Confused about Parking on Campus? The Answers are Here

Confused about Parking on Campus? The Answers are Here

Apr 7, 2021 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

Brock Caton by Sam Shirley.

Brock Caton by Sam Shirley.

By Chelsea Davis, Contributing Writer

    Parking passes are crucial at UMF. In addition to having one, it is important that students and faculty understand parking passes and tickets. The UMF Department of Public Safety gives students and faculty more insight on parking passes and related questions.

   In order to park on campus, every student must have a parking permit. “When students return to campus for a new year and new students arrive they should either be going to the Public Safety office across from the Fitness and Recreation Center to fill out the form to receive a parking pass or preferably fill out our online parking permit application, which is on the MyCampus Homepage under the Student Services and Parking drop down menu and it is forwarded to the Public Safety Administrative Specialist,” said Caton.

    There is also a form that can be filled out if someone wants to appeal their ticket. “The parking ticket appeal form is given to police sergeants Wayne Drake and Marc Bowering for review,” said Caton. “They will decide to accept or deny the appeal and email their decision to the appealing person.” If denied, cash or check payments may be made in person at the Public Safety office, or by mail. 

    The current situation in regards to parking permits and rules causes anxiety for some students. “There are many times when I want to have a friend from back home come visit me here at school,” said Olivia Paradis, a freshman living in Scott South. “I’m nervous they will get a ticket parking their car anywhere on campus.”

    Luckily, Public Safety parking permits for these situations so students can follow the parking policy. “There is a free 48-hour guest parking pass that allows [guests] to park in lots 18, 21, 22 and 26,” said Caton. “We also allow frequent guests the option to purchase a first year student decal for 20 dollars.”

  Regardless, sometimes students still end up in difficult situations parking on campus. “After returning back from winter break, the grocery store, or even from back home, I have a lot of stuff I need to bring into my dorm room,” said Morgan Noyes, a freshman living in Scott South. “I got a ticket for parking in the wrong spot for 10 minutes while unloading my things. I wish there was an unloading area for students.” 

    There are many actions for which a student or faculty member can receive a parking violation. Such transgressions include parking on turf, a reserved area, or a no-parking area, failure to display decal, obstructing a firelane, obstructing snow removal, having an expired decal, and overnight parking, among others. Violators are fined $10 per violation on their first ticket. These fine amounts increase to $15 per violation on their second ticket and $25 per violation on their third and subsequent tickets. The ticket must be paid within 10 business days.

     Financial assistance for parking passes and tickets is possible. “Students that need financial assistance to pay for a parking pass and/or pay for a parking ticket can elect to have the parking decal payment and parking ticket added directly to their Student Account,” Caton said. “Also talking to the employees within the Merrill Center to see if they have other payment options.” 

    UMF’s Parking Policy, ticket appeal form, parking permit application, and more can be found on MyCampus under the Student Services dropdown menu. Campus Police also offers a brochure in the Public Safety office with answers to frequently asked parking questions and a map of the campus detailing where first-year students, resident students, commuters, staff and faculty can park. The Public Safety office is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays and snow days.

Need a Job? Look No Further Than FWS

Feb 18, 2021 | News | 0 comments

By Chelsea Davis, Contributing Writer

    Full-time students who qualify for federal financial aid by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) may also qualify for federal work study (FWS), which allows students to get a job on campus while also being able to prioritize classes and coursework. 

    Work study provides part-time jobs for undergraduate students with financial need and allows students to earn money to help pay education expenses. This program encourages community service work and work related to the student’s course of study. “For FWS specifically, the student would have the award as part of their financial aid package since FWS is a need-based financial award contingent on FAFSA information,” said Joseph Toner, Assistant Director of Financial Aid at UMF. “However, having FWS is not a prerequisite to working on campus as students can be hired within the work initiative program or within a department-funded position.” 

    UMF has a wide variety of work study jobs on campus open only to students who qualify for FWS. “We have students working in just about every department on campus, from admissions, to athletics, to the library,” said Toner. “Our student workers literally make our campus go.”

    Troy Johnson, an employee at the Fitness and Recreational Center (FRC), has had a positive experience working as a part of FWS. “I like working in the gym atmosphere,” Johnson said. “I have made new connections working with other students on campus. I would highly recommend federal work study for students in need of a little extra money to help pay off education expenses.”

    The level of commitment that is expected for student employment jobs are just like any job. Supervisors will expect student workers to show up on time, perform quality work, and follow instruction. “As long as you follow what is asked of you and you get everything done on time it is a super easy job and a great experience too,” said Elena Guarino, who works in the library through FWS.

    Because FWS is part of the student’s financial aid package and the job is also on campus, students working FWS positions are able to easily prioritize their classes and coursework while also doing their FWS job. “Some things that I do at my job consist of cleaning equipment, checking students in, and I can also work on homework,” Johnson said. 

    With a full-time courseload, Johnson is able to work up to four hours a day three days a week. “Typically these work study jobs have flexible schedules,” said Johnson. 

Utilizing work study is beneficial because working on campus allows students to gain real-life work experience that can help students learn interpersonal communication skills and time management while also earning money to help pay for some of the costs associated with attending college. “Employers love to see student work on a resume,” said Toner. “It shows that the student gained valuable experience while in college, even if the work now is not directly related to your plans for a post-UMF career.”

    To locate the FWS job list and learn about FWS, work initiative, and on-campus jobs, students can email joseph.toner@maine.edu or log into the MyCampus Portal, go to the Student Services pull-down menu, and select Financial Services. Work study positions will start opening up at the end of the spring. Once students find a job on campus they would like to pursue, it is important to reach out to the supervisor of that certain work position, it is best to reach out through email.

 

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