For the last few years, Georgia State University has taken steps toward becoming a more traditional college instead of a commuter school. It bought two Atlanta hotels to be used as residence halls, started a football team, and is building townhouses for Greek fraternities and sororities. "When alumni come back to campus, they are shocked at all the changes," says Christina Million, assistant vice president for alumni relations. These changes might produce a more cohesive alumni group in the future, but Million's challenge since her 2010 arrival has been figuring out how to engage the 165,000 alumni who experienced Georgia State as a commuter school. So far, she has been able to double alumni association membership. Georgia State is one of the many two- and four-year commuter schools that have stepped up their focus on alumni relations in the past few years. With decreased government funding for higher education the world over, many public institutions are paying more attention to fundraising, which means reconnecting with alumni and building relationships. Since commuter schools are not likely to have much success with traditional alumni programming such as homecomings, class reunions, and tailgate parties, these institutions are finding other ways to engage former students and foster a sense of community.