CoKD^MMJOb
The Student Newspaper of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Volume XII, Number &
October 19,1976
Parking changes planned
Carolina Journal photo by Pete Meuser
Overcrowded parking lots often
force students and faculty alike
j to ignore the prospects of tickets
and park ^ illegal areas.
By Becky Mooneyhan
Since the beginning of the fall
emester, students have been
omplaining about the problem parking
acilities.
It seemed like there was never
nough space and when part of the lot
ehind Cone Univerity Center was made
ito a visitors’ parking lot, anger aimed
t the administration surfaced. Students
legan to feel that the administrationn
vas totally unaware of their parking
leeds.
The administration claims to be well
ware of the parking problem as well as
tudent needs. They have made plans for
parking improvements and .additions,
however the Parking and Trafftc
Committee has not acted on finalizing
all of the plans. The committee has
made several studies which reveal:
Approximately 6,000 trips are made
to and from the university campus in a
24 hour period.
Approximately 8% of traffic enters
off of Mallard Creek Church Road.
Approximately 11% enters on the
drive between the parking lots off of
Mallard Creek Road.
The greater portion and remainder
of the traffic enters through the main
entrance.
As of May, 1974, the Caudill.
Rowlett, and Scott Study estimates a
total existing parking capacity of 3,421
spaces.
Peak hour utilization is generally
between 9:30 am and 1:00 pm when
approximately 2,500 to 2,600 cars are
on campus. This figure is comprised of
1,300 to 1,600 commuter cars with the
balance represented by residents’ cars.
. When asked, about the
administration’s ideas relating to the
parking problem. Vice Chancellor for
Business Affiars Leo Ells said, “the
magnolia, strip in the dorm parking lot
will be eliminated to make way for 110
small car spaces. The idea behind
making this area for small cars is that
you can get twice as many small car
spaces as larger spaces for bigger cars. It
gives the people with small cars an
advantage of being able to park closer to
the dorms. This has been in the planning
stages for two or three months,
however, we are waiting for the first
frost to cause the sap in the magnolia
trees to drop so that they can be
transplanted. Hopefully when the
students get back from the Thanksgiving
weekend there will be-11 morespaces. It
may happen before then if the
conditions are right.’’
The next step was the hiring of
Pease Architects to draw up plans for a
deck between the gym and Cone
University Center. However, the plan for
the 200 additional deck spaces n jst be
reviewed by the Traffic Committee.
Ells said “Another step under active
study and recommendation is another
200 additional spaces for growth due to
the new low rise expansion of the
dorms. This parking facility is expected
to be completed before tlie low rise
apartments are finished.”
Still another possibility for parking
on the East side of campus is a gravel
lot that can be used for later paving.
The committee has seen this possibility
and others. They contracted Kimberly
Horne to make a projected study which
took into consideration such ideas as
road measurement, pedestrian, count and
other parking needs.
It was projected that the next major
parking facility will be undertaken in
between 3 to 5 years, or earlier if
enrollment dictates. The plan proposes
approximately 900 additional spaces
possibly located North of McEniry and
Smith and West of the physical plant.
According to Ells, “if everything
goes according to plan, UNCC will have
over 500 new parking spaces and a
gravel lot by next fall.”,
Registration to undergo facelift
Carolina Journal photo by Lisa Laney
Assistant Registrar Doug Sutherland, the man responsible
for setting up the new Registration system.
By Steve Bass
UNCC students have complained for
years about the inadequacies of the
registration system currently used. The
long lines, hot temperatures and unfair
practices employed have been criticized.
The solution, it is hoped, is changing the
iystem to a computer process. Doug
Sutherland, assistant to the registrar, is
n charge of the transition to the
;omputerized registration system.
Sutherland, a specialist in installing
ystems, says, “I hope the students
lon’t expect a computer system to
nagically solve all the problems of
egistration. It won’t. It will however,
ive students an opportunity to register
uring pre-advising; and instead of a
tudent just being turned down at a
esk with the comment “That class is
losed,” the student will get a card
xplaining why they didn’t get a class,
ven though that’s more impeifsonal
you 11 at least know the why.”
Sutherland says he doesn’t want to
begin a complex operation like
computerized registration without input
from faculty and students. For several
months Sutherland has been preparing
questionnaires toward this end. “The
questionnaire was devised for several
reasons, (1) We needed to know what
students desire with regard to
scheduling, (2) We needed some
information about time blocks students
want and (3) We needed to get student
input on who you decide to put in a
class first. For instance, suppose you
had a case where a senior and a
freshman both desired an introductory
level course, I’d personally give
preference to the freshman. Some
people would ■ disagree saying seniors
always should get priority in class
selection, that’s one reason we need
student input.”
The questionnaire Sutherland has
dealing with student status (class level,
commuter or dorm student, class load,
outside work schedule and age).
Sutherland says, “We won’t have the
student sign his or her name to the
questionnaire-, but we have included the
status questions in order to be able to
correlate remaining answers with student
status. For instance, why do most
commuters prefer morning classes, thay
type of correlational information.”
The remainder of the questionnaire
delas with student opinions regarding
registration and scheduling. Sutherland
says, “These are the real important
questions for us. Students are always
bitching about this or that about
registration. Well, here is an opportunity
for the students to have some say about
how the process will operate in the
future. For example, we need to know
if students sign up for courses because it
meets their time demands, or if they
sign up because of professors teaching
the class, or whatever. I’ve been told
that if 1 get a 20% return ratio on these
questionnaires I should be happy. Well, I
won’t be. I don’t want to sound pushy,
but 1 believe students should respond to
This survey. It can only help them.”
The 'questionnaires will be mailed to
students this week. Students are asked
to fill out the questionaire and return
the form to one of the following
locations: (1) registrar’s .office, Reese
Administration Building, (2) Commuter
Lounge, (3) Candy Counter, Cone
Center, or (4) the campus mail system.
Results and an interpretation of this
survey will be printed in the Journal in
late November.
Sutherland concluded by saying, “1
will be happy to meet with any students
regarding the new system. Any input we
get can only help us design a good
system. 1 hate to bring up an old cliche
but, “If you don’t help, don’t
complain.”
Carolina Journal phot by Pete Meuser
-'W
. "T
H*
I ! •
The ‘toll gate’ at the visitor lot behind Cone Center
reflects the school’s parking problems.