Annual Review - Campus Living Villages

Annual Review 

For the year ended 30 June 2010 

Campus Living Villages 

09/10

Annual Review 09/ 10 3 

Contents 

Operational highlights 

#1 on-campus accommodation 

provider in Australia and 

New Zealand 

Total Gross Assets 

AU $1.2billion 

Record first semester 

occupancy in Australia of 99.1% 

Grown owned beds 

by 2,286 (11%) 

Breakdown of owned beds 

07/08 08/09 09/10 

19,212 20,958 23,244 

Appointed group CEO and CFO 

Implemented new residential life 

program to support students as they 

live, learn and grow 

Second project announced in the UK 

at the University of Bedfordshire 

New UNSW Village achieved 100% 

occupancy for semester 1, March 2010 

Achieved occupancy turnarounds at key 

US sites in Delaware and Florida 

UNSW Village 

Sydney, Australia 

Campus Living Villages (CLV) comprises the student 

accommodation operations and development business 

owned by the Campus Living Villages Fund (Fund) 

across the United States, Australia, New Zealand 

and the United Kingdom. The Fund (which comprises 

four stapled managed investment schemes) 

is managed by the responsible entity Campus Living 

Funds Management Limited (CLFM), a wholly owned 

subsidiary of the Transfield Holdings group. 

04 

06 

08 

10 

12 

18 

20 

22 

24 

26 

Chairman’s report 

CEO’s report 

The board 

The executive team 

Student experience 


United States 


Australia 


New Zealand 


United Kingdom 

Brand story

4 Campus Living Villages 




I am pleased to present our Annual Review 

for the 09/10 financial year on behalf of the 

Directors of Campus Living Funds Management 

Limited (CLFM), the responsible entity of 

the managed investment schemes comprising 

the Campus Living Villages Fund (Fund). 

In challenging economic times the true 

strengths of businesses emerge. Over the past 

financial year the Campus Living Villages (CLV) 

model has proved to be reassuringly robust, 

with the Fund delivering a number of pleasing 

results, including revenue growth, high global 

occupancy and an increased number of beds 

in the portfolio. At 30 June 2010, the Fund 

owns or manages 33,303 beds in 49 villages 

in the United States, Australia, New Zealand 

and the United Kingdom. 

chairman’s 

report 

Professor John Niland, AC 

Chairman and Independent 

Director of CLFM 

UNSW Village 


The key to our performance has 

been a deep commitment at all levels 

of the business to building strong, true 

partnerships. This is most evident at the 

village level in over 40 partner educational 

institutions, extending from such cities 

as Houston, Philadelphia and Champaign- 

Urbana to Wellington and Christchurch, 

from Manchester and Luton to Lismore, 

Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. 

Beyond this, our partnering 

philosophy and practice also embraces 

other stakeholders: investors, financiers, 

residents, parents and suppliers, all of 

whom make significant contributions to 

the business. Through clear and transparent 

communication, alertness to the importance 

of feedback and a commitment to 

understanding partners’ needs, 

CLV continues to improve its offerings, 

with corresponding success. 

Leading the drive to build 

sustainable relationships is the new group 

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Martin Earp. 

Formerly CEO of CLV Australia, and acting 

group CEO from August 2009, the Board 

was pleased to appoint Martin to the role 

from 1 January 2010 following an external 

recruitment process. His experience in 

leadership and business management, 

as well as his knowledge of infrastructure 

and project development, make him an 

ideal appointment for the business. Martin 

has been particularly involved in the global 

implementation of our new Live, Learn, Grow 

residential life framework, designed to meet 

the needs of both education partners and 

residents. This initiative, strongly endorsed 

by the Board, has received excellent 

feedback from staff both within universities 

and across our villages. Examples of the 

Live, Learn, Grow program are outlined 

on pages 12-17. 

The Board was also pleased to 

appoint a new group Chief Financial Officer, 

Paul Farrugia, in March 2010, further 

enhancing a highly experienced 

and professional executive team to lead 

the next stage of development. 

Governance arrangements and 

systems development have also been given 

priority by the Board in the past year. In April 

2010 Gayle Tollifson joined the Board as 

the third Independent Director and chair 

of the newly established Audit, Compliance 

and Risk Committee (ACRC). The inaugural 

meeting of the ACRC was held on 28 April 

2010 and its operation has further 

enhanced governance and management 

in this critical area. 

In June 2010 Fund investors were 

offered the opportunity to participate 

in a voluntary Distribution Reinvestment 

Plan (DRP). The DRP is enjoying a strong 

response, reflecting the strength of the 

relationship with investors. 

Globally, the Fund has been focused 

on refinancing 16 of the properties acquired 

in the purchase of Century Campus 

Housing in 2006 in the United States. 

Despite a difficult financial climate progress 

is evident, with a successful outcome 

anticipated by the end of 2010. 

The Fund has continued to perform 

well over the past year. At the close of 

this financial year, gross asset value was 

AU $1.2billion, with an overall gearing of 

68%. The number of owned beds increased 

by 2,286 to total 23,244, mostly through 

the acquisition of the Cottages of Lubbock 

in Texas and new facilities at The University 

of New South Wales (UNSW). Both villages 

realised better than expected returns 

in their first year, signalling that they will 

be excellent assets for the Fund. 

Investment in the United Kingdom 

has also been a priority as CLV looks to 

consolidate its presence in this market. 

Although a new entrant in the region, 

CLV presents an exciting alternative in 

student accommodation. Our full-service 

partnership approach, combined with unique 

residential life program and an empowered 

staffing model, provides a refreshing new 

‘value-add’ approach in the sector. At the end 

of the 09/10 financial year, the acquisition 

and development of the University of 

Bedfordshire’s accommodation in Luton 

was nearing completion with CLV achieving 

preferred bidder status. This deal has 

subsequently reached financial close and 

new construction is underway. 

For me, personally, a highlight 

of the past year was to participate in 

the official opening of UNSW Village 

in Sydney with the University’s Chancellor 

David Gonski, AC and President and Vice- 

Chancellor Professor Frederick G Hilmer, AO. 

This landmark AU $127 million facility, 

housing 1,02 1 students, sets a new standard 

in high-density student accommodation. 

Already the recipient of a number of building 

and design awards, the response from 

residents has been a ringing endorsement 

of the facility. The Village achieved 100% 

occupancy in the first semester 2010. 

This is a significant achievement, reflecting 

the hard work and commitment of many 

people both within CLV and our partners 

at UNSW. Our goal is to build on this 

landmark as we move forward with carefully 

planned further development, all the while 

strengthening existing partner relationships. 


Chairman 

Campus Living Funds Management Limited





ceo’s report 

Martin Earp 

Chief Executive Officer 

CLFM and CLV 

UWS Village 


Campus Living Villages (CLV) is 

committed to setting the standard in 

student accommodation and delivering 

on our promises to stakeholders. 

We aim not only to meet, but exceed 

the expectations of our partners. 

This requires a long-term commitment 

to fully understanding the needs of 

the people and organisations we work 

with. CLV aims to build a foundation 

of collaboration and communication 

to help understand what is required 

and deliver solutions that benefit 

all parties. As part of our ongoing 

commitment to partnership, 

CLV implemented a number of new 

initiatives over the past financial year, 

designed to improve our services, 

deliver memorable residential 

experiences and further enhance 

our ability to respond to the market. 

