For all Fordham University students, midterms and finals mean lost sleep and long nights in the library, but for commuter students, the impact is even more significant. The Commuting Students Association (CSA) wants to change that with the debut of their nap pod this semester.

“It’s mostly an initiative that we focused on so that students, commuter students specifically, are able to recharge and rest because they don’t have dorm rooms to go back to like residents do,” said executive president of CSA Tracy Zhang, GSB ’26. “So we’re hoping that this nap pod and this initiative can really help commuter students who aren’t able to get enough sleep while they’re commuting here.”

The nap pod first launched in September, but the initiative was started several months earlier by former executive president of CSA Kellen Zeng, GSB ’25 and executive vice president of CSA Crystal Wu, GSB ’25. They worked with Assistant Dean for Student Involvement Catharine McGlade, USG Senator Grace Shin, FCRH ’28 and Counseling and Psychological Services Director Jeffrey Ng, to get the ball rolling on the project. 

“ Back in March, we had the opportunity to connect with [Shin]. She actually had a contact with [Ng] … and he was mentioning how an [alumnus] generously donated some money to CPS and they wanted to allocate that to promote student wellbeing,” said the executive outreach coordinator of CSA Analisa Brown-Beebe, FCRH ’27.

The nap pod was scheduled to arrive on campus in April 2024, but due to technical difficulties, it didn’t arrive until July 23. Currently, the nap pod is in the McShane Campus Center music room, but CSA plans to move it to the library. 

“ We thought the library [was] like a safe place for students to feel more comfortable. Ideally, the library is also more accessible because we do have some limitations with the current location,” Brown-Beebe said. “A lot of students tend to not know where the music room is, so putting it in a place that they’re most familiar with will make it better.”

According to Brown-Beebe, a lot of commuter students tend to sleep in the library, particularly during exam weeks.

“Then after trial runs and after the library’s team is able to see how well it’s going, we are planning on moving it to the library as planned,” Zhang said. 

Initially, students could book the pod on 25Live, but now it has switched to Google Calendar appointments. Students can scan a QR on the nap pod or use the link in CSA’s Instagram bio to fill out a waiver and then schedule an appointment. 

So far, the nap pod has been received well, with an increase in popularity in October during midterms.

“I also really like the privacy aspect of it. Like before, if I would have to take a nap, it would be in McShane on those sofas on the first floor,” said executive vice president of CSA Jasmine James, FCRH ’26. “I just felt really uncomfortable knowing that other people can see me sleeping. So having that privacy from the rest of the student population is pretty nice.”

According to Zhang, CSA is in communication with Lincoln Center CSA, who is interested in implementing a nap pod on the LC campus.  

“They’re asking about how the research was, who funded it, and we were able to share details of it,” Zhang said. “It’s a work in progress for them at least.”

CSA doesn’t have immediate plans to get more nap pods, but they hope the existing one will continue to be used.

“The fact that [commuter students] can actually have a designated space to just prioritize themselves really is so essential,” Brown-Beebe said. “And that’s really what CSA’s main mission was because we care about our student body and we want to do whatever we can to make their experience better.”