At the start of the fall semester, students begin the annual struggle to find parking spaces on campus.
Delaney McKeown, a psychology student at Weatherford, said it took her 10 to 15 minutes to find a parking space and an extra 10 minutes to walk to class because she had to park so far away.
“It’s almost impossible to be on time in class,” McKeown said. “There are not enough parking spaces in enough on-campus destinations where there are classes.”
McKeown isn’t the only one to notice a lack of parking. Many off-campus students complain about how long it takes them to find parking and walk to class.
Although students are noticing the problem now, ACUPD Lt. Randy Motz said students having difficulty finding parking is nothing new, or exclusive to ACU. Motz said all universities struggled to provide enough parking spaces for their students.
“Almost every university in the state of Texas, or the country, will have parking issues,” Motz said. “If they don’t have parking problems, that means the university is failing.”
Motz said full parking lots are actually a good sign, showing that ACU is a thriving university, equating full parking lots with high enrollment. Although construction around campus is contributing to the lack of parking, Motz said the facility renovations are also a good sign for the university.
“We’ve turned a corner and we’re not Abilene Christian College anymore,” Motz said. “We have become a nationally recognized university. That comes with success, and success often means finding parking spots is difficult.
Motz recommends that students arrive on campus early before their classes start to ensure they find a place to park and allow themselves plenty of time to walk to class in case available spaces are tight. away from their building.
For some students, however, remote parking outweighs the inconvenience and raises safety concerns, as the lack of parking in the Residents’ Hall can mean traveling long distances late at night.
Motz said ACUPD is working with the University Church of Christ to install better lighting in the parking lot for students living at Bullock Hall to make the lot safer. Additionally, if students find themselves in a situation that they feel is unsafe, ACUPD is available to escort students safely to their car or dormitory.
ACUPD can be reached at (325)-674-2911.
