[In these minutes: 1. Campus Parking, 2. Late Registration Fees]

STUDENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE (SCSA)

MINUTES

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1999
2:30 - 4:00
346 COFFMAN UNION

[These minutes reflect discussion and debate at a meeting of a committee of the University of Minnesota Senate or Twin Cities Campus Assembly; none of the comments, conclusions, or actions reported in these minutes represent the view or, nor are they binding on the Senate or Assembly, the Administration, or the Board of Regents.]

PRESENT: Jesse Berglund (chair), Jane Canney, Percy Chaby, Ted Labuza, Ryan Nagle, John Romano, Diane Wartchow.

REGRETS: Edward Ehlinger, Maren Mahowald, Stephanie Root.

ABSENT: Jeremy Dressen, David Lenander.

GUESTS: Bob Baker, Craig Swan.

1. CAMPUS PARKING

Bob Baker, Director of Parking and Transportation, distributed handouts on the Fall Semester Parking Plan and U-Pass. He said that the parking plan was the same report that he had delivered to the President and the Regents. The handout detailed the options that were developed for people to get to campus, from walking or riding the bus to where to find parking on campus. It listed the methods of communication that were used to inform all students, staff, and faculty of changes. Lastly, it gave an update on all the construction projects and parking programs.

Q: Will electrical outlets be added for car plug-ins in any lots?

A: They will be available on a limited basis in new ramps, such as the St. Paul and University Avenue ramps. It has been discovered that warmer cars reduce the amount of car emissions produced. Therefore, 20 - 30 will be added to new constructions.

A member said that for students on the St. Paul campus, they can wait for two hours for a truck to jumpstart their engine in the winter. Last year, his department purchased a jump start kit for its own use. Is it possible for the University to purchase these for each parking lot booth? Then instead of having to wait, a student could get the kit from the booth attendant and do it themselves in less time.

Bob Baker said that his department would look into this and he thanked the member for the suggestion.

Q: Is the University now at its projected parking low?

A: Not yet. It will be once Lot 33, at the corner of 4th St and 17th Ave closes at the end of this quarter. This low will continue until projects are completed. The first will be the St. Paul ramp, slated for completion before the State Fair next August. Next will be the University Ave ramp. He hopes construction can start this November, then it would be completed mid to late Fall of 2000. If completion does not start this fall, then the project would not be done until Spring 2001. The East River Ramp is scheduled for completion in Fall of 2000, pending any unforeseen problems.

Q: What will be happening to rates with these new projects?

A: $85 million in debt will be added to the Parking and Transportation budget, with no other means of acquiring funding besides passing rates onto the users. Increases will continue for the next three to four years to pay off the debt. Student rates have not increased over the past year, but daily and surface lot rates will for the next fiscal year.

Q: Does the University compensate Parking and Transportation when they take surface lots for buildings?

A: There is a policy for compensation, but it is not followed in practice. An ad hoc review group is being formed to look at this and other policies and suggest any changes. These would then be submitted to the Regents in March. Any interested student is asked to apply since student representation is very important. The group will start meeting in a few weeks, and then hold four meetings over the next few months.

Q: Who pays for the tunnels on campus? Are any planned for St. Paul?

A: Parking and Transportation pays for them when there is money in the budget. For St. Paul, a tunnel will be built South from the new ramp.

Bob Baker then turned to the second handout on the U-Pass project. This project has been in the works for many years and has faced many obstacles, mainly that all students do not feel that they should have to pay for it and that the University and Metro Transit cannot agree on how much it would cost to operate it.

Therefore, a grant was submitted under the Clean Air Act to pay for a three year trial run, and was funded. The service will now be open to all faculty, staff, and students. A semester pass can be purchased, either on campus or at the downtown transit office, upon presentation of a U Card. It is good for all buses at all times; there will be no restrictions.

