abstract: Many college campuses institute residency requirements intended to provide intentional support, engagement, and assistance in the transition into life as a first-year college student. However, first-year students opting to continue living at home with family and commuting to campus each day has become a growing trend. This group of students can often be more sizable than some may assume and their developmental needs can be consistent with those of their on-campus peers. The objective of this mixed-methods action research study was to better understand how peer-to-peer experiences and opportunities are perceived and to describe and explore the concept of social capital and sense of belonging within the first-year commuter student population. This feeling of isolation can often expand to a lack of campus involvement and engagement in social opportunities. As a result of the perceived needs of this growing first-year commuter student population, a peer mentoring program was launched as a pilot to localize, personalize, and support students by providing a peer student leader in the form of a commuter peer mentor (CPM). Results from the qualitative and quantitative data collected as a part of this study demonstrated that first-year students value specific and easily-identified resources made available to their unique need cases and while many first-year commuter students may feel well supported and connected academically, they articulated challenges with social connections within the university setting. The understandings gained from this action research can inform higher education and student affairs practitioners as they seek to establish or improve programs, resources, and practices that intentionally and thoughtfully support first-year commuter students. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Leadership and Innovation 2020

The purpose of this study was to explore what institutional factors affect retention and student success at a Florida public, 4-year university for commuter students. This study included institutional factors controlled by the university that affect retention with students who commute to the institution. Commuter students compose over 80% of enrollment at the nation’s college and university campuses. This mixed-method study included both a survey and focus groups. In the first part of the study, quantitative data were collected, using the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI). The survey analysis of the data collected using the SSI indicated that the scores for the scales were not statistically significant in determining whether or not a student would choose the university again. In the second part, focus groups were conducted to better understand student satisfaction with the institutional factors. Four main themes emerged from data analysis: (a) location and other reasons to attend the institution, (b) connectedness to the institution, (c) institutional factors that assist with progression toward degree, and (d) obstacles to graduation. Four major conclusions were addressed: students who participated in this study had higher levels of satisfaction with library services and academic advising services than with other institutional factors, commuter students were not participating in student organizations or social activities on campus because they needed to balance external obligations with their academic careers, that students in the focus groups appeared to have an instrumental view of their college experiences and are focused on what they needed to do to complete course and degree requirements, and commuter student desired to have increased regular interactions with faculty teaching courses in their major fields. In conclusion, because commuter student are the majority population on many campuses, college administrators and faculty will need to continue providing opportunities for commuter student engagement and academic success.