Answers to Vendor Questions.docx

Contents

Vendor 1 Questions.

1. On-campus student housing counts:

· For each institution, how many students currently live on campus (headcount and, if available, average occupancy for the last academic year)?

Answer:

2. Current technology ecosystem:

· For each institution/campus, please list the current platform/vendor) for:

· Student Information System (SIS)

· Online payments/payment processor

· Meal plan/dining system

· Door access/access control system Answer:

All campuses - Student Information System (SIS) – Ellucian/Banner All campuses - Online payments/payment processor - Touchnet Meal plan/dining system – CBORD for 3 campuses - TransACT (in RFP) for Eastern Door access/access control system – Andover, Persona, On Guard (Central), Lenel S2 (Eastern), _____________ Southern, CCure and CSGOLD (Western)

3. RFP drivers and objectives:

· What is driving this RFP (e.g., contract end date, system replacement, compliance/security needs, student experience goals)?

Answer: StarRez indicated that THD is end of life in 2028, and we are entering into a contract as a system.

Vendor 2 Questions:

1. Do you expect this to be a product offering (COTS), or can it be a solution that we build specifically for the CSCU’s requirements?

Answer: product offering

2. If a custom solution, what would be the expectation if there is any demo?

Answer:

3. Who is the incumbent vendor currently providing similar services?

Answer: StarRez/Adirondak/THD

4. Is the incumbent vendor allowed to participate in this RFP?

Answer: Yes

5. What system is currently being used for these services?

Answer: THD

6. What are the current limitations and challenges that you are facing?

Answer: Central: THD is receiving fewer updates and innovations from StarRez as it gets closer to 2028. Roommate matching, and the overall look and feel of the software have not been substantially updated since 2019 when THD V was released.

7. Can you please share details including a) Name of the existing data sources and their types b) estimated size of each data source and its YoY growth rate c) where it is hosted?

Answer:

a. ?

b. ?

c. Software is currently hosted by StarRez

8. Do you expect the vendor to migrate the existing data into the new solution?

Answer: Yes, we are hoping to capture as much legacy data as possible.

9. Do you expect the vendor to develop a data warehouse as a centralised repository to store data from disparate data sources?

Answer: No

10. Who will be responsible for hosting the solution?

Answer: Vendor

11. What is the hosting preference – Cloud vs On-prem?

Answer: Cloud

12. What hosting provider is currently being used for the existing system, and will the awarded vendor be expected to continue with this provider or propose and manage a new hosting environment?

Answer: unsure

13. What is your preferred hosting service provider (AWS or Azure)?

Answer: does not matter

14. Do you have any streaming data sources? If yes, please mention in detail.

Answer: no

15. Do you have any technology preferences in terms of developing the reports/dashboards (Power BI or Tableau)?

Answer: Power BI and Insights

16. Can you please specify the number of dashboards that need to be developed?

Answer: enough to manage all housing related functions (e.g., applications received, cancellation requests)

17. How many users do you have? Please provide the internal and external users who utilise this system.

Answer: Staff (student/professional) - Central 160, Eastern 120, Southern 120, Western 60 Students during housing selection – 2,500, 2,300, 2,500, 1,589

18. Who are the primary stakeholders collaborating with the vendor, and what are their roles?

Answer: Residence Life (functional users) IT (working to develop integration between software and SII)

19. “Does more than 75% of your company’s security staff have security industry certification, such as from the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification program (www.isc2.org) or Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC; www.giac.org)?” Is this a mandatory requirement?

Answer: no

20. Are there any 3rd party software or tools that need to be integrated? If yes, can we assume that the CSCU provides an API for Integrations?

Answer: Yes, they have to be integrated and you must use Elluician’s API, ongoing support and maintenance would mirror current level provide by StarRez

21. What are the expectations and timeline for ongoing support and maintenance after the system is implemented?

Answer:

Support Response Critical Functions (Core Platform, Security, Data Access)

22. Do you have an estimated project start date and desired go-live date? Please mention in months.

Answer: By campus somewhere between July 1, 2026 and July, 2027

23. Do you expect the vendor to perform any tasks on-site, or can all work be performed remotely?

Answer: remote is fine, but some interactions may be needed on-campus

24. Do you accept offshore resources?

Answer: no

25. What is the approved budget or range allocated for this project?

Answer: best price please Vendor 3 Questions.

