1

Running head: Assignment 1

Karlie Muxlow
Assignment 1
10/9/2015
SW 4810

Description of Setting
This survey will gather information regarding commuter students from Wayne State
University to the Macomb University Center. Students attending the University Center may have
many reasons for choosing a satellite campus rather than the main campus. Whether those
reasons are the time difference in commute, having children or even preference, for some reason
or another, students choose commuting to a satellite campus and continue to go there. The
population for this survey can be very diverse even though everyone is classified as a commuter
student. The important thing is to be able to find a common reason for choosing the Macomb
Campus rather than the main campus.
Outcomes Assessed
The first few questions asked in the survey are about the students demographics. These
questions ask about their age, whether they are full or part time students, what city they live in,
and how many if any children they have. These questions are important in gaining background
information to evaluate the students decision to attend the Macomb Campus. Some examples of
why students in general choose to commute to campus rather than live on campus include
distance from campus, year in school, age (commuters are often beyond the ages of 18-22),
dependency status (is a dependent versus has dependents), and factors such as disabilities
(Biddix, 2015, p.9). Some of the examples Biddix provides are related to the types of questions
asked in this survey.
Commuter students are the majority on most campuses but are often under assessed in
research (Biddix, 2015. P.97). More than 87 percent of college students do not live on campus,
therefore commuting to school (Veradri, 2006). For whatever reasons these students have for

commuting, they have to be significant in order for commuting to be the majority. Another
important point Biddix made was that the term commuter student can have multiple meanings.
For his research and for this survey as well, commuter student refers to all students who do not
live on campus.
The main survey questions discuss the amount of money spent on gas to travel to and
from school, the amount of time it takes to get to each campus and the millage to each campus.
These questions are beneficial in evaluating where students are traveling from and which campus
they are closer to. If the Macomb Campus is closer to people, it may be more convenient to
attend there. Other main survey questions include the level of satisfaction with the Macomb
Campus, why students chose to attend a satellite campus, and if they switched from the main
campus to the satellite campus, what their reason was for doing so. These questions help explain
the individual choice each student made for attending the satellite campus.
Biddixs study identifies the demographic differences of commuter and non-commuter students
while also identifying differences in needs and use of services between the two. While this
survey does ask a few questions regarding demographic differences, the main question being
asked is dealing with the decision of students to commute to a satellite campus. While these
students are also commuter students they also are commuting to a campus other than the main
campus. The research question for this survey hopes to answer the topic of satellite campuses
and why the student chose to attend there while also briefly discussing the satisfaction of the
satellite campus and intentions on attending in the future. The Wayne State University population
attending the Macomb Satellite Campus will be specifically asked during this survey what their
decision was for attending the satellite campus and whether or not they intend on, continuing
their education there after the current semester.

Resources
Biddix, J. (2015). Strategies for Assessing Commuter Students. New Directions for Student
Services, 97107.
Verardi, N. (2006, June 1). Commuting: Is it the Right Fit? Retrieved October 24, 2015.

Survey
1. What is your age?
1. 0-16

2. 17-22

3. 23-27

4. 28-325. over 32 years old

2. Do you attend school full time or part time?

1. full time

2. part time

3. What city do you live in?

4. How much money do you spend a month on gas to travel to and from school?
1. $0-25
2. $ 25-50
3. $50-100
4. more than $100
5. Rate your level of satisfaction with your education up to this point?
1. Highly Satisfied 2. Satisfied 3. Dissatisfied 4. Highly Dissatisfied
6. How many children do you have?

7. Pick the amount that is closest to the amount of time it takes you to get to the
Macomb campus?
1. 10 min.
2. 20 min.
3. 30 min.
4. 40 min.
5.50 minutes
6. 60 minutes
7. more than 60 minutes
8. About how many miles does it take you to get to the Macomb campus?

9. Pick the amount that is closest to the amount of time it takes you to get to the
WSU Main campus?
1. 10 min.
2. 20 min.
3. 30 min.
4. 40 min.
5.50 minutes
6. 60 minutes
7. more than 60 minutes

10. About how many miles does it take you to get to WSU main?
11. Choose the best choice to answer the question: What made you decide to
attend a satellite campus?
1. Distance from campus to your house 2. year in school 3. Having a family made a satellite
campus more reasonable
12. Rate your level of satisfaction with using the Macomb satellite campus?
1. Highly satisfied

2. satisfied

3. dissatisfied

4. highly dissatisfied

13. Will you continue to take classes at Macomb after this semester or will you
switch to the main campus?
a. stay at Macomb
b. Switch to the main campus
14. Are you taking classes at both campuses this semester?
a. yes
b. no
15. If you went to WSU main before and switched to the Macomb campus, what
was the best reason for switching?
1. I enjoy the teachers at the Macomb Campus better
2. Macomb Campus is closer to my house
3. I recently found out about the Macomb Campus and wanted to try it out
4. I have never attended WSU main