Record-setting enrollment, the start of a new semester and changes to overflow parking have students concerned about the on-campus parking situation.
Most of the overflow parking lot at Stokes Elementary School has been closed for Lipscomb parking, and the closest parking lot near the campus is at Lipscomb Academy’s football field, 10 minutes away from campus. Students affected the most by this change are the upperclassmen, commuter students.
Lipscomb senior Gillian Pulley said she is not happy about how parking has been managed since she has been a student here at Lipscomb.
“I feel like parking should not be as bad as it is,” she said. “As an upperclassmen, I don’t want to park 10 miles away or 10 minutes walk away from campus.”
Students say parking far away from campus is not only inconvenient, but at night, it can become an issue of safety.
“When I leave campus and come back late at night, I can’t find parking near my dorm, and I have to park very far away,” said freshman Michaela Canter.
Junior Daniel Cal said the move from Stokes to the high school football field could result in even more difficulty getting to school on time.
“We already had a far walk [from Stokes],” he said. “Now that we are at the football field, it’s that much farther. If you’re already late, then it makes it that much harder.”
Kim Chaudoin, director of University Communication and Marketing, sent emails to students and faculty announcing the sudden changes to parking and updating the Lipscomb community mid-week.
“Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we continue to work through the parking challenge facing us this semester,” she said in an email on Aug. 21. “With your help, the parking process has gone smoothly the past two days.”
Chaudoin acknowledged that finding on-campus parking this semester will be “a challenge,” especially at peak traffic times. She said the university will continue to send updates as more information about parking becomes available.
“We appreciate your continued assistance in making this fall’s parking process as smooth as possible and a pleasant experience for the entire Lipscomb community,” she said. “We continue to work diligently to improve and enhance the campus parking plan. Thank you in advance for your assistance as the new semester gets under way.”
First video by Nicci Carney. Second video by Nick Glende. Emily Snell contributed to this article.