Those of us who drive, whether we live on campus or commute, are all facing the same hardship. It is extremely apparent that there is a huge parking issue on the campus because of the arrival of our new academic building and the increase in enrollment. Everyone wants the closest parking, which would be in the Campus Center right by the new building, but it is very hard to find parking unless you come very early for classes.The lack of parking is causing many students to be late and sometimes even miss class daily.
Visitors to the campus have also had problems finding parking.
Police Chief Michael Yanniello said there were a few contributing factors to the parking issue. First, enrollment has increased, “Fourteen years ago there were 2,900 students now there are 4,600 students.” He noted that he has never seen so many residents using cars, which is why the Campus Center lot is always full. He also attributed the present construction to part of the problem but now that he has freed up those spaces, that [B1] should help resolve some of the parking.
Yanniello said that the school isvery aware of the parking problem. He added that there is a parking committee, consisting of himself, faculty, and students, who are closely working together to find a solution. Their primary focus is to evaluate the current conditions and rethink new ways to more positively utilize the structures in place. The committee decided against moving all residents from the Campus Center parking lot.
They are looking into freeing up some of the handicapped spaces in the old Academic Village lot, which would create more spaces for cars.
At the Student Life Committee meeting in mid-September, the major topic was the parking situation. Rollie Buchanan, the Dean of Students, told the committee that much of the construction equipment has been moved from the Campus C enter parking lot to the tennis courts. The move freed up approximately 80 spaces for students and staff.
In his interview, Yanniello added, “I am aware of the parking issue and the college is examining alternatives. I would suggest that you consider parking in the Clark Center lot which a short walk to the academic building. You should allow enough time to park and get to class.” The University is waiting until October to find out how many parking stickers have been sold. The school records the total number of cars registered and how many were sold individually, to the staff, faculty, and students. Once the school knows the actual amount of parking that is needed, they can make better decisions to fix the problem.
The chief is hopeful that sooner than later, there will be at least 110 to 125 new useable parking spaces available.
In the meantime, while waiting on the solution, Yanniello said, “There is plenty of parking in the Clark Center as well as in the old AV building. Drive into the Campus Center and if you are unable to find parking, rather than waiting around for a spot to free, just drive to the Clark Center. It is the best alternative, there are always spots open.”
He also went on to talk about the school’s parking expenses: “You know, in other schools you have to pay for the semester of parking. It can be in excess of two hundred dollars, and here we only charge ten dollars for a parking sticker. This price has not gone up in years, so there is also an effort being made to keep parking cost effective for all the students.”
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