Parking Contributing to Class Absenses

Sometimes life throws things at you that make getting to class on time, or even at all, just impossible. But should parking ever be a reason for this? For some students at the University of Kentucky it is. Because of the campus’ limited parking options, many students complain that they have trouble even making it to class, but especially making it to class on time.
On a regular day it can take anywhere from ten to twenty minutes to park, and this doesn’t count days when the university is hosting any events. One political science senior drives to class every day and says that parking is one of her daily hassles. In fact, she says, that she’s late to class about 70 percent of the time because of parking, despite how early she may leave her apartment. “If you’re running even just a few minutes late, you might as well not even bother going,” she says. This can be because it’s hard to find a parking spot or just because the parking spot is so far from class. A majority of parking spaces for students are located in the K-lot, in which students then have to wait for a bus to take them to the campus where most classes are located. This whole process can take a needed 3o extra minutes.
However, parking isn’t the only culprit of low student attendance and tardiness to class. Other students who live in closely located “off-campus” housing frequently take the Lextran bus. Recently, though, many complaints have been made over the time lapses between buses on the route. Many students who use the Lextran bus service say that the buses do not come around often enough, also making it tough for them to make it to class on time.
A business sophomore who lives at the apartment community, Red Mile Village, says that she’s actually been late to class once because the bus took too long. “It was embarrassing walking in so late,” she said. There were a few other times that she says she had to have some of her co-workers take her to campus just to make it on time. She now waits for the bus 40 minutes ahead of her class time, even though she’s just a mile and half down the road from campus. “I shouldn’t have to wait out there that early, and definitely not any earlier than that. It takes away the convenience of using the bus in the first place,” she stated.
Whether it comes to parking or riding the bus, UK students feel getting to class should not be so difficult. There is a new director of UK Parking and Transportation Services, though, who is making efforts in creating change for students. Until then, however, a common excuse that professors are so used to hearing will remain to be “Sorry, I’m late. I problems with parking.”
 
Professors comments on student tardiness