News in brief
Written by Crow's Nest Staff, Jan 24, 2012, 0 Comments
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A plan to spend roughly $120,000 on outdoor digital marquee signs was unceremoniously shelved in favor of purchasing a large $180,000 indoor display planned for the renovated Campus Activities Center.
The display, which Regional Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Julie Wong called a “wow board,” will be programmed with events, art, information or anything relevant to student interests, she said.
Other additions to the CAC could include a gaming room and a programmable “electronic statue.” Student Affairs also plans to use the wow board to showcase student art and design. Another idea is to show a collage of student tattoos.
Wong and SG President Courtney Parish told the Senate that the digital display couldn’t be purchased without the help of roughly $60,000 from the SG capital improvement fund. In a previous project, administration shared costs with SG to purchase the banners hanging along Harbor Walk featuring current and graduated students.
Enthusiasm for the previously planned pair of marquees was limited in the Senate, and recent city regulations on digital signage would have made placement difficult.
Any unspent money from the fund, currently about $75,000, will return to reserves if unused by the end of the semester.
Parking prices will increase by 5 percent in the fall, pending an approval by the campus board, said Parking Services Manager Bill Benjamin.
Under the plan, the price for a year-long student parking permit will rise from $157 to $165. The additional money will go toward maintenance, structural improvements and the 30-year mortgage on the 1,167 space parking garage.
Current parking accommodations are considered adequate for the next five years, according to the USFSP Master Plan. Phase two construction on the parking garage, which would add 340 spaces by extending the structure out toward Sixth Avenue South, has been put on hold until additional need arises.
The purchase of Harbor Hall added another 51 spaces, for a total of 1,916.
Students from every corner of the state university system will come together to lobby state legislators during the third annual Rally in Tally on Thursday, Jan. 26. Student representatives hope to address rising tuition prices coupled with thinning financial aid, among other topics.
The delegation from the USF system will leave from the Marshall Center in Tampa at 6 a.m. and plan to arrive back from Tallahassee at 8 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to dress professionally and be prepared to present their case. For more information, contact SG Senate President April Parsons at aparsons@mail.usf.edu.
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