Engaging Commuter and Part-Time Students

Although approximately 85% of today’s college students live off campus and more than 60% attend part time or part of the academic school year, little is known about their engagement patterns and college experiences (Jacoby & Garland, 2004; National Center for Education Statistics, 2009). Even less is known about diff erences that exist within this diverse student population, because much of the existing research treats commuter students as homogenous and ignores the need to examine within-group diff erences (Jacoby, 1989; Jacoby & Garland, 2004). One result of this dearth of knowledge is the application of what Pascarella (2006) refers to as “rational myths,” or the adoption of programs and policies that lack empirical evidence of eff ectiveness but that seem to make logical or intuitive sense (p. 513). Rational myths include the continued utilization of programs and interventions designed for full-time resident students to serve commuter and parttime students assuming that the eff ect on learning will be equivalent. Another result is that the programs and interventions that are most likely to promote student engagement may not be off ered at all to commuter or part-time students.