By: Grace Barber ’27 – published in the Fall 2024 September Issue
Being a commuter student at Siena is a very multifaceted experience. On one hand, it is difficult for students to get involved in the Siena community without being a resident. On the other hand, being a commuter has its perks. Commuters are automatically part of a wonderful community of Saints, and there are actually many ways for commuters to get involved in the Siena community!
As of 2022, only 16% of Siena’s class of 2026 were commuters. Although most Siena Saints are residents, commuter students don’t need to feel excluded. There are organizations specific to commuter students that you can be a part of! The Commuter Transition Program (CTP) and the Commuter Student Association (CSA) are two great organizations to help commuters feel as though Siena is their second home.
The CTP aims to assist new commuter students in their transition to Siena. Each student involved in the CTP is assigned a Commuter Transition Specialist (CTs). CTs are established commuter students who introduce new commuter students to resources across campus and Siena’s Franciscan values and mission. Siena students have said that the CTP has allowed them to feel more a part of the Siena community even though they don’t live on campus. One student remarked on Siena’s website that the CTP was very beneficial in helping them see where they fit in:
“As a commuter, this program is really showing that we are not different from anybody else, we are just lucky and get to go home at the end of the day! This program is also allowing us to have a CTs who is there for us as a guide to help us transition. I think without this program, we would be very overwhelmed as freshmen.”
Another resource for commuter students, the Commuter Student Association (CSA), is a student government organization that is comprised of student leaders who are committed to being the voice of the commuter student community. The club meets every Wednesday at 1 pm in the Molinari Room in the Sarazen Student Union. These meetings are open to all commuter students and are an opportunity for commuters’ voices to be heard! The CSA is a great way for commuter students to get involved in Siena’s community! They hold events on campus, which are great ways for commuter students to meet each other. Some of their events include monthly free lunches, Commuter Appreciation Week, the CSA Car Show, Commuter Appreciation Day, and more. More information can be found on Saints Connect or the CSA’s Instagram.
One of the great things about the CSA is that, since its events are catered towards commuter students, they are held during the day, so commuter students won’t have to drive back to campus at night to attend, unlike other events geared towards resident students. That being said, there are ways for commuter students to get involved with the rest of the Siena community as well. Clubs and other events held on campus can all be found by all students on Saints Connect.
There are other resources on campus that are great for commuter students. These include the Commuter Lounge located in the basement of Snyder Hall, the Commuter Resource Room, and the Damietta Cross-Cultural Center. The commuter lounge has a TV, desk, outlets, couch and chairs, study room, mini fridge, microwave, and more. The Commuter Resource Room, located across from the Post Office in SSU, has a refrigerator, microwave, lockers, a printer, and a space to study for commuter students. The Damietta Cross Cultural Center is located in the SSU and is open to all students. Also located in SSU are the CSA and CTP offices.
Overall, being a commuter student at Siena is different from the traditional ‘college experience.’ But, ‘different’ isn’t a bad thing. Being a commuter can be a wonderful experience if you make the most of it and take advantage of the resources Siena provides for you. Getting involved on campus, whether that means joining clubs for commuters or clubs for everyone, is the best way to make the most of your time at Siena College.