Presenters: Manuel Pena, University of
Pennsylvania and Glenn Stieffenhofer, University
of Pennsylvania
A seasonal issue on many campuses is what to
do with students who need to arrive before the
residences open in the fall, and what to do at the
end of the year when residents request to stay
beyond the closing date. The academic calendar
at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia
complicates this bookend dilemma even more
by keeping residences open for commencement
-- asking that undergraduates move out even
though the building is clearly still operating.
Over the course of the past three years, Penn
has developed an efficient and easy-to-use
Web application that allows students to manage
their early move-in and late move-out needs:
The site allows them to volunteer in return for
a rent waiver, it allows them to be sponsored
by a campus department who pays their fees in
return for student support, and it also allows the
sponsor to enroll their rosters easily. The back of
the application provides Housing Services pulls
in their room assignment and PennCard number;
provides automatic e-mail replies; allows for
management of occupancy, security, and billing
through easily sorted tables; and also provides
volunteer schedules sorted by date, shift, and
assignment.