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COMMUTER AND OFF-CAMPUS STUDENT PROGRAMS

THOMAS L. DOBBERTEEN
SPA 501
SEPTEMBER 19, 2017
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ABSTRACT

Commuter and off-campus students make up a significant percentage of the current

population of students enrolled in higher education programs. In this paper, the challenges

unique to commuter and off-campus students will be explored, along with various programs that

have been implemented at colleges and universities across the country to serve this unique and

diverse population of students.

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COMMUTER AND OFF-CAMPUS STUDENT PROGRAMS

College is a time that presents students with its own unique set of challenges. For some,

college is the first time a young person experiences life away from home. It is a time to learn

time management skills, adapt to living with a roommate, and deal with homesickness. For

another group of students, the challenges of college include getting up early, finding the best

parking spot on campus, commuting through various types of weather, and finding a spot on

campus to nap before their next class. These students are called commuter (or off-campus)

students. A commuter student is any student who does not live in an institution’s on-campus

housing and commutes to and from class (Jacoby, 2000).

According to Jacoby and Garland (2005), commuter students make up over 80% of the

students enrolled in higher education programs in the United States. They are a diverse

population of the higher education community. They can be traditional or undergraduate

students. They may live with their parents, with their families, or on their own. Some have

chosen to live off-campus for financial reasons, while some live off-campus for family reasons.

They commute by personal car, public transportation, carpool, bicycle, or walking (Jacoby &

Garland, 2005). Regardless of the length of their commute or the method they use to travel, the

fact that these students live outside the campus community “profoundly affects the nature of their

educational experience” (Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education, p.

184).

The challenges that the commuter student population faces are just as diverse as the

population itself. “Just finding the motivation to wake up early, get ready, and make the drive to
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campus can be a challenge,” a commuter student at Kent State University said (Adkins, 2014).

Once on campus, many commuter students must deal with a shortage of parking available on

campuses (Tenhouse, 2017). Commuter students often say that they have a hard time meeting

other students, connecting with faculty, and generally feeling like a part of the campus

community (Adkins, 2014). According to the Council for the Advancement of Standards in

Higher Education (2015), “the relationship of commuter and off-campus students to the

institution has neither been understood nor incorporated into the design of policies, programs,

and practices” (p. 184).

While there is no one-size-fits-all solution for the challenges that commuter students face

during their studies, several colleges and universities have tried to launch programs that will at

very least work to solve some of the more common issues that commuter students face. To guide

the efforts of these programs, the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education

(CAS) has provided “standards and ethical guidelines that would both inform the work of

graduate preparation programs and student affairs educators and guide the self-assessment of

programs (Schuh, Jones, Harper, et al., p. 69).

The CAS Standards and Guidelines state that the primary function of commuter and off-

campus programs is to ensure that “all students must have equitable access to institutional

services, engagement opportunities, and the total educational process regardless of place of

residence (p. 185). These programs should also seek to provide students with the facilities they

need (as determined by institutional self-assessment), ensure that all students are able to benefit

equally from services offered by the institution, provide engagement opportunities for commuter

students to learn and develop, and be in harmony with the institution’s vision for the student

learning experience (p. 185).

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The CAS Standards and Guidelines state that commuter and off-campus student

programs “must assist students with access to institutional resources and in meeting the basic

needs such as housing, transportation, parking, security, information and referral, facilities, food,

computer and internet access, and childcare” (p. 186). The ways that an institution will go about

accomplishing these objectives will be determined largely on self-assessment and the needs of

their students. While many similarities exist between Commuter and Off-Campus Learning

Programs offered at various institutions, no two programs are identical. To help gain a deeper

understanding of the services offered, Commuter and Off-Campus Learning Programs were

studied at New York University, The Ohio State University, and Brigham Young University.

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

New York University is classified as a private not-for-profit doctoral university with over

49,000 students (Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, 2017). Located in

the heart of New York, New York, students at New York University commute via a variety of

methods, including the city’s vast public transportation system. Serving the university’s

commuter student population is the Commuter and Off-Campus Student Programs, a division of

the Center for Student Life. The Program serves to promote a sense of belonging among

commuter students while offering programs to enhance wellness, academic success, and student

connections within NYU” (New York University, 2017).

