By Fernando Jaen
About 80 percent of the University of Louisville student population is commuters. That’s nearly 18,000 students who travel from their homes to their place of study.
The Commuter Students Services center is like a home away from home. For 22 years, the CSS office – formerly known as ACCESS – has provided services and support for commuter students.
“Commuter students need a home away from home, a comfortable place to be,” said Barbara King, Director of the CSS.
What started out as one room which catered to only about 50 students has branched out and tries to offer something for almost anyone stuck on campus between classes.
Whether enrolling in one class or embarking on a new career, the office of the CSS provides an environment where adult and commuter students may come for information, re-entry assistance and advocacy.
Now, the center usually gets two waves of students: the first from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and another from 4 to 7 p.m. “We have around 60 to 80 students during lunchtime,” King said.
The center provides information on admissions, registration and financial aid, as well as catalogs, course schedule, placement tests, on- and off-campus job listings, career planning and study skill workshops, to name a few.
Some of the perks for commuter students in the CSS that are free are “just like mom’s” cookies and inexpensive coffee, workers in the center said.
The CSS center also offers e-mail terminals, computers, typewriters, copy machines and a lounge for student use. The lounge area includes a TV area and basic kitchen appliances, while the computer lab is divided in two labs, totaling 16 computers. Additionally, commuters can enjoy three large areas of study space and even a small room with recliners designated as the “sleeping area.”
“The CSS office has helped me in many ways,” said Priscila Goncalves, a sophomore psychology major. “The computer lab is what I mainly use to check my email and write papers. It’s really helpful to have this office near all of my classes for whenever I need to use a computer or print something.”
Advocacy for commuter students is also a focus for the CSS. “The issues of most concern right now are parking and security,” said King. Security concerns have spiked because of the Virginia Tech shootings.
Commuter students are also concerned about food services, child care and scholarship availability, academic services, advising and transportation.
“What I would personally love to see is more satellites of centers around campus. There’s nothing on the south end of campus,” King said.
The CSS office helps commuter students stay informed about the activities going on at U of L. “We have a weekly newsletter and a listserv of more than 800 students,” said King.
To sign up for the CSS Distribution List, visit http://campuslife.louisville.edu/commuter/.
Commuters wishing to participate in the improvement of the CSS can complete the Commuter Student Survey located at http://www.zoomerang.com/survey and are eligible for four $50 Departmental Scholarships.
Summer hours for the CSS office will change. The center will be open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.
For more information about Commuter Student Services, call 852-7070, e-mail commuter@gwise.louisville.edu or visit Davidson Hall, room 105.
