Reimagining Commuter Student Spaces
Creating welcoming spaces for commuter students was crucial for fostering a sense of belonging on the St. George Campus. In partnership with Spaces & Experiences, the Innovation Hub’s Design Research team found that commuter spaces can help students ground themselves in the present moment. We hope our findings can help make design decisions for future and existing spaces.
Fall/Winter 2023-2024
What are the needs of commuter students at U of T?
Creating welcoming spaces for commuter students is crucial for fostering a sense of belonging on the St. George Campus. Over the next few years, Spaces & Experiences aims to reimagine current and future spaces for commuter students across the St. George campus. Several buildings including Grad House, Harbord Residence, Oak House Residence, Knox College, and various food halls have the potential to offer spaces intended for commuter students. In partnership with Spaces & Experiences, the Innovation Hub explored the needs of commuter students, particularly students from equity-deserving populations.
OUR APPROACH
In the summer of 2023, we conducted group feedback sessions with 20 staff, faculty, and student leaders about their experiences supporting commuter students. We hosted 5 open dialogue feedback sessions with 48 students and 2 completed a written journal. In Fall, we collaborated with subject matter experts from the U of T community to host focused feedback sessions with students from equity-deserving populations. We hosted sessions with commuter students who identify with having a disability called, Centering Accessibility in Commuter Spaces. We hosted sessions with Black-identifying commuter students entitled, Honouring Black Student Stories in Commuter Spaces, speaking to 7 students over 2 sessions. In January and February 2024, we hosted co-creation sessions with 25 students, to share the findings of our initial report and hear student feedback on the key initial findings, vision, and design principles.
KEY FINDINGS
When students find moments of respite during their academic journey, they feel more grounded
We found that students are in a constant state of transition throughout their university journeys. Students shared feeling excited by opportunities presented during their time in academia, while balancing feelings of anxiety and instability. In particular, commuter students shared they experience a heightened sense of instability with constantly moving from place to place between home and school and across campus. We noticed students who took the time to pause throughout their days experienced more frequent moments of mindfulness. Our data revealed spaces at the university can anchor students within the present moment.
