Throughout the past four years, the University has gone through great lengths to expand its buildings in quantity and quality. The Outlook staff believes that the additions to campus will definitely build the integrity of the University, but that comes with a large price.
Whether you are a a science, communication or business major, there is one common nuisance in your life: the parking situation at the University.
Due to the massive amount of building projects the University has decided to forgo, the students have been forced to handle the situation in an unfavorable way.
The Outlook staff noticed a shortage in parking when the University decided turn Lot 6 into a dorm building for freshmen. While The Outlook staff understands that this dorm is necessary to accommodate incoming students, it is difficult to understand why the University must build so much all at once.
The Outlook noticed another obstacle in the commuter parking lot upon returning from winter break. With the new addition to Bey Hall, many commuter parking spaces are unable to be used.
One editor noted, “Pretty soon, the University will run out of room to build. If they keep adding buildings, there’s not going to be any parking spots left.”
Unfortunately, the University is in a residential area so it is rather tough to expand, unlike colleges such as Rutgers or Penn State who basically have taken over an entire city.
With this said, many students like that the University is a small school and the administration is trying to keep that small school feeling by adding more buildings on the already small compounds. USNews reported that the University has 156 acres to its name.
One Outlook editor said, “The University should stop trying to shove new buildings onto every scrap of grass they can find. Part of what brings people to this university is the beautiful and open campus but if you keep dropping buildings everywhere you’re not going to have a campus anymore. If Monmouth expanded its campus, then I have no doubts everyone would stop complaining and actually enjoy the strides the University is trying to make for all of its students, current and new.”
The Outlook believes that the unique landscape our campus provides is being stricken and disguised by the mounds of dirt and lumber blanketing a majority of the University. We realize this is only temporary, but temporary in the University’s standards can actually span over years.
One editor said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen the campus fully completed and I’ve been here for three years.”
We pause to ask how can the University possibly cater to the idea of an increase in student population if the current students cannot even find parking and are upset with the amount of construction? If the University feels the need to appeal to more students, that is their prerogative, but in The Outlook’s opinion, they are going about it the wrong way.
As of now, the University does not have the grounds or means to support more students than we already have. As a whole, there was only one logical solution: purchase Fort Monmouth and create another campus.
If the University truly wants to make a name for itself, they must expand. Other campuses shuttle their students to classes, so why can’t we?
The Outlook is fully certain that the student body will not be pleased with the University until the administration finds a better solution to the parking situation before the construction continues.
