Colorado Mesa University (CMU) is rapidly growing, and the students are seeing the consequences.
The lack of housing and parking on campus is, at this point, less than shocking to the students of CMU. The disappointment of not being assigned any of the housing preferences you request and the frustration of having to park across campus are becoming universal experiences to all students.
According to the 2021 Regional Impact Study by CMU provost Carol Futhey, “The Fall 2019 headcount of 9,373 is in sharp contrast to the Fall 2004 enrollment of 5,750, a 63.0% increase.” Understandably, the school is proud of its growth and accomplishments. However, at the rate it is trying to expand, the accommodations for students are dwindling.
Having to fill out an application with your top three choices of housing, only to not be assigned any of them, is pointless. With a rapidly growing student population, you would think the school would have a plan for where to house these students. CMU requires students to live on campus for their freshman and sophomore years. If they are going to keep accepting students, they need to have housing available for incoming students.
With the student population growing, there will inevitably be more cars on campus. Selling enough parking passes to fill the parking lots makes sense, but when you’re living in Garfield and are forced to park behind Bunting because the Wingate and Garfield lots are full (speaking from experience), it becomes a waste of money on our part. This year, I was lucky enough to snag a Reserved Hall parking pass at 12:07 a.m., seven minutes after passes opened. My friend called me at 12:15 a.m. saying passes had already sold out in her immediate lot and she would now have to park in the lot across 12 Street. This is both an inconvenience and a safety concern.
There are also increasing issues with getting enrolled for certain classes before they cap out. This is especially frustrating for not only pre-requisite courses, but also upper division courses. Without a prerequisite class, you can’t take the next level of courses. Similarly, without meeting your upper division or major-specific course requirements, you cannot graduate. Having classes available to students is crucial to the continued commitment and retention of those attending CMU.
Food for thought: what if CMU started offering incentives for commuters who walk or bike to campus? This can help free up the commuter lots for those who are too far from campus to walk or bike. What if there was a way to incorporate an off-campus housing scholarship to encourage upperclassmen to live off-campus? This will free up some of the on-campus housing for incoming students, without sacrificing student population growth.
When is CMU going to take a step back and address the current concerns circulating campus? As a student, I feel too much attention is being focused on the future renovations and goals. Of course, the updates and renovations are important to generate excitement for the future. However, I feel like I am just a space filler between now and when these projects are completed.