Salesforce & Platform Questions

1. Does CSCU currently have an enterprise Salesforce license or instance in use?

Answer: Nitti Pandi

2. Does CSCU have a preference for platform-based solutions (Salesforce, ServiceNow, etc.) versus standalone housing management systems?

Answer: No.

3. If CSCU currently uses Salesforce, are there existing integrations with SIS, ERP, or student services that a housing solution could leverage?

Answer: Yes, we want integration Integration & Technical Environment

4. What Student Information System (SIS) and ERP/Bursar systems are currently in use at each campus? Are they shared across campuses or institution-specific?

Answer:

Ellucian Banner – accounts receivable – for audit/reporting Touchnet – for payments Institution specific

5. Does CSCU have an enterprise integration platform (e.g., MuleSoft, Boomi, Workato) or middleware layer already in place?

Answer: No for most, Informatica (Western)

6. Which campus card/access control systems are in use? Are there existing APIs or integration points available?

Answer:

Central Andover, Persona, OnGuard Eastern - Campus Card – LenelS2 for doors, TransAct for meal plans Southern – LenelS2 Western – CCured, CSGold

7. What meal plan/dining management systems are currently deployed at all campuses and is in RFP process (where dining integration is Required)?

Answer:

TransAct for meal plans (Central and Eastern) CBORD – (Southern and Western)

8. What facilities/maintenance management systems (e.g., WebTMA, SchoolDude, ServiceNow) are in use at each campus?

Answer:

Llumin – (Central) Accruent Maintenance connection in the cloud (Eastern) SchoolDude (Southern and Western) Southern is moving to WebTMA

9. Does CSCU have an existing enterprise marketing solution that could be integrated with to enable email and SMS delivery? If so, which tool(s) is/are available?

Answer:

Email – Microsoft

10. For the Data Security & Encryption requirement, SCSU has indicated that the feature is “Required, prefer 3 or higher”. What does the 3 refer to?

Answer: see SCSU (Steve will update from their IT dept)

11. In the Deployment Model requirement, ECSU has indicated that “Cloud-native SaaS, multi-tenant architecture with tenant isolation options.” is required. Should we interpret this to mean that ECSU seeks an isolated implementation (i.e. their own independent tenant)?

Answer: Yes, each campus should have their own tenant Current State & Priorities

12. What housing management system(s) are currently in use? What are the primary pain points driving this replacement?

Answer: THD will be sunset 2028 and a replacement must be found.

13. For requirements marked as "Required" by some campuses and "Preferred" by others, should vendors prioritize meeting all "Required" items, or is there flexibility for phased implementations?

Answer: Required items must be ready at launch.

14. Are there specific features or workflows that CSCU considers "deal-breakers" if not available out-of-the-box versus acceptable to implement through configuration or customization?

Answer: Needs to be a SAAS Safe Integration Implementation & Timeline

15. What is the expected go-live timeframe? Are campuses expected to go live simultaneously or in phases?

Answer: Campuses will go live at different times.

16. Does CSCU have internal IT resources available to participate in configuration, integration development, and ongoing administration, or is full managed services expected from the vendor?

Answer: Full managed services, it should all be managed by the vendor.

17. Is there a defined budget range that would help vendors propose appropriately scoped solutions (base platform + required customizations)?

Answer: The vendor should provide their best price.

Scope & Use Cases

15. Beyond the four state universities, will any community colleges or Charter Oak State College require housing management capabilities now or in the future?

Answer: No.

16. For Summer/Conference Housing requirements, what is the typical volume of non-traditional housing bookings (conferences, camps, short-term stays) annually?

Answer: Central – greater than 10 groups, Eastern 3 groups, Southern - greater than 20 groups, Western - TBD

17. Does CSCU envision the selected solution expanding beyond housing to include other campus resource booking (e.g. event spaces, study rooms, equipment, or fleet vehicles)?

Answer: It is not a requirement but may be looked at.

Sizing & Licensing

18. The RFP notes a system-wide enrollment of ~75,000 students. To ensure accurate subscription pricing, what is the estimated total number of residential beds currently managed across the four participating universities?

Answer:

19. What is the estimated number of administrative staff users (e.g., Central Housing Staff, Hall Directors) who will require full backend access to the system for configuration and management?"