Live, Learn, Grow 

A highlight of the year has been 

the implementation of our Live, Learn, 

Grow residential life framework. Designed 

to meet the needs of residents, parents 

and universities, it delivers an exciting 

experience, provides parents with 

peace-of-mind and integrates with the 

campus experience. 

CLV has significantly upgraded the 

level of resources put into the residential 

life program, employing professional 

residential life coordinators, upgrading 

facilities, conducting training and developing 

new tools and resources to support the 

program. The response from partners has 

been overwhelmingly positive, with many 

offering their skills and resources to support 

this initiative. The opportunity to further 

integrate with campus activities has been a 

particularly pleasing development, creating 

opportunities to enhance collaboration and 

provide a seamless experience for students. 

Leadership 

As the business seeks continually 

to improve our services to stakeholders, 

we have worked to increase expertise at 

all levels. At the village level CLV has moved 

towards creating leaders at each location, 

who are empowered to manage their site 

as a stand-alone business, thus avoiding 

unnecessary layers of management and 

bureaucracy. This model enables villages 

to respond quickly and efficiently to 

the needs of their clients and partners. 

Piloted in Australia this year, the results 

were dramatic, with improvements made 

to physical infrastructure, occupancy, 

cost control and the residential life program, 

with resulting improvements in customer 

satisfaction measures. 

The United States (US) launched 

‘Project Elevate’ in early 2010 with the focus 

on rolling out the new business model 

to villages in the region. This ambitious 

change management project, along with 

the increased focus on residential life, sets 

a new benchmark in the highly competitive 

student accommodation market in the US. 

Additional resources were added 

to the business in the areas of asset and 

facilities management, as well as tax and 

compliance to support the Board’s new 

Audit, Compliance and Risk Committee. 

In the coming year increased emphasis will 

be put on improving CLV’s human resource 

management and business systems. 

Global occupancy 

Attaining our occupancy goal of 

100% for in-term occupancy for the worldwide 

portfolio requires a combination of 

effective sales and marketing strategies, 

high customer satisfaction and retention, 

as well as a strong relationship with 

education partners. 

CLV continued to enhance its sales 

and marketing over the past year, rolling 

out the new ‘V-star’ branding globally and 

embracing social media tools such as 

Facebook. In addition the sophistication 

of our marketing collaboration with partners 

also improved, with enhanced referral and 

cross-promotional activities. Of particular 

note were occupancy improvements at a 

number of our off-campus villages in the US. 

Studio Green Florida, a recent acquisition, 

achieved a remarkable turnaround in 

the Halls of Residence with occupancy 

increasing from only 27.6% in fall 2008 

to 85.5% in fall 2009. Colony Club moved 

from 77.6% to 95.2% and Studio Green 

Delaware from 62.9% to 81.8% over the 

same period. The Australian portfolio 

achieved record occupancy of 99.1% and 

all managed properties in New Zealand met 

or exceeded budget. 

Business performance 

The CLV business model was set 

up to provide long-term stable returns to 

investors, which effectively means being 

able to continue to perform in both good 

and bad economic cycles. The impact of 

the global financial crisis (GFC) over the 

last year has provided a significant test 

of the business model. The fact that 

CLV has maintained high occupancy across 

the portfolio, and continued to generate 

positive returns has been pleasing. 

CLV’s off-campus properties have 

presented a challenge during this period 

(predominantly in the US where the impact 

of the GFC has been felt the most). 

This has illustrated very clearly 

the dual importance of the on-campus 

location and the relationship with the higher 

education institution. The challenge for CLV 

over the next year and beyond is to continue 

to grow the business in the core area of 

on-campus developments and improve 

the performance of the business to get the 

long-term performance in line with 

investors’ expectations. The fact that the 

Australian business exceeded this level of 

expectation during the last year means that 

CLV are confident that the improvements 

being rolled out to the other three countries, 

along with improvements in systems, will 

deliver the required up-lift in performance. 

Business development 

CLV continued to grow its owned 

portfolio with new properties at the 

University of New South Wales (1,021 beds), 

Southern Cross University (468 beds), 

the acquisition of the Cottages of Lubbock 

(847 beds), the completion of the second 

stage of extensions at the University 

Canberra (172 beds) and the commencement 

of work on new accommodation for 

Edith Cowan University (357 beds). 

The United Kingdom remained 

a key market for expansion, as CLV looked 

to build on its first operation at the 

University of Salford. It was particularly 

pleasing to be named as preferred bidder 

for the management of 1,049 existing beds 

and development of a further 853 beds for 

the University of Bedfordshire. We achieved 

financial close on 2 July 2010. 

Management contracts are a very 

important part of CLV’s business. This year 

a thorough review resulted in a decision 

to exit from contracts at a number of 

properties, particularly in the US. This was 

largely based on ensuring these contracts 

were economically viable for the business, 

located within existing regions of operation 

and aligned with CLV’s business philosophy 

- particularly our focus on the residential 

experience and partnership. This financial 

year saw CLV gain its first management 

contract with a TAFE in Australia. 

Foundations for the future 

Reflecting on the highlights of 

the past year I am proud of CLV’s many 

achievements, particularly when set against 

a challenging economic environment. 

The projects we have implemented will 

further enhance our partnership model 

and bring long-term benefits for both 

CLV and our stakeholders. 

Through empowering and 

resourcing staff, CLV has become more 

responsive and has further enhanced the 

professionalism of our operations. Our new 

Live, Learn, Grow residential life program 

has provided opportunities to engage with 

campus partners and improved the quality 

of the village experience. The new villages 

in our portfolio have flourished through 

effective marketing, strong leadership 

and mutually beneficial relationships 

with education institutions, with occupancy 

high across all regions. 

While there have been challenges 

to overcome, CLV continues to go from 

strength to strength. We remain focused 

on delivering excellence in all aspects of 

our operations and serving our stakeholders 

effectively both now and into the future. 

Martin Earp 


CLFM and CLV


The board 


The board 

the board 

Walter Carpenter 

Independent Director, CLFM 

Walter Carpenter commenced his career in 1980 with Price Waterhouse in Sydney, 

before moving into merchant banking in 1983 with ABN Bank. He then worked with Lloyds 

Bank and Jardine Fleming gaining a comprehensive understanding of corporate and 

project finance. 

Walter joined the First Pacific Davies Group as General Manager, Hong Kong 

in 1989. In 1992, he returned to Sydney to establish a commercial real estate agency 

and property management business. Under his leadership the business grew to employ 

over 1,000 people across Australia. Walter sold his interest in the business to Savills Plc 

in 2003 and continued as Chief Executive of the organisation until mid 2006. 

Walter is currently a member of the World Presidents Organisation and is 

Chief Executive Officer of Flat Glass Industries Ltd. He is the Chairman of Middle Harbour 

Yacht Club in addition to being a director of Campus Living Funds Management Limited. 

BEc (Syd) 


Chairman and Independent 

Director, CLFM 

BCom, MCom, Hon PhD (UNSW), 

PhD (Illinois), DUniv (SCU) 

John is a Professor Emeritus of the University of New South Wales (UNSW). 

