By: Caitlyn Bailey | Editor-in-Chief
Salve Regina students have noticed an increase in ticketing for the 2024-2025 school year. Driving through campus through the month of September and October, drivers noticed bright yellow tickets planted on vehicles all over different parking areas.
Confusion rumbled through campus during the week period where Salve Regina’s Office of Public Safety allowed students time to pick up their parking permits. With a hard cutoff dated in an email as Sept. 16, students found themselves confused when returning to their cars and finding either a warning or $50 ticket placed on their vehicle before the date.
“There’s just a lot of miscommunications and it’s at the students’ expense,” said senior Samantha Mansolf.
One student states that they were ticketed for “not having a permit” and “parking in a restricted area.” She clarifies that her moped did have a permit. Additionally, she parked in that spot after emailing the Office of Residence Life to check where she should be parking, yet she received a ticket regardless. It is important to note that the Office of Residence Life should not be contacted regarding parking in any capacity; instead, students are urged to connect with the Office of Public Safety to be properly instructed on parking regulations.
It is also evident that there have been many resident students driving to class rather than walking, with their resident decals making their parking misuse clear. With approximately 549 commuter parking spaces on campus and 487 commuter decals issued as of the beginning of October 2024, there is little room for error when on-campus students take commuter student spots.
Director of the Office of Public Safety Mike Caruolo calls this the “domino effect of displacement.” When a resident student parks in a commuter spot, it forces the commuter to take the spot of a staff member. This leads to a rise in ticketing and frustration among those ticketed.
“There is a noticeable increase in commuter students,” said Caruolo. The number of parking issues rises with the number of commuters. Regardless, Caruolo assures students that a violation that a student suspects is issued in error will be thoroughly investigated in the appeals process, as he is just as unhappy issuing tickets as a student is receiving one.
Before students file for an appeal, it is important that they check the list of invalid appeals that the Office of Public Safety has put together to ensure that requests are valid.
If an appeal is deemed valid, a three-member panel will assemble to hear the facts of the violation and an explanation from the student. There will be no assembly if the appeal is denied.
“The board discusses in private and renders a decision to either approve or deny the appeal,” explains Assistant Director of Public Safety Matthew Corcelli. “This decision is final.”
In response to the rise in ticketing during the beginning months of the semester, the Office of Public Safety will implement a change in the appeal process during high volume ticketing periods. Students will be able to speak to the Office of Public Safety directly rather than simply receiving an email deeming their appeal as approved or denied.
Photos provided by the Office of Public Safety and an anonymous Salve Regina Student.
