In Spring 2019, Tara Benson, Associate Director of the PSU and Director of Student Engagement, received an Assessment Grant for her project titled Commuter Student Experience. For her project, she hopes to gain insight into the experiences students who commute have through the use of student-led focus groups. Through these focus groups, she wants to learn more about this group of students in order to better support engagement for them on campus. Tara Benson explains, “We will use the results to guide the practice of the new area of focus in our office.”

Office of Student Engagement grant led to the Commuter Bingo and Breakfast Event. Focus group participants took morning classes so they could work or care for family in the afternoons and evenings. They wanted to meet other commuter students but didn’t want to attend the traditional 7 pm programs that happen on campus. The focus group feedback led to the development of welcome events focused solely on connecting commuter students when classes begin.