He was Vice-Chancellor and President of UNSW from 1992 to 2002, having joined UNSW 

from ANU in 1973 as Professor of Economics. He was on the faculty at Cornell University 

and served as President of the Australian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee from 1998 to 1999. 

Professor Niland is currently an Independent Director on the Board of Macquarie 

Group Limited. He is a member of the University Grants Committee of Hong Kong and 

is Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Singapore Management University. 

John is a Past President of the National Trust of Australia (NSW). He is a former 

Chief Executive of the State Pollution Control Commission, Executive Chairman of the 

Environment Protection Authority and Chairman of the Centennial and Moore Park Trust 

in Sydney. He has served on the Australian Universities Council, the Prime Minister’s Science, 

Engineering and Innovation Council, the Boards of realestate.com.au Limited (as Chairman), 

St Vincent’s Hospital and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra Foundation, and the Sydney 

Olympic bid’s Building Commission. 

Professor Niland is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors 

and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia. In 2007 he received the Royal 

Australian Institute of Architects Prize for the 1990’s redevelopment of the UNSW campus. 

Nicholas James 

Transfield Appointed 

Director and Responsible 

Manager, CLFM 

BCom (with Merit) (UNSW) 

Nicholas is Chief Financial Officer at Transfield Holdings. While at Transfield, 

Nicholas has had responsibility for overseeing the financial performance of Campus Living 

Villages and was closely involved in the acquisition of the US Student Accommodation 

Portfolio and establishment of the Fund. 

Nicholas has extensive experience in investment and transaction management 

in infrastructure and property. Prior to joining Transfield in November 2005, Nicholas 

was a Director of Deutsche Bank in London from 2004 to 2005. He was with Macquarie 

Bank from 1993 to 2004, where he worked as a Division Director in Sydney, London and 

New York. Nicholas was associated with or led many of Macquarie Bank’s landmark 

infrastructure transactions, including the establishment of the Macquarie Infrastructure 

Group (MIG) and the acquisition, financing and ongoing management of a number of 

motorway assets for MIG. 

Steve has extensive global management experience, previously holding the positions 

of Managing Director of OTC, Group Managing Director of Telstra and Managing Director 

of British Telecom Asia Pacific. In addition, Steve has experience as a non-executive director 

on over a dozen private and public company boards in Australia, New Zealand, India and Japan. 

He is currently a Visiting Professor of Management at the University of Technology Sydney 

and CASS Business School London. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company 

Directors, Australian Institute of Management (“AIM”), and Institution of Engineers 

Australia respectively. 

*Professor Steve Burdon is a Transfield nominated director however he also 

meets the test of ‘External Director’ as defined in section 601JA of the Corporations Act 

and the assessment of independence under the ASX Corporate Governance Council’s 

‘Principles of Good Corporate Governance and Best Practice Recommendations’. 

Gayle is a finance professional with extensive audit and risk management 

experience. In 1994, she joined QBE Insurance Group Limited as group Financial Controller 

and became the Group’s first Chief Risk Officer, a position she held until her retirement 

from full-time employment in 2006. 

Prior to joining QBE, Gayle spent 14 years in public accounting, qualifying 

as a chartered accountant in Canada in 1981 and then working with Coopers & Lybrand 

in Bermuda and Australia for 11 years. 

Gayle was previously a director of many QBE subsidiaries in Australia, Bermuda 

and Europe and until 2005 chaired the Insurance Council of Australia/Australian Prudential 

Regulation Authority (APRA) Liaison Working Party, an industry committee that worked 

closely with the APRA to develop prudential reforms for the general insurance industry. 

Gayle is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD), 

Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (FCA) and member 

of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. 

Professor Steve Burdon 

Gayle Tollifson 

Transfield Appointed Director 

of CLFM* 

Independent Director, CLFM 

BCom (Saskatchewan) 

MBA (Cranfield)

1 0 Campus Living Villages 


Annual Review 09/ 10 1 1 


Martin Earp 

Paul Farrugia 

Rob Di Qual 

Brigitte Murray 

Liz Parsons 

John Zappia 


BSc(Hons), MSc, MBA (AGSM) 

Chief Financial Officer 

BBus, CA 

Fund Manager 

MBA 

Director of Sales and Marketing 

BA, GradDipMgt, MCom(Hons) 

Head of Risk and Compliance 

BBus, DipProperty 

Group General Counsel 

BCom, LLB(Hons) 

the 

executive 

team 

Martin is responsible 

for the strategic management 

and leadership of CLV globally. 

He has extensive experience 

in managing businesses and 

project development, working 

for Transfield Holdings for 10 

years in a number of operational 

roles including CEO of the 

Australian Biodiesel Group 

(an ASX listed company), 

General Manager of Airtrain 

and Business Development 

Manager for Airport Rail Link. 

Martin holds an MBA from 

the Australian Graduate School 

of Management. 

He has also worked for 

an English-based consultancy 

firm that specialised in 

providing advice for large 

infrastructure projects, with 

a focus on public-private 

partnerships. Martin was also 

seconded to work for the Chief 

Scientist at the Department 

of Transport, encouraging 

increased private sector 

involvement in Government 

research projects. 

Paul is responsible for 

all of CLV’s financial matters, 

including optimising the capital 

structure of the business and 

ensuring investment targets are 

met within the risk framework 

of the Fund. 

Paul is a Chartered 

Accountant with an extensive 

background in business 

development, finance and 

strategy. His business 

experience spans fund 

management, infrastructure 

and facilities management, 

with a focus on business 

evolution and systems. 

Previously, Paul 

was Chief Financial Officer, 

then Head of Business and 

Product Development for 

CP2 Limited, and during this 

time was instrumental in 

the transformation of the 

business from an independent 

researcher to a fund manager. 

He developed and managed 

several of CP2’s infrastructure 

funds and was involved in 

investment due diligence and 

the restructure of the business. 

Paul was also a 

Director of Airport Rail Link 

and has experience in property, 

gaming and professional 

services industries. 

Rob is the Manager 

of the CLFM Fund. Since joining 

Transfield Holdings in 1998, 

Rob has been actively involved 

in the development and growth 

of CLV’s business, where he 

worked on the financing and 

development of a number of 

key seed projects including the 

acquisition of the United States’ 

Century 17 properties and the 

villages at Macquarie University, 

the University of New South 

Wales and the University 

of Canberra. 

At Transfield Holdings, 

Rob has been involved in 

financing a number of key 

developments, including the 

listing of Transfield Services and 

financing for the development 

of the iconic AU $650million 

Walsh Bay urban redevelopment. 

Rob is also one of Transfield’s 

representatives on the Sydney 

Harbour Tunnel Management 

Committee. 

Prior to Transfield, 

Rob was employed within one 

of Australia’s largest stevedores 

and cargo logistics companies 

and for various subsidiaries 

of the formerly publicly 

listed Howard Smith Group 

where he held the positions of 

Company Secretary and Group 

Accounting Manager. 

Brigitte is responsible 

for marketing, sales, brand, 

public relations and resident 

life across CLV. With over a 

decade’s experience working 

in the university sector, 

Brigitte’s expertise includes 

brand development, marketing, 

communications, student 

recruitment, accommodation 

and support as well as strategic 

management. 

Prior to joining CLV, 

Brigitte was the Director of 

Student Recruitment and 

Development and previously, 

the Director of Marketing at 

the University of Canterbury. 

