Spelman College
Spelman College
The Lack of Physical Access to Campus for Commuter Students
The Lack of Physical Access to Campus for Commuter Students
Spelman never intended to have students living outside of its gates. Alumna tell the tales of how they lived on campus all four years of matriculation – a reality most recent graduates and students can’t begin to imagine.
The housing issue at Spelman is not new and our comfort with the problem can make it difficult to imagine alternative solutions to improve students’ quality of life. But the lack of on-campus beds is just the tip of a bigger iceberg. Once students are displaced from 350 Spelman Lane, how are they getting to class?
According to Spelman College’s published data, 35 percent of students lived off campus in 2019. In 2023, this number rose by almost 10 percent to 44 percent of students.
Many off-campus students face disparities in their ability to access the campus from home. Commuting issues range from financial barriers to timing accessibility to basic access.
At Georgia Tech, a public university 15 minutes away from Spelman, students have access to several free transportation options. Students can access the Georgia Tech Stinger Shuttle, a bus system that carts students around campus, the grocery store, Emory University and even Atlantic Station.
Additionally, the university has a specialized bus, the Midnight Rambler, that runs in the late evening and an on-demand ride-share service, both accessible from 8 p.m. to 3:15 a.m. All services run seven days a week.
It is unfair to make a blind comparison between Spelman, a private, historically black college with a student population peaking in the mid-2000s and Georgia Tech, a public, predominantly white institution with more than 56,000 students. However, it’s clear that student transportation options in Atlanta are not a far-fetched idea; there is an argument that the least we could have as Spelmanites is transportation from home to campus.
Spelman College has partnered with Handy Rides, a startup company geared toward providing transportation, similar to Uber or Lyft, but in a carpool style. The collaboration provides a select group of Spelman students living at The Mix, the college’s only off-campus housing option, with free daily transportation to and from campus.
Students enrolled in the program use an app to arrange pickup at their housing and at campus gates, respectively.
For students like Madison Moore, a junior at Spelman, the program has been nothing short of facilitative.
“I really enjoy HandyRides thus far. It’s made coming to and from school really accessible. I don’t have to worry about transportation for the entire school year,” said Moore.
The program also seems to be community-building. The small business has only a handful of drivers at the moment and the Spelman program seems to include only about 30 to 40 students.
“Since there’s only four drivers total, they remember our names. We have conversations back and forth,” she said. “When I get in the car I know my driver is Miss Erica [and] she knows I’m Maddie.”
Handy Rides is a viable solution to the campus transportation issue, in theory, but it turns a blind eye to the hundreds of students who do have access to the service yet still face the same travel disparities. Spelman’s commuter population is spread across many apartments, student housing, home leases and single-room rentals.
Hypothetically, Spelman intends to expand this program.
“In the onboarding meeting, they [admin] mentioned that they wanted to expand to other places but that they wanted to get this year out of the way,” said Moore.
At this point, the Handy Rides program is allocated to a select small group, presumably for a test run. The only other transportation option offered by the college is a MARTA student pass priced at $71 per month.
Spelman College has committed approximately 65 percent of a $500 million initiative ($325 million) toward access and affordability under the “Spelman Forward” campaign. This includes strengthening financial independence and reducing barriers to enrollment and retention.
Currently, approximately $1,500 per student tuition is allocated toward transportation within the cost of attendance. However, transportation gaps remain during the school year.
Further investment in creating an equitable transportation system at Spelman will reduce student and family financial strain, increase access and affordability for off-campus students, and support Spelman’s institutional goals related to financial equity and student success.
For years, Spelman College students and families have carried significant financial burdens associated with attendance. In addition to tuition, housing and fees, transportation to and from campus adds a substantial recurring cost.
According to the Spelman College Class of 2030 Early Admissions data, approximately 77 percent of the freshman class are out of state students. The issue of campus access is not one that can be brushed over. As attendance and interest in Spelman grow, so too will the gaps in student functionality and efficiency.
