This study investigated and analyzed how lateral transfer students who commute to college made sense of their transition and belonging between four-year institutions. Based on student mobility patterns, the lateral transfer population exceeds the number of community college transfers within the landscape of higher education. Colleges need to…

Suggests ways to create community within individual courses in order to increase the involvement of commuter students. Describes application of these strategies in an introductory course on leadership and organizational behavior. Proposes seven principles for creating community within individual courses, including recognizing differences in…

The purpose of this study was to understand the extent to which students' psychological sense of community was influenced by IM use using the psychological sense of community theoretical framework created by McMillan and Chavis (1986), and the student development theoretical frameworks created by Schlossberg (1989) and Astin (1984). Thus, this…

Proposed a causal model to examine the impact of resident living on student development. Tested the model with 4,191 college students. Secondary analysis indicated that the influence of on-campus living on intellectual and social self-concept is indirect and mediated through interactions with faculty and peers. (Author/BH)

Drawing from research on the non-classroom development of commuter and residential college students, presents an overview of the developmental patterns of the two groups and discusses causes of the differences between them. Considers faculty and peer group influences and the development of self-concept. (DMM)

Building on the foundation of research on how critical thinking develops during college and on the extensive research on differences in the resident and commuter student experiences, this article explores aspects of the college experience that might be associated with cognitive development. Analyzes data from six institutions representing 326…

Surveyed 269 freshmen students at a nonresidential college to study faculty influence on student development in a commuter setting. Results suggested that the quality of student-faculty interactions may be more important in the personal and intellectual development of commuter students than the frequency of the interactions. (JAC)

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…

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…

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…

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…

The impact of the residence hall and commuter living situations on a freshman's intellectual and personal growth is studied. The study affirms previous findings that residence hall freshmen develop more rapidly, but the results suggest that other college experience factors beyond the living situation are important in facilitating student…

This study examined the critical thinking skills of resident and commuter students during the freshmen year, controlled for precollege background and ability. Differences in commuter and resident students' experience, particularly aspects of academic and social integration were also considered. The study sample was a subset taken from a national…

Investigated differences in student attitudes with regard to family independence, peer independence, social consciousness, and cultural sophistication. Results imply that residency status does not necessarily foster individual growth and development as related to independence and cultural sophistication. Suggests administrators should emphasize…

The planning and development of a program to promote interaction among commuter students at Germanna Community College and to provide for their various needs are described. The program involved establishing an Interaction Center (IC) in 1974, centrally located in proximity to the college's learning resources center and library. The center was to…