Involving the quiet majority

Abstract

Student affairs researchers have spent considerable energy studying the affect students' active participation in co-curricular activities has on student success, retention, and completion. Students becoming actively involved in co-curricular activities can have a positive effect on their overall success. However, much of the research pertaining to student engagement has primarily focused on residential student experiences and has often overlooked actively involved commuter students. This thesis contributes to the existing research by specifically investigating commuter student behavior. The study examines the success of commuter students aged 18 to 22 who are engaged in co-curricular experiences at a private, mid-sized, four-year university in New Jersey. The primary question guiding the research is: What are the experiences of commuter students aged 18 to 22 who are engaged in co-curricular activities at a private four year university in New Jersey? The study's line of questioning and theoretical framework is based on Astin's (1984) seminal I-E-O (Input-Environment-Output) model focusing on student involvement.