Column:

Overcapacity at MU can be solved

By Jordan Paul

Published March 12, 2010

Interestingly, The Maneater has been running a series on overcapacity, something I started mentioning near the middle of last semester; I'm glad it's finally caught on. I'm going to suggest simple remedies that should fix a great deal of the problems associated with overcapacity.

You've probably noticed our classrooms are a little full, especially in older buildings, such as Strickland Hall and the Arts and Science Building. You might have had trouble getting into a class you needed to take.

We can assuage these problems by extending the hours we hold class. I'll be specific: Add 5 p.m. to 5:50 p.m., 6 p.m. to 6:50 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 7:50 p.m. course offerings Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 5 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. course offerings Thursday. We could possibly expand those to 8 p.m. to 8:50 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 8 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. Thursday if these changes prove inadequate. Ending classroom offerings around 8 p.m. will offer a great deal of room for growth.

That expansion would not only decongest classrooms and open up more options for students, but it would also make it easier for students who have jobs to plan around their work schedules. Who would teach those classes? Probably our nocturnally oriented older faculty, younger faculty and graduate students, several of whom would probably prefer to offer class in the evening rather than in the morning. I'm pretty confident we wouldn't have to coerce instructors into these time slots.

Next, let's talk about parking. The status quo doesn't make sense. We force commuters to park on the outskirts of campus and take a bus, but we allocate slots to residence hall students who rarely use their car in the middle of campus. It might be OK if we had adequate bus service, but we don't. Missouri Students Association President Tim Noce's plan to move to a seniority-based system is a lot more logical. I feel like the biggest problem associated with parking is the commute from the commuter lot, and this plan ought to make the system much more manageable by allowing more commuter students to park in the heart of campus, decreasing pressure on the bus system.

Campus dining is an additional source of tension. Although we ought to see significant improvement with the opening of Phase II of the student center in August, this will not address the problem that has been festering in the dining halls for several years. I understand Campus Dining Services is planning to make Rollins dining hall accessible at increased hours, but it ought to keep additional venues open for longer hours in general. It's great if Rollins is open late, but other locations could stand to close at 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. instead of 7 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. Again, we have an easy solution in extending hours of operation, which in this case would also lead to additional opportunities for student workers. Oh, and let's not forget about E.Z. Charge expansion. That would help reduce congestion, too.

Finally, the residence halls have experienced growing pains, primarily due to an increasing rate of returning students. I am least experienced in this area, and I won't offer a great deal of commentary, but Residential Life and the Residence Halls Association are going to need to make the tough decision deciding how to determine who will be allowed to return. Perhaps they could follow the model at Harvard, which accommodates freshmen but then moves to a seniority system.

Naturally, these changes will be met with resistance, probably most of all from administrators. Unfortunately, administrators can be out of touch with students, especially when it comes to the day-to-day pains most students experience. Therefore, it is particularly imperative for our student leaders to remain vigilant on this issue.