In these roles she repositioned 

and rebranded the University 

to achieve sustained student 

growth and successfully 

managed the merger of key 

functions with the Christchurch 

College of Education. 

Brigitte holds a Master 

of Commerce (Honours) from 

the University of Canterbury. 

Liz is responsible 

for risk and compliance 

across CLFM and CLV, 

and has extensive experience 

in the development of risk 

and compliance frameworks 

for managed investment 

schemes, superannuation 

and retirement products. 

Prior to joining the 

business, Liz held the position 

of Head of Risk Advisory 

at BT Funds Management, 

where she was responsible 

for managing the risk 

and compliance infrastructure 

for the BT Financial Group 

and represented BT on the 

Westpac Operational Risk 

and Compliance Executive. 

Liz has also held 

the role of General Manager 

Risk and Compliance at 

Perpetual Limited, where she 

was responsible for risk and 

compliance for Perpetual’s 

Wealth Management Division 

and the operationalisation 

of Perpetual’s Office of the 

Superannuation function. 

Liz has approximately 

20 years experience in risk 

and compliance and holds 

a Certificate in Governance 

and Risk Management. 

John is responsible 

for all Australian and group wide 

legal matters. He has 10 years 

experience in property, banking 

and finance, construction, 

commercial and corporate 

law and is admitted to practice 

law in Australia. 

Prior to joining CLV 

in 2007, John worked in a major 

Australian law firm in Sydney 

acting for a broad range 

of clients including major 

property developers, 

government departments, 

financial institutions and 

listed corporates. 

John holds a Bachelor 

of Commerce and a Bachelor 

of Laws (Honours) from 

Macquarie University.





student 

experience 

Griffith University Village 

Gold Coast, Australia 

CLV’s major focus this 

financial year was 

implementing its new 

residential life program 

in support of the vision 

to provide the place 

for students to live, 

learn and grow. 

CLV believes its 

responsibility extends 

beyond just providing 

beds for residents. 

The aim is to enhance 

campus living with 

structured programs 

designed to create 

memorable experiences, 

support success and 

assist in the transition 

to independence. 

The residential life program was 

implemented globally over the 

last financial year with a focus on 

enriching the student experience 

and encouraging integration, 

academic success and personal 

development. Taking CLV’s 

existing activities to a new level, 

the program builds on more than 

20 years experience in delivering 

great residential communities. 

Program elements 

The residential life framework is 

defined by three core elements 

Live, Learn and Grow. Working 

closely with education partners, 

the framework’s flexible 

structure can be tailored to the 

unique demographics, location 

and culture of each village.





Live CLV facilitates the 

creation of a fun, friendly 

and diverse community 

through social events, 

sporting and recreational 

activities, and community 

development programs. 

Ways in which we create a 

student community include: 

social events 

Parties 

BBQs 

Theme nights 

sporting activities 

Inter-college competitions 

Informal village 

competitions 

Surf lessons 

Ski trips 

Learn CLV supports students’ 

academic success through 

study support, academic 

advice, educational facilities 

and scholarships. 

Working closely with 

education partners, CLV aims 

to facilitate the creation of 

an academic community at 

villages, drawing on campus 

resources and programs 

where possible. 

Ways in which we support 

our students’ studies 

include: 

study support 

Study skills 

Exam techniques 

Essay writing 

Time management 

academic advice 

Study groups 

Senior student support 

Academic advice liaison 

with partner institutions 

carnival de chis 

Chisholm Hall 

University of Texas at San Antonio 

United States 

The team at Chisholm Hall is focused 

on creating memorable student experiences 

and works hard to come up with innovative 

ways to create a sense of community and help 

residents meet new people. 

Chisholm Hall ushered in the spring 

semester with Carnival de Chis, a ‘welcome 

back’ event where residents were treated to 

carnival games, competitions and a night full 

of prizes. 

Events included a Nerf gun shooting 

range, ring toss, face painting, tug of war 

and a mystery gift wall, all of which the 

RA team created from scratch. Each event 

won residents tickets that served as currency 

for acquiring prizes, food, and the grand prize 

of the night—getting to pie your RA! 

recreational 

activities 

Quiz nights 

Talent nights 

Moonlight cinema 

Excursions 

community 

development 

Orientation events 

Meet the staff breakfasts 

Building /apartment dinners 

International food festivals 

live 

Kelvin Grove Student Village 

Brisbane, Australia 

resident scholarships 

UC Accommodation Student Village 

University of Canterbury 

New Zealand 


is committed to supporting study success. 

In addition to its extensive tutorial program, 

scholarship support provided by CLV NZ 

is actively promoted to residents. 

In 2010, University Hall resident, 

Michael Paine was awarded a NZ $1,000 

Accommodation Subsidy Scholarship. 

The Bachelor of Engineering student 

was chosen for his goal to use his degree 

to help those less fortunate. 

Michael spent seven years of 

his childhood in Ethiopia experiencing 

the conditions in which people were 

living and was inspired by the difference 

engineering made to their day-to-day lives. 

Michael aims to use his degree 

to design and build clean water systems 

in Ethiopian villages, where water is 

often inaccessible. 

learn 

educational 

facilities 

Private and group 

study spaces 

Communal resource centres 

Textbook exchange 

programs 

financial 

assistance 

Scholarships





Grow CLV encourages 

residents’ personal 

growth and transition to 

independence with a focus 

on personal development, 

pastoral care, life skills, 

cultural awareness and 

social conscience. 

Ways in which we 

encourage the growth 

of our residents include: 

personal 

development 

Networking 

Relationship management 

Self-esteem development 

pastoral care 

Support staff 

Issue management 

and mediation 

Counselling 

Links with partner 

institutions’ services 

Accommodation Student Village 

Christchurch, New Zealand 

Studying on campus is an 

exciting and sometimes 

challenging time in a 

student’s life. CLV strongly 

believes that being part 

of a supportive residential 

community can make all 

the difference. 

In line with CLV’s commitment 

to residential life, a decision was made 

to employ dedicated Resident Life staff 

at each village to manage events, train 

Residential Assistants (RAs) and ensure 

that programs adhere to CLV standards. 

CLV’s focus on student support 

has led to increased service hours at many 

locations. Rather than offices being open 

9am to 5pm, hours have been extended 

into evenings and weekends to ensure 

staff are available when residents need 

them — particularly before and after 

lectures. Villages ensure support is 

available 24/ 7 through a combination of 

night managers, staff living on site in some 

locations, RA teams and security staff. 

Someone is always on call. 

support 

for a good cause 

life skills 

Cooking and cleaning 

Money management 

Resume writing 

Interview techniques 

Self defence 

A key aspect of the program is the provision of infrastructure to support 

village events and encourage resident interaction. Many sites underwent 

refurbishments to provide facilities such as student lounges, recreational 

areas, communal kitchens, cafés, study rooms, community centres, 

sporting facilities and swimming pools. 

Campus Living Villages (Salford) 

University of Salford 


Encouraging social conscience 

among residents is a core focus for the 

village at the University of Salford. In June 

2010, Resident Life Coordinator, Alex Mayes 

organised a highly successful ‘Donate 

Don’t Dump’ campaign, where residents were 

encouraged to contribute unwanted items 

when they moved out at the end of 

the academic year. 

