In the third issue of The Charger Bulletin, my editorial was about the shuttle service on campus, specifically the off campus apartment shuttle, which I ride frequently. By the end of the first day the issue was out, I already had an email from Ron Quagliani, the Executive Director of Safety and Transportation on campus, asking me if I would like to meet and discuss planned improvements to the issues I cited. Last Friday, I met with him, and here are the results of that meeting.
Ron was the first to say that all shuttles or buses are inherently inconvenient because of the obvious reasons. Throughout the day, a shuttle can end up off schedule due to unforeseen circumstances, the schedule that the shuttle runs on doesn’t necessarily match everyone’s personal schedule, and they don’t always go exactly where you need to go. However, following that, Ron explained a few of the changes that had been made since the first couple weeks. For one, he explained that anytime he heard about a problem, for example, shuttles driving the incorrect route or not stopping in the proper location at each stop, he would contact DATTCO and get the issue remedied. Additionally, if someone brings up an issue and it is about one of the stops with a surveillance camera installed, he will actually go back through the footage to confirm that an error was made.
Although the response I got is not necessarily as good as some of you may hope, it satisfied me, because most, if not all, of the issues I raised were either already solved or would soon be fixed. A final note on our discussion, Ron and I did discuss a completely alternative plan to help alleviate the shuttle issues; however, it is still in the future, and I can’t go into details yet. Rest assured, the first I hear of it, if it comes to fruition, you will hear about it!
To close, I just want to remind everyone about the ways students can have their voices heard. There is always the direct route where you contact the person or department directly. This can work, but don’t forget, you don’t want to go over someone’s head. If you have a problem with a class, don’t ignore your teacher and contact the department chair right away; talk to your teacher first, and if the problem is still not fixed, you can talk to a higher up. Another method is www.ChargerVoice.com, where you can report any issues by category, and the USGA will take care of it as quickly as they can. Finally, you can take the route I now take, write an editorial for The Charger Bulletin. You can rave about something or tear it to pieces, but either way, people do take notice! If you do write something that you want in the paper, just email it to [email protected], and it will most likely be printed in the next issue.
Never doubt for a second that the faculty and staff of UNH are listening to what you have to say!
