Commuter and Off‑Campus Life

The Commuter Student Resource Center (CSRC) will continue its mission of providing a required to wear a mask, practice physical distancing as well as swipe their i-Card upon arrival.

The main lounge space, the multipurpose room, and the designated quiet room will all be available with reduced seating that is spaced to promote physical distancing guidelines.

Email and phones will continue to be monitored.

Questions about programming this semester?

Email us at commuter@uic.edu or call 312-413-7440.

Save the dates!

We will be celebrating commuters on the following dates:

February 16th, 2021

March 17th, 2021

April 15th, 2021

Monitor your emails and our newsletter for more details to come.

New to UIC this spring? Then join the Commuter Dash! The Commuter Dash is a virtual and in-person scavenger hunt for new commuting students. Complete tasks, attend events, and explore UIC! Earn points to win prizes and meet other off-campus students.

Commuter Dash begins January 8th-15th, 2021. Here’s how you can compete:
• Download the Scavify app (on iOS and Android devices)
• Create an account (using your UIC email)
• Search “UIC Commuter Dash”
• Complete tasks and win prizes (while supplies last!)

Don’t go it alone! Throughout the spring semester, the CSRC team organizes meet-ups to events taking place on and around campus. A CSRC student worker will set times, dates, and locations for upcoming events. Please check back to this page to learn more about which on-campus events will be selected as a “Commuter Meet-Up.”

• In-person meet-ups are suspended until further notice. More information to come. 

The UIC Commuter Pulse is a podcast dedicated to exploring the lives of commuting students at the University of Illinois at Chicago. New interviews, guided tours, and guests are available throughout the fall and spring semesters. Made by students for students.

Interested in joining the Commuter Pulse Podcast team? Let us know! Contact us at Commuter@uic.edu to learn more about how you can get involved. From recording, editing, episode design and more – there are a variety of ways for you to lend your talents to the podcast.

How to Access the Commuter Pulse Podcast

You can access the Commuter Pulse Podcast via iTunes or Sound Cloud. Direct links are available below:
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/user-14282220

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/commuter-pulse-podcast/id1459254640

This resource is designed to connect students who may live and work in the same area. Students are placed in GroupMe Chats which are created based on your preferred region. Students who join a chat in their preferred region(s) can:

• Connect with peers from their area
  • “Who here is also an Engineering major?” or “I’m a graduate student in English – is anyone else?”
• Share their interest in carpool or joint travel options
  • “Does anyone commute on Metra and want to ride together?” “Anyone interested in carpooling from the northwest suburbs?”
• Plan to meet up at events
  • “Is anyone planning to go to Late Night Finals Breakfast?”

About the Groupings

We have multiple chats available to students based on regions of Chicago and Chicagoland. Students are welcome to join more than one chat depending on their preference (for example, a student may join a chat for an area closer to where they work and another chat closer to where they live). Review the form to see specific breakdowns of what neighborhoods or Metra lines are associated within each area to decide which region chat is best for you.

• North/Northwest Suburbs
• South/Southwest Suburbs
• West Suburbs
• Far North Side
• Northwest Side
• North Side
• Central Chicago
• UIC Campus
• West Side
• Southwest Side
• South Side
• Far Southwest Side
• Far Southeast Side

How to Join a Commuter Chat

1. Complete the following form: https://uic.campuslabs.com/engage/submitter/form/start/366532
2. Indicate which conversation groups (regions) you wish to join (you can join more than one)
3. Once you submit your form, the COCL team will review your request and confirm your identity as a current or new UIC student. After that, you will be manually added to the group.
4. Start chatting!

Regarding Safety and General Conduct

In joining a UIC Commuter Chat, know that you are still expected to abide by all University policies (provided here: https://dos.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/262/2019/01/FINAL-VERSION-2019.pdf). Additionally, we reserve the right to remove members who make comments or engage in language that can qualify as discrimination or harassment based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation including gender identity, military status, and citizenship status.

See the general guidelines for behavior within the Commuter Chat(s) below:

• Language: Avoid inappropriate language (such as profane words or phrases) in any language.
• Images: You are welcome to share photos in the group chat. However any images you share should not include profane language or graphic content.
• Respect: Should you contact a user and they express that they are not interested (or no longer interested) in chatting, respect their decision and cease contact. For example:
  • A student poses that they are interested in finding someone to carpool with. After chatting, they share that they are no longer interested in carpooling or cease responding to your messages, respect their wishes and stop contact.
• Best Judgement: We advise you to exercise your best judgement in deciding whether to meet another UIC student outside of the chat. We suggest first meeting on campus in a public space prior to exploring potential travel with another UIC student.

This guidelines as well as additional directions related to reporting concerning behavior will be shared with all chat members via email.

February 19th, 2021- DETAILS TBA

March 10th, 2021 – DETAILS TBA