Parking Services is working to cope with the almost record number of enrollments, explains the university’s COO
Editor’s note: As UND President Andy Armacost announced in his State of the University address Thursday, the motto for the upcoming academic year is “momentum.” And ironically, one of the clearest signs of the university’s rapid development is the noticeable increase in the number of vehicles on campus that are completely stationary.
In other words: parking.
Parking is a perennial issue on American college campuses, and UND is no exception. This year, however, the problem is exacerbated by the university’s higher enrollment, particularly of first-year students living on campus, and the university’s desire to provide ample secure parking near the dorms.
In his recent video message to campus, Armacost describes the increase in enrollment and the university’s overall approach to it.
“We have an extraordinary number of people on campus this fall,” Armacost says in the video.
“Enrollment is at an all-time high. We are welcoming hundreds of additional students to campus this year and are thrilled to have you here at UND with us.
“The challenge, of course, is that with all the extra people on campus, things are going to get a little more hectic and crazy,” Armacost continues. “But the good news is: we have such a great team on our campus that we will make sure that the needs of all of our students, our faculty and our staff are met.”
“And I also ask for a sense of grace – that when things get a little hectic, we may need to count on each other to support each other and help each other through difficult times.
“So definitely work together, and let’s keep that great positive UND attitude throughout the fall semester and welcome all of these new students to our campus with great applause and great enthusiasm.”
The parking initiative described below “is just one of many ways our campus is responding to the influx of additional students,” the president says in the video.
Below is the letter that Karla Mongeon-Stewart, UND’s COO and vice president for finance and operations, sent to UND faculty and staff in early August. UND Today is reprinting it today to make sure everyone on campus is aware of the parking rezoning, the new campus shuttle, parking ramp policies and the reasons for the changes.
****
2 August 2024
Greetings to the faculty and staff.
UND is growing! Due to the significant increase in freshman enrollment and exceptional retention rates at UND, select parking lots have been “rezoned” to allow for other permits for the 2024-25 academic year. This rezoning is necessary to ensure that all first-year students who are required to live on campus have 24/7 access to parking near their residence hall. Unfortunately, these temporary zoning changes will impact our faculty and staff parking during the academic year. These changes will only be in effect for the 2024-25 fiscal year as UND will be building a 500-car residence hall parking lot at the corner of University Avenue and Stanford Road. This project is scheduled to be completed in summer 2025.
Temporary changes
- Chester Fritz Auditorium Property: Increase the number of spaces for students living in the residence halls north of University Avenue and in the Johnstone/Smith residence halls.
- Gustafson, Burtness and Hyslop lots: Conversion of commuter parking spaces “A” to “A/S” to accommodate commuter students who previously parked in the Chester Fritz Auditorium parking lot.
- Strindenstrasse: Changed from Passport Parking to “A/S” to accommodate faculty and staff who previously parked in the Chester Fritz Auditorium parking lot.
- Facilities much: Conversion of the northern row of “A/S” into a parking lot for the dormitory and the middle row into a dual use “A/S/dormitory” to accommodate even more dormitory students
- Greek zones: Change from “A/S” to Greek in the small car park west of Oxford Street to centralise Greek parking
AND also offers a new shuttle service for 15 passengers for Type “A” or “S” permit holders who wish to take a non-stop shuttle from the 10th Avenue Mall (in front of Jimmy John’s) to behind the Memorial Union. Visit the Campus Shuttle website for more information about the shuttle route.
Permanent changes
- Parking ramp: All levels will be mixed use by ramp permit holders and hourly metered parking. Exception: The ground floor (west side entrance from University Avenue) will remain as hourly parking/special permit reserved parking. This change eliminates significant confusion for our guests when using the ramp.
These changes will be announced in a post on the Parking Updates Blog and on the UND Parking Services websiteincluding social media such as on facebook. And InstagramPlease follow these channels for regular updates on important parking information.
While we are excited to welcome so many new students to campus, we understand the inconvenience this may cause for our faculty and staff. We ask for your understanding and patience as we work through these parking issues and are grateful to have the opportunity to build a new residence hall parking lot by fall 2025.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact UND Parking Services using the information below.
AND Parking Services
[email protected]
701.777.3551
Mon: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
3791 Campus Road, Room 100
Sincerely,
Karla Mongeon-Stewart
Vice President of Finance and Operations/COO
701-777-3511
