Commission explores cuts for graduate student parking

Preventing graduate students from purchasing A and C parking permits and raising the price of A permits could be two of several recommendations made by the President's Parking Commission.\nThe task force met Monday morning to discuss possible recommendations and their feasibility. \nThe meeting was organized so those involved could put "ideas on the table," said co-chairman of the committee and Bloomington Faculty Council President Ted Miller. Later, the ideas will eventually be narrowed and submitted to administrators for approval at the conclusion of the fall semester. \n"I think this task force should be history by Christmas," Miller said. \nRaising the price of A permits would lower the demand for A spots, making it easier for those permit holders to park, said Paul Sullivan, Office of the Vice President and chief administrative officer. \nIncreasing A permit prices would pay for another of the commission's propositions: offering faculty and staff the option of buying an E permit for virtually no cost instead of a much more expensive A or C permit, Miller said. This would allow faculty to park at the stadium and take a shuttle to campus, Miller said. He said he is also hoping this option would be available to students. \nProhibiting graduate students from receiving A and C permits was another of the commission's ideas, Miller said. Graduate students argue they are effective staff, he said, while faculty argue they are ultimately students, not staff. \nPaul Rohwer, moderator of the Graduate and Professional Student Organization, challenged the proposal. Rohwer said eliminating graduate students' option to purchase A or C permits would be unfair. \nThe proposal of eliminating freshman parking, which was discussed at a previous meeting of the commission, has evolved into the possibility of creating a special permit for freshmen that would require them to park north of 17th Street, Miller said. \nThe permit would be given to the overflow of freshmen who park at residence halls but cannot receive D passes. \n"There appear to be more freshmen who want a D permit than (there are) D spaces," Miller said. \nThe commission will meet again in a few weeks to narrow its list of recommendations, Miller said, and then once more after Thanksgiving to decide on the final list of proposals. \n"Over the long term, what we are hoping to do ... (is for people) to view parking at the stadium as a viable choice," Miller said.