With the financial aid mix-ups and housing misplacements, parking at Southern University has applied new rules and regulations.
Kevin Johnson, deputy administrator of the Southern University Police Department, is making sure that all students, faculty, and visitors are aware of the new changes.
“If you do not park in a handicap, reserved or a fire zone, your vehicle will not get towed,” Johnson.
SUPD does not have a contract with a towing company anymore; however, a student vehicle could be towed off campus to Joor Road Towing if they violate parking procedures.
Though the towing of cars is considered the extreme punishment for parking illegally, a student may receive up to three tickets before their car will be “booted”-the vehicle will not be accessible until the student goes to SUPD and pays the fines that are owed and pays an additional fine of $50 for the booting fee.
The parking tickets are still being operated through an automated system, meaning that once a ticket is given it will only take a day before it is posted into the system.
“Even if a student doesn’t register their car, it will still get booted so that the student would have to present themselves to get their car back,” said Charles Herbert, director of traffic and parking.
SUPD has extended the tickets for non-registered students until next Tuesday due to registration; so if a student’s car is not registered, no tickets or boots will be placed on the car. After next Tuesday, September 2, regulations will take effect.
“We really want to start off on a positive note,” said Herbert, “every vehicle that comes on campus must be registered and parked in its designated spot and all cars must have a parking sticker located on the driver side.”
The available parking lots for commuter students are as follows: F. G. Clark Activity Center, east side of Mumford Stadium, and Zone 1 (across from SUPD). Even with some of the dorms closing, such as Bethune, the parking lot is still restricted to the residents who live in the surrounding dorms.
“I agree with the parking rules,” said Charis Diggs, senior accounting major from Shreveport, “but at the same time I feel as though the school should provide better and more parking spaces for the student body.”
SUPD is also encouraging students to take the Jag Train as well as the SU Shuttle (771.6222), which is operated everyday between the hours of 5 p.m.-1 a.m., instead of driving to avoid tickets and to have less hassle with parking.
“I stopped driving after my second ticket,” said business management student Cameron Scott from San Diego, Calif, “I do not want to receive any more.”
Commuter students are not the only students with parking procedures, SUPD wants to emphasize that the law students cannot park in the aisles of their commuter parking lot across from E.N. Mayberry Dining Hall.
Even visitors are still required to get a pass and they must go to the university police to have access to parking around campus, excluding handicap (if applicable), reserved and fire zones.
“If a student registers their car and parks in their right place,” said Herbert, “they will never get a ticket.”
Although the construction is going on, some of the parking lots are not available for students to park in, such as P.B.S. Pinchback Engineering Building.
For football season, the university will implement a designated parking lot, between the nursing school and Southern University Laboratory school, for the RV’s and when the games are not going on; this lot is available for the commuter students.
“Since we only have four home games, the students will be able to park in the parking lot during the week,” said Herbert.
Herbert also said that they are looking into the means of funding for a parking garage in the near future.
For more information on the parking rules and regulations SUPD advises students and faculty to pick up the 2008-2009 Traffic and Parking Regulations and Map at the William L. Pass Station University Police.
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