Answer: Central 15, Eastern 16, Southern 25, Western 10

20. How many other staff (professional or student) will need access to the system?

Answer: Central 145, Eastern 130, Southern 110, Western 60

Understanding Your Needs

21. What are the primary business objectives you aim to achieve with this project?

Answer: Having a student portal that collects housing applications, maintenance requests, save and develop reports, online room selection process for students, email and SMS messaging, billing and housing deposits, room inventory management,

22. Are you open to a phased implementation? If so, what order do you anticipate onboarding the campuses / departments / teams that will leverage the solution?

Answer: Yes

23. Can you provide a detailed description of your current IT environment and any existing systems that need to be integrated?

Answer:

Ellucian Banner – housing assignments and billing, meal plans Door access Meal plan

24. What are the critical success factors for this project?

Answer: New software that seamlessly integrates with Banner and is easy to use by students and staff.

Budget and Resources

25. Has a budget been allocated for this project? Can you share funding sources, and budget amounts?

Answer: Budget is to be determined.

26. Are there any constraints or limitations we should consider when proposing a solution?

Answer: Best price is appreciated.

27. What internal resources will be available to support the implementation?

Answer:

Need to work with IT for API keys and implementation along with some housing staff, but the work needs to be done by the vendor.

Project Scope and Requirements

28. Are there institutional Milestones or Software renewal deadlines that are driving your timeline? If so, can you please provide additional details?

Answer: THD sunsetting in 2028 and systems going to Banner SaaS

29. In the process of researching potential solutions and/or preparing this RFP, has the team engaged in conversations and/or seen demos of any specific products? If so, can you share a list?

Answer: No.

30. Has your team conducted a strategy engagement inclusive of defining current and future state business process diagrams? If so, will this information be shared with the selected partner?

Answer: No.

31. Is there an existing Data Governance process/committee in place?

Answer: No

32. Does your team have existing reporting tools that are currently being leveraged? If so, please list out applicable tools that maybe in consideration for this project.

Answer: PowerBI, Insights, WebFocus, Argos.

33. For mobile app functionality, is it desired to have applications published to the Apple App and Google Play stores or does browser-based mobile functionality meet requirements?

Answer: browser based mobile functionality is reqyured.

Vendor Selection Criteria

34. What criteria will you use to evaluate and select a vendor?

Answer: Please see the information in the RFP

Foundational

35. Have you identified roles and staff to be assigned to this project? Can you share a list of these roles? Are these roles part of a current team, or planned hires?

Answer:

No

Integration and Data

36. Can you describe any IPAAS (Integration Platform as a Service) or ETL (Extract Transform Load) tools that are available for this project?

Answer: Ethos APIs (Banner/Ellucian), DataConnect, Informatica

37. Does your institution have a data lake? If so, please specify the underlying technology. Are you considering an approach that leverages the data lake to meet the reporting needs specified in this RFP?

Answer: Future state with Insights (TBD at some campuses)

Additional Questions

38. Do you have a preferred payment processor that will be leveraged for this engagement?

Answer: TouchNet

39. Are you open to a solution built on a Platform as a Service tool, which would provide best in class utilities for many of the desired features (e.g. data security and management, workflows and automations, and intuitive UI/UX)? This will provide the ability for your team to be flexible and responsive with future needs but would require modification during implementation to meet the specific functional requirements.

Answer: No

Licensing Questions

40. We often find it in our customer’s best interest to have separate contracts with our firm as the implementation partner and vendors that provide software as a service. For the purposes of this RFP, if our proposed solution is selected, can multiple contracts be awarded?

Answer: No.

Vendor 4 Questions.

1. Procurement, award structure, and contracting

1.1. Contracting entity: Will the contract be executed centrally by the System Office with institutional participation, or will each institution execute its own agreement/order form?

Answer: The Contract will be executed centrally by the System Office. Each institution will enter an order form at its discretion.

2. Institutions in scope and deployment model

2.1. Please confirm which institutions are in scope for initial rollout (e.g., CCSU, ECSU, SCSU, WCSU; Charter Oak; CT State Community College campuses).

Answer: CCSU, ECSU, SCSU, and WCSU.

2.2. Does CSCU prefer a single tenant/instance supporting multiple institutions (with segmentation/role-based access), or separate instances per institution?

Answer: multiple tenants

2.3. To what extent should the solution support institution-specific processes (contracts, room selection rules, communications, fee logic), versus a standardized system-wide model?

Answer: Campus specific

2.4. Is institution-specific branding required for student-facing portals/communications?

Answer: Yes

3. Implementation timeline and phasing

3.1. What is the desired go-live window (term/season) for the initial implementation?

Answer: varies by campus between July 1, 2026 and July 1, 2027.

