A preview is given of ASHE-ERIC report no. 7 which focuses on commuting students at colleges and universities and how institutions of higher education can begin to respond to these students' special circumstances that are greatly affecting their educational experience. The diversity of commuter students and their educational goals requires the use…

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…

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.…

The authors maintain that student activities within the community college are needed and should be provided. They examine a rationale for such activities, look at some of the unique concerns associated with a commuting student body and offer some guidance for the development of activities for such students. (Author)

Several major studies have identified student commuters as being at particularly high risk for attrition from higher educational institutions. This report reviews the knowledge that exists about students-as-commuters in depth. Among the implications for educational policy makers is the need for commuter institutions to provide opportunities to…

Describes the programs and activities offered by Tulsa Junior College's Metro Campus to meet the social needs and aspirations of nontraditional, commuting students. Points to the use of community resources, college-sponsored recreational activities, and the encouragement of widespread involvement in student government as ways of meeting the…

Three alumni officers offer ideas for developing unique and appealing alumni events for colleges and universities with large proportions of nontraditional students. They include family events, networking and mentoring opportunities, brown-bag lunches, evening courses and events, travel programs, and programs geared to those professions in which…

A student survey at a metropolitan university examined priorities of both traditional and non-traditional students; the survey resulted from anxieties expressed by some students about not having a traditional college experience. The administration was trying to decide whether to allocate resources to create a football program within this commuter,…

This report summarizes results of two 1996 surveys of campus safety at public four-year institutions of higher education. Major findings included: (1) liquor law violations and burglary were the most common crimes, averaging 2.5 to 2.8 per 1,000 enrolled students; the incidence of violent crimes was much lower (.1 to .4 per 1,000 students); (2) 58…

Describes and evaluates eight elements of a comprehensive market-research program for commuter colleges: secondary research with formal environmental scanning, local business community-needs assessment; adult community-member telephone survey, classroom survey, new student survey, focus groups, brainstorming sessions, and survey of college…

Creating a college culture that encourages cultural pluralism requires removal of barriers in the environment. Colleges must (1) not assume that students need to assimilate into their existing culture; (2) extend their geographic and social boundaries; (3) provide support systems; and (4) help faculty understand different culture-based student…

In 1989, a profile was developed of the full-time students attending New Brunswick community colleges (NBCCs), using demographic data, and educational and labor force background information found in student records. Data for the profile were retrieved from the NBCC's Student Information System for the academic years 1985-86 through 1988-89,…

This personal report of classroom experiences at an urban commuter college relates the experiences of a teacher and a group of working-class students studying the book "Utopia," which is also the metaphor for the hoped-for learning experience. The book, illustrated by excerpts from student-submitted work, shows how pedagogical theory leads to…