Of the more than 50,000 students
who attend college in Bryan
and College Station each year, about
1000 will be lucky enough to get into
Melrose StudentSuites™.
“It’s the community structure and programs that make the biggest difference in the quality of our student housing,” explains Michael Clements – the new Executive Director who arrived on property during 2006 spring semester.“It doesn’t matter if you’re an incoming 1st year student, a graduating senior or any level in between,” he says.
“The Melrose community fits your needs on
so many levels. That’s what we mean
when we say ‘You Matter at Melrose!’”
Melrose StudentSuites™ in College
Station is one of a handful of communities
near select campuses across
the nation that utilizes a unique residence-
life model designed to enhance
the educational experience of university
students. Operated by United Campus
Housing Group based in Austin, the
community is managed locally by a
hand-picked team with extensive
university housing backgrounds. All
employees, from corporate management
to site staff are committed to
student success and support. There
are five full-time professional directors
who oversee all day-to-day operations
here in College Station – including two
new directors who serve residents and
parents on issues related to resident
accounts and the Melrose financial aid
deferment program. A residence life
director lives on-site and supervises a
staff of peer leaders called Community
Ambassadors.
Research shows that even the most
serious students spend close to 90% of
their time outside the classroom. Both
their academic and personal success
depends on how they use this valuable
time. So, key to the Melrose program
are their trained, live-on Community
Ambassadors who connect one-on-one
with the residents to foster connections
among those with common academic
majors and interests; build bridges to
campus resources; serve as the students’
advocate for challenges they encounter;
maximize “teachable moments” to foster
development; and offer pro-active
management of crises and emergency
situations. More importantly, they are
there to call on when needed, but otherwise
allow residents the freedom to
grow on their own.
Community Ambassadors also help
plan the calendar of events available to
Melrose residents which include community
programs spotlighting community
leaders such as Texas A&M
University President Robert Gates,
organized service-learning opportunities,
adjunct academic programs and
weekly wellness and fitness workshops.
Community building activities include
catered pool parties with entertainment
by local DJs, sand volleyball and basketball
tournaments and annual events
such as the Dive Back into School
Party, Strike it Rich Casino Night, and
the Mudbug Madness Crawfish Boil.
Supporting the residence life program
is Andrei Duta, the Melrose live-on
Director of Motivation and Learning,
doctoral candidate and assistant lecturer
in Organizational Communications.
An important and particularly beneficial
facet of the Melrose difference is
their scholarship program that allows
academic achievement, campus and
community leadership and personal
responsibility to translate into meaningful
savings on housing costs. As a
result, Melrose attracts many of the best
and brightest students from both Texas
A&M and Blinn College. According to
Clements, “That helps to build a successful,
responsible community which,
in turn, creates a more conducive atmosphere
for each of our residents – to
achieve his or her personal best.”
When a student comes home to
Melrose – where each roommate holds
a separate lease ensuring a private and
financially independent living environment– personal bedrooms and baths
await. Just outside the door, however,
are a common living room, dining
room, and kitchen where roommates
share activities. Room-sharing is an
option for those who need to maximize
savings, while deluxe-single accommodations
are an option for those students
who prefer to live alone or need additional
space.
Not far from each suite is a fully
equipped fitness room, recreation and
clubrooms, sand volleyball, basketball
and tennis courts, a huge community
swimming pool, enclosed rooms for
study-group gatherings and computer
facilities with complementary printing,
faxing and photocopying. Regularly
maintained landscaping, with wellplaced
areas to sit, study or catch up
with friends, enhances the exterior aesthetics
and ample parking is available
for students with cars.
In an effort to maintain a peaceful
environment for all residents, personnel
monitor traffic flow in and out
of the complex and perform regular
rounds, upholding noise policies and
maintaining high quality-of-life standards
for all residents. 24-hour, quick
response maintenance is also available
by the professional and efficient
Melrose maintenance crew who are
lead by a new Director of Facilities and
Maintenance.
Much of the success of the Melrose StudentSuites™ community comes from the vision and support of the corporate office. UCH is one of the country’s leading owners, operators, developers and managers of student housing communities. The expertise of the company’s leaders has been gained over years in top management positions with some of the largest competing student housing firms in the country. They consider Melrose at College Station one of the finest examples of their work.
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