Commuting students find it difficult to "fit in" with the campus community and often have a relatively limited knowledge of the college campus, events and services. Their contact opportunities with staff and faculty are limited as they often arrive and leave immediately surrounding courses. Because of other responsibilities, commuting students have less time to focus on study and generally have lower retention rates. Additional challenges are the limited availability of parking spaces and the cost of transportation.

Issues identified that small colleges share

Each person attending the Small Colleges Forum had specific ideas and examples to share on how technological solutions have been to put use already. Some common themes were identified. The first is the nature of the people involved. Students generally have more experience with connectivity practices and equipment than the faculty and administration of the college. Efforts to enhance communication systems is driven by student demand for faster, more efficient technology.

College representatives discussed professional development training for administrators, faculty, tech support staff and others using "tech academies" and "peer-mentor" programs. They would like to provide options so students can take classes when they need them and through distance learning and other online systems.

New equipment and changes in the way spaces are used require planning and add cost. Technology updates are ongoing at most of the colleges.

The need for improved community collaboration was expressed as colleges are the technology center in most cities. Colleges are often the biggest users of broadband and can help to provide capacity to residents. There is opportunity for colleges to provide internet-related services to their communities.

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