The village received an overwhelming 

response, with residents donating clothing , 

non-perishable food items, crockery, cutlery 

and electrical items to the cause. 

“Residents were extremely supportive 

and we received a great range of usable items, 

including several hundred cans of food. We will 

definitely be looking to run an event like this 

every year,” Alex says. 

Beneficiaries included the 

Manchester City Mission’s Narrowgate project, 

an emergency night shelter for the homeless 

of Salford, the local church which offers at-risk 

families assistance in setting up homes, 

and Savanna Rags, an exporter of second hand 

clothing to Africa, with all proceeds going 

to a national UK children’s society. 

grow 

UC 

cultural awareness 

Guest speakers 

Multi-cultural events 

Cross-cultural 

communication 

Indigenous culture seminars 

social conscience 

Environmental initiatives 

Charity support 

Fundraising 

great entertainment 

University of Canberra Village 

University of Canberra 

Australia 

To complement its enhanced 

residential life program, University of 

Canberra Village launched a range of new 

entertainment facilities, including a student 

lounge and recreation room with foosball, 

a pool table and an air hockey table. 

A café and new additions to the study 

centre (including group study booths 

and plasma TV monitors with laptop 

connectivity) are due to open in late 2010. 

Residential Life Manager, 

Katharine Bigby says, “I have been blown 

away by the common room upgrades and 

relevance they hold to the Live, Learn, 

Grow program. The Village now boasts 

state of the art facilities that are the envy 

of non-residents who visit.” 

impressive additions 

Studio Green 

Florida State University 

United States 

An extensive refurbishment 

project has given Studio Green a new lease 

on life. Originally sporting only a small 

fitness centre and a community room 

with a pool table, Studio Green now offers 

a swimming pool, fitness centre (with a 

separate free weight and cardio space), 

gaming centre, sand volleyball court, dining 

area, hydration station, laundry, internet 

bar, surround sound theatre, outdoor 

kitchen, picnic areas, sun tanning beds 

and individual study rooms. 

infrastructure




United States 

Head office 

Houston, United States 

Date of entry into market 

2006—Century Campus Housing 

Acquisition 

23 

7 

59 

% 

Number of owned 

properties 

Number of managed 

properties 

% of portfolio by 

number of owned 

and managed beds 

Student housing, under veteran 

operators such as CLV, once 

again has been a bright spot this 

year compared to the real estate 

sector as a whole. Campus Living 

Villages’ US operations (CLV US) 

have consistently posted gains 

in occupancy and revenue, while 

adding exciting, new-to-market 

offerings such as The Cottages of 

Lubbock at Texas Tech University 

which provides amenities unheard 

of when the business began. 

In addition to the formal 

rollout of the Live, Learn, Grow 

program, CLV US continues to set 

new standards in the industry 

with initiatives such as Project 

Elevate. Launched in spring, 

Project Elevate incorporates 

two key goals: transitioning the 

staffing and operation of villages 

to an autonomous and accountable 

structure under a general manager 

(GM) and evaluating the existing 

owned assets on their ability 

to deliver the Live, Learn, Grow 

program model. 

Portfolio developments 

The Cottages of Lubbock, a newly 

constructed Class A property servicing 

Texas Tech University, was acquired by 

CLV US in September 2009. Entering the 

market at 93% occupancy, this new breed of 

premium student housing meshes elements 

of a premium residential neighborhood and 

a resort, providing superior private and 

public areas with design and landscaping 

elements traditionally found in custom 

homes. 95 two to five bedroom, craftsmenstyle 

student residences offer 20 unique 

elevations plus an expansive clubhouse. 

This year, CLV US was also selected 

to manage The Enclave at 8700, MD. 

A groundbreaking ceremony for the upscale, 

seven story mixed-use project, which will 

service the University of Maryland, was held 

in December 2009. 

As well as the new additions to the 

portfolio, CLV US took a strategic decision 

to exit from a number of management 

contracts. Instead, the business will focus 

on developing management relationships in 

regions where there are existing properties, 

ensuring efficiencies in costs, staffing and 

travel are maximised. 

The University of Nebraska 

decided to exercise its buy-out option, 

with the property transferring ownership 

in March 2010. 

Financial 

CLV US’s portfolio has continued 

to outperform the sluggish US economy 

and real estate markets. Total revenues for 

the year increased by a healthy 5.4%, while 

EBITDA increased 26.1%. An investment in 

cosmetic and plant enhancements at CLV 

US’s two Studio Green branded properties, 

one at the University of Delaware and 

the second at Florida State University, 

reaped significant rewards with combined 

revenues up more than 46%. An additional 

US $4.2million was earned through the 

acquisition of the Cottages of Lubbock 

at Texas Tech University. 

Residential life 

Introduced in 2009, soon after the 

promotion of Randy Degner to Director 

of Residence Life, the multi-layered Live, 

Learn, Grow program was rolled out across 

US properties. The program incorporates 

a range of comprehensive activities such 

as bbqs, theme parties, sports competitions 

and group outings to foster community 

and friendship; campus orientation, study 

groups and career exploration to support 

academic achievement; and workshops in 

nutrition, money management and resume 

writing, plus volunteer programs to prepare 

residents for life after college. 

Degner, formerly a village director 

for CLV US, has been instrumental in 

developing strategies geared towards 

enhancing resident satisfaction and 

retention. In the past year, 2,900 programs 

were offered with an average participation 

of 25 residents each. 

Asset management 

Gary Cook, CLV US’s newly 

appointed Vice President of Facilities 

began implementing a comprehensive risk 

management plan for the business and 

led the evaluation of owned assets for a 

significant refurbishment program, a staged 

process which will impact the portfolio over 

the next three years. Prior to joining CLV, 

Cook held facility director positions in three 

California school districts. He brings more 

than a decade of senior level maintenance 

and operations experience with a focus on 

sustainable facility development to his role. 

Occupancy 

CLV US continues to see 

occupancy growth, especially within 

its owned portfolio, which achieved 94.8% 

overall in fall 2009, compared to 93.3% 

during the same period in 2008. 

Five operations reached 100% occupancy, 

including Chisholm Hall at the University 

of Texas, San Antonio; University Pines 

at the University of Texas, Tyler; campus 

housing at Northwestern State University 

in Natchitoches; University Village at the 

University of Nebraska in Omaha; and 

The Edge at Temple University in 

Philadelphia. Significant occupancy 

turnarounds were also achieved in new 

acquisitions at Studio Green in both 

Florida and Delaware, as well as at Colony 

Club also in Florida. Occupancy looking 

forward to 2010 is trending to be on target 

with budget. 

Jim Short 

united states 

CEO 

United States 

Cambridge Oaks 

University of Houston 

Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 

fall 2010, Cambridge Oaks at the University of 

Houston is the oldest property in the CLV US 

portfolio and a shining example of the benefits 

of its newest initiative, Project Elevate. 

Under the direction of highly skilled 

General Manager (GM), Bob Freund, the first 

GM hired following the implementation of 

the program, Cambridge Oaks has achieved 

success on a variety of levels. Perhaps most 

telling is its occupancy. Even with the addition 

of 2,000 new beds on campus, Cambridge 

Oaks reported being the only student housing 

property at the University of Houston at 100% 

(as of August 2010). Reinforcing that statistic 

are customer satisfaction survey results, 

which have significantly improved, and the 

sentiment of Village employees like Tenley 

Wood, Director of Marketing and Sales. 

