Incoming freshmen means a heap of incoming parking tickets for USI’s security department.

It takes time for new students to learn parking rules, and parking enforcement is there to help educate them. Decals, incorrect or absent, account for most issued parking tickets. Seven-year Parking Enforcement Officer Madonna Whisenant estimated that nearly 80 percent of those tickets come from on-campus housing residents.

Students with housing decals may not park in campus lots from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. In this weather, that policy inconveniences many housing residents. But campus shuttles run every 15 minutes to combat this problem.

Sophomore education major Chelsea Bryant has received two parking tickets for her decals. She said her classes would have her “sprinting to the bus stop” four or more times a day.

“My schedule is pretty hectic right now, and I can’t rely on the bus to get me there on time,” Bryant said.

The bus has to make a few more stops before going to campus, and even though leaving on an earlier route is possible, it is much easier to drive herself, Bryant said.

Even with over 10,000 students currently enrolled at USI, four year director of security Steve Woodall said USI has “ample parking,” granted that those with housing decals remain parked in designated areas. Parking Enforcement holds a census every first full month of the Fall and Spring Semesters.

The census records the number of occupied spots in parking lots K and L, the lots behind the tennis courts. Woodall said those lots are never full, meaning there is still plenty of room to park.

“Students could just park in those free lots and take the bus to campus,” he said.

Whisenant said she tries to work with students.

First offenders usually receive only a warning. The cost of tickets start at $10, then each ticket after is $40.

Repeat offenders or more severe parking violations can cost $100. The tickets are included on a student’s bill.

“If we find a repeat offender that hasn’t paid any of their tickets, we boot the car,” Whisenant said.

She said students’ campus parking or driving privileges might be revoked after blatant disregard for parking policies.

Students may appeal their tickets to the SGA appeals committee by filling out an appeals form, stapling a copy of their ticket to the form and dropping it off either in the parking department at the Dean of Students Office or SGA offices.

SGA Chief Justice Emily Severeid heads the appellate process.

“We are a very ‘by-the-rules’ committee,” Severeid said.

Since being appointed Chief Justice, Severeid has heard 50 to 60 appeals, 10 to 15 of which have been approved.

She said her committee tries to work with students.

“If we receive a lot of appeals from a certain area, we may go check it out and see what the issue is,” she said.

Such was the case with the lots behind Hendricks in McDonald East. The poorly painted spaces produced many tickets. Severeid and her committee reviewed the complaints, investigated the area and approved all appeals.

Severeid said if students want a better chance for an approved appeal, handwriting on the appeal should be clear, all supporting evidence for their claim included, and the form turned in within 14 days of the ticket.

She said SGA’s appeals committee serves as an unbiased body, that places a “check” on the administration, in handling appeals. There would be a conflict of interest if the parking department also handled the appeals, she said.

“This allows students to appeal to students,” Severeid said.

The committee meets to hear appeals every Thursday at 8 a.m. Students can turn in their appeals 6 p.m. on Wednesday at the latest.