“Pick Night” is usually filled with high levels of tension and anticipation. Those who have a high lottery number are eager to jump at the chance to choose their ideal housing arrangement, while those with a low number have to wait as their future housing hangs in the balance. This year, students won’t be gathering in the Lower Level of the Barone Campus Center for Pick Night. Instead, they will have the ability to choose their housing from the comfort of their own dorms. According to associate director of Residence Life Charles Sousa, ResLife decided to move the housing lottery process online, using The Housing Director program by Adirondack Solutions.
Sousa explained why Fairfield decided to make the change
“The entire room selection process will take place online throughout the course of the day,” said Sousa.
THD will allow students to complete their housing applications online. The applications include a questionnaire about student’s living preferences, which can be used to find roommates to complete their housing group. Students will need to request the other members of each group.
For THD, the lottery numbers randomly assigned to students correspond with a selection time. Rising senior Build-A-Houses will still have selection priority for apartments, followed by regular rising seniors, then rising junior Build-A-Houses, and finishing with regular rising juniors. For rising sophomores, there will be a different lottery for each Residential College and those choosing to live in either Kostka or Claver Hall.
Rather than attending Pick Night, students will be able to complete their housing applications and create their housing group online.
“The one change with this process is each group member will need to request and accept the other member of the group. This process will help students confirm which housing group that they would actually like to be a part of,” said Sousa.
Sousa, area coordinator of Service for Justice Sonya Alexander and operations assistant Sharon Ferguson, worked alongside the Bursar Office, the Registrar and Information Technology in order to change the system.
The process to change the system began at the end of last spring when the group met with three different companies. Ultimately, THD was chosen because it works with the my.fairfield site.
“I have used this software before and it is tremendously easier and less stressful for a student to choose housing without people watching,” said Alexander. “Students are usually waiting around for their turn. With this system, students don’t have to skip class to participate in it. It takes away the frustration of a loud space. It’s more convenient.”
Residence Life employees who are trained to do this will be there to assist students during the process
Although Sousa said ResLife received positive feedback regarding the idea of the new implementation from students, some are also hesitant to switch over to the new system. Sophomore Michael Casarella is nervous to make the lottery process automatic.
“Whenever Fairfield changes their system or operation for something, it doesn’t end up working out. For example, when we tried to use the new registration system, it crashed while students were using it. I’m concerned that the same will happen while I’m trying to choose where I want to live,” said Casarella.
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