Campus Advantage Spring Advocate 2017

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The Campus Advantage Quarterly Newsletter – CAMPUS ADVOCATE SPRING 2017

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March 3 marked the 14th anniversary of Campus Advantage, and I was once again reminded of how grateful I am to work alongside such a dedicated, passionate, and supportive group of people — all of whom continue to inspire me every day.

It’s been a busy few months since we kicked off 2017. Our focus on, and commitment to, residence life and student development has not wavered, and the growth we’ve seen as a result hasn’t gone unnoticed either. In fact, Student Housing Business recently ranked Campus Advantage as the top student housing owner by percentage of growth, with a growth rate of 652%, and the fourth fastest growing student housing owner by net bed increase. This is a direct reflection of the hard work every one of you puts in each and every day, and I thank you.

Along those same lines, we recently sealed a partnership with ThincCareers, an Austin-based startup optimizing the match between employment and employment seekers through its agent-driven, national career and internship success network. This underscores our commitment to the success of our residents, bringing a whole new level of support resources to our career success initiatives to further meet our residents’ needs far beyond just providing four walls and a roof.

We’ve also added 13 new properties to our growing student housing portfolio since the start of 2017, 11 of which are the remaining properties from our joint venture with Saban Real Estate. In late March, we took over the third-party management of two new developments, Liv+ and Skyloft, the latter of which is right in here in Austin. These are exceptional developments, and I couldn’t be more excited to see these come to life right in our own backyard. We’ll continue to build off of this growth in the months to come as we add more to our portfolio. Stay tuned!

I, of course, would be remiss if I didn’t mention our annual FOCUS Conference and CAmmy Awards ceremony held in January. I look forward to these events every year, and this year, they did not disappoint! Congratulations to all of our CAmmy Award recipients, including our 2017 Corporate Employee of the Year, Raka Sandall. These are opportunities to invest in and celebrate you, and I hope every person who attended walked away feeling inspired, energized, and empowered to make an impact. I know I did.

And speaking of impact, our annual corporate Relay For Life campaign is officially underway. This marks our sixth year as a National Corporate Team Partner for Relay For Life, helping the American Cancer Society raise money to fight cancer. If you are unable to join one of our 50+ Relay For Life teams, consider making a donation here — every dollar makes a difference and goes toward helping the American Cancer Society fund groundbreaking research, crucial patient care programs, and education and prevention information. Let’s see if we can beat last year’s fundraising efforts of $55,000!

Again, I thank each and every one of you for being the “Campus Advantage” and for the hard work that goes into helping us continue to create successful communities. Here’s to a successful 15th year!

Mike Peter

CEO, Campus Advantage

A NIGHT OF CELEBRATION

THE 2017 FOCUS CONFERENCE WRAPS UP WITH THE 10TH ANNUAL CAMMY AWARDS

This January, we hosted another successful gathering of our General Managers and operations leaders at the 2017 FOCUS Conference and CAmmy Awards. The eighth annual national conference, whose title stands for “Fostering Our Communities’ Ultimate Success,” was held on January 23–26, 2017 at the beautiful (and possibly haunted) Driskill Hotel in downtown Austin, Texas.

The week was filled with interactive training sessions focused on how our team can create successful communities and build a bright future for ourselves and our company. Events and group discussions allowed attendees to learn from the experts, connect with one another, and network with our valued sponsoring partners.

Some highlights included kicking off the conference with an inspirational keynote from FranklinCovey’s Harvey Young on the “Speed of Trust,” the abduction of Chief Operating Officer Scott Duckett and the team’s challenge to search downtown Austin for clues on his whereabouts, and even a very special visit from the Black and Pink Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

The week wrapped up with a night to remember at the CAmmy Awards, where corporate employees and General Managers (and property employees via a live feed) joined together to celebrate and honor the accomplishments of the past year, including some of the property awards below:

  • Overcoming the Odds (Property) — Fairway View Team
  • Property of the Year (Under 500 Beds) — The Knox
  • Property of the Year (Over 500 Beds) — The Highlands
  • Rookie Property of the Year — First Street Place
  • Students First® Achievement — Republic at Sam Houston
  • Resident Voice Award — 42North, AXIS 360, Broad Street Commons, Campus Pointe, First Street Place, Northgate Lakes, One Easton, The Domain, The Marq, Tobin Lofts
  • Achievement in Revenue Management — The Beacon,  The Verge, Republic at Sam Houston, The Highlands, Campus Pointe, Northgate Lakes, 318 Commons, Titan Court
  • 100% Occupancy Goal — Northgate Lakes, The Highlands
  • Resident Retention Goal— Fairway View, Millennium

INITIATIVES FOR SUCCESS

CREATING AND SUPPORTING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR RESIDENTS

As part of our continued drive to lead the way in helping our residents succeed and adding value to the Campus Advantage experience, we have just launched two exciting new career initiatives. First, we have partnered with ThincCareers, a national career services firm, to provide access to career agents for residents as well as pop-up career centers at our properties. Dozens of pop-up career centers have already taken place, and hundreds of students have been directly served at these live events. On April 1, Campus Advantage launched a career success portal that includes job search tools, instant job alerts and matches, online career management, resume development, social media development, company research, interview skills, career assessments, document libraries, and online workshops for career transition. With these resources and our unparalleled level of service, signing a lease at a Campus Advantage property is an investment in our residents’ futures!

