Approaches to Recruit and Retain Graduate Students, Staff, and Faculty in Campus Communities

The lack of affordable housing for graduate students, faculty, and staff has been an ongoing challenge for higher education institutions. Many universities have been responding to this challenge by sponsoring more housing adjacent to or near their campuses. Leveraging the recruitment and retention value of these investments, however, requires more than just providing buildings for people to live in, it requires creating walkable neighborhoods that evoke a sense of place, providing the envelope within which communities can flourish.

This engaging session will explore the strategies available to institutions, developers, stakeholders, and investors on the competitive advantages of Neighborhood Design as part of a larger housing strategy to attract and retain faculty and staff members.

Using several recent case studies, the panel will discuss how community fosters vibrancy and flexibility, improves quality of life, provides social connections, and creates value for the town and gown by knitting together a diverse range of housing types, amenities, and public spaces to create an authentic place at all scales, levels of affordability, and densities.  

Speakers:
• Neal I. Payton, FAIA, Senior Principal, Torti Gallas & Partners
• Danielle Robins, Director, University Partnerships, Greystar