The Grand Valley Parking Services Department recently released the information for students, faculty, and staff to purchase their parking passes for the 2020-2021 school year. The prices for the parking passes are the same amount as always, even though the University has mandated that our classes this fall will all be hybrid learning, if not fully online. The University has put these plans in place in order to limit the amount of time students and staff need to be on campus, as well as limiting the amount of people on campus at one time, in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.

It is incomprehensible how the Parking Services Department can justify keeping the parking pass rates the same when students, faculty, and staff will not be on campus the same amount of time as normal. Everyone, including those in the Grand Valley community, is facing difficult times as a result of this pandemic. Financial strife is at the forefront of national conversations right now, and it is outrageous for the Parking Department to expect us to pay the normal amount for parking passes in the face of these unbelievably trying times.

The intent of this petition is to bring our concerns to the attention of University officials in the hopes that they will reconsider the decision to allow parking pass rates to remain the same.

After signing this petition, I urge you to contact the Parking Services Department staff directly in order to voice your concerns. Their information is listed below.

Chris Swank (616) 331-6700 swankc@gvsu.edu (Grand Rapids Campuses)

Julie Carbine (616) 331-7275 carbinej@gvsu.edu (Allendale Campus)

Lisa Morningstar (616) 331-6601 morninli@gvsu.edu (Grand Rapids Campuses)

Spencer King (616) 331-7275 kingspen@gvsu.edu (Allendale Campus)