Early Graduation

I was trying to think of topics for my next editorial this past week and after not finding many news-worthy issues I decided to consider my own experiences.

I was thoroughly disappointed earlier on in the semester after finding out that UNK does not offer an early graduation program. My advisor told me as long as I was within 12 credit hours of completing my degree, I could register for early graduation. I am not sure if this used to be possible, but after I called the registrar's office I find out that early graduation is not an option. I am left with disappointment because I wanted the big graduation ceremony with hundreds of other students, but now I will have to be satisfied with a small summer graduation ceremony.

I think early graduation should be re-instated so long as the student is within a certain amount of credit hours of completion. There is no harm done if they don't end up finishing the courses because the diploma isn't sent until everything has been completed.

Phone alerts

UNK will now be sending alert messages via phone, either an actual call, text message or both. This new protocol will hopefully help in the speed of delivering emergency messages to students.

According to the Kearney Hub, "Students and staff will be notified during tornadoes, ice and snowstorms, fires, hazardous materials leaks, floods, bomb threats, earthquakes, bio-terrorism, shootings, a pandemic, attacks with weapons of mass destruction, or any other emergency that requires action by the campus."

School officials wanted multiple ways of notifying students in case of any emergency and phones and text messages open the options even further and quicker.

Parking after 5 p.m.

This is not the typical parking issue argument. I am completely satisfied with the amount of parking available for both live-on-campus and commuting students. There is substantial parking for the number of students and faculty that UNK has and the walking distance is minimal--especially in comparison to UNL. However, I do have one complaint and my beef lies with parking after 5.

I think I should start off by stating an extremely generalized statement that I believe, for the majority, is true. Students are led to believe that they can park in any lot or any space--so long as it isn't illegal (aka handicap, no parking or fire zone)--after 5 p.m. without receiving a ticket. I have been attending school here at UNK for three years and have lived both on and off campus. This is a general assumption many students have.

Obviously, this might be a misconception and if so clarification needs to happen. I recently received a parking ticket after 5 p.m. at the library, while I was on-air in the radio workshop studio. There were plenty of available parking spots in the faculty lot just west of the east-front entrance, but because the 30-minute stall was open and closest (and I was running a little behind) I parked there. I have parked in this 30-minute stall before without any problems or complaints only because I was led to believe that you can park in any space or lot without getting a ticket.

My objection is this: If students are allowed to park in lots and spaces they typically are not allowed to park in, why can they not also park in a 30-minute stall for longer than 30 minutes? Students are led to believe that you can park in any legal stall without receiving a ticket after 5 p.m. So, if students are being allowed to break the rules and park in otherwise off-limit spaces how does the 30-minute space differ? Why are students allowed to park in metered stalls after 5 p.m. without getting ticketed for not putting money in or following those time constraints?

Had I known the "difference" between parking where you aren't allowed/parking in a metered spot without putting money in and parking in a spot for longer than 30 minutes, I would have saved public safety and myself the hassle of writing and dealing with a ticket.