On Sept. 29, Adult and Commuter Student Services kicked off Commuter Student Appreciation Week, in an effort to keep off-campus students connected both to the University and to each other.
Approximately 90 percent of U of M students commute to campus, according to Heather Hampton, office coordinator of the ACSS. Hampton was one of them.
“Adult students juggle multiple responsibilities outside of class,” Hampton said. “They have families, they work full or part-time, a lot of them may even be taking care of parents, so their time is very compacted and they don’t have a lot of flexibility.”
A commuter student is one who is living off campus. This student may be living at home with their parents or other family members, sharing an apartment with roommates or living in a residence of their own.
Elisa Brooks, junior psychology major, is a commuter student at the U of M. Before coming to the U of M, Brooks lived on-campus. She explained why a student would want to live off campus.
“It’s easier to live in a house with bigger space and split the rent than it is to stay on campus,” Brooks said.
The big question for many first-year students who live close to the University is whether to stay at home or on campus. Staying on campus would keep them from missing out on campus events, but staying off campus is frequently cheaper.
Brooks recommends that first-year students stay on campus so that they can become more involved.
“If you’re at home or if you commute, I feel like you’re missing out on a lot of freshman things,” Brooks said.
Helping students connect to the University is part of ACSS’ mission, and why Commuter Student Appreciation Week exists, says Hampton.
“With such a large population of students, our purpose is to connect them to campus life,” Hampton said. “We also have monthly training seminars that we host. These are designed for the adult and commuter students with a variety of different topics. We try to get in there where we can and let the students know, here are some ways you can get involved as well.”
The ACSS office offers various amenities and services to the students they serve. From a commuter lounge for relaxing, an off campus housing website, transportation information (university carpool and MATA bus schedule), seminar pod-casts, and referrals for tutoring as well as child-care.
The ACSS offers various services to commuter students, including MATA bus schedules, information on carpools to and from campus, seminar podcasts, a housing website, tutoring referrals and childcare. The office itself serves as a lounge for commuter students.
Commuter Student Appreciation Week will continue throughout the week. More information can be found at http://www.memphis.edu/acss/csaw.php.
