The Influence of Commuter Status on College Students’ Organization

Involvement and Identification With Their University

Heather DiazEnvironmental Analysis & Design

School of Social EcologyUROP Symposium

May 31, 2008

Rumor has it…

UC Irvine is a commuter school.

Rumor has it…

There’s nothing to do at UCI.

Rumor has it…

Commuter students don’t really get involved.

Previous Research

Usually the commuter participates very little in community affairs. The Effect of Commuting on Participation in Community Organizations. Alvin H. Schaff, 1952

Commuting students are those who live off-campus and are usually required to do so due to job requirements, cultural attachments, or social obligations.Encouraging Commuter Student Connectivity. Barbara D. Davis, 1999

Another problem experienced by commuter students is that it becomes easier for students to be involved in competing off-campus

social roles.Academic Performance in College Town.

Mark Delucchi, 1993

Research Question

What differences are there between commuter and non-commuter

students with respect to membership in campus

organizations and involvement?

Hypotheses

H1. Commuters (especially those who live the greatest distances away from the university campus) will experience a lower sense of commitment to campus involvements.

H2. Commuters will exhibit lower levels of involvement with campus organizations as compared to their non-commuter counterparts.

Methods

•Survey

•Cognitive Maps

•Environmental Observations

Demographics

Number of Valid Surveys39

Number of Self-Identified Non-Commuters* 26

*-based on response to a two-option question

Number of Self-Identified Commuters* 11

Average Age of Respondent 21 (Range from 18-33)

Gender 21 female, 18 male

Commuter Status

Do you live on-campus?

If you live off-campus, do you consider yourself to be a commuter?-the discrepancy between the # of students who report living off campus but don’t consider themselves to be commuters could be explained several ways

Yes No

14 25

11 26

InvolvementFigure 1. Number of Organizations

ResultsRecoding Variables

RoleOrg1 RoleOrg2

RoleOrgA RoleOrgB

RoleOrgTime

Results

Females

Figure 2a. Role in Organizations

Results

MalesFigure 2b. Role in Organizations

Results

RoleOrgTime

Figure 3. Time Spent in Organizations

Cognitive Maps

Conclusions

H1. Commuters (especially those who live the greatest distances away from the university campus) will experience a lower sense of commitment to campus involvements.

H2. Commuters will exhibit lower levels of involvement with campus organizations as compared to their non-commuter counterparts.

Inconclusive.

Survey Completion

Definition of terms

Data source

Limitations

Future Research

Sense of Community

Commuter-Status

Connectivity to Campus

Acknowledgements

Dr. Daniel Stokols

Dr. H.C. Clitheroe, Jr.

Shalini Misra

Dr. Valerie Jenness

Social Ecology Honors Class