All incoming first-year commuter students are strongly encouraged to attend the

university’s Commuter Overnight Retreat. This is an opportunity for students to connect with

other first-year students, learn about resources available through the university, and attend

seminars on life as a commuter student. This is also the student’s first chance to meet their

Commuter Assistant. According to the university’s website, Commuter Assistants are

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“experienced upper-class commuter students who are linked with incoming freshman commuter

students and act as personal guides for their entire first year at NYU” (New York University,

2017).

New York University also offers commuter and off-campus students a voice through the

Commuter Student Council. The council serves as advocates for commuter and off-campus

students and voices their concerns to the university (New York University, 2017). The council is

housed in the Hayden Commuter Den, opened in 2015. The Commuter Den offers commuter

students a lounge, study space, a kitchen, and an auditorium for commuter student events (Paik

2015).

THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

The Ohio State University is a public doctoral university with an enrollment of 58,000

students in Columbus, Ohio (Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, 2017).

Commuter and Off-Campus students at Ohio State are served by the Off-Campus and Commuter

Student Services, a division of the Office of Student Life. The department seeks to “improve the

quality of life for off campus and commuter students through education and empowerment, and

to continually build and strengthen university and community relationships” (The Ohio State

University, 2017).

Ohio State’s programs are similar to New York University’s in many ways. The

university has provided students with a lounge space in the student union with a kitchen, study

and recreation space, and lockers that students are able to rent per semester. The goal of the

lounge space in the Ohio Union is “for a commuter student to come to campus in the morning

and use the Union as their ‘home base’ and come back here in between classes to study, eat and
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hang out” (Schneck, 2010). First-year commuter students are encouraged to attend the

university’s “Commuter Preview Day” each fall. This event is similar to a new student

orientation, in that students are able to practice using the Columbus-area public transportation

system, find parking lots closest to class buildings, find classrooms, attend seminars geared

toward commuter student success, and meet their Commuter Mentor. The Commuter Mentor

Program pairs first-year students with a liaison who serves as a mentor and ambassador for the

rest of the academic year. The program is designed to increase the university’s retention rate and

help commuter students feel more connected to the university community (The Ohio State

University, 2017).

Ohio State also offers a unique social network geared specifically toward commuters.

Students are able to search for affordable housing, connect with other commuter students, find

room mates, search university services, and connect with vendors in the Columbus area (The

Ohio State University, 2017).

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY

Brigham Young University is a private not-for-profit doctoral university with a student

population of 30,000 (Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, 2017).

Operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the Mormon

Church), Brigham Young University is known for its strict Honor Code, which governs student

dress, grooming, and behavior (Church Educational System, 2015).

Despite the fact that the university was named a top commuter-friendly institution

(Barton, 2006), and that a significant percentage of Brigham Young University students live off-

campus, the university does not have any type of student life division which serves as a resource
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for its commuter and off-campus students. Instead, students are able to find off-campus housing

through the Brigham Young University Office of Off-Campus Housing, The department offers

students the ability to find university-approved off-campus housing, find students interested in

taking over existing leases, leave feedback regarding off-campus housing, and resolve disputes

with landlords (Brigham Young University, 2017).

In keeping with the university’s honor code, “all single undergraduate students are

required to live in university contracted housing” (Brigham Young University, 2017). The

university says that this allows them to help students who may find themselves in trouble with

landlords or in unsafe conditions (McKell, 2017). The university has, however, faced legal action

multiple times over its housing practices. The university requires that students living in off-

campus housing be segregated by gender to avoid honor code infractions. This is based on a

1978 agreement with the United States Department of Justice. The agreement states that a private

university is allowed to separate students by gender “for moral reasons” (McKell, 2017).

While the programs offered at the three institutions examined are only a small sample of

the programs offered around the United States, it highlights some interesting similarities and

differences in how institutions seek to serve their commuter students. New York University and

Ohio State University both looked for ways to help students feel more connected to the campus

community through mentorship programs, commuter lounges, and commuter-specific orientation

days. Ohio State University and Brigham Young University, while different in their approach to

the commuter student experience, both implement technology to help students find off-campus

housing, find room mates, and develop an online community with other commuters. Just as each

commuter student and each institution are different, so too are the programs institutions

implement to serve the commuter student population.

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Works Cited

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Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah (2017). Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher

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Church Educational System (2015, November 9). Church Educational System Honor Code.

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New York University Commuter and Off-Campus Students (2017). Retrieved from

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New York University, New York, New York (2017). Carnegie Classification of Institutions of

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