Describes the Collegium Program at Seattle University (Washington), an effort to create a sense of place and community for commuter students. Explains the context and vision of the collegium idea, the pilot project, desired outcomes (sense of belonging, student participation), and physical/programmatic elements (architectural design, personnel).…

Identifies five key issues to be addressed by college programs attempting to involve commuter students in learning: (1) development of a more commuter-friendly campus environment; (2) support of institutional mission and goals; (3) demonstration of the effectiveness of involving commuter students in learning; (4) cross-functional collaboration;…

Suggests ways to create community within individual courses in order to increase the involvement of commuter students. Describes application of these strategies in an introductory course on leadership and organizational behavior. Proposes seven principles for creating community within individual courses, including recognizing differences in…

Describes a pedagogical approach in which college students learn through working on research and projects in teams, an approach especially beneficial to commuter students who have difficulty forming learning groups. Explains the approach's conceptual framework, use of the approach in different types of courses, the value of learning through…

This introductory essay reviews the literature on commuter students' needs and experiences and compares several theoretical models that can be used to create environments, cultures, and structures that enable commuter students to become deeply involved in learning. Reports data that indicate the importance of increasing students' involvement to…

Reviews the history of living-learning programs at four-year colleges, profiling several programs that include commuter students. Examples of good practice include Murray State University (Kentucky), Northwestern University (Illinois), State University of New York at Stony Brook, the University of Maryland, the University of Michigan, and Yale…

Discusses curricular learning communities as one way of involving commuter students in learning and fostering intellectual and social connections with faculty and peers. Describes three approaches to learning communities (such as clustered courses), pedagogical strategies for involving commuter students (e.g., collaborative learning), and…

Discusses ways that experiential and service learning can contribute to a sense of community for both resident and commuter college students. Considers the theory and practice of experiential education and ways in which experiential learning can involve commuter students with other students, faculty, and the community. (DB)

This paper addresses information technology's potential to change the nature of the commuter student experience. Drawing on research on distance learning, community colleges, and adult student development, it offers suggestions for using technology to create academic community and to foster student learning outside the curriculum, and also…

Exemplary programs that have resulted in greater retention of minority, older, and commuting students are described including: Black students at the University of Delaware, linking cooperative education and educational opportunity at Ramapo College, high-risk adult students at Canisius College, and commuter peer assistance at University of…