I transferred to SLU in the fall of 2019. Being a local, I chose to live off campus due to the high price that comes with living on campus. St. Lawrence culture is completely engrained in living on campus and making connections within an FYP. Those two things make it so that students who live off campus or transfer in at a later semester have a harder time making connections on campus with their peers. There is a reason SLU does this compared to multiple other schools, and it has to do with money. As a transfer student and a commuter, if I truly wanted to make those close connections, I’d have to pay large amounts of money to either live on campus in an outdated dorm or to live in a sorority — and that’s if I make it in. Of course, you can always join a club or an organization on campus; however, while those are wonderful opportunities, it all falls back to availability of being right around the corner to participate. Many students now who live off campus live with people they met while living on campus, further proving that living on campus provides deeper connection with those around you. Now, I understand what you’re probably thinking: just live on campus. But with the cost of tuition, even after financial aid, it may be difficult for some, if not most.
Another large issue is meal plans on campus. For those of us who do not need a full meal plan and might just want a couple hundred dollars on our accounts to spend when on campus, it is not as easily accessible. There is CWA, but at that point I might as well just use my debit card because the true purpose of that is for students to have money for off campus food.
Due to Covid-19 and the new Laurentian pact, making these on campus connections became even more difficult. For the few close friends I had made on campus, I can no longer see because I am not a part of their family unit, or any family unit to be exact. Many of those friends also received different semesters than I, so, even when they are on campus, I will not be able to see them.
SLU, while a great school, has a large amount of work to do when it comes to inclusivity for commuter students and transfers. From the first days at SLU, it is told by the school that it is important to live on campus to help make connections and get the full experience. However, it is more about the money than the students, and this is shown in multiple ways; this is just one example. I, of course, am speaking from my own personal experience and hope that this is not the case for all commuters.