Southern Utah University President Scott L. Wyatt met with residents on Wednesday, Sept. 5, to have an open question and answer about local issues.
“It’s important to be able to discuss with President Wyatt,” said attendee Genie Smith. “Living near a campus means there will be certain challenges that need to be addressed”.
President Wyatt began the meeting with a small monologue about the University. He mentioned that by the end of the 2018 fall semester, SUU will have an all time high of 11,000 students. President Wyatt also stated that eight bachelor degrees will be offered completely online.
President Wyatt discussed expansion to campus and revealed that a proposal has been made to the Board of Regents for a new classroom building on the west side of campus near the multipurpose center.
More than 50 residents voiced their concerns about SUU’s growth, parking concerns and retention of students.
Residents were mainly concerned by the lack of parking around town. Students often park on the streets of neighborhoods to avoid paying to park on campus, which take up spots on city streets were families need to park.
“We could build a parking terrace for $25,000 a spot”, said President Wyatt. “The only way we could afford to do that would be to charge tickets, and if we charged, students would find a street to park on.”
President Wyatt also mentioned the university’s willingness to collaborate with the city to create residential zones where only residents could park on the street.
If the new building on the west side of campus is approved, it should encourage students to park in the seldom full lot next to Eccles Coliseum.
President Wyatt encourages students to walk or use a bicycle around Cedar City until problems are solved.
Story by: Connor Sanders
news@suunews.net
Photos by: Connor Sanders
