Only days after NSU’s Undergraduate Student Government Association proposed the Commuter Parking Lot Resolution, President George Hanbury took action.
The SGA resolution sought to remove barricades that restricted 30 parking spaces in the west section of the south lot near the Mailman-Hollywood building to faculty of the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences. On Oct. 3, Hanbury requested the removal of the barricades, in order for the 30 spaces to once again become equally accessible to students, faculty and staff.
Sponsored by SGA’s Commuter Senator, Dominic Campenni, sophomore finance major, and co-sponsored by Organization Standards Board Senator Javier Lopez, sophomore biology major, the resolution said a useful portion of spots had been taken away from students, and through continual monitoring, it was not put to better use. It stated commuter students were never informed of the plans ahead of time, and requested to have the University inform SGA’s Commuter Senators prior to enacting future parking changes, in order to disseminate the information to commuter students.
Campenni said, “My main goal was to get the spots back, but also to open doors to fix other problems.”
According to the resolution, during the campus’s busiest hours, between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., the lot’s 320 spaces were filled, forcing students to park along the Shark Fountain Circle and other prohibited areas.
SGA President Christopher Mignocchi, a junior exercise science and legal studies major, photographed the lot at these times, showing that only a third of the spaces were being used. When SGA reached out to the Division of Student Affairs, Office of Student Activities, and Office of Public Safety, none could specify when the 30 spots were designated for Farquhar faulty.
Mignocchi said, “For the last two years, the parking lot was for all students and faculty, on a first-come, first-serve basis. At a time where all spots are filled and commuters make circles looking for parking, the barricaded section is not even half filled. Parking issues already negatively affect the student body, so this reserved section worsened the situation.”
Don Rosenblum, Dean of the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences said, “[This] plan was developed to pilot test a designated parking area for faculty. Temporary barricades were placed and the keycard entrance was coded for those faculty members. Ultimately, this plan was not successful and the best needs of students, staff, and faculty were not effectively served.”
After Hanbury’s action, Mignocchi announced the news in their afternoon meeting.
Afterward, Mignocchi said, “All of our resolutions are meant to bring about change on campus. I was so happy this morning to see the barricades being moved. It’s SGA’s job to identify and solve problems that are directly affecting NSU students. I hope people see this and realize that we, as students, do have the power to bring real changes on campus. Every student should have faith that if they come to SGA, we can help them with their issues. And, getting our spots is proof of that.”
Rosenblum said that the concern for faculty parking remains prominent and alternative solutions and strategies are being considered.
