As we witness a growing trend in students living at home to cut costs, we also see a growing need for a direct focus on commuter students to continue their engagement on campus.
Commuter students make up approximately 86 percent of college students nation-wide, according to a study published through the U.S. Department of Education, and comprise of a variety of backgrounds, from full-time to part-time students and 18-year-old freshmen to middle-age parents.
The challenges which face non-residential students are just as vast, and range from a difficulty to fit in; wasted time in transportation; and competing responsibilities as a student, employee and family member, among other barriers.
These challenges which accost commuters have prevented them from participating as fully as they might want to.
In line with these mandates and that approximately 92 percent of CSU East Bay students commute to campus, a significant portion of our university’s energy would be reasonably focused on those who commute.
A 2001 study from the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research and Planning acknowledges the greater success among residential students as opposed to non-residents. At the same time it iterates these findings don’t mean commuters are less motivated but rather often face greater challenges and barriers which prevent them from succeeding.
The effort to reach out to non-residential students is wide and varied, although many institutions, including Biola University, Arcadia University and Bridgewater State College in Mass., have been the most successful in connecting non-residential students to resources through creating a Commuter Life Department.
A Commuter Life Department could provide amenities such as locker rentals in a central location, programs geared towards commuters, databases to help instigate off-campus housing and carpool searches, and usually a hall on campus designed for the non-residential student, which would often include mini-kitchens, complimentary supplies, study as well as recreational areas and rooms to rent overnight.
Since 2007, CSUEB has had the same seven consistent strategic mandates guiding our programs initiatives, focusing on creating “vibrant university villages” as well as “expanded access” to non-residential students.
However, this isn’t always the case.CSUEB commuter students can’t enjoy certain resources such as a carpool database or an exclusive commuter lounge, and on the whole there is a lack of outreach to these students which will aid them in overcoming their specific challenges to becoming involved on campus.
To improve undergraduate education we must first improve the level of involvement of commuter students.
This is an uncontested truth backed up by several studies and programs; the real question lies in how to accomplish this feat.
The Pioneer staff recommends our campus become a leader among the state colleges in California in its focus on commuter students.
The building blocks to develop a strong outreach to commuter students are present on campus but have yet to be utilized and organized in a successful way.
Resources such as a carpool database, programs designed for commuter students and amenities such as a commuter hall or lounge should be developed underneath a firm campus focus on the commuter in addition to current initiatives to create a true commuter outreach.
Obviously, with the state of the budget we understand that developing all of these amenities may not be financially feasible, however we strongly feel the campus’ administration can’t realistically meet students’ needs unless it focuses more on engaging commuter students.
By generating greater involvement among commuter students on campus, we achieve our duty as a center of learning.
