WKU Director of Parking and Transportation, Ginny Griffin, responded to questions and concerns of Staff Senate members on Wednesday about overselling parking permits, reserved parking spaces and facility parking.
She also spoke heavily on the concern of permit holders in Parking Structure 2 being displaced during public events.
“As a state institution, we invite guests in,” Griffin said. “We don’t commandeer parking without offering suggestions on where you can park, and that is part of our responsibility.”
Griffin also said that Parking and Transportation oversells permits because of the fluctuating attendance of faculty and staff permit holders.
She said reserved spaces in the HUB Lot on College Heights Boulevard near Gordon Wilson Hall will be converted to pay-on-demand spaces due to lack of use of the reserved spots.
“I don’t need to tell you that we’re not going to make everybody happy and somebody’s always going to be frustrated about something,” Griffin said. “I can tell you from the heart that we absolutely do the best we can with the resources we have.”
The Staff Senate recognized Jessica Dunnegan from Academic Affairs and Jennifer Anderson from the Ogden College of Science and Engineering dean’s office as outstanding staff members for June with the Christopher Ware Staff Star Award.
The Christopher Ware Star Staff Award was introduced in 2021 in honor of staffer Christopher Ware from the Information Technology department after his sudden death in December 2020.
According to the Staff Senate website, “The Christopher Ware Staff award is an opportunity for staff, faculty and students to recommend other colleagues to be featured and spotlighted for their unique and positive contributions to WKU.”
WKU’s first service dog, Candoo, was also recognized with the Christopher Ware Staff Award in honor of his memory after 13 years of service.
“He reminded us all that connection isn’t about shared experiences, it’s about shared compassion,” long-time owner and WKU staff member Scott Fox said at the meeting. “Even through his injuries and physical challenges, he showed up ready to help someone else feel less alone.”
Candoo worked on campus with Military Student Services, the Kelly Autism Program and the American Sign Language Studies program.
“These individuals embody the spirit of service that Chris represented, and through their hard work and dedication, this month’s recipients have made remarkable contributions that have made a significant difference for our students and for our colleagues,” Parliamentarian Jordan Ray said during the meeting.