RELAY FOR LIFE

CAMPUS ADVANTAGE GIVES BACK

In the first 5 years as a National Corporate Team Partner with Relay For Life, Campus Advantage team members and residents raised $200,000 for the American Cancer Society. Team members around the country are holding fundraisers, shaving their heads, and reaching out to friends, family, and the community to raise money for this worthy cause! In the 2017 Relay For Life season, Campus Advantage has more than 50 teams nationwide and is already well on its way to our 2017 goal of $50,000 raised. Click here to donate today!

WELCOME TO CAMPUS ADVANTAGE

CAMPUS ADVANTAGE WELCOMES 13 NEW PROPERTIES

Thirteen new properties have been added to the portfolio. In taking on these projects, we’re excited to introduce our award-winning Students First® program to an expanding student base and demonstrate our proven operations expertise.

21 OAKS

LIVE21OAKS.COM
Featuring updated apartments, student-focused community features, and an unbeatable location right around the corner from both campus and Williams-Brice Stadium.

• University of South Carolina
• 662 beds

THE MONROE

THEMONROELIVING.COM
Located just minutes from Indiana University, College Mall, and plenty of dining options, students have access to everything they need.

• Indiana University
• 570 beds

REDTAIL ON THE RIVER

REDTAILONTHERIVER.COM
Located in the River District and only a short distance from class, Redtail on the River is designed to help students succeed and dedicated to helping them feel at home.

• University of South Carolina
• 472 beds

25 EAST

LIVE25EAST.COM
At 25 East, residents can enjoy off-campus living that supports their goals in every way — from the 24-hour business center to the resort-style swimming pool.

• Michigan State University
• 654 beds

THE BRYN

LIVETHEBRYN.COM
At The Bryn, students enjoy the perfect balance of close-to-campus convenience and updated facilities without missing out on the beauty of Pennsylvania’s scenery.

• Penn State University
• 684 beds

TREMONT STUDENT LIVING

TREMONTSTUDENTLIVING.COM
Any way you turn at Tremont, you’ll find Pennsylvania pride and updated features that give students a community where they’ll feel at home.

• Penn State University
• 696 beds

TORCHLIGHT TOWNHOMES

LIVETORCHLIGHT.COM
Experience all Tallahassee has to offer with a modern and spacious townhome just minutes from campus.

• Florida State University
• 572 beds

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS

BIRMINGHAMSTUDENTHOUSING.COM
University Heights is a social student community ideally located for students in Birmingham, with amenities that feel like home.

• University of Alabama at Birmingham
• 573 beds

THE DAVIS

LIVETHEDAVIS.COM
The Davis offers ECU Pirates a place to call home that’s close to campus and full of amenities and features that go beyond the norm for student housing.

• East Carolina University
• 600 beds

THE WYATT

LIVETHEWYATT.COM
At The Wyatt, students enjoy convenient, stress-free living with all the amenities necessary to achieve success now and in the future.

• Western Michigan University
• 571 beds

SKYLOFT

SKYLOFTAUSTIN.COM
Skyloft is a luxury high-rise student housing development in the heart of West Campus, currently under construction.

• University of Texas
• 677 beds

LIV+ ARLINGTON

Liv+ is a new development currently under construction for delivery in fall 2018.

• University of Texas at Arlington
• 789 beds

PIRATES PLACE

PIRATESPLACETOWNHOMES.COM
At Pirates Place, students can enjoy convenient, stress-free living with all the amenities necessary to achieve success now and in the future.

• East Carolina University
• 566 beds

CAMPUS ADVANTAGE CREATES NEW ASSET MANAGEMENT TEAM

Campus Advantage recently created a new Asset Management team within the Investments division in response to market demand and the increase in asset manager role requests. Campus Advantage also announced the promotion of Jennifer Cassidy to Senior Vice President. In this new role, Jennifer will oversee the new Asset Management team and manage the execution of the strategic plan identified for each asset, while both guiding and demonstrating the Campus Advantage mission to lead the world in creating successful communities. Additionally, she will work hand in hand with the operations team to continually identify opportunities to create value and further enhance the strategic plan for each asset. Joining Jennifer on the Asset Management team are Chris Semper, Director of Investments, and Erin Westhoff, Vice President of Asset Management.

CELEBRATING ANNIVERSARIES

10 YEARS

Brittany Copland
Alexandra Hildebrandt
Blake Randow

2 YEARS

Harry Babcock
Oyinbrakame Edogi
Jessica Guinn
Zarah Lafleur
William Smith
Christopher Tewes

Our Team IS the Campus Advantage.

Providing Exceptional Job Opportunities in the Student Housing Industry

The purpose of Campus Advantage is to serve and inspire our employees and residents to achieve their full potential. We focus on developing successful people, who help us create successful communities.