Franciscan University of Steubenville:

On behalf of all the signees of this petition, we want to bring to the school board's attention how atrocious the parking situation has become. Over the past four years, the number of students at Franciscan has increased greatly, yet the amount of parking for students has remained the same. This makes it incredibly difficult to find parking on campus. Students arrive extremely early for class to secure a parking spot and still struggle to find one. Many students are late for class because they could not find parking, or because the only remaining spot is far from their academic hall. This causes significant stress on top of the stress of classes and schoolwork.

Additionally, the attitude of the security staff is often disrespectful. There is one security guard in particular who goes out of his way to ticket visitors and students. His demeanor and lack of respect for the students of Franciscan should be grounds for his termination from this university.

Franciscan University preaches values such as charity and kindness, yet the greed behind the parking finances goes against these very beliefs. Visitors touring the school are being ticketed in lots labeled for guests, causing those individuals to leave their visit with a bad impression and a fine they shouldn't have received. Additionally, visitors on campus for Mass return to their cars to find tickets waiting for them. This is un-Christianlike and needs to stop.

The fact that the student parking pass increased this year to $200 is outrageous, especially given that students are already paying an enormous amount in tuition and fees whose purpose is often unclear to us. Most students are paying out of their own pocket while also working jobs, and cannot afford an additional $200 charge for a parking spot that isn't even guaranteed. All of these factors lead to students not registering their cars.

What we are asking for:

• Lower the parking pass price: this will allow more students to actually purchase a pass.
• More parking: convert the large lot into a parking garage, or expand the parking we already have.
• Reorganize existing parking lots to create more spaces.
• Improve security so that they are actually of value to the students instead of the parking police who are only out to ticket as many cars as possible.
• Actually ask students what would be the best investment:
  • Create surveys.
  • Give students an opportunity to provide feedback.

We respectfully ask that this parking situation be resolved promptly and effectively — if not for this year's students, then for future ones. This issue affects students daily and needs to be addressed. Thank you for considering this petition.