Wood says, “Bob is professional, 

driven, consistent, genuinely kind and has 

influenced a positive change within our staff 

and community.” 

Dianne Murphy, Associate Vice 

President of Student Affairs Administration 

at the University of Houston echoes these 

praises, “Bob carries an attitude of success 

and has been a treasure to work with. 

We find him to be a team player and works 

collaboratively with everyone. Above all he 

has built a solid team that executes the 

delivery of excellent customer service.”




Australia 

Head office 



2003—Sydney University Village 

9 

3 

23 

% 


properties 


properties 




Campus Living Villages’ Australian 

operations (CLV AU) have continued 

to perform well despite the difficult 

financial climate, surpassing 

impressive occupancy figures from 

the 08/09 financial year and further 

expanding their operations. 

The year was marked by record 

occupancy across the Australian 

portfolio, the successful rollout of 

the Live, Learn, Grow residential 

life program, increased efficiencies 

across the business and improved 

relationships with partner institutions. 

1,651 beds were added 

to the owned portfolio through a 

combination of new developments and 

acquisitions, as well as an additional 

149 beds under management. 

UNSW Village 

The University of New South Wales 

CLV AU’s flagship development, 

UNSW Village, was opened on time and on 

budget in January 2010. Accommodation at 

the Village is in high demand, with occupancy 

reaching 100% before the start of the 2010 

academic year. 

The Village was officially opened by 

UNSW Chancellor David Gonski, AC, President 

and Vice-Chancellor Professor Frederick G 

Hilmer, AO, and CLFM Chairman Professor 

John Niland, AC, at a successful event 

organised in partnership with UNSW. 

UNSW Village offers students a 

choice of one to eight bedroom apartments. 

Facilities are designed to maximise student 

interaction and academic achievement 

with a café, convenience store, theatre, study 

space, outdoor courtyards and a three-level 

student lounge. 

Environmentally sustainable design 

initiatives include the use of precast concrete 

for superior thermal performance, solar hot 

water, generous levels of natural light and 

cross ventilation to bedrooms and living areas. 

UNSW Village was one of the first 

CLV sites to explore technologies such as 

virtual tours, 3D floorplans and social media 

campaigns, offering potential residents a taste 

of village life before the property had even 

been built. Now, online social networks are 

used to provide an interactive communication 

channel through which residents can meet new 

people and share information. 

*Michael Heffernan, 

previously 

CFO Australia, 

was appointed 

CEO Australia 

from 1 July 2010. 

australia 

Michael Heffernan 

CEO Australia* 

Occupancy 

In semester 1 2010, CLV AU 

achieved record occupancy of 99.1% 

across all properties by April 2010, even 

with the addition of over 1,600 new beds 

to the portfolio. This was an increase of 

approximately three percentage points over 

the previous year’s record. 

Most notably, the 1,021-bed 

UNSW Village development achieved 100% 

occupancy less than two months after 

practical completion. 

Another highlight was achieving 

100% occupancy at SCU Village in semester 

1 2010, after taking it over with 102 empty 

beds in August 2009. At the University 

of Canberra, CLV’s 172 new beds (opened in 

June 2009) filled by August, despite opening 

in a traditionally hard-to-fill period. 

Developments and partnerships 

This year saw the opening of UNSW 

Village, one of the largest complete student 

accommodation builds in Australia. In June 

2010, the architects working on the project 

won a 2010 NSW Architecture Award under 

the Residential Architecture — Multiple 

Housing category. The Urban Development 

Institute of Australia (NSW) also awarded 

the project an award for Excellence 

in Sustainability. 

In addition, CLV acquired 468 

existing beds at Southern Cross University’s 

(SCU) Lismore and Coffs Harbour campuses 

and entered its first partnership with a TAFE 

body at the Northern Melbourne Institute 

of TAFE (NMIT), with a management 

contract for 149 beds. In July 2009, CLV AU 

commenced building 357 new beds on Edith 

Cowan University’s (ECU) Mount Lawley 

campus, scheduled to open in January 2011. 

Relationships 

Relationships with educational 

partners were strengthened by ongoing 

quarterly Village Advisory Board meetings, 

used as a forum to discuss strategy, 

operations and ways of enhancing the 

student experience. Formal board papers 

were introduced for partners, with 

enhancements to the agenda including 

quarterly operations reports, incident logs, 

risk registers and schedules for village 

sinking funds. 


The Live, Learn, Grow residential 

life program was rolled out across Australia in 

2010, following a residential life conference 

held in December 2009 in Sydney. 

The program was presented to educational 

partners at village advisory board meetings 

and received an enthusiastic response. 

To ensure village facilities 

supported the new program, refurbishments 

were undertaken at several properties, 

including a swimming pool at UWS Village, 

a café, student lounge and study space at 

University of Canberra Village, a student 

lounge at Kelvin Grove Student Village 

and a communal kitchen at Griffith 

University Village. 

CLV AU invested in creating 

resources for staff to support the 

successful implementation of Live, 

Learn, Grow. Manuals were developed 

to communicate the goals, standards 

and requirements of the program and 

Residential Assistant (RA) training was 

conducted at every site. 

Support and security were 

increased with the introduction of 

professional Residential Life staff, evening 

duty managers and extended reception 

hours on evenings and weekends. 

Surveys 

To gain an understanding of 

resident needs, CLV AU distributed a 

bi-annual survey to students in April 2010. 

Overall, villages received an impressive 

response rate of 72%. 

In comparison to surveys 

undertaken in 2009, there was a marked 

rise in student satisfaction, with overall 

ratings of the village experience increasing 

from 78% to 84%. Most topics, including 

residential life, scored above the 2010 

target of 75%. 

Staffing 

This financial year, the key staffing 

focus was to increase efficiencies, empower 

staff and clarify responsibilities. 

A philosophy of ‘empowerment’ 

for Village Directors and General Managers 

was implemented across the region. 

This focused on ensuring managers were 

appropriately resourced and empowered 

and had clear accountabilities. 

As a result, occupancy and resident 

satisfaction increased and decision-making 

was timely, responsive and relevant. 

Cost savings and efficiencies 

The new General Manager of 

Risk and Facilities, Keiron Humbler, drove 

a number of national tenders resulting 

in considerable cost savings for areas such 

as cleaning (AU $950,000 over five years), 

waste management (AU $125,000 

for one year) and fire equipment testing 

(AU $280,000 over five years). 

A change of insurance broker to one with 

a portfolio in the higher education industry 

resulted in an annual premium saving 

of AU $180,000 for Australia and 

New Zealand. 

Summer stays 

CLV AU’s summer group 

accommodation product was brought in 

line with the new branding in May 2010. 

Previously marketed under the name 

CLV Smart Stays, the program was 

renamed Campus Summer Stays to 

highlight its unique locations and access 

to campus resources. 

In line with the empowerment of 

Village Directors and General Managers, 

responsibility for summer stays marketing 

was operationalised at a village level in 

March 2010.




New Zealand 

Head office 

Wellington, New Zealand 


2005—Massey University 

1 

4 

11 

% 

*Janet Thompson was 

appointed acting CEO 

of New Zealand on 

August 20 2010 while 

Tom Gregg supports 

key projects for CLV US. 

