Future of the Profession

A forward-looking initiative to design a stronger, healthier, and more sustainable campus housing profession.

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Assessing Student and Departmental Needs

The ability, willingness, opportunity, and capacity to implement large-scale changes varies from campus to campus. While this is true of virtually all areas and initiatives, it can be particularly true when it comes to issues of budgets, finances, and business models. As resources are developed to examine business models, there will need to be different versions of assessment tools or suggested models that fit the needs of a variety of institutions.

Meaningful change begins with an honest and thorough evaluation of the current departmental and campus environment, as well as an assessment of trends and changes that are seen on the horizon. This process may begin with the operation’s value proposition, to be determined at the departmental, divisional, or institutional level. However, it may be necessary to set a baseline as the starting point for creating a vision for where the HRL organization may best serve their students (current and future), as well as the institution, going forward.

As the higher education and HRL environment continues to shift, ACUHO-I will maintain a primer on the current trends that must be considered as well as a collection of assessment questions to consider when identifying the most pressing business needs.

Assessment Resources

There are a number of current resources that HRL departments are likely to have access to that they may leverage to gain valuable insight. These include:

  • Benchworks by Elantra (previously Skyfactor) data
  • Internal and external program reviews
  • CAS Standards
  • Campus student and staff surveys
  • Institutional effectiveness data

Additional resources include:

  • National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO): The is the leading source of information for campus business and finance professionals regularly provides articles and resources that address broad topics that can affect a campus business model. As an example, in 2022, NACUBO members identified the top business issues facing colleges and universities. These were:
    • Supporting and Maintaining the Workforce
    • Meeting Students’ Evolving Needs
    • Providing a Secure and Modern Technology Infrastructure
    • Managing an Uncertain Economic Climate
    • Navigating Resource Constraints
      • Further details are available here.
  • National Student Clearinghouse Research Center: Has a network of more than 3,600 postsecondary institutions, representing 97% of the postsecondary enrollment. Offers research data to inform the education community, policymakers, and business leaders.
    • Recent research showed the largest freshmen increases by different racial/ethnic groups was for Latinx students (7.9%), followed by Asians (7.4%), Native Americans (6.9%) and Black students (.3%). White students were the only group to show a decrease in freshmen enrollment, with a drop of 2.4%.
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