Survey: Parking Problems Top Students' Concerns

The National On-Campus Report, a bimonthly newsletter which covers programs and news relating to students, conducted the survey for its February issue.

The survey asked leaders of student bodies and organizations on 260 randomly sampled campuses to rank issues based on their level of importance -- 3 for major importance and 0 for none.

Parking came out on top with an average of 2.47 from four-year institutions, 2.11 from two-year schools.

Ed Michener, managing editor for Campus Affairs Groups, a publication affiliated with the National On-Campus Report, said ordinary issues like parking beat out the heavier issues because it impacts students' lives on a daily basis.

"In the media, diversity has been hot- topic issue, especially in the past months," Michener said. "But when you come down to it, students care about the day-to-day inconvenience of their lives and what hits their pocketbooks."

Michener said the survey does not necessarily indicate that today's students are less socially conscientious.

UNC Student Body President Justin Young said he thinks the most important issue on campus is empowering students. UNC did not participate in the survey.

Young said empowerment encompasses all issues affecting students, from race relations to parking. "I think parking definitely affects students, but I hope it's not the most important issue," he said. "There are others that are more important, like race relations and diversity"

While Young said he believes there is some apathy on campus, he said most of the student body is focused on the issues they are passionate about.

David Telfer, a UNC sophomore art history major, said he thinks issues such as diversity are bigger problems on campus.

"Students don't mingle much and it's not good for the intellectual environment," Telfer said. "I'd rather go without my car, but I bet a lot more people care more about parking."

Diversity on college campuses became a nationwide topic of discussion last month when protests erupted on several campuses in response to an ad decrying slavery reparations.

Telfer said students wanting to drive to campus could still pay for parking on Franklin Street.

"If people want to pay for parking, they can do that," he said. "I don't think it's a problem at all."

Matt Arnold, a freshman majoring in business, said the problem with campus parking is the lack of space -- not money.

"There's just no parking," Arnold said. "The incoming freshmen can't get anything, period."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.