Like most semesters, students received their parking decals in the mail before the semester began. This semester, with the accompanying decal came a pamphlet of parking and traffic regulations for the new semester.
This, along with a campuswide e-mail, informed students that the regulations were going to be enforced more harshly and thoroughly than semesters before.
Students on campus are becoming more aware of the enforcement of these regulations in the form of little yellow envelopes awaiting them after class on their windshields. The citations have been seen resting on the front of cars throughout parking lots.
“I think that the parking has gotten stricter this semester,” said Francis Borgers, a senior biology and anthropology major. “I’ve seen a lot of people with tickets in the carpool area. They have been pulling in without other people in the car and without carpool tags. I think that people have been counting on the leniency that they had last semester.”
She, like others, plans to appeal her ticket to the parking board that consists of staff, faculty and students.
“I got a ticket in carpool parking,” Borges said. “I have a carpool paper in my windshield where it is completely visible, so I am not quite sure why I got the ticket. I am going to appeal it.”
The new director of parking, Calvin Cooper, assumed his position the first day of class. “We are working on changing our image,” said Cooper. “We have a job to do, but we don’t have to be rude. Our patrol is working on enforcing the regulations thoroughly while being friendly, courteous and polite and with professionalism.”
The board of appeals is available for all students if they feel they have unjustly received a citation. “We have a fair parking appeal,” said Cooper. “Our officers are not members of the appeal board. If a student chooses they can either send in a written appeal or appear before the board.”
Parking on campus can get confusing, especially when students are in a rush to get to class on time, but Cooper is working on minimizing some of the confusion.
“If a student wants to appeal a citation they received because they did not see the sign for restricted parking, I want to know the lot is not clearly marked first. I have sent our patrol out to find areas where we need more signs and need to repaint for clarity,” he said. “I hope to coordinate with the physical plant on working toward that.”
The unclear marking has made it difficult for some students to determine if where they are parking their cars is fair game or not.
“I got two parking tickets last week for parking in the same place,” said Courtney Kubeja, a sophomore pre-pharmacy student. “In the parking lot behind Carter only one spot has a sign, and where there has been construction there is no blue paint on the curb for faculty parking. That lot is faculty and student parking so I thought no paint, student parking.”
Some students feel that the rules are being enforced harsher than last semester; however, Cooper said that patrols are not being harsher, only more efficient.
“This semester our patrols have vehicles, so they are able to be more thorough and cover campus more efficiently and accurately,” Cooper said. “Last semester it would take an officer on foot 15 minutes to cover one parking lot, then 30 or 40 minutes to walk across campus to the next lot. This year with vehicles they can patrol more thoroughly.”
“I got my first citation ever in restricted parking,” said Shelia Wilson, senior in the dental hygiene department. “I didn’t think they would be that strict, but they did warn us.” she said. “I only parked there because I knew that the clinic wouldn’t be open. I am going to try to appeal it. Director Cooper said that I would have a 50/50 chance to win the appeal. It is worth a shot. I would not normally park there.”
According to Cooper, since the first day of school, approximately 300 citations have been issued, but none for vehicles without decals.
“We have not issued a citation to a student without a decal,” he said. “I did not want to penalize students who have not received a decal yet. The only citations issued so far are for parking in restricted parking or parking the wrong way.”
“Last semester between Jan. 1 and May 15 there were approximately 9,063 citations issued for parking and moving violation,” Deputy Terry Story of ETSU Public Safety said. “We had a one-week grace period for students without decals last semester.”
The Public Safety Dept. has turned over the parking enforcement to the new director of parking director.
“We are still trying to figure out things and change things,” said Masha Ilina, assistant director of parking. “It is still the first weeks of school and we are working things out. Within the next four to five weeks we should be up and running accepting the fines from students instead of the Bursar’s office.”
Cooper will be at the SGA meeting on Tuesday, Sept.16 at 4 p.m. in the D. P. Culp Center Forum room.

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