The St. James Complex, where over 600 students reside, saw a change of management in July, from Cambridge Property Management to Greg Colwell, general manager of Off-Campus University Properties.
Students living in St. James have experienced a number of important changes with the switch, such as the types of leases they sign and how their maintenance issues are handled (see St. James adopts new leasing system on page A3).
While Colwell said he is trying to provide students with a welcoming and customer service-oriented atmosphere, many residents seem displeased with the attempts.
Despite newsletters and social media posts from management, students have expressed their confusion over the changes.
Rumors surrounding the system have been running rampant. Students worry there is complete randomness to the rooms they live in, there is only one rent price despite variability in room quality and there is an inevitability of being separated from your requested roommates.
These rumors are in no way true, but regardless, potential residents don’t know what to expect when going into the office to sign their leases and are scared they will enter a high-pressure situation when making this important decision.
Additionally, there’s not enough information on the St. James page of the Bradley website to dispel these rumors.
We think the new system has some great components: the individual leasing makes it so students are only responsible for their part of an apartment and the 7-month lease options saves money for students studying abroad or graduating early.
But, if the new management wants to create a comfortable environment for students, it has to think about those already living there and not just future St. James residents.
Colwell said he isn’t 100 percent privy to everything Cambridge did when they managed the St. James Complex, but maybe if he was, residents already living in St. James could acclimate to the new system more easily. If Off-Campus University Properties put some more time into researching how management was handled previously, students might feel more comfortable transitioning into the new system.
Two-way communication, a back-and-forth process, is key here. While sending information to students is important, it is also crucial students actually receive and understand this information.
Only time will tell whether the new system will work or not. For now, students should make sure they research their options and not hesitate to ask questions. If they investigate and communicate with the current managers and St. James tenants, they’ll be prepared for whatever comes their way.
