Campus Life
Town hall addresses parking, growth
Dec. 05, 2011
The University of West Florida SGA hosted a town hall Dec. 1 with Vice President of Administrative Services Matt Altier, Vice President of Student Affairs Kevin Bailey, Vice President of Advancement Kyle Marrero, College of Business Dean Ed Ranelli, College of Arts and Sciences Dean Jane Halonen and President Judith Bense.
Administrators answered a variety of questions for over an hour. Some important updates included:
Parking
- Parking on campus is paid for by parking fees, and UWF’s fees are the lowest in the state university system. No state dollars or tuition go toward parking.
- The campus added one trolley to the rotation and will add more over time. The interval between trolley pickup has also been shortened.
Smart classrooms
- UWF is planning to upgrade every classroom on campus to a “smart classroom” over the next 12 months.
- A secondary plan is to upgrade existing smart classrooms to the latest technological standards.
Potential addition of football
- A common myth is that parking fees and increased tuition are being used to pay for football. No funds—tuition, parking or otherwise—currently go towards adding football.
- Another common myth is that UWF will lose its small, intimate class settings and become the size of Florida State University or the University of Florida. UWF is committed to a focus on academics and its niche of personal attention and small class size.
- The campus must overcome several hurdles before a definitive date can be set.
Career Services
- Career Services offers an array of support, including resume workshops, career fairs and internships. It is a comprehensive service that starts when students are freshmen, continues through their senior year and ends when they find a job.
- “Backpacks 2 Briefcases,” a joint program by Career Services and the College of Business, is a job-shadowing/mentoring program that has helped students refine their career goals by finding a mentor and/or participating in a job shadow experience. This helps hone leadership skills and expand their portfolio.