This qualitative study explores the nature of undergraduate commuter students' social involvement with peers during the transitional first six months of their university experience. Focus group interviews with 46 participants provided a student perspective of the role of social interactions in students' transition to university life. Findings…

Discusses various aspects of a summer intensive Spanish course, including its evolution, materials used, and how it differs from regular courses. Advantages and disadvantages of the course are given from both the students' and teachers' point of view. (EKN)

Guidelines are given for producing a newsletter to provide information about campus programs, activities, and services of interest to commuting students. The following questions regarding newsletters are answered: (1) What information do commuting students need? (2) What format would be most effective? (3) How can news and articles be obtained?…

Publicity techniques for reaching commuter students are presented in this article. Following a discussion of the special problems associated with reaching commuter students with information, the difference between promotion, advertising, and publicity is explained. Publicity strategies are then provided for: (1) reaching adult students; (2)…

In programing for commuting students, campus programers must take into account their different schedules, time and family constraints, and logistical considerations. Marketing of the resulting programs must be varied and carefully targeted to the students' location. However, with creativity, programing for off-campus students can be successful.…

The goal of the UMaps Project at the University of Maryland, College Park, is to make a large, diverse campus seem smaller and more organized and thus more hospitable, especially to commuting students. The UMaps are a series of six comprehensive guides to academic, vocational, and co-curricular activities which list the opportunities and resources…

A study identified and compared the self-reported social, emotional, financial, and health problems of nontraditional, urban commuting college freshmen to determine their impact on academic success or failure. No significant correlations with achievement were found. Other findings included a greater number of emotional and health problems reported…

SUNY (State University of New York)-Binghamton's Off Campus College (OCC) has developed an inexpensive alternative for providing legal advice to students living off campus. Legal aid needs of off-campus students are greater due to possible disagreements concerning tenancy, security deposits, housing code compliance, utility bills, exterminators,…

A study investigated how long it takes Frostburg State University (Maryland) (FSU) commuter students to drive to courses and how long they were willing to commute to pursue their educational goals. Students and graduates of two local two-year colleges, potential matriculants at FSU, were also asked how long they were willing to drive. Little…

Commuter students are often left out of college programs because their needs and schedules differ substantially from the traditional student for whom the programs are planned. Once the basic educational needs of the commuter student are being met, planners can focus on developing programs geared to other needs of the commuter such as personal…

The proportion of college students commuting to campus grows steadily. Nonetheless, many colleges still think in terms of the residential tradition. A model of institutional adaptation can be used to assess and change college environments for this population. The model focuses on access to institutional programs, basic services, and support. (MSE)

A self-assessment of commuter student programs and services at San Diego State University (SDSU) indicated that the university was doing well in meeting the needs of this population. For many years, most of the students at SDSU have been commuter students. Services and programs that were developed were created with the commuter student in mind.…

In an effort to inform commuter students of services and programs on a regular basis, the University of Maine at Orono launched a campaign consisting of a newsletter and orientation sessions targeted directly at commuter students. The newsletter included topics of special interest to commuter students such as housing services, ridesharing, child…

Four areas of concern to older students who commute are examined: mobility, integrating support systems, multiple life roles, and involvement in campus life. Implications for advising are discussed, and four roles for advisors are proposed. Three illustrative case studies based on interviews are provided. (Author/MSE)

Ways in which colleges and universities can address the needs of off-campus students are presented in this report of a regional conference. The report is offered as a model for similar conferences. Following a brief description of the conference format, ideas are suggested for: (1) building and maintaining community liaisons and resources; (2)…