By Lisa Caceres
Staff Writer
Whether you are a commuter racing time or a residential student trying to park near your dorm, campus parking is a frequent topic across campus. Campus layout looks quite different this academic year following changes designed to lower parking congestion. Even with these adjustments intended to facilitate parking, finding a parking spot on campus can still feel like an Olympic sport.
For the university’s commuter population, the stress of the morning drive does not end when they pull onto campus. Instead, the journey often requires built-in buffer time just to secure a spot before the morning rush.
Blessing, a junior who commutes an hour to campus, said she arrives well before her first class to allow time for parking and the walk across campus.
“My first class is at 11:00 a.m. so I arrive at 10:15 a.m. because I also have to account for the walk to my class,” Blessing said.
Wingate changed its parking layout this academic year after students requested improvements during the 2025-2026 academic year. According to Michael Easley, the Chief of Campus Security, students actively requested improvements to the parking layout, specifically asking to be able to park closer to their housing locations.
In response, Campus Safety worked with the Student Government Association (SGA) to make several parking adjustments that fit the growing needs of the campus community. According to Chief Easley, the changes have allowed residential students to find available parking at their residence halls, while simultaneously increasing the amount of spaces allocated for commuter students.
While the goal of this new model is to maximize convenience, it comes with a strict enforcement policy to prevent unauthorized parking in restricted zones. Students who fail to follow the updated parking guidelines will receive citations, these citations range from $25 to $100 depending on the severity of the violation.
Additionally, the university is taking a strict position against repeated policy violators. Anyone who collects more than four parking violations during the school year will be officially classified as a “persistent offender.” If labeled a “persistent offender”, students are subject to having their vehicles towed if they are found parked illegally anywhere on campus.
An issue among residential students is the restriction preventing them from driving across campus such as driving from a dorm to the cafeteria.
When asked about it Campus Security stated that the strict rules are designed to preserve Wingate’s identity as a pedestrian-friendly campus. Because of the large number of commuters and dining hall employees arriving daily, the main dining hall parking lot is strictly reserved for commuters and dining staff during peak hours.
However, campus security has recently broadened the flexibility of the parking schedule to accommodate students during off-peak times. The dining hall parking lot is now open to everyone weekdays from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. and weekends starting Friday from 5:00pm until 6:00am on Mondays.
“Campus Safety is constantly striving to improve our parking on campus and welcome feedback from our campus community” said Mike Easley, Chief of Safety at Wingate University.
For now students will have to adjust to the new parking regulations while the university continues evaluating how these changes have affected the campus community.
