EDITORIAL: Student Parking not a problem
Additional parking too costly, not a realistic option for CMU
The Student Government Association created an online petition to bring parking issues to the attention of Central Michigan University administration.
Although some students have expressed concerns about parking for years, parking is not likely to change at this university. It shouldn't. Students' time and effort would be better spent on other, more attainable goals.
According to Parking Services, there are 11,301 parking spaces on campus, giving the university a better space-to-student ratio than Eastern Michigan University. Only 7,655 parking permits were purchased as of September 2014.
More than 200 parking spots were added to university lots in 2013 and 22 were added in 2014.
University President George Ross has expressed that there are plenty of parking spaces for students, but is willing to hear student concerns in the form of SGA's petition.
"With over 11,000 parking spaces and the utilization of those spaces, there's lot of parking," Ross said in an interview following the Board of Trustees meeting Thursday. "What there isn't is a lot of is parking in front of the building that your class is in. I'll wait to see the petition."
CMU has done its part to make parking as simple as possible for students. Still, those unhappy with the situation have cited limited parking as the cause for being late to class. The addition of more spaces or construction of a parking structure have been suggested as solutions.
A parking structure is an enormous, expensive undertaking. To construct one similar to those on Michigan State University's campus would cost the university millions of dollars and take years to build.
Michigan is experiencing a decline in the number of high school graduates that mirrors trends seen nationwide.
The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education reported that the population of high school graduates in the state will drop 29 percent from 124,000 in the 2007-08 year to 86,000 by the 2027-28 academic year.
Why spend millions of dollars to add additional parking to a campus that will see fewer and fewer students?
Rather than petition the university for an ill conceived goal, students should spend their time and effort on more relevant issues that have a greater chance of being recognized.
In its Wednesday committee meeting with members of the CMU Board of Trustees, SGA asked for more programming funds to account for the effects of inflation on its purchasing power.
Students elect SGA members to represent their needs while in school. Small initiatives like extending the Bovee University Center hours and introducing a legal clinic for students are representative of those needs.
Parking on campus isn't perfect. Petitioning is an option, but isn't arriving early an option, too?
