Start Here: IT Onboarding Path
Last updated: August 27, 2026
Welcome — this is the home for everything your team needs to connect Housing.Cloud to your campus systems and keep them in sync. Two groups use this section, and you don't both need to read everything: campus IT owns the connection (single sign-on, keys, the data pipes), and the housing / data team prepares the records that flow through it (profiles, inventory, charge codes, occupancies). This page points each of you to the right starting place.
How This Section Works
Most of what's here is universal — the way files, sign-on, testing, and go-live work is the same for every campus, so it's written once. A thinner layer depends on your specific SIS (Banner, Colleague, PeopleSoft, Workday, Anthology); those differences are gathered in one place, Per-SIS Integration Notes, so you only read the part that applies to you. Throughout, your Integrations Specialist is your named guide — questions live in Sero, not a ticket queue.
Find Your Track
Not sure where to begin? Start with the track that matches your role:
- Campus IT — read How Housing.Cloud Works, then Choosing Your Integration Path, then your connection guide (SFTP Setup & Cutover or Ethos Enablement) and SSO / SAML.
- Housing / data team — read How Housing.Cloud Works, then Preparing Your Data, alongside the CSV Schemas for the files you'll build.
The Path, by Phase
If you'd rather follow the journey end to end, here's what to read at each stage of onboarding:
| Phase | Read this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Before kickoff | How Housing.Cloud Works · Pre-Kickoff Technical Intake | Get the mental model; tell us your keys, sign-on, and data formats up front |
| Kickoff → connect | Choosing Your Integration Path · SFTP or Ethos · SSO / SAML | Stand up the connection and sign-in |
| Reference (anytime) | CSV Schemas · Per-SIS Integration Notes · Student Photos | The exact field specs and your SIS's specifics |
| Test & go live | Testing & Go-Live Readiness · Go-Live & Cutover | Prove it works, then cut over |
| After go-live | Managing Your Integration · Troubleshooting & Known Issues | Run it, read the logs, resolve issues |
Do This First
Before the build begins, complete the Pre-Kickoff Technical Intake — a short set of questions about your keys, single sign-on, image source, and data formats. Answering these early is the single biggest thing that keeps an implementation smooth, and "not sure" is a perfectly good answer; it simply tells us where to lend a hand.