Rutgers Global shopping shuttle service marks 8 years strong

Earlier this month, Rutgers Global International Student and Scholar Services announced that it will continue offering its grocery store shuttle bus service for international students for the Fall 2023 semester.

International students can be picked up at either Bevier Road on the Busch campus or the Rutgers Student Center on the College Avenue campus. The shuttle’s designated stops include the Piscataway Shoprite, Walmart and Asian Food Market locations.

Mohini Mukherjee, executive director of International Student Services, said the shuttle service was implemented eight years ago to increase accessibility to food and other living necessities for international students.

The service was launched after a committee of faculty members was formed in 2014 to discuss methods to improve the experiences of international students at the University, she said.

"Students arriving on-campus, especially graduate students without meal plans and in some cases with families, do not have drivers' licenses when they arrive, so (a shopping service) was seen as an essential service to help with their transition," Mukherjee said.

She said that although the shuttles are provided by Institutional Planning and Operations, the buses used are smaller and can accommodate fewer students per trip than other buses in the campus bus fleet.

Due to this limited seating, eligible students interested in using the service are asked to pre-register via a Google form, indicating their contact information and preferred pickup location, Mukherjee said.

The shuttle operates from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday evenings and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday mornings. Over the semester, the shuttle is scheduled to make 14 trips.

"We try to offer the shuttle at closer frequency at the beginning of the semester and reduce the frequency during the second half of the term," Mukherjee said. "Students make friends and get more accustomed to the area and are therefore able to get around more independently over time."

Despite the recent rise in popularity of services like Amazon, Uber and Lyft, the shopping shuttle is still popular among its users, she said. The program plans to continue the service for the Spring 2024 semester and over the summer, Mukherjee said.

While the amount of shuttle trips per semester has increased since approximately a year ago, there are currently no intentions of further altering the service schedule, Mukherjee said.

"Many students have taken advantage of the program over the years," she said. "I believe it also makes our international community feel supported by the University."

Besides the shopping shuttle, the University provides a variety of resources to assist international students in the transition to life on campus, she said.

Mukherjee said there are in-person and virtual advising appointments, social events specifically for international students and initiatives such as the Rutgers Food Pantry, which is open to all Rutgers students.

"We at Rutgers Global, along with many of our campus partners, are always thinking of ways we can make the journey comfortable for our international students and scholars," she said.