Commuting college students outnumber their residential counterparts by about three to one. Administrators need to become conscious of the needs of these students and strive for practical solutions. (MLF)

Discusses the special needs of commuter students and provides suggestions for improving student services and programs for them. Suggestions are incorporated into an improvement model based on four general categories: services, programs, advocacy, and research. (RC)

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)

Tested hypothesis that living on campus fostered cognitive growth by estimating relative first-year gains in reading comprehension, mathematical reasoning, and critical thinking of resident (n=40) and commuter (n=170) first-year college students. Controlling for precollege cognitive level, academic motivation, age, work responsibility, and extent…

A study was done to explore the relationship between academic achievement and student employment for college students in the arts and sciences and for business students. The study administered a one page questionnaire to students at nine colleges and universities on Long Island, New York, eight of which were primarily commuter colleges with a…

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…

This section contains brief descriptions of innovative practices used on college campuses by counselors. Further information and relevant materials may be obtained from the author. (Author)

The first phase of a study to predict retention and withdrawal among disadvantaged students at an urban commuter institution is described. Variable selection for the study was guided by Tinto's (1975) and Bean's (1982) models. Pilot testing was undertaken to estimate some psychometric characteristics of Pascarella and Terenzini's institutional…

Social and experiential needs of commuting students are discussed along with the role to be played by institutions in meeting these needs as the institutions attract more and more nontraditional students. (LBH)

The extent to which informal contact socializes students by influencing their educational aspiration level in a commuter setting was investigated using a longitudinal data collection with the student as unit of analysis. Significant interactions between informal faculty-student contact and race were found. (Author/MLW)

A dean of students looks at the need to streamline services of a two-year college to make them responsive to student needs and to make them financially feasible. (CJ)

This study compared the perceptions of commuting and residential students about pressures, sources of help, and psychological services on a college campus. The two populations differed in their responses to questions about all three areas of investigation. (Author)

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)

Examined factors that might affect wellness among non-traditional-age commuter college students. Findings from 356 traditional- and non-traditional-age commuter students revealed that wellness for both groups was influenced by personal and environmental factors. Quality of support systems and interpersonal relationships had impact on wellness in…