SGA to address issue of transportation

Results of survey issued to students to be given to SMTD

November 12, 2008
By Pete Nickeas
Public Affairs Reporter

UIS' Student Government Association has made its transportation survey available to UIS students this week, two weeks after the original distribution date.

SGA President Ashley Rook said recent SGA civic engagement initiatives and election-season events, in addition to two consecutive meetings dealing with fee increases, prevented them from approving a survey at the Oct. 26 meeting as originally planned.

The survey will be available on line via webtools until five p.m. Nov. 24, according to Rook.

The survey seeks to measure student interest in expanded bus service to the UIS campus as well as the location of bus stops on campus. As an incentive to students, SGA is offering $25 Wal-Mart gift cards to two random survey participants.

Rook wouldn't set a goal for participation, but indicated that if enough data wasn't gathered, SGA members would distribute hard copies until there was enough data to present to SMTD.

“We're going to see how solid of a response we're getting from webtools and see how much of the population we need to reach, then branch into paper copies,” Rook said. “Then we can also target student groups the webtools survey didn't reach as much.”

The information will be presented to SMTD during December. If SGA members end up having to hand-distribute surveys, it would push back any conversation between SGA and SMTD, Rook said.

Rook still feels the information would be given to SMTD before the Jan. 1 deadline, when SMTD prints schedules for the upcoming year. Any minor change proposals, such as moving bus stops, would need to be done before this deadline.

In addition to the survey, SGA scheduled a town-hall meeting for Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 9:30 p.m. to gather information and discuss possible changes to bus service at UIS. Pizza will be provided to attendees.
Rook says she hopes representatives from SMTD will be able to attend, as well as Dave Barrows, associate chancellor for administrative affairs.

Discussions between SMTD and SGA first started in August when Steven Black and Tate, both transportation committee members, approached SMTD about expanding bus service to the UIS campus.

Of note:

A resolution introduced by Sen. Matt Van Vossen creating a Governmental Affairs Committee passed Sunday evening. The committee was formed to represent SGA on all levels of government. Rook said during the meeting that SGA had been active in the past on “lobby day” at the capitol and that this committee would be responsible for continuing that and for presenting SGA's interests to various local, state, and federal agencies.

A resolution introduced by Vice President Brandon Guiliano creating a Student Parking Committee passed Sunday evening. Guiliano said he hoped to be able to address student parking concerns he's learned about since serving on the parking appeals board.

There have been no appointments yet to either committee.