3.2. Is CSCU open to a phased rollout by institution and/or functional scope (e.g., core housing first, conference housing later)?

Answer: Phased roll out by institution.

3.3. Please provide the expected dates for vendor selection, contracting, implementation start, UAT, and go-live.

Answer: As soon as we can.

4. Core functional scope

4.1. Which application types must be supported at go-live (first-year, returning, summer, break housing, graduate, family, special programs)?

Answer: all of them

4.2. What are the required eligibility/validation rules (e.g., deposit, holds, conduct, immunization, billing status), and what systems provide these inputs?

Answer:

Banner/Ellucian - holds, deposits, immunization, billing status, applications Conduct Maxient

4.3. What room selection approach is required (time slots/lottery, cohorts, credit thresholds, special programs, priority populations)?

Answer: all of the above

4.4. How is room inventory managed today, and are there shared room types or campus-specific rules?

Answer: THD manages all housing assignments

4.5. What processes are required for inventory lifecycle management (taking rooms/beds offline/online, capacity changes, space repurposing, and mid-term reassignment)?

Answer: all of the above but not limited to that.

4.6. Should the solution provide native e-signature or integrate with CSCU’s existing e-signature platform?

Answer: yes, native e-signature

4.7. Is conference/summer housing required in the initial scope? If yes, please describe booking models (groups/blocks/rates/contracts) and billing requirements.

Answer: no.

4.8. What housing models are in scope (e.g., traditional residence halls, apartments, family housing)?

Answer: traditional, suites, and apartments.

4.9. Are summer housing, conferences, or short-term housing included?

Answer: no.

4.10. Which channels are required (email/SMS/in-app)? Are there existing CSCU-approved tools that must be used?

Answer: email, SMS and there are no required tools to use.

4.11. Do you have a call center that supports the housing process? If so, how many employees work there and how many inquiries do they field each day?

Answer: no

4.12. Do you currently have a chatbot or AI Agent that helps facilitate this process now?

Answer: No, but we are open to it.

5. Billing, payments, and financial integrations

5.1. What system is the system of record for student accounts receivable and billing (SIS AR module or other)?

Answer:

Banner Ellucian/TouchNet

5.2. Which events must generate charges or credits (assignment, proration, cancellations, damages, deposits, fees, conference housing)?

Answer: All of the above, and meal plans.

5.3. Is there a mandated payment gateway/provider? Are recurring payments required?

Answer: TouchNet and Elucian and we do not mandate recurring payments.

5.4. Are refunds required (deposits/overpayments), and what is the expected workflow and system of record?

Answer: Yes workflow TBD

6. Technical integrations, data, and environments

6.1. Please confirm which integrations are mandatory for initial go-live vs post go-live (e.g., SIS, billing, access control, dining/meal plan, e-signature, payment gateway).

Answer: coordination for department’s meal plans, SIS, billing, access control, payment gateway at go-live

6.2. What housing systems (if any) are currently in use across CSCU institutions (e.g., StarRez, eRezLife, homegrown systems)?

Answer: THD

6.3. Do all the colleges have the same platforms e.g. SIS and card reader or are they all different.

Answer: no, there are several different platforms for door access across the system but we all use the same SIS.

6.4. Does CSCU prefer real-time APIs, scheduled batch/file transfers, or a hybrid? Are there standards or a preferred integration platform (ESB/iPaaS)?

Answer: real-time APIs

6.5. What historical data must be migrated (years of housing history, contracts, charges, maintenance, inspections/photos)? How many records are there?

Answer: Housing history and charges for the last 7 years, record count is uncertain.

6.6. Are there known data quality or standardization challenges across campuses that proposers should plan for?

Answer: no

6.7. Will CSCU evaluate functional fit strictly on out-of-the-box capability, or will configuration and low-code customization be considered acceptable?

Answer: Preference is out of box capability

7. CSCU staffing and governance

7.1. Please confirm CSCU’s expected project roles and availability (executive sponsor, project manager, functional SMEs per campus, IT/security lead, integration lead, testing lead).

Answer: yes, we will have those, people TBD

7.2. How will cross-institution decisions be made (governance structure) when business processes differ between institutions?

Answer: each campus will have their own rules.

