With the 2019-20 Room Selection Application due on Feb. 3, Katrina Pawvluk, associate director for housing operations, shares some of the changes in the room selection process and what they mean for NC State students looking for housing.
“We moved to a new housing management software, so the application process changed primarily because we went with a new software product,” Pawvluk said. “From a student side, it functions very similar to the way that the application used to work.”
Pennie Graham, assignments coordinator, said that the timeline for the room selection process has been made slightly earlier as well, the Room Selection Application and room selection itself becoming two separate steps.
“Usually, you do the application and assign yourself a room at the same time,” Graham said. “This year, you have from December until Feb. 3, and that is your application letting us know that you are interested in living on campus for the next academic school year. After Feb. 3, the housing selection process will begin.”
Pawvluk said that the room selection process aims to provide current residents with a way to find housing on campus, even with the demanding first-year live-on requirement.
“In order to participate in the room selection process you have to be a current resident,” Pawvluk said. “It basically gives priority for students who are currently in housing to be able to return to housing, but when the Room Selection Application opens, the 2019-20 Housing Application will also open for new students and other students who are looking to come into Housing. That is open to everybody.”
Wolf Ridge is the only building that offers this additional option which prioritizes returning students.
“Room selection is based on credit hours,” Graham said. “All time slots are opening sometime between Feb. 14 and 20.”
“Last year was the first year that we did [room selection] by credit hours,” Graham said. “This year we are doing it the same, as far as who goes when. Students who complete the room selection application by February 3rd, we’ll send them an email with the date and time that they need to go in and select their housing for the fall and spring.”
Pawvluk said that while the major change is the incorporation of StarRez housing management software, some content changes were made as well. This includes an increase in living-style questions, and the incorporation of Living and Learning Village applications into the Room Selection Application itself.
“There is a feature where students can create a profile, and the system, if they want to find another roommate, will use their profile questions and their personal profile to find them a match,” Pawvluk said. “Students can actually communicate within the system with a potential match anonymously until they decide they want to be roommates. They can do that all directly within the application.”
Pawvluk and Graham said they think these changes to the room selection process have been beneficial, but will gain more insight once a full housing cycle has passed.
“I would like to at some point after this process, survey students to find out from the student perspective how it went and if there are some things we should change,” Pawvluk said. “I want it to be their process and have a voice in that.”
For more information on University Housing and the Room Selection Process, students can visit the University Housing website.
