For commuting students, a new club for them could be a welcome relief.
The Commuter Connection Club officially arrives at Bradley on Saturday Feb. 28 with the goal to recruit members. The first informational meeting will take place at noon in the Student Center room 202.
The club is only open to students that travel daily between campus and home.
“The purpose of the club is to make the Bradley campus feel like a second home to commuter students,” club president Caitie Crowley said.
The club is in the process of possibly getting a lounge in Heitz Hall that will act as a place for commuter students to go when they want to relax on campus.
According to Crowley, one of the amenities the lounge may have is lockers that commuter students can use to hold their belongings while on campus.
Gregory Haines, faculty advisor for the Commuter Connections Club, said that this convenience is going to help get commuter students more involved in big school events such as Welcome Week.
“One of the things we can do during Welcome Week is make the lounge a hub,” Haines said. “It is important to have a place where commuter students can go during down times, in between programs.”
The club is also currently looking to create group workstations.
“The lounge is open to all Bradley students, but is being directly marketed toward transfer, commuter and military students,” Haines stated.
The club will also provide commuter students leadership, social and volunteer opportunities to help them become more involved in activities on the Bradley campus and meet students.
“Primarily, commuter students in their first and second year at Bradley don’t have the natural built-in means of getting connected with other students,” Haines said.
Haines said he hopes this club will help with retention at Bradley University in regards to commuter students.
“If students find a connection here on campus, hopefully they are more likely to stay on campus,” Haines said.
According to Crowley, the club is different from others on campus because it will help students stay connected with each other throughout the entire year by hosting events and planning outings over the summer.
“We need to give commuter students the same opportunities, as students that live on campus in a way that entices them to participate in events at Bradley,” Haines said. “The Commuter Connections Club is really about helping students form connections to campus by creating relationships with people that are living a similar type of college experience.”
For more information about the Commuter Connections Club students can email Crowley at ccrowley@mail.bradley.edu.