8. Multilingual

8.1. Which languages is the solution expected to support?

Answer: English and Spanish

9. Reporting

9.1. What standard housing reports are required at the campus level vs. system level?

Answer: System level reporting should be census reporting, but campus should be building rosters, building and rate codes, occupancy reports, meal plan reports, student hold information, no show reporting, etc.

10. Assumptions and constraints

10.1. Are there any non-negotiable constraints not explicitly captured in Attachment A (e.g., required third-party tools, data residency, state policy requirements, procurement constraints)?

Answer: Integration with Ellucian

10.2. Are there known functions CSCU explicitly does not want included (or wants addressed only as optional alternates)?

Answer: no.

11. Licensing Questions

11.1. What are the expected number of seats expected for:

11.1.1. System Administrators

Answer: Central 4, Eastern 3, Southern 4, Western 3

11.1.2. Full time users

Answer: Central 13, Eastern 15, Southern 23, Western 10

11.1.3. Part time users

Answer: Central 132, Eastern 110, Southern 250, Western 60

11.1.4. Number of housing students

Answer: Central 2,600, Eastern 2,100, Southern 2,500, Western 1,589

11.1.5. How many housing applications do you field each year?

Answer: Central 4,000, Eastern 4,000, Southern 4,500, Western 3,000 – this is applications for semester housing and break period housings. We are unsure if you mean just academic year housing or break period included.

Vendor 5 Questions.

1) Scope and participating institutions

1. Contract extension / piggyback: The RFP notes that any resulting contract(s) may be extended to other constituent units of higher education (voluntary use). Can CSCU clarify whether CSCU anticipates that other units may purchase under the resulting award, and whether proposers should include any assumptions/volume considerations for potential optional adopters?

Answer: There is no anticipated use by other constituent units at this time.

2. Single vs. multiple awards: CSCU indicates it may award contracts to multiple vendors. Can CSCU clarify whether the intent is a single award or multiple awards, and if multiple awards are made, how CSCU anticipates institutions will select among awarded vendors (e.g., secondary evaluation, mini-bids, etc.)?

Answer: At this time, it is anticipated that only one vendor will be awarded. However, CSCU reserves the right to multi-award.

3. Tenant/model expectations: If multiple institutions are included, does CSCU prefer a single system-wide instance/tenant or separate instances/tenants per institution under one master agreement?

Answer: our own tenant.

4. Scale inputs for pricing: For proposal and pricing purposes, can CSCU provide (or confirm where it is documented) the estimated bed counts by institution?

Answer: Is current occupancy and bed counts

2) Proposal submission logistics and required forms

6. Electronic signatures: Since submission is via email, can CSCU confirm whether electronic signatures are acceptable on required forms (e.g., Contract Proposal and Bidder Qualifications forms)?

Answer: Electronic signatures are acceptable.

7. Ethics Form notarization: The OPM Ethics Form 1 instructions require signing “under oath” in the presence of a notary/commissioner and submission at time of proposal. Can CSCU confirm that a scanned copy of the notarized form is acceptable with the emailed proposal (and whether originals are required later)?

Answer: A scanned emailed copy is acceptable.

8. Formatting / page limits: Are there any page limits, required font/formatting standards, or a preferred response structure for the “Overview” and “Proposal” sections listed in the submission requirements?

Answer: No.

3) Attachment A requirements and response expectations

10. Response format for Attachment A: Does CSCU prefer vendors respond to Attachment A using Yes/No/Partial plus narrative, and should vendors provide screenshots, workflow descriptions, or references to documentation as supporting evidence?

Answer: Please see the instruction tab for further details. Additionally, the Yes/No/Partial (with an explanation) is required. We will accept additional information in a separate format (pdf, etc) if necessary and appropriate.

11. Support/maintenance definition: The criteria calls out “critical and non-critical system operational support.” Can CSCU define what it considers critical vs non-critical (e.g., severity levels, response times, resolution targets), or confirm if CSCU has standard severity definitions it would like vendors to use?

Answer: Please see a Support Matrix below. We are willing to review what your company offers.

Support Response Critical Functions (Core Platform, Security, Data Access)

4) Evaluation process and demonstrations

13. Scoring/weighting: Can CSCU share any scoring rubric or weighting across the stated criteria (functional, technical, support/maintenance, cost), even if approximate? The RFP notes that the listed order is not indicative of relative importance.

