(Image Photographed by Volunteer Writer Tony Le)

Volunteer Writer: Tony Le

Email: tle29@umassd.edu 

Living in dorms with friends, eating at dining halls, worrying about gaining the infamous “freshman 15,” or spending all your money on groceries and food delivery are all a part of what has been considered the standard “college experience.” Some students join clubs, sports, or other groups and spend their weekends socializing or attending parties. 

These are a few scenes that come to mind when people think about the American college experience. However, at UMass Dartmouth, the majority of students may experience campus differently: commuting. 

Only 2,909 of the 7,968 students live on campus, leaving more than half to navigate college from the driver’s seat rather than a dorm room, according to U.S. News Education. 

Take for instance Callie Morrell, a junior who is majoring in crime and justice studies at UMass Dartmouth. She commutes from Wareham, a half-hour drive to and from campus, five days a week. Living with her family saves Morrell thousands of dollars and suits her work schedule. 

Although commuters make up a large portion of student populations, they often feel out of place among those who live on campus.

“I’m not having the same experience as other people who live on campus or even like other people that I know from high school,” she said. 

In 2024, a study conducted at The University of St. Andrews in Scotland discovered that many commuter students felt a lack of support and belonging on campus. The study suggests that with limited time to develop relationships with others, campus culture, and facilities designed primarily for on-campus residents, commuters were negatively affected. 

“There is a need for the university to change its culture and practice to ensure that such students are regarded as an important part of the university community rather than as an anomaly,” the study states. 

With more than 50% of UMass Dartmouth’s student population commuting to campus, we can question how the university is supporting commuter students, and what more can be done to make campus culture inclusive for everyone.

One way UMass Dartmouth attempts to offer support is with the Commuter Office. This office aims to promote a community that helps students feel connected, supported, and included at UMassD, especially those who are not on campus 24/7. 

Hayley Windvogel and Jennifer Chan are students and assistants at the Commuter Office who advocate for commuter students. Despite being given an office about the size of a dorm room, they have transformed it into a cozy and welcoming space on the first floor of the Campus Center, past the campus store and mail room. Here, students can hang out, work on homework between classes, chat, or even grab a quick snack.

“Haley and the other assistants have been really helpful, giving me [academic] advice on what I should and shouldn’t do,” said Christine Azor, a sophomore nursing student who frequents the office every week. 

With events like their Commuter Pit Stops or Fuel for Finals that provide resources to commuter students, Chan hopes that they can allow “everyone to step away from their commuter-life shell, where they just go home right away, and be involved with others.” The office informs commuters of campus events catered to them, whether through flyers, newsletters, or social media.

Despite these efforts, Chan and Windvogel note some challenges that the office faces. Windvogel explains how the size of the office has its limitations. 

“It’s not necessarily an area for us to relax; it’s a very uncomfortable area to do homework,” Windvogel said. She hopes for a larger, dedicated space for the commuter office, a true lounge, believing it could expand reach to more students. 

Additionally, both expressed concerns over the lack of funding for the office. “We want to make a community for commuters, but we don’t have the resources.” Chan discusses how they, as students, are crowdfunding to “buy extra stuff for commuters that wouldn’t fit in the budget.” Some needs include snacks, office materials, and planning accessible events.

“If we represent around 50% of this campus and we get only $3,000* for a whole year, that’s crazy,” Windvogel said. 

The $3,000 was awarded through UMass Dartmouth’s Student Activities Fee for the 25-26 academic year and does reflect funding staffing, commuter interns, and certain programmatic aspects.

At the end of September 2025, more than half of their budget has already been allocated to commuter office t-shirts to increase visibility. Through fundraising, they aim to bridge the funding gap and plan more events throughout the semester to increase commuter involvement. 

Ava Silva and Sherap Gurung, who are the UMass Dartmouth Student Government Association’s (SGA) Commuter Chairs are tasked to gather student concerns and talk to administration, “that has the power to fix [issues for commuters],” Gurung explained.  

Like the commuter office, these SGA Commuter Chairs stated there needs to be more outreach to students on campus to increase commuter student involvement. 

“We should be making efforts to highlight more concerns that they have,” Gurung states. For commuters interested in voicing their concerns, Silva said they are welcome to attend the weekly SGA meetings on Mondays at 6 PM, which include a section where non-members can speak.  

“[I] like [to] think of like an ideal world where the commuters feel included. The commuters [can] have the ability to do the same things people on campus [do].” Morrell said, expressing hope for the future of the campus community. 

To get involved with the Commuter Office, visit them on the first floor of the Campus Center, located past the campus store and mail room. Students can also find updates on events and resources, or get involved, via the office’s email, commuters@umassd.edu, the Commuters MyOrgs page, or their Instagram @umassd_commuters. 

*This amount was confirmed as a Student Activities Fee Amount by Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, Dr. Kimberly Scott. She wrote the amount does not include “staffing, funding commuter interns, and programmatic aspects that include commuter and residential student[s].” The Torch was unable to reach Dr. Scott for additional comments following this correspondence.