Welcome to Commuter Student Life at Emmanuel College!
Commuting to Emmanuel College doesn't mean commuting to the edges of campus life. The Commuter Center gives commuter students a dedicated home base in St. Ann Hall, and from there commuters have the same access as residential students to dining, fitness facilities, and support offices — plus resources built specifically for commuting, like discounted MBTA passes and free LMA shuttle service.
If you have any questions or concerns about your commuter experience, email Colleen MacNeil at macneilc [at] emmanuel.edu (macneilc[at]emmanuel[dot]edu).
Looking for a place to relax between classes, grab a meal, hang with your friends or study that's just for you? Emmanuel College celebrated the grand opening of the Commuter Center in the spring of 2025, and it is the official hangout spot for Emmanuel’s commuter students. The Commuter Center is located in the garden level of St. Ann’s Hall.
This space is accessible via tap access with your Emmanuel ID from 6AM-12AM everyday, and is equipped with many amenities, including a big screen tv, plenty of soft seating and study tables, as well as a refrigerator, microwave and and cubbies to store your belongings. Stop in and relax in between classes to be in the company of friends, rest, or prepare for your next class.
Lockers
As a commuter, you are eligible to rent a locker in the Commuter Center to minimize the amount of "stuff" you have to carry around campus! Once you apply and pay your deposit fee, you will receive a lock and a locker assignment. Lockers left in good condition with the lock returned will receive a refund on their locker rental deposit. There are limited lockers available, and lockers are rented semester to semester. Students are responsible for clearing out their space at the end of each semester.
If you are interested in receiving a locker, reach out to the Office of Student Involvement at osi [at] emmanuel.edu (osi[at]emmanuel[dot]edu) and keep an eye on your Emmanuel email.
Facilities and Study Space
Just because you don't live on campus, doesn't mean Emmanuel can't feel like home! Time on campus isn't all classes and meetings; you may want to find somewhere to hang out and relax outside of the Commuter Center.
You have full access to all campus spaces, including the common area of our new residence hall. The Jean Yawkey Center (JYC), is your living room on campus, and home to the Commuter Lounge, dining hall, and plenty of places to hang out. There are study lounges located in the Wilkens Science Center on each floor, and you can always find a spot in the Cardinal Cushing Library.
Fitness and Gym Access
All commuters have access to fitness facilities on campus (Jean Yawkey Center, St. Julie Hall and St. Joseph's Hall Basement) and to Roberto Clemente Field. To access any fitness center on campus, simply check in with the front desk of each building and leave your Emmanuel ID with the staff while you work out.
We also offer spin classes, weekly Zumba classes with the Zumba Club, weekly yoga with the Yoga Club, and access to the COF Intramurals program. St. Julie Hall also has a dance studio, and we offer open gymnasium hours in the Jean Yawkey Center every day. If you want to work out in between classes, you can utilize locker room facilities in the JYC to freshen up!
Meals and Dining
A commuter meal plan is a great option if you think you will have at least 1 meal a day on campus. Please view options on the Dining Services website. Plans can be purchased at any time in the semester, but they are non-refundable!
Fenway Cash is like a debit card, but funds are loaded onto your EC ID card. FC can be used at all campus dining facilities, local vendors, as well as our vending machines and the Bookstore.
There are refrigerators, microwaves and other kitchen facilities across campus for you to access if you want to pack your meals:
- Commuter Center - Garden Level of St. Ann's Hall - fridge with a freezer and a microwave.
- JYC Atrium and Muddy River Cafe offer microwaves so you can heat up and eat with your friends
Discounted MBTA Passes
Prior to the start of each semester, you will have the opportunity to register for a discounted MBTA pass. When you get a pass through the semester program, you get an 11% fare discount. Your CharlieCard or CharlieTicket arrives loaded with the Semester Pass of your choice, depending on which mode of transit you take the most:
- Semester LinkPass: Unlimited travel on subway and local bus
- Semester Commuter Rail Pass: Unlimited travel on the Commuter Rail (up to the zone distance purchased), plus unlimited subway and local bus trips
This discount is only available for a two-week time period in August. More details about specific dates to follow.
For bus and subway passes, you'll get a CharlieCard that is active for the entire semester. For Commuter Rail and ferry passes, you'll get a new CharlieTicket each month. Information on how to sign up will be sent to you via email, so keep an eye out for it toward the tail end of each semester!
For more information on MBTA passes, you can contact osi [at] emmanuel.edu (osi[at]emmanuel[dot]edu).
The MBTA offers many tools to help you plan your commute. You can sign up for direct text updates on your commute, and get information on the Transit app, which helps track trains and busses in real time, and up to the minute information on delays or service interruptions.
Longwood Medical Area Shuttles
Emmanuel College is part of the Longwood Medical Area, and as a student, you get access to FREE transportation to and from campus, as well as around Boston. LMA shuttles run on 9 different routes, including pick up from MBTA stations and other COF campuses. All you need is your Emmanuel ID, and you are set to catch a ride!
Parking
A limited number of parking spaces are available for commuter students commuting from home. Please visit the Parking page for more information. Please note that there is a semester cost for parking passes.
The Commuter Center is a dedicated space for commuter students in the garden level of St. Ann Hall, accessible by tap ID from 6 AM to midnight. It has soft seating, study tables, a TV, and a kitchenette, and functions as commuter students' unofficial home base between classes.
Commuter students have full access to campus spaces beyond the Commuter Center, including the common areas of residence halls, study lounges in the Wilkens Science Center, and the library. Dining access works the same way — commuters can purchase a meal plan or pay per meal at any campus dining location.
Yes — Emmanuel offers a semester MBTA pass program each fall, available as either a subway/bus LinkPass or a Commuter Rail pass, both at a discount off standard MBTA pricing.
Sign-up is limited to a two-week window each August.
Yes — commuters can use fitness centers in the Jean Yawkey Center, St. Julie Hall, and St. Joseph's Hall, plus Roberto Clemente Field, the same way residential students do. Access just requires checking in with a front desk and an Emmanuel ID.
Commuter students can rent a locker in the Commuter Center for a semester at a time by applying through the Office of Student Involvement and paying a deposit, which is refunded if the locker and lock are returned in good condition.
Yes. Emmanuel is part of the Longwood Medical Area, which means free LMA shuttle service to and from campus and around Boston, available to students with their Emmanuel ID. For the rest of the city, students can get a discounted MBTA semester pass (registered through Emmanuel each fall).
Not at all. Campus life at Emmanuel happens all day, all across campus—in clubs and organizations, at events, over lunch, in study groups, at the Jean Yawkey Center and in the everyday time you spend with friends between classes.
With a small, close-knit community, there are plenty of ways to meet people, build friendships and get involved. Emmanuel also offers resources specifically for commuters, including the Commuter Center, lockers and commuter programs and events.