Answer: CSCU will use a priority tier approach:

Tier 1 (Must-Have): Core Functional and Technical requirements Tier 2 (Important): Price, scalability, support model Tier 3 (Value-Add): roadmap alignment, integrations, implementation

However, while evaluation criteria are outlined above, CSCU reserves the right to apply internal weighting and judgment in determining overall best value. No single criterion will necessarily be determinative.

14. Shortlist/demos timeline: The RFP indicates CSCU may conduct meetings including demonstrations/interviews and may shortlist proposers. Can CSCU share an estimated timeframe and expected demo format (virtual vs on-site; scripted scenarios vs open demo)?

Answer: The anticipated demo timeline is 2/23-27/2026 and 3/9-13/2026. The demos will be via Teams and are anticipated to follow the following timeline:

1. Welcome and Introductions (5 minutes)

· Opening remarks – Amy Horn, CSCU

· Overview of meeting purpose, structure, and expectations

· Introductions of vendor and institutional participants

2. Company Overview and Background (10 minutes)

· Company overview and experience in higher education

· Summary of client base and relevant implementations

· Overview of support and implementation structure

3. Functional Demonstration (90 minutes) Demonstrate core RFP functional areas as listed in the RFP.

4. Break (10 minutes)

5. Overview Technical, Security, and Compliance (20 minutes)

· Data security, encryption, and compliance with CSCU standards

· Hosting certifications, backups, and disaster recovery

· Integration approach and API framework

· Cloud-based architecture, hosting environment, and scalability

· Authentication, security protocols, and data protection (SSO, MFA)

· System uptime, redundancy, and performance standards

6. Implementation and Support (15 minutes)

· Implementation methodology and project timeline

· Training and knowledge transfer plan

· Ongoing support, maintenance, and SLAs

7. Pricing Overview (15 minutes)

· Tiered pricing structure by student count

· Optional modules and one-time implementation fees

8. Q&A and Discussion (15 minutes)

· Committee questions and clarifications on functionality and integrations

· Additional demonstrations or deep dives as requested

1. For planning and resource scheduling purposes, can CSCU please confirm the anticipated procurement timeline after proposal submission, including:

1. Shortlist notification timing (if CSCU plans to shortlist proposers)

Answer: We anticipate notifying shortlisted vendors of the request for demonstrations on 2/18/2026.

2. Anticipated award notification date and expected timing for contract finalization/execution

Answer: Contract negotiations, if any, shall commence only after CSCU has determined its intent to award a contract to a vendor, following completion of all vendor demonstrations and CSCU’s internal evaluation and scoring process.

5) Contract documents, terms, and potential inconsistencies

15. Attachment reference clarification (E vs F): The proposal submission requirements list Attachment F – Software as a Service Terms and Conditions, but the evaluation section states awardees must be willing to enter into a contract under the terms and conditions appearing in Attachment E “without exception.” Can CSCU confirm which attachment is the governing SaaS terms document for acceptance?

Answer: Attachment F will govern the access to and use of the solution.

16. Conditional language / assumptions: The RFP notes proposals offering contradictory terms and conditions may be disqualified. Can CSCU confirm whether vendors may include a non-binding list of assumptions/clarifications (that do not alter CSCU terms), or whether CSCU prefers vendors not include any assumptions to avoid being viewed as “conditional”?

Answer: CSCU will accept proposals with a list of non-binding of assumptions/clarifications.

17. Contract period: The Contract Proposal form shows the contract period as TBD. Can CSCU confirm the anticipated initial term, renewal options, and desired start date?

Answer: 3 or 5-year initial term with an option to extend for an additional 5 years or parts thereof.

6) Data security, privacy, audit, AI, accessibility, requirements and insurance

18. Insurance timing and evidence: The RFP specifies insurance limits (including $5M Technology E&O and $5M Cyber Liability) and indicates the Certificate is to be submitted prior to commencement of work. Can CSCU confirm whether proof of insurance is required with the proposal or only after award?

Answer: After award.

19. Security documentation timing: The RFP includes requirements such as annual delivery of SOC reports and annual audit rights. Can CSCU confirm whether security documentation (e.g., SOC reports) should be included in the proposal submission or provided post-award / upon request?

Answer: With proposal

20. AI data-use restriction: The RFP includes restrictions that the vendor must not permit third parties to use Institutional Data in AI models (training/testing/validation) and must allow audit. Can CSCU clarify whether this restriction applies only to training/validation of models, and whether CSCU has a preferred attestation format vendors should provide in their response?

