Dennis Cain, transportation analyst at Parking and Transportation Services, said just a small percentage of WKU students make it through college without having to pay a parking ticket fine.

He said 26.3 percent of students who appeal their parking tickets are successful.

“That means 74 percent either pay what was suggested or have the price reduced,” he said.

Cain said those who decide what action should be taken on parking tickets are part of the appeals committee, which is a collection of faculty, staff and students.

Staff council member Diane Carver said the council nominates one staff member for the parking committee, who is approved by President Gary Ransdell.

“We have a representative tell us about what’s happened throughout the year,” she said.

Staff council also chooses three staff members to serve on the appeals committee, she said.

Versailles sophomore Chris Jankowski, a student appeals committee member, said he is involved in reading appeals and voting on them.

Jankowski said the committee can choose to uphold the amount on the parking ticket, reduce the ticket to a warning or appeal the ticket.

Jankowski said that if an appeal is made, the committee is most likely to reduce the ticket to a warning.

“A lot of times students self-convict,” he said. “They’ll write on their statement, ‘Yeah, I was only 10 minutes over the time limit, but…’ So we have to uphold the amount.”

If the vote for an appeal is tied, the appeals committee sends it to the next appeals committee, he said.

Building Services Attendant Cassandra Bailey, also an appeals committee member, said the committee sees the violations and makes a decision based on the fines and how many citations that person has had. 

Rochester, Mich., junior Kaylee Egerer, an appeals committee member, said many first-time offenders who appeal are successful.

If someone on the committee knows a person who is appealing their ticket, they must abdicate their position to vote for that person, Egerer said. 

Egerer said she recently was given a ticket and has not yet appealed it.

When she appeals it, another group will hear it, because the appeals committee rotates.

“I can’t do much about (appealing) it,” she said. “But I’m a bit more paranoid.”