Case Study: University of Minnesota Residential Life Department achieves reliable hands‑free facility communication and improved student safety with Stryker (Vocera Communication Platform)

Facility Communication and Student Safety is Improved Through Innovation

The University of Minnesota Housing & Residential Life supports students across a large Twin Cities campus with nine residence halls and a dispersed facilities team responsible for maintenance, deliveries and student safety. Staff needed reliable mobile communication but concrete and steel buildings made cellular service unreliable, complicating everyday tasks, deliveries and emergency response — the department even managed more than 115 phone numbers to reach people in different buildings.

After piloting and selecting the Vocera Communication Platform (deployed March 2016), staff now use Wi‑Fi–based hands‑free Vocera Badges and secure smartphone texting integrated with landlines and backend analytics. The solution kept workers’ hands free during repairs and bed setups (over 6,500 beds), streamlined deliveries by connecting docks directly to on‑site staff, enabled instant group emergency broadcasts, and improved response times, staff satisfaction and operational efficiency.

University of Minnesota Residential Life Department

Scott Creer

Coordinator