Examined relationship of first-year intervention to institutional integration, academic success, and persistence of resident and commuter first-year students (n=629) at predominantly nonresidential university. Found group differences on social integration and gender differences on academic success. Higher percentage of intervention participants…

Review of the research on college student persistence summarizes findings in selected areas, including student involvement in campus life, ethnicity, gender, age, on- campus versus off-campus residence, and membership in fraternities and sororities. (Author/DB)

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)

Discusses several ways in which tape-recorded responses by the instructor to student writing can benefit commuter students. Discusses how the audio cassette responses are paired with a series of questions on the writing process and how the author shapes his tape-recorded comments. Notes student responses about the advantages of this approach. (SR)

Based on a previous report comparing commuter and resident freshmen at the University of Maryland, College Park, the analysis of the similarities and differences of commuter and resident students is extended in the students' third year of college. Dependent commuters (defined as living at home or with other relatives) were compared to students…

A survey of a state university's adult commuter students found them less likely to study on campus than at home, using the library infrequently, having little social life or time on campus, not extensively involved in on- or off-campus organizations or events, and generally not experiencing traditional campus involvement. (MSE)

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)

A student survey at the University of Newcastle had three objectives: to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of current styles of living; to determine the attitudes of students toward alternative styles of living; and to assess a variety of related factors affecting housing such as financial status, distance, and mode of travel. (LBH)

This investigation explored the relationship between helping and training as experimental main effects. Subjects (N=53) were randomly assigned to four experimental groups. The results for the experimental main effects are discussed in relationship to self-concept change, helper-communication functioning, and helper-discrimination functioning.…

Examines the dynamics of a constantly changing student population and demonstrates how the definition of "new" changes from year to year and from one area of the country to another. Identifies emerging demographic trends and suggests strategies to anticipate and respond to the needs of each new wave of community college students. (RJM)

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…

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…

A causal model of academic factors affecting undergraduate student persistence at a large, urban, commuter university was tested. The effects of academic variables on persistence from fall to spring semester were also assessed for transfer and native students. The model accounted for 49% of the total variance in persistence, while separate models…

The personal problems and psychological needs of college students may vary according to their living arrangements. To compare the types and number of problems resident and commuter students bring to a university counseling center, the intake data of 345 students (152 dormitory residents, 193 commuters; 177 women, 168 men) seeking individual…