As final exams wrap up and residents leave campus for the summer, a quieter transformation begins to take place in dorms across the country. Residence halls, normally buzzing with student life, late-night conversations, and the complex rhythms of academic life, undergo a subtle but significant shift. No longer home to students immersed in learning and personal growth, these spaces become temporary accommodations for summer camps, conferences, and short-term guests. This seasonal transition highlights a stark contrast in operational philosophy: the student-developmental model that defines the academic year versus the transactional, business-oriented focus of summer housing.
Dorms During the Academic Year: More Than a Place to Sleep
During the academic year, dorms are carefully designed communities to support students’ academic success, personal development, and overall well-being. Programming is a cornerstone of this developmental approach, focusing on mental health, identity, conflict resolution, and leadership. Floor meetings, roommate agreements, and community standards aim to build a sense of shared responsibility and belonging. RAs and other staff members are on-site to foster safe, inclusive environments where students can learn life skills, navigate interpersonal challenges, and connect with peers.This is intentional in its design: we aim to provide students the personal efficacy and general skills needed to be successful post-graduation.
The Summer Shift: Business Takes the Lead
Come summer, the focus changes. Residence halls pivot into temporary housing for a range of outside groups – everything from youth sports camps and academic enrichment programs, like Upward Bound, to professional conferences and alumni reunions. This model emphasizes efficiency, turnover, and customer satisfaction over long-term engagement and developmental programming. While summer operations are still managed by university housing teams, the tone is different: guests are customers, not students. The aim is to provide clean, safe, and functional accommodations – not to foster community or promote personal growth. The presence of RAs is rare if the guests in question aren’t students; often their title is changed to Summer Housing Assistant, or something of that nature, to emphasize the business-oriented role. Events may take place but they are often safety meetings to notify guests of key information in case of fire, inclement weather, or other points of this nature.
The Balancing Act
This seasonal duality poses both challenges and opportunities. On one hand, summer housing generates critical revenue for colleges and universities, helping offset operational costs and facility maintenance year-round. It also introduces potential students to the campus environment, which can be a valuable recruitment tool. Often summer orientation and Upward Bound programs can be two opportunities to stay in the dorms and get a taste of what college life can be like.
On the other hand, this shift requires staff to rapidly transition from a high-touch, developmental mindset to a business-first approach. Reconfiguring rooms, training new staff, and ensuring timely turnovers are just a part of the logistical hurdles, often on the heels of finals week. Additionally, the change in the atmosphere can be jarring for student staff and professionals alike. THe halls that once echoed with debates, friendships, and late-night study sessions now host guests who are there for a short time and for a specific purpose. The community-building that defines residence life is not put on pause, just used in a different way.
In preparation for summer operations, here are some things to consider for an effective transition:
- Conduct a Thorough Closing Inspection.
- If you’re a Hall Director, this is likely already on your radar but it’s paramount if the community is going to be used for camps and conferences. Ensure that staff are carefully reviewing the condition of each room and noting issues so that you can reach out to facilities to address them before summer guests arrive. You can either be proactive or reactive in this process but I know facility staff would rather fix it during business hours than get called in after hours to get something fixed.
- Check out Closing Your Residence Hall: A Comprehensive Guide to make sure you complete this step right!
- Turnover and Reconfigure Rooms
- This step is typically handled by facilities but needs are communicated by ResLife staff. Make sure that all rooms receive a comprehensive deep clean, that mattress covers are washed, that all items left behind are removed, and so on. Additionally, you’ll want to see which specific rooms will need to be reconfigured. There are some camps and conferences that designate spaces to be single occupancy rather than double, which may require furniture removal. You’ll also want to ensure that keys or codes are prepared for guests over the summer so that they will have the access they need to their space.
- Train a Hospitality-Focused Staff
- While many of your Summer Housing Assistants may have previous experience as RAs, emphasize that the focus is on customer service and not development. The shift from guest services rather than peer support is something my staff members found jarring, especially when there may be an interpersonal issue between guests. This was something Housing wanted to be dealt with by the conference staff, not the Summer Housing Assistants, so it was a difficult pivot. Training should prioritize customer service, emergency procedures, and flexibility, as summer guests can vary widely in age and needs.
- Establish Clear Policies and Contracts
- Because summer guests aren’t enrolled students, housing agreements shift from conduct-focused policies to contractual terms of stay. Specifically, these should define expectations for noise, damages, and check-out procedures. If the contract is for minors, note curfews, supervision requirements, and liability coverage. It’s imperative that all of this is clearly communicated.
- Connected to this is the check-in and check-out processes. Summer guests often arrive in groups, sometimes with charter buses and luggage in tow. Creating an efficient, scalable check-in/check-out system is key. Create welcome packets with a campus map, Wi-Fi instructions, expectations, and a number to contact if there are any questions or concerns. Consider digital check-in tools if possible to assist with efficiency. An express check-out process with a bin for key turn-in and feedback forms also helps keep guests moving quickly and staffing costs low.
- Coordinate with Campus Partners
- Summer housing cannot operate in a vacuum. Meet regularly with dining services and custodial teams to ensure that guest stays are being planned for accordingly and that accommodations are prepared. Oftentimes this ensures that dining center operations of some form are available and that rooms are being promptly turned-over when a guest departs. You’ll also want to collaborate with Wi-Fi and ID access to ensure that all guests have what they need to get connected and have a proper level of access on campus.
- Bonus Tip: Gather Feedback
- After each summer group departs, solicit feedback from guests and program coordinators. Use it to refine processes for the next wave of arrivals—or to improve summer operations next year. As a Hall Director, this was something I found to be extremely valuable. With each group that stayed, I grew more and more confident with what I was doing and felt that I had a strong system in place by the end of the summer. Feedback will help you more than you realize!
As colleges continue to navigate budget pressures and evolving student needs, the dual use of residence halls will remain a strategic necessity. However, recognizing the distinct values each season brings is key. Academic-year operations are investments in student growth and retention. Summer operations are opportunities for outreach and revenue. The challenge—and opportunity—lies in honoring both. After all, a residence hall is not just a building. It’s a space that adapts, reflects, and serves the changing rhythm of campus life.