Tom remains Managing 

Director of CLV NZ. 

new zealand 


properties 


properties 




Janet Thompson 

Acting CEO 

New Zealand * 

Campus Living Villages’ New Zealand 

operations (CLV NZ) had a productive 

year working in partnership 

with the University of Canterbury, 

Massey University and Victoria 

University of Wellington, three 

of New Zealand’s key universities. 

The business continued 

to perform well, achieving 

strong occupancy and high levels 

of resident satisfaction at all 

properties. While bed growth 

remained static in the 09/10 

financial year, relationships 

continued to develop with 

both current and prospective 

tertiary partners. 

In August 2009, CLV NZ 

finalised the move of its Head Office 

from Christchurch to Wellington to 

increase ease of access to partners 

throughout the country. Temporary 

offices were utilised during the 

transition period, with permanent 

offices now secured for the 

10/11 financial year. 

Occupancy 

Overall, occupancy across CLV NZ 

properties remained strong, with 100% 

achieved at three managed locations and 

budget exceeded at Massey University. 


experienced occupancy challenges due to 

restructuring at the site and external issues 

affecting international enrolments. However, 

the Village is now well positioned for the 

2011 academic year with a strong team in 

place, a well-articulated marketing strategy 

and a focus on delivering excellence in 

customer service. 

Financial overview 

By maintaining accommodation 

revenue and reducing operating costs, 

CLV NZ increased net profit on operating 

activities (before tax) by 5.8% compared 

to last year’s figure. 


The Live, Learn, Grow program was 

successfully implemented across CLV NZ 

with immediate and significant benefits, 

including an increase in resident 

satisfaction levels. 

Facebook emerged as a key 

communication tool between village staff 

and residents and this social networking 

presence will continue to be developed. 

UC Accommodation 

Student Village 

University of Canterbury 

Resident satisfaction 

The annual resident survey 

achieved a 60% response rate and 

showed positive overall improvements in 

comparison to last year’s results. Catering 

and safety achieved the most significant 

improvements at 65% and 83% satisfaction 

respectively, compared to 57% and 76% in 

the previous year. Communication was also 

rated highly at 74%, which can be directly 

attributed to the effective use of Facebook 

and other social networking media. 

Satisfaction with residential activities 

increased to 73%, largely due to the rollout 

of the new residential life program. 

Overall, resident satisfaction improved 

from 74% in 2009 to 79% in 2010. 

Development 

Opportunities continue to emerge 

for CLV NZ to assist partner tertiary 

institutions, with discussions underway 

with a number of prospective partners 

in the New Zealand market. 

CLV NZ is working towards a 

unique ‘virtual village’ management concept 

to deliver an effective but affordable 

operational model in response to market 

demand for smaller villages in the region. 

Under this model, all administrative and 

accounting support will be delivered at 

a central location that services other 

operations, while a live-in manager and 

residential staff will focus on stakeholder 

relationships, delivering the Live, Learn, Grow 

program, operations and customer service. 

CLV NZ prides itself on fostering 

social conscience among residents 

and supporting the local community, 

key aspects of the residential life program’s 

Grow element. 

Just before Christmas 2009, 

students at UC Accommodation Student 

Village presented Christchurch Hospital’s 

children’s ward with a cheque for NZ $5,000 — 

the amount that students living at University 

Hall, Ilam Apartments and Sonoda had been 

fined for misdemeanors. 

The children’s ward used the money 

to buy approximately 2,000 books to make 

educational packs for patients aged between 

This approach will allow CLV NZ 

to support smaller operations and provide 

a product relevant to the polytechnic and 

regional markets. CLV NZ is looking forward 

to piloting this model in the near future. 

Qualmark rating 

To ensure ongoing benchmarking of 

accommodation quality, UC Accommodation 

Student Village and Massey University 

accommodation were Qualmark assessed 

for a second year running. 

It was particularly pleasing to 

achieve the Enviro-Silver Qualmark rating, 

as well as the same or improved ratings 

as last year. The Enviro-rating system 

assesses the business’ commitment to 

environmental sustainability and recognises 

businesses that work to reduce their 

environmental impact. 

Systems 

Enhancing the efficiency and 

effectiveness of CLV NZ’s operations is 

a key focus for the business. As part of 

a global initiative, CLV NZ evaluated two 

resident management systems, with 

the preferred system to be implemented 

in time for the 2011 residential offers in 

September/October 2010. The selected 

system is expected to significantly enhance 

reporting, ease national consolidation 

and simplify operations. 

one and seven years old. The hospital, 

which relies on the generosity of groups 

and organisations to continue supplying 

the packs, had almost run out of books 

at the time they received the donation. 

General Manager of 

UC Accommodation, Darel Hall, says, 

“The educational use of the money seemed 

appropriate for a donation from students… 

The charity donation speaks to a higher 

moral purpose and sense of duty to others 

in society.” 

Web-based financial, payroll and 

resident management systems have also 

been implemented across CLV NZ, 

allowing access from anywhere in the 

country and streamlining information 

technology requirements. 

Staff 

CLV NZ has been confirmed as an 

Approved Training Organisation (ATO) by 

the NZ Institute of Chartered Accountants, 

a position that will help the business recruit 

and retain quality accounting staff. 

Derek Anderton, Financial 

Controller for CLV NZ, was a key driver 

of the application process, which included 

offering staff development resources, 

practical experience in accounting and 

access to mentors within or outside 

the organisation. 

CLV NZ now has a competitive 

advantage over other employers, with 

only 270 ATOs operating in the same 

employment markets.





Head office 

Kent, United Kingdom 


2008—University of Salford 

1 

2 * Number of managed 

properties 

7 

% 

*University of 

Bedfordshire student 

accommodation 

comprising both owned 

and managed properties 

reached financial close 

on 2 July 2010. Managed 

beds have been included 

in figures reported for 

the 2010 financial year, 

with new beds still under 

development. 


properties 




Gary Clarke 

CEO 


Campus Living Villages in the 

United Kingdom (CLV UK) completed 

its first full financial year since 

the acquisition of its operating 

asset at the University of Salford, 

where it owns and operates 755 

beds and manages a further 636 

beds on behalf of the University. 

The facility met 96% of 

its first year occupancy target and 

is expected to exceed its target in 

the coming year, having adjusted its 

marketing strategy based on insights 

gained in its first year of operation. 

During the year, CLV UK 

became preferred bidder to build, 

own and operate a 853 bed hall 

of residence on the University of 

Bedfordshire’s Luton campus, as well 

as to manage a further 1,049 beds on 

behalf of the University. This project 

will increase the total number of 

beds owned, operated, managed 

or under development in the United 

Kingdom to 3,090. 

Refurbishments 

During the 2009 summer vacation, 

CLV UK undertook an extensive £2.6million 

refurbishment of Eddie Colman and John 

Lester Courts at the University of Salford. 

The facilities were formally re-opened to 

new residents in September 2009 by the 

University’s Deputy Vice Chancellor, 

Dr Adrian Graves, with a transformed 

reception area, gym, wi-fi café, communal 

catering facilities, group study rooms and 

a range of new amenities. 

The facility will undergo an advanced 

program of further asset replacement and 

upgrading over the next 10 years. This project 

will commence with the upgrade of lifts in the 

coming summer period. 

