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“line-height: 14px;”>Commuters to any college or university seem to

complain about the same services and how they are left

out.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>”It seems like you have

to get to school early in order to get a good parking space,”

Ashland University junior Amanda Eisel said earlier in the semester

in an interview with a Collegian reporter.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>Although the commuter

students at AU often complain about the parking, the small lounge,

and the feeling of being second class citizens, AU is one of the

schools in Ohio that provides services in order to create a sense

of community for commuter students.

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Parking

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>The parking for

commuter students has always been an issue at AU. Students complain

that there are not enough spaces, or that they fill up early in the

morning, leaving no room for students who have later classes. At

Bowling Green State University, parking is not much better.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>”As far as complaints

go, our parking is crap,” BGSU sophomore Abigail Fisher said. “The

Dean of Off-Campus Student Services has tried to work with the

Parking Services department, but hasn’t gotten that far with

them.”

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>Not only do the lots

fail to accommodate many cars, but the university has begun

construction projects and needs the parking lots as work areas.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>”The parking is too far

from the main buildings, especially since they have taken away some

of the commuter parking for construction,” BGSU senior Gina

Sollazzo said.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>While AU commuters

complain about the parking spaces available, there are two lots

available for commuter students and more rows can be designated for

commuters if need be, according to AU commuter Ian Wharton.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>Commuter

Lounge

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>Another area of

complaint for students at AU is the commuter lounge. Many students

think it is too small and can get crowded. Some schools in Ohio do

not even have an area for commuters to have a home away from

home.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>”We (AU) have the

commuter lounge that is a welcoming space for commuters to hang out

in between classes which features a kitchenette, vending machines,

email stations and plasma TV,” AU Department of Student Life

Advisor Jennifer Washock said.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>Like at AU, other

schools in Ohio have lounges for commuter students. The lounges are

meant to serve as a kind of dorm room for commuter students who do

not have one on campus. They provide a place to relax, store items

and eat between classes.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>Ohio University opened

a new commuter lounge on campus in January 2010. For an incoming

class of 4,000 students, approximately 150 are commuters at OU. The

university felt it was important to provide those students with a

lounge.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>”The lounge gives

[commuters] a connection and often that’s what is missing for

commuters,” Coordinator of Commuter and Adult Student Services and

Assistant Dean Laura Chapman said.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>The students at OU

agree.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>”We don’t have dorms to

go back to,” Shana Snyder, a commuter student mentor said. “So we

made this like a dorm to give commuters what other students

have.”

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>While the intention of

the lounges is good, some students at different schools find it

hard to enjoy them.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>”To be very honest,

some of the commuters are very awkward and so it’s sort of weird to

sit there (in the lounge) and eat with strangers,” AU junior Kara

Mitchell-Mumea said.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>Some of the same issues

are coming up on other campuses as well. BGSU has a commuter lounge

that many of the students enjoy, but some have trouble feeling

welcome there.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>”I love how the lounge

has a microwave, fridge, lockers and extra outlets,” BGSU junior

Sara Fouts said. “It just sucks that I can’t use it without feeling

awkward due to the loud sexual conversations going on.”

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>At least these schools

have commuter lounges for the students. Kent State University,

which has roughly 1,600 commuter students, does not have a lounge

for commuter students.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>”We do not currently

have [a commuter lounge], but are in the process of creating a

proposal to create one,” KSU Graduate Assistant in the Center for

Student Involvement, Billy Bernard said.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>There is a student

center at KSU that has a food court on the main level, a coffee

shop and bar/club on the lower level that are all open during the

day and evening, but this does not make up for not having a place

for commuters to relax during breaks between classes.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>Commuter

Involvement

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>Many times commuters

feel left out of activities on campus and do not feel like a part

of the student body. At AU, there is a monthly e-mail that goes out

to commuter students to keep them involved. There is also a

student-run organization, Ashland Commuter Eagles (A.C.E.) that was

created to bring up issues for commuters and get them involved.

Some schools in Ohio do not provide these services and the commuter

students are left out.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>At BGSU, where in the

incoming class of 3,700 students approximately 350 are commuters,

there is no student organization for commuters.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>”We’ve tried to

generate interest but students do not seem to be excited about it,”

Assistant Dean of Students at BGSU Andy Alt said.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>While the interest is

not there for commuters at BGSU, KSU is very involved. Even though

they do not have a lounge for commuters, they try to keep them

involved.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>”We just had commuter

awareness week about three weeks ago. We had an informational table

one day and the second day consisted of local car shops coming to a

Kent parking lot to service cars for winter,” Bernard said. “The

campus also puts on commuter movies 3 times a semester to reach out

to commuters.”

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>Putting on monthly

activities is a common practice for schools to keep commuters

involved. At AU, there is a monthly commuter break and A.C.E.

meetings to keep commuters involved.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>”We offer a monthly

Commuter Break that features a refreshment and opportunity to build

community among commuters,” Washock said about AU.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>At OU, there is not a

registered official commuter student organization, but they provide

monthly activities, as well.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>”There are social

events (cultural, sports) and quarterly lunches, but these are just

just some examples,” Chapman said about OU.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>Students enjoy the

monthly events at the schools and feel that the activities do what

they are set up to do.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>”Commuter students must

get involved. If they aren’t involved, then they’re not going to be

as successful as regular students,” BGSU sophomore Abigail Fisher

said. “I try to tell all the incoming freshmen that. It’s very

important.”

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>While commuters at AU

will always complain about no parking and a small commuter lounge,

they should be happy to even have those services provided. The

parking at BGSU is a problem now because of construction and KSU

does not even have a commuter lounge. AU is keeping up with

accommodating for commuter students and seems to have a pretty good

program in place.

“text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;”>”The commuter services

offices at AU make an exceptional effort to assist commuters with

any issues which we bring to the table,” AU junior EdNick McCrea

said. “They also provide a variety of opportunities to get

involved, so long as the students are willing to speak up and

act.”

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