SFAC Presentation

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SFAC Presentation

• Monday, February 9, 2009

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Our Goal

• Commuter Services at University of Houston is
  committed to the development and implementation
  of services and programs that aid commuter and
  nontraditional students in becoming aware of
  university resources which will foster successful
  college experiences, student involvement and
  student retention. Commuter Services is a
  one-stop shop for commuter students at University
  of Houston, working in partnership with other
  offices and departments across UH and in the
  surrounding community.

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Organization Chart
contingent upon SFAC funding
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Commuter Facts

• Over 80 of students attending colleges and
  universities in the United States are considered
  commuters.
• Commuters are often characterized by attending
  school part-time, being older in age, and having
  additional work and family responsibilities.
  They are also more likely to be first-generation
  and students of color (Kuh et al., 2001).

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Being deliberate about Commuter Services

• We must develop richer, more meaningful
  understandings of the commuter student
  experience, how we define commuter students, and
  in what way different definitions yield different
  conclusions about this growing segment of
  American higher education. Such work is
  essential if we are to fashion programs and
  services that will effectively meet the education
  needs of commuter students (Kuh et al., 2001)

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Background Information/Research

• Summer 2007 Benchmarking, assessments, and
  recommendations
• ACPA Commuter Resource List
• Urban 13 Plus
• Current UH assessment
• CAS Standards
• NCCP, Maryland
• SPAR Model

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Commuter Needs

• Despite their differences, commuter students
  share a common core of needs and concerns such as
  issues related to transportation that limit the
  time they spend on campus, multiple life roles,
  the importance of integrating their support
  systems into the collegiate world, and developing
  a sense of belonging on the campus (CAS
  Standards, 1997, p. 59)

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Commuter Needs

• Common needs of commuter students
• Transportation
• Multiple life roles
• Support networks
• Sense of belonging
• Comprehensive commuter student service programs
  seeks to meet these needs for their commuter
  students
• Source Garland, 2006

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Commuter Trends

• Traditional services (i.e. parking,
  transportation, childcare, etc.)
• Programming (i.e. Good Morning Commuters)
• Education (i.e. Renter Workshop Series _at_
  Northeastern University)
• Student organizations/advocates
• Technology (i.e. podcasts _at_ DePaul University)
• Commuter lounges
• Graduate Assistants/students as staff

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Commuters at University of Houston

• Currently represent approximately 84 of the
  student population.
• One third of first time incoming freshmen (FTIC)
  travel 30 minutes or more to campus. (Barlow,
  2003)
• More than one third of the commuters who
  completed our information cards indicated that
  they travel 25 miles or more to campus.

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Needs Assessments for UH

• Central location for services for commuter
  students
• Making transportation more convenient and
  accessible
• Enhanced community partnerships/community
  referrals (childcare, housing, etc.)
• Visible programming efforts for commuters

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Recommendations for UH (2007)

• Offering off-campus housing resources
• Renovate existing lounge space to create a
  welcoming environment for commuters (i.e. Cougar
  Den)
• Reaching out through programming
• Creating a community connection Establishing and
  maintaining partnerships within the community
• Creating a campus connection A central location
  for commuter resources
• Develop a formal needs/utilization assessment for
  students

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Commuter Services opens its doors
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony October 31, 2008
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First Year Objectives

• Create a Commuter Services website for students
  and the UH community.
• Status Completed
• Offer an apartment fair and/or listings for
  students seeking off-campus housing. Status To
  be Completed March 2009/Ongoing
• Begin relationship building on campus and in the
  community and become a liaison to connect
  students with resources in a centralized
  location.
• Status Completed/Ongoing
• Develop an Off-Campus Student Organization (or a
  Commuter Student Association). Status Ongoing
• Research online options available for a Car
  Pooling or Ride-Sharing Service that offers
  secure access and safety features. Status
  Completed/Ongoing
• Develop a widely visible marketing campaign
  (online and on campus) to introduce Commuter
  Services to students and the campus community.
  Status Ongoing
• Produce a Commuter Services newsletter to
  distribute via listserv and in the Commuter
  Services office. Status Completed/Ongoing
• Develop and launch a Commuter-Friendly Lounge
  Space. Status Completed
• Begin commuter-based programming endeavors.
  Status Completed/Ongoing