Answer: We do not have a preferred format

21. Accessibility (VPAT): The RFP notes CSCU may request a VPAT (2.4 or later) to evaluate Section 508 compliance. Can CSCU confirm whether it wants VPAT documentation included with the proposal or only provided upon request / for shortlisted vendors?

Answer: It can be provided for shortlisted vendors. However, the vendor should indicate if it is able to comply.

22. FOIA/public records handling: The RFP notes proposals become property of the State and are subject to FOIA. Does CSCU have a preferred approach for proposers to mark confidential/proprietary information within their submissions?

Answer: All proposals submitted in response to this RFP become public records subject to the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act. If a Proposer believes certain portions of its proposal contain trade secrets or confidential commercial or financial information, those portions must be clearly marked and accompanied by a separate redacted copy that may be released in response to a public records request.

23. SIS Integration Scope/Standardization: For the required SIS integration for the CT State Universities (CCSU, ECSU, SCSU, WCSU), can CSCU confirm which Student Information System(s) are in scope and whether all institutions will utilize the same SIS platform and instance/tenant for integration, or whether each institution uses a separate SIS and/or separate instances? If separate, please identify the SIS platform (vendor/product) for each institution and confirm whether integration is expected to be delivered once centrally or separately per institution.

Answer: All Elucian Banner with separate tenants

Vendor 6 Questions.

1. Does CSCU wish for vendors to provide end-user training services as part of their proposals, and if so, for which user groups (e.g., housing administrators, residential life staff, IT, students)?

Answer: Housing administrator, residential life staff, IT

2. Does CSCU wish for vendors to provide proposals for structured change management support (communications, stakeholder engagement, adoption tracking) as part of this initiative?

Answer: no

3. How will CSCU define and measure successful adoption of the new Housing Management Solution across campuses?

Answer: implementation of new software with seamless transitions for students and staff and no more complaints than usual. Staff should not need to do excessive work to get systems in place similar to prior solution. Vendor should be able to provide timeline of what they need so it is built for the contracted launch and vendor should anticipate the needs of the client.

4. Do you need the ability to print contracts and/or invoices?

Answer: yes.

5. Please confirm that you're currently using The Housing Director (THD) by Adirondack Solutions for your housing management system. What are the primary pain points driving this replacement?

Answer: Yes, we use THD. The pain point is that it is end of life in 2028 and that it is limiting in what it provides.

6. Please confirm your SIS is Ellucian Banner and if not, what SIS platform due you use?

Answer: Yes, it is

7. Please provide an estimation for volume of records, by type, that will need to be migrated.

Answer: We will need to migrate 7 years of housing data, primarily housing assignments, billing, and damages. All data is text based.

8. Do you have access to a data warehouse or data lake?

Answer: Not at this time.

9. Do you have an existing housing data archiving process?

Answer: No.

10. How many years of history must be available in the live system for reporting vs stored in an archive?

Answer: at least the last 7 years, ideally all legacy data would be available.

11. For Summer/Conference Housing requirements, what is the typical volume of non-traditional housing bookings (conferences, camps, short-term stays) annually? Do they require separate contract/billing rules?

Answer:

Answer: Central – greater than 10 groups, Eastern 3 groups, Southern - greater than 20 groups, Western - TBD

12. What is the maximum number of "mail-merged" emails sent on single day?

Answer: 3,000 per campus

13. Do you have an existing bulk email tool?

Answer: Outlook

14. Please confirm that user access is managed through the centralized CSCU NetID (Azure AD/Office 365) for Single Sign-On.

Answer: Yes

15. Which campus card/access control systems are in use? Are there existing APIs or integration points available?

Answer:

Andover, Persona, OnGaurd, Ellucian, LenelS2, CCure, CSGold, there is not a current integration but there should be.

16. Given CSCU housing staff & IT capacity, do you have a preferred timeline and or deadline for implementation? If so, is that driven by the retirement of the existing system?

Answer: Launches would be between July 1, 2026 and July 1, 2027 for each campus which is based on staff availability.

17. Is CSCU anticipating a phased rollout by institution, or a single statewide go-live?

Answer: phased rollout

18. Beyond the four state universities, will any community colleges or Charter Oak State College require housing management capabilities now or in the future?

Answer: No.

19. How many ERP/billing systems would this solution need to integrate with to support payment processing and refunds? What vendor products are they? Are you expecting to leverage these vendors in the future state? Are they shared across campuses or institution-specific?

