Bridgewater State University Office of Residence Life and Housing is a featured program.
Bridgewater State University was one of the first colleges or universities in the Northeast to allow students to select their rooms from the comfort of their own computer! Bridgewater has had an online room selection process since 2002 for returning students. It started with an application that was developed in-house by a web administrator in our Information Technology Department. Successful implementation of the on-line assignment process required significant advertising, and information sessions in the residence halls and information tables in dining halls during lunch hours. In addition a computer room staffed with technical and housing experts was available to assist students with the online process while the system was active. Most students completed the process without any trouble.
Bridgewater started using the MyHousing suite for returning student room selection in 2009 when we began using the Adirondack Solutions software package. Returning students have the option to sign-up to live in the same room or to participate in the lottery process. Lottery numbers are assigned by gender and class year. Rising seniors select first, juniors select second, and rising sophomores select last. There is a specific time their account is activated to select on-line based on their lottery number. During this time students make their selections in the MyHousing web suite.
As the next enhancement to the on-line assignment system, Bridgewater State University move away from manual assignments for new students, and will allow new students to select their own roommates and rooms via the MyHousing suite. The Office of Residence Life and Housing is currently testing and planning for implementation of the on-line first year self-selection process for new students, which is targeted for implementation in the fall of 2014.
The online process allows students to apply to live in different types of housing some of which include mixed gender housing, nine month housing, residential learning communities, or theme housing.
Submitted by Ryan N. Greelish, Resident Director, Bridgewater State University