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Hi! I'm Gem and I'm UEA's Widening Participation Officer for Mature and Commuting Students. In my role, I support students across their educational lifecycle,  supporting informed decision making and for those who choose UEA, helping to navigate university. Understanding the spectrum of belonging with the demographics I work with is key to fully appreciating the types of challenges and successes these groups have. So, alongside my role, I am completing my postgraduate studies in educational research to further understanding and advocate for these students.

I was a mature, commuting students with caring responsibilities when I completed my undergraduate degree, so I also have lived experience. I find this helps to strike rapport with students and enable me to appreciate what students are managing alongside their studies.

In my current studies, I am looking at mature student experience and non-continuation. If you'd like to collaborate or chat, please feel free to email me on g.standen@uea.ac.uk or find me on LinkedIn.

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What kinds of interventions can be implemented to support commuter student sense of belonging?

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What kinds of interventions can be implemented to support commuter student sense of belonging?

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Please find the outcomes from the session in the attached excel.

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Wordcloud - What words spring to mind when you consider the types of challenges faced by commuting students?

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Wordcloud - What words spring to mind when you consider the types of challenges faced by commuting students?

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Students who transition on a daily basis between their 'university' and 'non university' life

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I don't believe we have an institution definition, but mine is anyone who lives outside of the immediate vicinity of the institution...,

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I don't believe we have an institution definition, but mine is anyone who lives outside of the immediate vicinity of the institution...,

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Students who travel in from their residence, which is not in university accommodation or the immediate surrounding area.

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A student who travels from their own home for university, usually not the same city.

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A commuter student is a student that has to take some form of transportation (car, public transport) to reach campus. Essentially, a student that lives too far to walk to campus, often living in another location than the immediate campus town.

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Commuters are those who travel to UEA from their home, which they lived in prior to entering higher education – rather than having re-located to live in student accommodation for the purposes of studying. This includes full-time and part-time, undergraduate, and postgraduate students.

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students who travel to one of our campuses from their home address which is not in the same town/city

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Students who live at a family home or outside of on-campus student accommodation, who travel into university

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Travelling from a permanent address with no experience of university managed accommodation

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A fantastic collection of articles written by student representatives on commuter, part-time, and distance learners. Articles include:

-'How to ensure commuter students belong'
-'I spent the last six-months travelling alongside commuter students. Here's what I learned'.
'Understanding Commuter Students'

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You searched for commuter students | Wonkhe

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Callum is standing in front of a garden and house, dressed in smart navy trousers, a blue shirt, and navy tie. 

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Hi, I'm Callum and I am a PhD student at UEA. I am also Lecturer of Inclusive Learning at City College Norwich, and teach on the BA Education at UEA. My undergraduate research explored how commuter students belonging was affected as a result of COVID-19 pandemic pedagogy. In this research I also discussed how the intersectionality between commuter and mature student were evident, and how this demanded more nuanced ways of working to support our students with multiple identities and challenges.

I was a commuter student myself at UEA, and I also spent two years working in the SU as the Undergraduate Education Officer, hearing from commuter students and raising their concerns. I also led work with Access and Participation, generating discussions across student groups that could feed into evaluative work about the university's access and participation plan.

In my current studies, I have been exploring peer learning and academic identities, and am using my PhD to explore critical thinking skills in Higher Education teaching and learning. If you'd like to collaborate or chat, please feel free to email me on callum.perry@uea.ac.uk or find me on linkedin.

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Here's a copy of the message map template for anyone who would like to map out messages in an institutional context.

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Our website and internal pages host dedicated information for those who travel into university. We also ensure that information for commuters is available at open days and our student staff include those who live off-campus. This not only supports regional recruitment, but helps prospective students to feel 'seen' when researching institutions (even locally!)

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Throughout the term, we offer the opportunity for students to come to our catering building to have a free breakfast. This happens on two consecutive days once a month to ensure students are fuelled for the day ahead and have an opportunity to meet other students. This is a popular event with approximately 30 students attending a day.

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Each year we send out a physical mailing to commuter students which includes a cover letter, a welcome booklet highlighting activities and events (including specific events), a pin badge to help identify other commuters and a travel planner.

These practical strategies can help students find their community and navigate their studies more seamlessly.

Welcome events focus on providing information on transport incentives, signposting support and networking opportunities and promoting student voice.

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The Politics of Student Voice: The Power and Potential of Students as Policy Actors (Welton, Mansfield & Salisbury, 2021).

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The Politics of Student Voice: The Power and Potential of Students as Policy Actors (Welton, Mansfield & Salisbury, 2021).

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I am just happy doing the work... Commuter student engagement in the wider higher education experience (Thomas, 2019).

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I am just happy doing the work... Commuter student engagement in the wider higher education experience (Thomas, 2019).

