The University of Alberta is a top 5 Canadian University, its main and francophone campuses are located in Edmonton. Offering both undergraduate and graduate programs, the University is home to over 40,000 students.
Background
UAlberta has an equally robust on-campus housing program to reflect its student population; offering a variety of unit types to provide first-year, upper-year, and graduate student experiences. However, being confronted with declining occupancy rates the University selected Scion through a competitive bid process. Scion provided the University of Alberta with a thorough Student Housing Occupancy Management and Marketing Plan.
Analysis
The main objectives of the project entailed an in-depth examination of current housing on campus, its place within the market, and exploring the various ways to improve declining occupancy rates. Accomplishing these objectives involved an analysis of the student rental market and demand for housing at the University. On campus, the “Plan” involved a variety of internal system reviews related to occupancy management and marketing; this included interviews with key stakeholders, facilitating student focus group sessions, and conducting an online student survey.
Results
Scion’s recommendations to The University of Alberta included; focuses on transitional marketing (towards upper-year students) and lease length/financial options to remain competitive with the off-campus rental market. Scion also recommended the addition of amenities spaces to specific residential areas of campus – with a focus on communal social and study spaces.