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Frequently Asked Questions. And the answers to go with them.
ACUHO-I Conference Presentations
Q. I am looking for a 2007 (or 2006) conference presentation.
A. Check ACUHO-I’s library catalog. Search for the name of the presenter or as many words from the title as you can recall. Some presentations were not provided to us or were too large to upload; in those cases, there is a note in the record to that affect. Large presentations can be mailed to members on a CD-ROM.
ACUHO-I Publications
Q. What sorts of information does ACUHO-I publish?
A. ACUHO-I produces the Talking Stick magazine six times yearly and the Journal of College and University Student Housing twice yearly. ACUHO-I also publishes other must-have resources, such as Advice for Advisers, Foundations, and the 21st Century Project series. Visit our online bookstore.
Q. How can I write for the Talking Stick?
A. Visit our styleguide. The Talking Stick’s managing editor is Camille Perlman, camille@acuho-i.org. We welcome story pitches and ideas.
ACUHO-I Professional Development Opportunities
Q. What sorts of professional development opportunities are offered by ACUHO-I?
A. ACUHO-I sponsors many training opportunities throughout the year, including an annual international conference and exposition, institutes, segment-specific workshops and conferences and online training. Visit our events page.
Committees and Networking- ACUHO-I has a number of different committees to help enhance your professional and personal experiences. For a full list of committees and how to join a committee, visit the committees webpage.
Q. What is benchmarking and how do I get involved?
A. ACUHO-I has partnered with EBI to offer it’s members EBI benchmarking and assessment services. EBI’s assessments measure the effectiveness of your housing program from your student’s perspective. You will learn which dimensions of your housing program are the strongest and which areas need to be improved. The knowledge you will gain from assessments drive and sustain continuous improvement. EBI offers assessments in the three following areas: resident assessment, RA assessment, and apartment assessment. For more information, contact Dave Butler or visit EBI’s Web site.
Submitting Published Research and RFPs to ACUHO-I
Q. I have published research or I have an RFP that I would like to share with colleagues via the ACUHO-I Online Resource Library. How do I submit this information?
A. Please submit only material you have the copyright to Emily Glenn.
Housing Statistics
Q. What is the number of students living in college and university housing in the United States? How many schools offer housing?
A. According to 2004 figures from the National Center for Education Statistics, if all of the 2,090 institutions of higher education offering housing had 100 percent occupancy, there would be approximately 2.6 million students living in residence halls. This includes private and public institutions, as well as two- and four-year institutions.
Numbers vary somewhat; according to the most recent Census figures from 2000 there are 2.06 million students living in residence halls.
Q. What is the number of students living in college and university housing in the world?
A. We have not found a comprehensive source for this data, but 166 institutions in 22 countries have indicated that they house a combined total of over 200,000 students.
Q. What is the recommended staffing ratio of RAs to students?
A. ACUHO-I does not give staffing recommendations, but the following information was provided to us by EBI. It is from 2000 and includes data from 78 schools of varying sizes.
Students Under RA's Responsibility
|
| Up to 20
| 8%
| 21-30
| 17%
| 31-40
| 21%
| 41-50
| 38%
| 51-60
| 17%
| 60+
| 0%
|
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| Average residents per RA
| 36.9
| Maximum residents per RA
| 76
| Minimum residents per RA
| 18
| Median
| 37
| Mode
| 42
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Construction Information
Q. What is the recommended number of square feet per student when building new housing? A. ACUHO-I does not recommend a particular number, but according to separate studies done by ACUHO-I, American School & University, and College Planning & Management, square footage per student ranges from 296 mean and 320 median for suite-style facilities. For residence halls, square feet per student ranged from 175 to 450, with 346 as the median.
Q. I would like information about construction.
A. For information on what sorts of facilities our members are building or planning to build: In the ACUHO-I library, look for "ACUHO-I Construction and Renovation Data” by Jim Day. It is a PowerPoint document. Also, see the 21st Century Project: A reading compendium. There are lots of great statistics in there on construction as well as benchmarking numbers about other campuses.
For statistical information on residence hall construction in general: Go to College Planning and Management; they have regular construction and renovation surveys. American School and University has regular articles on construction and an annual report on residence hall construction in particular, with statistics on amenities and square footage per resident.
For advice on managing construction: Check out a book, such as:
- Campus Housing Construction by Norbert Dunkel & James Grimm, ACUHO-I.
Dunkel and Grimm cover the basics you need to know when spearheading a construction project; financing, the participants and their responsibilities; design, and environmental considerations among other factors. Sample planning documents and hall layouts are included. The authors outline each step of the construction process, from deciding to build and what to construct, to following the project through to its conclusion. Explanations of construction, architectural, and financial terms are included in intelligent but everyday terms.
- Construction Management Jump Start by Barbara J. Jackson, Sybex.
Although it is marketed toward those interested in a career in construction management, this book has terms and explanations that would be of interest if you are embarking on a building frenzy.
Both are available in ACUHO-I’s bookstore. For designs/inspiration: See the 21st Century Project series, particularly our newest volume: The Home. The above-mentioned periodicals also have information on design and layout. Also, for context on how housing fits into the campus as a whole, Mission and Place: Strengthening Learning and Community through Campus Design by Daniel R. Kenney, Ricardo Dumont, and Ginger Kenney, offers this perspective. All are available in the ACUHO-I bookstore.
Salary Survey Information
Q. Where can I find a salary study for positions in the housing field?
A. Norb Dunkel has done a fabulous salary survey. 2006 and 2007 numbers are availabe for comparison.
Facilities and Maintenance Information
Q. How long should it take custodians to clean our halls?
Q. How many custodians should I have?
A. Refer to: ISSA: The Experts on Cleaning and Maintenance.
ISSA is an international organization for cleaning and maintenance professionals. In addition to the information on the site, ISSA publishes a booklet, ISSA 447 Cleaning Times, which meticulously estimates the minutes it takes to do various cleaning jobs in specific ways. For example, one can cover 2,000 square feet per hour sweeping stairways and landings with a push broom. Visit ISSA to get the booklet.
Q. How much should I pay my custodians/maintenance crew, etc.?
A. Check with the Bureau of Labor Statistics; they offer information on the market rate for all sorts of work in many states and metropolitan areas.
Also, many job search Web sites summarize and average the salary data in their postings, and this information is freely available.
Q. What is the average rate for room and board?
A. Check the National Center for Education Statistics’ Digest of Education Statistics. The NCES is a part of the US Department of Education. There is a lot of useful information on their Web site.
Institution Review
Q. Who can I contact to do an external review of our institution?
A. Please contact the Professional Standards Committee chair, Cindy Spencer.
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