Jason Ellis: Crusader for Public Change

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

So, after typing the entry the other day where I spoke about how expensive NKU parking passes are now, I was filled with equal parts self-righteousness and indignation (some of the indignation was even fiery indignation,) and fired off an email to Dr. James Votruba, President of NKU. Here it is:

Dear Dr. Votruba,

I am writing you because in many ways I feel personally violated by NKU. I have attended NKU since 1999 and have mostly attended night classes on a part-time basis. Happily I will finish my degree in Spring 2008. I love NKU. I love the atmostphere there and I would like to teach writing there once I attain my MA. So please understand that this is not an "individual vs the establishment" scenario.

Dr. Votruba, my issue is this. Currently this semester I only need to park on campus Monday nights between the hours of 6 and 9PM and yet I have had to purchase a $160 parking pass and am paying the same amount as any student who must park on campus 5 days a week. This is unfair and, I feel, wrong. At such a price coupled with such a low frequency of usage, I'm essentially required to pay $10 per visit ($3 and change per hour!) in order to attend my class. I commute downtown everday and can park in the Carew Tower complex for an entire daytime 8 hour period for less than that.

I'm not writing this to you to ask for a refund or reimbursement. That would be unfair as well to others in my situation. All that I ask is that my complaint be acknowledged as a legitimate unfairness, a "falling through the cracks" so to speak, and would strongly urge anyone on campus in a position such as yours to more strongly consider non-traditional students into your plan as you move toward establishing NKU as a worldclass university.

Sincerely,

Jason Ellis

Happily, I would like to report that at 2:00PM EST, Dr. Votruba responded to me in something other than a form letter:

Jason, I appreciate you taking the time to write. I can understand your frustration. Our problem is how to develop an approach to student parking that recognizes the differences in campus attendance. I’m not an expert on this but it seems to me, intuitively, that it would be a very complex undertaking. However, by copy of this email, I am requesting that Vice President Ramey consider your concern and determine if there is a realistic way to respond. We’ll see. On a much more positive note, congratulations on your upcoming degree. You and I will meet on the stage of the Bank of Kentucky Center if not before!

As well, less than an hour later, I also received an email from Ken Ramey, NKU Vice President for Administration and Finance:

Jason,

Thank you for your insightful comments. We are currently reviewing our parking operations and comments such as these will help us to structure a program that may prove more equitable. Congratulations on your achievement and good luck in your pursuit of your MA.

Best regards,

Ken

Now, let me be clear here. I wasn't writing them originally to try and get my money back. That's ridiculous and, as I said in my original letter, for me to have been reimbursed would really have been unfair (but, yes, it would have been probably more gratifying). No, I just wanted some validation, which I think I received.

I would also like to point out that they both emailed me on Saturday after my original mail was sent on Tuesday. . .

So, for me, this is enough. I feel better about it really. Rationally, I knew that probably most people on campus knew that it was, in some ways, unfair, but it's nice having them acknowledge that the parking on campus is FUBAR.