In the past weeks, the rising cost of parking has dominated student conversation. Previously $30 per semester for the past several years, the university’s published fees for the following year detail a new price of $250 per semester.
Many students have voiced frustration with the university’s lack of upfront communication regarding the steep price rise. Working towards an alternative solution and seeking to develop better communication between administrators and students, the Student Executive Board (SEB) has worked to voice students’ complaints to administrators like Dr. Colin Coyne, Vice President for Finance, Business Affairs and Strategy at Samford.
During Tuesday’s SGA Senate meeting, Vice President for Senate Grace Lyons noted that SGA plans for Coyne to attend next Tuesday’s Senate meeting on April 1st.
“The role of the Senate is to be the bridge between the administration and the student body on issues and matters like this,” said Lyons.
In an email exchange, Coyne noted, “My meeting with the SGA Executive Board provided an opportunity to explore a number of perspectives, as did my conversation with the petition’s organizers. Other conversations remain, including an open town hall we are seeking to schedule in the coming weeks.”
This town hall will likely be open to all members of the Samford community.
Former SGA President James Jefferson also spoke at Senate about the ongoing parking matter. Jefferson displayed optimism about SEB’s conversations with the administration in working towards a better solution for students.
“This is not one of those teams that will give this work to the next administration. We want to end the semester strong, and we are going to do that.” Jefferson said despite his term ending soon.
Lyons and Jefferson said that if any students have thoughts about the rising parking fee, they can most effectively express them through constituent reports (available online) and by meeting face-to-face with SEB members during their office hours in Westmoreland Hall.
“We want to be an organization committed to doing the work. We are doing the work, trust me,” Jefferson said
In the past week, most of Jefferson’s and other SEB members’ time has been spent in meetings with administrators and hearing students’ concerns through emails, phone calls and constituent reports.
Jefferson also noted that SEB is working to not only understand the administration’s perspective but also achieve a solution.
“We are not going to just gather all of this feedback and do nothing with it. The more feedback and more perspective we have, the better we can advocate to create a solution,” Jefferson said. “We are relentless in our advocacy. That will never change.”
Jefferson is adamant that the advocacy of SEB would never change.
Constituent reports can be found in the forms section of Bulldog Central here.
Staff Writer
