The Ashland University Office of Residence Life has decided to change the housing registration software on Feb. 1, resulting in an absolute modification in the way students select housing.

Simple Campus Housing, the current campus housing software, was bought out by eRezlife two years ago and will be discontinued; therefore, all institutions under this software have been forced to assimilate to the parent company, eRezlife.

The Office of Residence Life decided on the eRezlife system after a period of exploration and consideration from faculty representatives in many different offices on campus including: auxiliary services, the business and admissions offices and the information technology department.

“We tried to think of incoming students, current students, offices outside of our office to make sure that we were as thoughtful as we possibly could be,” Director of Residence Life and Commuter Services Kim Lammers said.

Lammers is confident in the chosen software system and believes it possesses unique facets that differentiates it from the current system.

“We’re very excited about eRezlife because it provides us with features that Simple Campus Housing did not,” Lammers said.

Unlike Simple Campus Housing, eRezlife requires students to create profiles that will allow for students without roommates to pair with other students that have similar interests.

“It’s almost like a dating site; you can set up your own profile, put a picture up, say what you’re like,” Meyers Hall Resident Assistant Dustin Martiney said, “And then you can go through and see ‘oh this person matches up with me’ so it makes it a lot easier for you to find a roommate and it makes it a lot easier for you to find a room.”

In addition to roommate matching, the new software will notify students if their rooming request with another student has been accepted, similar to a friend request.

In the past, students have had trouble knowing whether their roommate requests have been verified, so this new feature will assuage that concern.

“It is no longer a question of did they or didn’t they, you can log on and see yourself,” Lammers said.

Most notably, a huge responsibility for the Residence Life staff is to continuously monitor the condition of each and every dorm on campus. They must be aware of any damages to campus owned furniture, and at times maintaining room condition reports can be strenuous.eRezlife offers a solution by providing electronic room condition reports. Lammers said students will have the option to view their room condition reports, or RCR’s, and work with their RA to create a more efficient room evaluation process by specifically documenting any past or future damages to the room as the year progresses.

The software change is set to occur on Feb. 1, because its timing will allow for all students applying for housing to be under the same software whether they are current students or incoming students.

“It’s right before the lottery starts and it’s also right as first year students are about to apply,” Lammers said. “So we did not want to switch mid-stream through the lottery and we did not want to switch once we had some first-year students applying in this system and some first-year students applying in another system.”

Lammers notes that the layout of the software system is different, and it will take some time for students to adjust, but Residence Life is working to accommodate for the difficulties the software change will cause for students.

“The layout of the system looks different, but we’re working on a document that teaches [students] how to go through the process step-by-step,” Lammers said.

During winter break, RAs were put through a “fake lottery” that allowed for them to test out the new software and become familiar with the eRezlife system.

“I think there are a couple bugs in it still, it’s a new program so you still have to work through it,” Marteney said.

There is no doubt that the new system will involve difficulties as students maneuver through the registration process, but Lammers alludes to the resourcefulness of the residence assistants to help make the switch a smooth transition.

“If you’re having a hard time with the software system, ask your RA they have been through it and hopefully they can help you and if the RA does not know how to help you exactly, they will at least know who to ask and they will be able to get some quick answers for you,” Lammers said.

Housing application and registration dates for the 2018-2019 spring and fall semester are as follows:

February 1: Housing and Commuter applications become available
February 16: Apartment applications due
February 26-27: Apartment lottery
March 16: Summer housing, extended stay and early arrival applications become available
March 19: Greek housing lottery
March 21: Senior/Junior lottery
March 22: Sophomore/Freshman lottery.