Like many other schools in the Greater Boston area, Brandeis offers a free shuttle service directly into the city Friday through Sunday. However, students who are looking to go into Boston during the week are forced to take the commuter rail train, drive or Uber to wherever they’re trying to go. For most, these means of transportation are costly and inconvenient.

At Brandeis, several of the major and minor programs include an internship component. For most students these internships are off-campus, and more often than not they are located in Boston or Cambridge. Despite the numerous groups of students who are required to commute into the city multiple times a week, the University does not directly offer any way of getting out to job sites. Furthermore, the majority of internships that require commuting into Boston are opportunities provided directly by Brandeis.

If  Brandeis is actively connecting students with opportunities in locations beyond their scope of transportation services, they should also be willing to provide students with more reliable options than the commuter rail train that runs inconsistently, often with delays, and only provides access to a sliver of the city’s neighborhoods.

The Hiatt Career Center offers funding opportunities for costs associated with transportation for jobs and internships that students can apply for on a rolling basis, however, the funding does not always cover the full cost of the commute.

Adding a more frequent route into the city throughout the week would allow students to connect with more opportunities beyond Waltham and help ease the stress of commuting. By alleviating worries about how a student will be able to get to and from their internship each day, consistent transportation provided by the University would allow students to put more focus into their work.

If the cost to add another shuttle route would be too taxing for the University’s budget, then it may also be in their best interest to explore offering discounted MBTA ticket rates for students as most other Boston-area universities already do.

Similarly, during the Thanksgiving break Brandeis offers shuttle services to Boston Logan Airport as well as Penn Station, costing $10 per student. Although these transportation charters only run during holiday breaks, it is clear that the University has the ability to expand their pre-existing charter routes.

For a University that is rebranding itself with an emphasis on career development, ensuring that students have proper access to opportunities and the transportation necessary to be involved with them should be a priority.