Commuter Lounge | Photo by Kelsie Tomlinson | The Wright State Guardian
Commuter students make up the majority of Wright State University’s student population, yet they can still feel out of place on campus. Student organizations and the Commuter Student Association aim to help commuter students feel like they belong.
According to national data, 88% of WSU students identify as commuter students.
Commuter Student Association
The Commuter Student Association is the voice of commuter students, connecting them to campus and pushing their involvement. Alaina Collins, president of the Commuter Student Association and Commuter Senator for Student Government Association, believes that the pandemic has convinced more students to choose to commute.
“I feel like with the pandemic and everything, I know like a lot of people are just kind of more comfortable either living at home or living in their own apartment off-campus versus in a dorm where you have shared facilities or share common areas,” Collins said.
Collins also remarks that commuter students seem more pressed for time than their residential counterparts, theorizing it may be due to equal parts the driving time spent and commuters being more likely to have a job on top of being a student.
Collins’ advocacy for commuters has led to improvements in the Commuter Lounge, a university area designed especially for these students.
Debbie Lamp is the associate director for the Student Involvement and Leadership and works with the Commuter Student Association. Despite living away from campus, Lamp says that students often get the same opportunities to get involved with events such as First Weekend or the apps such as CORQ which lists campus events.
“I think sometimes students don’t think of themselves as commuters if they live off of Zink Road, so close that they can literally walk to campus. But they don’t live in campus housing, they’re commuters,” Lamp said.
Student involvement
Student involvement can vary drastically between commuter students due to a wide range of commuting time but also life responsibilities. Kaylee Raines, President of the Korean Club and commuter herself, knows it can sometimes be difficult to get involved on campus as a commuter but tries to accommodate commuter needs. Events take place on and off-campus and carpooling is a regular occurrence.
Getting involved can make commuter students feel more at home on campus.
“College students are busy with homework, earning money, and balancing other obligations. If they choose to participate, they will do so because a club makes them feel included and sparks more fun in their lives,” Raines said.
Campus events are listed on Engage.
