By Jonathan Weaver
Staff writer
Students in line for this year’s parking permit may have noticed they had company — the faculty.

Faculty, staff and the administration are now required to pay the $50 parking fee that students have had to pay.

Tom Horan, Director of Campus Safety and Security, explains that the Oakland campus contacted administrators from the Titusville, Bradford, and Greensburg campuses late last semester and informed them to initiate the policy across campus. Faculty and staff at the campuses in Oakland and Johnstown already were required to pay a parking fee.

“I have heard no formal complaints,” Horan said. “Obviously, though, no one likes to pay a parking fee.”

To emphasize the lack of complaints, Horan adds that no red-tagged vehicles have been ticketed so far this semester.

Horan says that, like the students, faculty and staff will be able to use their parking pass from the beginning of the fall term through the summer.Faculty and staff use the same form and give the same information as students for purchasing a red tag.

Carl Rossman, vice president of administrative affairs, says the administration required the fee to maintain roads, parking lots and enforce the rules.

“We are trying to enforce university policies,” Rossman said. “Parking is a limited commodity.”

A commodity that most people, including Virginia Kemerer, secretary in the office of student services, wish there was more of.

“If we are going to pay, it would be nice to be guaranteed a spot,” Kemerer said.

Rossman emphasizes all faculty, staff, administration, and cleaning services pay the required fee. Contractors that will be on campus less than a year do not have to pay.

Jacob Deninger, librarian, does not have a problem with the new parking fee, saying that he used to pay $92 a month at Oakland and feels $50 for an entire year is not a big deal.

Stephen Schrum, assistant professor of theatre arts, feels the same way.

“Compared [to West Virginia University], [the $50 parking fee] is not that bad,” Schrum said.

However, major metropolitan universities offer faculty different options to travel to work, including bus passes.

Diane Ford, maintenance worker, explains she took the option of receiving a payroll deduction to cover the fee.

“Pitt employees get bus passes in Oakland and we don’t have the opportunity for public transportation,” Ford said. “I didn’t have a choice.”

Although the faculty consensus on the parking fee has been mixed, whatever disagreement they have with the issue may be eliminated by the end of the school year.