Finding a home away from home with CTA

For many college students, campus life revolves around the residence hall or around the quad. Though for commuters, the day can start with a long drive and end right after the last class.

The Commuter & Transfer Assistants Team (CTA) here at the University of St. Francis (USF) has made its goal to ensure off-campus students feel just as supported and connected as everyone else.

Even with ongoing changes in campus leadership and strategic priorities, the CTA is staying focused on its core mission by providing students with a “Home away from Home”.

“As CTA, we try to make sure commuter and transfer students still feel included on campus,” said senior USF Student President Araniyah Vidales. “With the different changes happening within the university, we work together as a team to navigate those changes and figure out how we can continue to move forward while still supporting commuter students.”

To build genuine connections, CTA plans to host small group meetups this semester. The goal is to hear directly from students, understand their day-to-day challenges and turn that feedback into action.

The team also advocates for students behind the scenes, speaking up about study lounge resources, dining options and the events scheduled around campus.

“If they have concerns or ideas, we can bring those back to our team and share them with the right people on campus,” said Vidales.

To keep commuters informed, CTA publishes a newsletter packed with practical tips, including local student discounts, meal plan options and neighborhood dining spots.The newsletter comes out multiple times a semester. 

Getting the word out about the organization has been another major focus this fall. After recent interviews to recruit new team members, CTA updated its social media and launched a Linktree page to give students quick access to guides, resources, and contact links(usf cta).

“We just want students to know what is available to them and who they can reach out to if they need something,” Vidales said.

When it comes to events, timing is everything. Commuter schedules can be tough to juggle with work, family, and travel, so CTA designs activities that fit into a busy day. Most activities take place around midday, right when most commuters are already on campus between classes.

“That way, they do not have to make an extra trip back to campus just to attend an event,” Vidales said. “Sometimes we also have events later in the day so that our commuters have a reason to stay on campus longer, get involved and connect with other students instead of leaving right after class.”

Beyond events, CTA plays an important part in student engagement. One of their most helpful tools is an open commuter group chat on the messaging app GroupMe where students ask quick questions, share updates and post announcements about other campus clubs.

CTA wants to ensure every commuter knows they are never on their own at USF.

“It can be easy to come to campus, go to class, and then go straight home, so we try to give students different ways to stay connected,” Vidales highlighted. “Overall, we just want our commuter and transfer students to know that there are resources available to them and that they have people they can reach out to throughout their time at USF.” 

For more details and to stay updated on CTA, follow them on instagram @usf_cta. Email President Araniyah Vidales at AraniyahVidales@stfrancis.edu for more details on the GroupMe chat.