Market environment 

CLV continues to focus on expansion 

in the United Kingdom, with the economic 

environment providing both challenges 

and opportunities. In December 2009, 

the Labour Government commissioned an 

independent review of the current tuition fee 

structure and announced an initial 7% cut in 

central grant funding to the higher education 

sector in the forthcoming year. In May, 

a new Conservative-Liberal coalition entered 

Government pledging to continue to reduce 

the country’s deficit, including the prospect 

of further reductions in grant support for 

the sector. 

Conversely, the number of student 

applications continues to rise, with 675,000 

first year students applying for places 

for the 10/11 year (a 12% increase on 

the previous year. Source: Universities 

& Colleges Admissions Service). Some 20% 

of these students are expected not to 

receive a place at a UK university. 

It is anticipated that the reduction 

in funding support will result in increased 

outsourcing of accommodation and other 

non-core campus services to private sector 

operators such as CLV. 

Staffing and resourcing 

As operations continue to grow 

in the UK, a number of strategic staffing 

appointments have been made. In April 

2010, Robert Moyle was appointed General 

Manager of the CLV owned and managed 

properties at the University of Salford. 

Robert was previously General Manager 

of CLV’s highly successful University of 

Canberra Village in Australia, joining the UK 

team on a long-term secondment. At the 

same time, Sean McKeown from CLV AU 

was appointed Commercial Director. 

Rob Johnston, previously Director of CLV’s 

well respected Sydney University Village, 

was also appointed to the UK operations 

team, with a view to taking up the role of 

General Manager at the new University 

of Bedfordshire Village following completion 

of the transaction. The addition of 

expertise from Australia ensures that 

the CLV operational model continues 

to be implemented successfully, delivers 

consistency across global operations 

and effectively brings operational 

experience into the business to support 

continued growth. 

In June 2010, Joanne Sexton joined 

the business as Head of Finance with 

searches initiated to recruit the additional 

roles of Marketing Manager and Project 

Manager for the region. 

Due to growth in the business, 

CLV UK will be relocating its Kent head 

office to London in the 10/11 financial year. 

Heads of terms were signed in June 2010 

for 2,000 square feet of office space, which 

will comprise the new headquarters for 

the UK business. The new London location 

will ease access to major transport routes, 

villages around the country and prospective 

business partners. 


When CLV took over the 

management of the 1,391 beds at the 

University of Salford, a key appointment to 

the management team was the professional 

Resident Life Coordinator, Alex Mayes. 

Within three months of joining CLV UK, 

Alex had implemented an intensive six-day 

training program to equip the Resident 

Assistant (RA) team with skills in project 

management, dealing with difficult people 

and emergency response. 

The RAs who successfully 

completed the training were actively 

involved in running the residential life 

program and building and maintaining 

networks in the village and the wider 

community. On arrival, each new resident 

was greeted and shown around by an RA, 

encouraged to attend welcome events and 

supported with mentoring and guidance. 

Throughout the academic year, 

residents had access to a planned program 

of events to support social, academic and 

personal development, including orientation 

activities, study groups, life skills training 

and community involvement. These events 

successfully created a sense of community 

and encouraged interaction between 

village residents. 

united 

kingdom 

Student Village 

University of Bedfordshire 

On 27th January 2010, CLV was 

appointed preferred bidder to construct 853 

beds of new accommodation in two phases 

on the University of Bedfordshire’s main 

Luton campus. The total project is expected 

to cost £42million, and will be developed 

in two phases: 579 rooms to be delivered 

in September 2011 and a further 274 rooms 

to be delivered in September 2012. Leading 

global construction consultant, Davis Langdon 

is CLV’s development partner, while Kier 

International, a well regarded global civil 

engineering company, will be delivering the 

project on a fixed price turnkey basis. 

The accommodation will be fully 

ensuite, with a range of standard, deluxe and 

studio rooms, and will benefit from extensive 

communal areas designed to provide quiet 

study rooms, active recreational areas and 

a fully equipped gym. 

CLV will operate the facility under 

a 35 year Strategic Partnering Agreement 

with the University, and will include within 

its operational brief the management of 1,049 

rooms of University owned accommodation 

initially, then 854 beds once Manor Court is 

demolished. The CLV development forms part 

of the University’s £150million transformation 

project at the Luton campus. 

The University of Bedfordshire 

project will increase CLV’s footprint in the 

UK to over 3,000 beds, and represent its 

first major greenfield development. 

CLV UK achieved financial close 

on the Student Village at the University 

of Bedfordshire on 2 July 2010.


Brand story 

brand story 

Implementing the brand 

Following the 2009 launch of the 

new brand, CLV undertook extensive 

rebranding throughout the financial 

year across all four countries 

of operation. 

Through village advisory boards 

and management committees, partners were 

introduced to the new look and the rationale 

for the brand direction. The response 

was distinctly positive, with all partners 

expressing their support for CLV’s new 

direction and working collaboratively with 

CLV to implement the new look. 

Over the following months, 

CLV conducted a gradual transition to 

the new branding, with properties using 

up existing stock before receiving new 

collateral to ensure waste and costs were 

minimised. By the end of June 2010, almost 

all owned CLV properties had been equipped 

with new material, including flyers, signage, 

stationery and uniforms. 

In October 2009, the Australian 

digital design agency, Reactive, was 

appointed to develop the new village, 

country and corporate websites in line with 

the new brand. The new websites are due 

to be launched in the 10/11 financial year. 

The brand has already won 

international recognition with selection into 

the prestigious Logo Lounge 6 publication 

from over 35,000 entries, and a gold award 

for Large Scale Identity Development at the 

2010 Best Design Awards. 

Sales and marketing developments 

In addition to the brand rollout, 

CLV also developed a range of 

marketing tools to maximise 

occupancy, support cost-effective 

recruitment and ensure consistent, 

professional presentation across 

the board. Virtual tours and 3D 

apartment floorplans were especially 

effective, allowing residents and 

potential partners to experience 

new or proposed villages before they 

even existed. 

CLV also pioneered the effective 

use of social networking sites in the sector, 

with benefits for both recruitment and 

residential life. A social media guide was 

developed to help village staff manage 

their online presence, handle comments 

and queries, monitor content and most 

importantly, create effective online 

communities. Marketing staff from CLV 

US and AU presented at a number of 

conferences on this topic, demonstrating 

the calibre of CLV’s engagement in the 

medium. Targeted online advertising was 

also used particularly effectively. 

In hardcopy collateral, CLV moved 

towards the production of higher quality 

brochures, designed to convey a sense of 

value and provide potential residents with 

an insight into each village’s community. 

Proving particularly popular with residents 

and parents alike, the new village ‘guides’ 

captured each site’s unique experience and 

provided a forum to showcase the quality 

of the facilities and the resident experience. 

Publication designed by 

STRATEGY Design & Advertising 

www.strategydesign.com.au 

Kelvin Grove Student Village 

Brisbane, Australia

Campus Living Villages Pty Ltd 

Pier 8/9 Walsh Bay, 23 Hickson Road 

Sydney NSW 2000 Australia 

P +61 2 9270 1600 

E info@clv.com.au 

campuslivingvillages.com

Annual Review - Campus Living Villages

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