Answer: TouchNet and Ellucian and are institution specific

20. Are there specific features or workflows that CSCU considers "deal-breakers" if not available out-of-the-box versus acceptable to implement through configuration or customization?

Answer: Must have on-line application, roommate matching and selection for current and in-coming student, maintenance requests, guests registration (Southern and Western), and APIs for Elucian and door access systems.

21. Does CSCU have an enterprise integration platform (e.g., MuleSoft, Boomi, Workato) or middleware layer already in place? If so, which tool is in use?

Answer: No for most, Informatica (Western)

22. What is your preferred integration method (API vs flat file) and expected update frequency (hourly/daily/10-min/etc.)?

Answer: API frequency might vary by campus

23. What meal plan/dining management systems are currently deployed (where dining integration is required)?

Answer: CBORD for 3 campuses - TransACT (in RFP) for Eastern

24. What facilities/maintenance management systems (e.g., WebTMA, SchoolDude, ServiceNow) are in use at each campus?

Answer:

Llumin – (Central) Accruent Maintenance connection in the cloud (Eastern) SchoolDude (Southern and Western) Southern is moving to WebTMA

25. What are you using to create & manage housing contracts?

Answer: THD

26. Please provide a comprehensive list of systems that will need to be integrated into the future housing solution.

Answer:

Llumin, Accruent Maintenance, SchoolDude, WebTMA, Elucian, CBORD, Transact, CCure, CSGold, LenelS2, Andover, Persona, On Guard

27. Do you reconfigure inventory (bed/room types or capacity) and if so, how often?

Answer: We do on an as need basis based on occupancy and departmental needs.

28. Does CSCU currently have enterprise Salesforce licenses or an instance in use?

Answer: No.

29. Does CSCU have a preference for platform-based solutions (Salesforce, ServiceNow, etc.) versus standalone housing management systems?

Answer: No.

30. For requirements marked as "Required" by some campuses and "Preferred" by others, should vendors prioritize meeting all "Required" items, or is there flexibility for phased implementations?

Answer: All required items should be ready when software goes live.

31. Is there a defined budget range that would help vendors propose appropriately scoped solutions (base platform + required customizations)?

Answer: Please respond to the compensation matrix provided in the RFP with your best pricing. We will not provide our budget information.

32. What is the estimated number of administrative staff users (e.g., Central Housing Staff, Hall Directors) who will require full backend access to the system for configuration and management? How many support users will need partial access?

Answer: Central 15, Eastern 15, Southern 23, Western 10

33. Does CSCU have internal IT resources available to participate in configuration, integration development, and ongoing administration, or is full managed services expected from the vendor?

Answer: we expect full managed services by vendor.

34. During Room Selection, what is the peak concurrent student count in a 15-minute window (and peak day/time if known)?

Answer: Varies by process and campus but if students are picking at their time (even though they can pick anytime after) it would typically be between 30-90 students.

35. How is Room Selection phased (e.g., time tickets, intervals, cohorts/lottery)?

Answer: all of the above are used at some point.

36. How many distinct roommate eligibility rule sets exist? Are rules limited to bio/demo fields, or do they include cohort-based exclusions (learning communities, athletics, accommodations)?

Answer: all of the above and including students being locked out due to not meeting requirements.

37. How customizable do you need roommate configuration to be? Please provide examples.

Answer: campus specific questions are necessary i.e. halls interested, roommate questionnaires

38. How often are students making updates to their records/how many records do you anticipate a student making from this process?

Answer: multiple times, unknown

39. Please provide totals for bedspaces, rooms, suites, and apartments in scope.

Answer: this would have to be done by university, current occupancy and bed counts are below:

40. The RFP notes a system-wide enrollment of ~75,000 students. To ensure accurate subscription pricing, what is the estimated total number of residential beds currently managed across the four participating universities?

Answer:

Answer: current occupancy and bed counts are below:

41. What's the most amount of end users you would estimate visit the site on an average month?

Answer: unknown

42. Do you complete mass updates for room assignment/edit/cancel?

Answer: yes

43. For mass system updates such as assignment/edit/cancel, is the typical run size campus-wide or by hall/floor/term? What is the largest typical batch?

Answer: hall floor level would not exceed 650 records at any given time per campus

44. Are there required completion windows for mass updates (e.g., before billing/export deadlines)?

Answer: yes