Whether the issue is addressed by expanding Handy Rides, expanding the AUC Shuttle, or through another institutional response, a solution is needed.
Spelman never intended to have students living outside of its gates. Alumna tell the tales of how they lived on campus all four years of matriculation – a reality most recent graduates and students can’t begin to imagine.
The housing issue at Spelman is not new and our comfort with the problem can make it difficult to imagine alternative solutions to improve students’ quality of life. But the lack of on-campus beds is just the tip of a bigger iceberg. Once students are displaced from 350 Spelman Lane, how are they getting to class?
According to Spelman College’s published data, 35 percent of students lived off campus in 2019. In 2023, this number rose by almost 10 percent to 44 percent of students.
Many off-campus students face disparities in their ability to access the campus from home. Commuting issues range from financial barriers to timing accessibility to basic access.
At Georgia Tech, a public university 15 minutes away from Spelman, students have access to several free transportation options. Students can access the Georgia Tech Stinger Shuttle, a bus system that carts students around campus, the grocery store, Emory University and even Atlantic Station.
Additionally, the university has a specialized bus, the Midnight Rambler, that runs in the late evening and an on-demand ride-share service, both accessible from 8 p.m. to 3:15 a.m. All services run seven days a week.
It is unfair to make a blind comparison between Spelman, a private, historically black college with a student population peaking in the mid-2000s and Georgia Tech, a public, predominantly white institution with more than 56,000 students. However, it’s clear that student transportation options in Atlanta are not a far-fetched idea; there is an argument that the least we could have as Spelmanites is transportation from home to campus.
Spelman College has partnered with Handy Rides, a startup company geared toward providing transportation, similar to Uber or Lyft, but in a carpool style. The collaboration provides a select group of Spelman students living at The Mix, the college’s only off-campus housing option, with free daily transportation to and from campus.
Students enrolled in the program use an app to arrange pickup at their housing and at campus gates, respectively.
For students like Madison Moore, a junior at Spelman, the program has been nothing short of facilitative.
“I really enjoy HandyRides thus far. It’s made coming to and from school really accessible. I don’t have to worry about transportation for the entire school year,” said Moore.
The program also seems to be community-building. The small business has only a handful of drivers at the moment and the Spelman program seems to include only about 30 to 40 students.
“Since there’s only four drivers total, they remember our names. We have conversations back and forth,” she said. “When I get in the car I know my driver is Miss Erica [and] she knows I’m Maddie.”
Handy Rides is a viable solution to the campus transportation issue, in theory, but it turns a blind eye to the hundreds of students who do have access to the service yet still face the same travel disparities. Spelman’s commuter population is spread across many apartments, student housing, home leases and single-room rentals.
Hypothetically, Spelman intends to expand this program.
“In the onboarding meeting, they [admin] mentioned that they wanted to expand to other places but that they wanted to get this year out of the way,” said Moore.
At this point, the Handy Rides program is allocated to a select small group, presumably for a test run. The only other transportation option offered by the college is a MARTA student pass priced at $71 per month.
Spelman College has committed approximately 65 percent of a $500 million initiative ($325 million) toward access and affordability under the “Spelman Forward” campaign. This includes strengthening financial independence and reducing barriers to enrollment and retention.
Currently, approximately $1,500 per student tuition is allocated toward transportation within the cost of attendance. However, transportation gaps remain during the school year.
Further investment in creating an equitable transportation system at Spelman will reduce student and family financial strain, increase access and affordability for off-campus students, and support Spelman’s institutional goals related to financial equity and student success.
For years, Spelman College students and families have carried significant financial burdens associated with attendance. In addition to tuition, housing and fees, transportation to and from campus adds a substantial recurring cost.
According to the Spelman College Class of 2030 Early Admissions data, approximately 77 percent of the freshman class are out of state students. The issue of campus access is not one that can be brushed over. As attendance and interest in Spelman grow, so too will the gaps in student functionality and efficiency.
Whether the issue is addressed by expanding Handy Rides, expanding the AUC Shuttle, or through another institutional response, a solution is needed.