This three year trial will allow the University to assess how many people are using the service and at what times. This has been the controversial part between the University and Metro Transit, since the University thinks that only a few additional buses will need to be added since most U-Pass users will be riding at off-peak times, thereby filling seats on buses that are already running with only a few riders. On the other hand, Metro Transit thinks that many additional buses will need to be added, which accounts for the operating cost differences.

Q: What will happen when the subsidy ends in three years?

A: This will be a problem. If the service is popular, then the University will need to decide how to fund it. Three options have been outlined on the first page of the handout. The first, $3 million in O & M money is not likely, which means that a split between O & M, parking increases, and a student service fee will probably be the answer.

Q: Would $1 million be available from O & M?

A: Possibly, but nothing can be determined until operating costs are seen from the first two years of operation.

  • If this will become a student service fee, then build it into the financial aid equation
  • This might be a tool to retain and attract faculty and staff
  • A check box on the registration form might increase users
  • Care should be taken before ad space is sold on U-Pass cards In closing, Bob Baker said that a student advisory group is being formed and interested students are being sought. This would be an on-going group with quarterly meetings.

    2. OSDA UPDATE

    Since Jane Canney needed to leave, it was suggested that members look at the distributed materials and she would answer questions at the November meeting.

    3. MSA UPDATE

    MSA is trying to have Parking and Transportation start a 10th Ave Circulator by renting a bus themselves in November and counting how many students use the service. They are also looking at the late registration fees.

    4. GAPSA UPDATE

    There was no GAPSA update.

    5. LATE REGISTRATION FEES

    The committee made the following comments before Craig Swan joined the meeting:

  • Fees have been postponed for this year since they were not advertised well to students
  • Fees are good for faculty since they will know who will be in class on the first day since students will not be able to shop for classes
  • Students who want to be in a class will have a better opportunity
  • If fees are not being collected for revenue, then why? Where does the money go?
  • Fee was initiated in response to past abuses by students
  • Exemptions should be a possibility, as well as one free use
  • Students will be hit twice if they change a recitation session
  • Students need to read information given to them by the University Craig Swan, Vice Provost, joined the meeting and explained that with the switch to semesters, the University decided to implement a fee for course changes. It was not well publicized and therefore will not take affect until Fall 2000. The argument for the fee is that students need to register in a timely fashion to allow departments to plan course access. Access has especially been a problem for introductory courses.

    The University agrees that there are legitimate reasons for which students should not pay for changes, such as when the University cancels a course. There are also grey areas, such as students shopping for the best instructor, which are not as easy to determine if a fee should be charged or not.

    Q: Has a survey been done to ask students why they drop and add classes?

    A: No, but it is unlikely that students would respond honestly to why they dropped or added a class. It is possible that the new PeopleSoft system could be configured to follow every drop/add.

    Q: Where will the generated revenue go?

    A: The amount collected, which will be much less than the $900,000 reported by the Minnesota Daily, will be directed into general funds to pay for signs, cleaning, classrooms, and TA's.

    Q: Could student services be funded by this money?

    A: It depends on what it meant by student services, since everyone has a different answer. Possibilities might be classroom upgrades and lowering the student to advisor ratio. The University would need to be careful to not fund recurring items in case the funding decreases.

    Q: Who will be hearing appeals to the fee?

    A: The system would automatically impose the fee. The appeal process would still need to be determined.

    Q: Would it be possible to give students one free drop during their college career, as is now the case with dropping a class without a 'W' on the transcript?

    A: This is a good idea. The University would just need to see if it could be done under the new system.

    Craig Swan then said that Indiana charges a $5 transaction fee for any changes made after the initial registration to limit this behavior.

    Q: How is financial aid and PeopleSoft progressing?

    A: Testing is now being done on the financial aid piece and it looks good. Then it will be added to the full system and more testing will be completed. October 22 is the day when it will be implemented and statements will be generated. Repayment will occur in December and January.

    With no further questions, Jesse Berglund thanked everyone for attending and adjourned the meting at 3:49 p.m.

    Rebecca Hippert
    University Senate