final words?
Generally speaking – although colleges/universities were able to admirably pivot to virtual instruction as a way to provide continuity to the academic experience – several indicators have shown that college students (especially those categorized as “traditional”) still value the out-of-classroom student experience (including both housing and dining). Simply put, Zoom classes are not a one-for-one substitute for in-person instruction. Regardless of the format of instruction, students want to be near campus, among their peers, and part of common/shared experience that corresponds with their affinity for the university and/or college lifestyle.
This revelation validates the work of housing/dining/auxiliary professionals providing programs and services that help shape the student experience – both in and out of the classroom. Furthermore, it calls upon the responsibility of housing/dining/auxiliary professionals to be ready for their return – pent up desire for connection, programming, responsiveness to their needs and desires, creating some semblance of a “normal” experience when safe/appropriate, etc.
Takeaways
A HUGE thank you to Ray Tennison for his insights into the world of College and University Housing and Residence Life! It’s clear that the pandemic has brought about very similar changes across all facets of college and university life. And while perhaps our vocabulary might vary slightly, we’re all speaking the same language. We’re tackling the same problems, just from different angles. And it’s a comfort to know that – with those differing angles – we can cover each other’s blind spots as we continue to grow through our 2020 challenges and beyond.