UF’s Transportation and Parking Services will convert 40 parking spots in Norman parking garage from student to faculty parking. Student Government leaders protest.
The Student Body president and Student Body president-elect released a statement via Instagram and Facebook Saturday opposing the decision.
President Cooper Brown was notified of the decision in an email Thursday, he wrote in a text message. TAPS Director Scott Fox’s email returned an automatic response stating that he is out of town until Mar. 15.
TAPS oversees parking, transportation-related fees and services on campus. Parking is designated through decals sold by TAPS. Decal colors correspond to locations where students and faculty can park.
The spots were originally designated Red 3 for students who live on campus and have completed less than 50 credits. They will become orange for faculty and staff members.
The change comes amid ongoing campus construction that has caused detours and road closures. The Office of Business Affairs sent an email to students acknowledging challenges and thanking them for their patience Friday.
SG’s post also acknowledged these inconveniences but wrote that punishing students is not the right answer.
The decision went against SG’s mission to expand the garage’s student parking and increase safety. The post encouraged students with concerns to contact Fox.
The post was shared over Facebook and Instagram and had more than 1500 likes and 30 comments on the two platforms by Sunday afternoon.
Contact Maia at mbotek@alligator.org or on twitter @BotekMaia.
Maia Botek is a third-year journalism major and Spanish minor covering student government this semester. Maia is from South Florida and enjoys the beach, spending time with her friends and learning about the environment in her free time.
