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		Evaluating Administrative Software By Michael P. Connolly, Assistant Dean and Director, Residence Life University of Scranton Administrative software is a critical piece to any housing operation. Essentially, it is the backbone that will keep your data organized and in tact. Hardly any of us are immune to using technology in our daily work and/or personal life. If you have the opportunity to evaluate an administrative software package during the proposal stage, I would suggest asking the following questions: Can the data in be manipulated to give user friendly and readable reports? As a housing manager you will be responsible for producing numerous reports. These reports need to be interpreted by many people on all levels. In addition, it is critical that this data can be exported into spreadsheets for sorting and categorizing. Can I write my own reports and queries? Most likely, the product will come with its own "canned" reports. If your supervisor wants a different report can you give it to him/her? The answer should be yes! You should have the ability at your desktop to query the data from the tables and generate a report. Your administrative software package should not be a data jail. Is this a stand-alone system or can it be networked? You need to have a product that is networked with the other administrative systems on campus. For instance, when a student is admitted to attend the University, you as the housing manager should be able to access the data and begin the room assignment process. You should be able to extract the personal information (name and SSN) and assign a room based on gender and room selection criteria. After the assignment is made, this data should be exported to the Bursar's office for student billing. The operation should be fluid with no complicated steps. Essentially, you are the manager of the system and you should be able to utilize this with little assistance from your systems people. If this is not the case, you have bought into a complicated system and you will spend more time on the phone getting help. Here are some basic points and minimum standards: Information on the building, suite, room and bed type Assignment of bed space based on gender and selected preferences Connectivity with other administrative offices (admissions and finance) Room Inspection and inventory capability Customized query and reporting Finally, do not be afraid of the product. Take your time when making the decision on the software and buy more than you can initially use if possible. More then likely, you will be expanding. About the Author Mike Connolly has been a housing professional for 10 years. Currently he is serving as the Assistant Dean and Director, Residence Life at the University of Scranton (PA). In June Mike will be assuming the position of Associate Dean of Students at St. Joseph's College in Maine. Mike has served the Mid-Atlantic Association of College and University Housing Officers (MACUHO) for 6 years, serving in the roles of committee chair, Treasurer and President.