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Building student engagement and belonging in Higher Education at a time of change (Thomas, 2012).

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Building student engagement and belonging in Higher Education at a time of change (Thomas, 2012).

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Building student engagement and belonging in higher education at a time of change: final report from the What works? Student retention & success programme | Advance HE

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The report is a synthesis of the key messages findings implications and recommendations emanating from the projects funded through the What Works? Student Retention and Success programme 2008-2011 and includes case studies of what works.

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Four domains of students’ sense of belonging to university (Anh & Davis, 2019).

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Four domains of students’ sense of belonging to university (Anh & Davis, 2019).

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Learning with the lights off: students and the cost-of-living crisis (MillionPlus, 2022)

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Learning with the lights off: students and the cost-of-living crisis (MillionPlus, 2022)

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MillionPlus has today (10 October) published new analysis on the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on higher education students and identifies those students that will be most gravely affected.

The report, ' Learning with the lights off: students and the cost-of-living crisis ' also explores some of the vital measures that MillionPlus institutions have introduced over the summer to try and mitigate its worst effects. However, the report also recognises that this is a national issue and beyond individual universities means to solve. The report therefore proposes key recommendations for the UK Government, the Office for Students and the Student Awards Agency Scotland including:

An immediate increase to maintenance funding for students, ideally in the shape of maintenance grants, though maintenance loan increases would bring welcome relief in the short-term

An immediate increase in hardship funds for universities to be targeted at students most in need

The better inclusion of students in the wider cost of living assistance programmes announced in September 2022

Implementing enforcement measures to ensure energy discount payments are passed on to tenants where fixed energy costs are included in their rental charges

Professor Rama Thirunamachandran, Vice-Chancellor of Canterbury Christ Church University and Chair of MillionPlus, said:

"While the cost-of-living crisis will affect students from all backgrounds, it is clear from this analysis that it will have the greatest impact on those students who were already facing significant cost pressures.

"MillionPlus universities understand these worries having been at the forefront of the widening participation agenda over the last two decades. I am proud that this report outlines the innovative and direct measures they are taking to support students at this challenging time. However, this risk can't be averted by universities alone".

Rachel Hewitt, Chief Executive of MillionPlus, said:

"We must challenge the narrative that all students are 18-year-olds and are able to rely on parental support; increasingly with household budgets being squeezed this is not a lived reality.

"For mature students, those who are from low participation areas, first-in-family or commuter students, the cost-of-living crisis seriously risks forcing them out of higher education and damaging their future prospects.

"Much of the assistance programmes introduced by the UK Government up to now do not reach or apply to higher education students. Maintenance loans have also not come close to rising in line with inflation, meaning they have now fallen to a lower level than the National Minimum Wage.

"If the UK Government does not address the financial challenges ahead for students this academic year, it risks a student recruitment and retention crisis which could have a long-term damaging impact on its own education and skills agenda."
ENDS Notes to Editors

1. An embargoed copy of the MillionPlus 'Learning with the lights off: students and the cost-of-living crisis' policy briefing is attached to this email and will also be available here.

2. MillionPlus are hosting a fringe event at the SNP conference on Monday 10 October at 09.15. The fringe will focus on the role for universities, the government and businesses in supporting students through the cost-of-living crisis. Speaking on the panel will be Jamie Hepburn MSP, Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science; Ellie Gomersall, NUS Scotland President and Professor Jonathan Powells, Vice-Principal at the University of the West of Scotland, and chaired by MillionPlus CEO, Rachel Hewitt.

3. For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact Dan Blows on 020 7717 1658 or email press@millionplus.ac.uk

4. MillionPlus is the Association for Modern Universities in the UK, and the voice of 21st century higher education. We champion, promote and raise awareness of the essential role and impact of modern universities in the UK's world-leading higher education sector. More information can be found at www.millionplus.ac.uk

5. What are modern universities? Modern universities are long established centres of higher education in their communities with roots that stretch back decades, if not centuries. Many gained university title following legislation agreed by parliament in 1992. They make up almost half of the UK university sector with over a million students studying at modern universities every year.

6. #ThinkModern: Key Facts 2022

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MillionPlus: New analysis by MillionPlus shows nearly 300,000 students will be at-risk due to the cost-of-living

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MillionPlus is the Association for Modern Universities in the UK, and the voice of 21st century higher education. We champion, promote and raise awareness of the essential role played by modern universities in a world-leading higher education.

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Communities of Practice: Learning as a Social System (Wenger, 1998)

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Communities of Practice: Learning as a Social System (Wenger, 1998)

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WP maturity model (taken from Liz Thomas and Heather Piggott's research, March 2020).

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In relation to supporting commuter student experience, where do you feel your institution sits in the WP maturity model?