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Commuter Services Highlights
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Commuter Services Highlights

• Over 500 page loads on www.uh.edu/commuter since
  November
• 225 subscribers on listserv
• Established Commuter Services Advisory Board
  with representatives from 16 different areas
  across campus

• The Navigator newsletter launched October 2008
• Commuter Breakfasts/Evening Student Outreach
  made contact with more than 650 students
• Commuter-friendly lounge 1,600 square-foot
  space with computer kiosks, private study spaces,
  large screen television, microwaves, and
  comfortable furniture Since opening, we have had
  more than 6,000 visits to the lounge
• Highlighted in Dr. Khators Message from the
  Cabinet

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Commuter Services Highlights
Commuter Services Spring 2009 Schedule of Events

• January 28, 2009 LifeSpan meeting
• February 2, 2009 Getting Involved on Campus
  (workshop facilitated by Campus Activities)
• February 3, 2009 Commuter Breakfast
  (co-sponsored with Dance On)
• February 11, 2009 Matters of the Heart
• February 11, 2009 LifeSpan meeting
• February 19, 2009 Healthy Relationships
  (workshop facilitated by UH Wellness)
• February 25, 2009 LifeSpan meeting
• March 2, 2009 Rental Leasing 101 (workshop
  facilitated by Student Legal Services)
• March 4, 2009 Off-Campus Living Fair (debut of
  Off-Campus Living Guide)
• March 10, 2009 Commuter Breakfast (co-sponsored
  with Frontier Fiesta)
• March 11, 2009 Safe Spring Break
• March 11, 2009 Safety On Off Campus (workshop
  facilitated by UH Department of Public Safety)
• March 11, 2009 LifeSpan meeting
• March 12, 2009 Self Confidence Believe in You
  (workshop facilitated by UH Wellness)
• March 25, 2009 LifeSpan meeting
• April 9, 2009 What to look for in a Childcare
  provider (workshop facilitated by UH Child Care
  Center)
• April 15, 2009 Commuter Breakfast (co-sponsored
  with Learning and Assessment Services)
• April 8, 2009 LifeSpan meeting
• April 22, 2009 LifeSpan meeting

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2009-2010 Objectives

• Objective 1 Increase visibility and awareness
  of Commuter Services on campus
• Objective 2 Form more partnerships in the
  community and on campus to provide added benefits
  for students and the University of Houston
  community.
• Objective 3 Create more programming to meet the
  diverse needs of commuter and nontraditional
  students.
• Objective 4 Improve online resources for
  students via the Commuter Services website.
• Objective 5 Focus additional effort and energy
  to advocacy and research on behalf of commuter
  and nontraditional students.

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Base Augmentation Request

• Moving forward, Commuter Services would like to
  request funding from SFAC to assist with
  additional program dollars to benefit commuter
  and non-traditional students and to support a
  Graduate Assistant position.

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Base Augmentation Request
Programs Marketing Allocation Requested
16,500.00
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Base Augmentation Request
Cost Breakdown for Graduate Assistant Position
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Base Augmentation Request
FY2010 Base Allocation Requested
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References
Barlow, Libby. (2003). The University of
Houston persistence study Spring 2003 survey
descriptive data. Office of Institutional
Research, 18 p. Council for the Advancement of
Standards in Higher Education (1997). The role
of commuter programs and services. CAS Standards
Contextual Statement, 59-64. Garland, John.
(2006). Understanding and Retaining Commuter
Students PowerPoint slides Audio Conference.
National Clearinghouse for Commuter Programs.
Kuh, G.D., Gonyea, R.M., Palmer, M. (2001).
The disengaged commuter student Fact or fiction?
Commuter Perspective, 27(1), 2-5.
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Questions Answers