I always knew that there were a lot of things that can be fixed around campus, but it wasn't until I started asking other students that I realized how strongly other LSU students felt about the topic. Yes, we go to a beautiful university with a gorgeous campus, but there are also a lot of issues under the surface that need to be addressed.
Here is a handful of those issues, straight from the students themselves:
Update Middleton Library
The whole building is incredibly outdated, there are maintenance issues, and when you walk in.... there's a ~smell~ lingering in the air. LSU needs to focus first on updating this building so students feel more comfortable when inside.
ADD. MORE. PARKING. SPOTS.
Increase lighting at night
After all the safety issues we've had on campus, this one would be a huge help. Students would feel much safer walking around campus at night if there were more lights around them.
Add more variety in dining halls
Students that regularly eat in The 5 or The 459 can tell you that the food can easily get really bland, boring and monotonous. LSU should consider adding more food options so students actually get more for what they pay for.
Enforce the tobacco-free policy
"They don't enforce the tobacco-free policy on campus and I actually choke when I walk through the quad." — Rebecca Peterson, sophomore
ADD. MORE. PARKING. SPOTS.
Promote respect for ALL student organizations (i.e. Student Media)
"Students and faculty love to get all offended over opinion columnists and say that The Reveille and student media are eating away at funds when in reality, having student media outlets watching over student life and organizations is way more important than they give credit for." — Whitney Hicks, sophomore
Add a cross walk on Greek Row
This one is just a blatant safety issue; students crossing the streets for the buses are put in direct danger with the traffic that speeds down W. Lakeshore Dr.
Better the major-change process
More times than not, students are heavily set back when they change their majors. Specifications for residential colleges can trap you and majorly screw you over.
Cut back on ridiculously hard gen-ed classes
"For example: the first accounting class is literally only there to decrease the number of business majors. The extensive weeding-out process is crazy." — Rebecca Peterson, sophomore
ADD. MORE. PARKING. SPOTS.
Fix the potholes
"Potholes are #notfun to drive through and there's literally a part of South Campus Dr. that's basically a one lane road because of all the potholes." — Caroline Cantrelle, sophomore
Make scheduling more efficient
Students are constantly complaining about classes filling up and not making into the classes they want/need, so LSU needs to have a better scheduling process.
Tend to the dilapidated buildings
Anyone walking through a hall at LSU can clearly see they need some help; there is mold, there are ceiling tiles falling down, there are leaks from cracked ceilings. Something needs to be done so students can actually focus in class. Buildings like PFT/the BEC/Tiger Stadium are constantly being taken care of, so why not the buildings where students actually learn?
Address the tailgating issue
Tailgating was immediately shut down after the Max Gruver tragedy last year, but I don't think things were ever ~really~ addressed and expressed to the LSU student body. Excessive drinking and dangerous activity is still prevalent, so maybe they need to rethink their policies and ACTUALLY make sure the student body is being protected.
Add on-campus food options
LSU students are forced into eating at the same six or seven places on campus, so many think that there should be some new options offered on/close to campus.
ADD. MORE. PARKING. SPOTS.
Regulate teachers' use of Moodle
"I definitely think that need to be more strict about teachers using Moodle because it's very stressful when it's the last day to drop your classes and you have no idea what your grade is in half of them." — Meredith Perniciaro, sophomore
Make sure that Tiger Trails is running on time
_alexandraol / Twitter
Have teachers verify the need for textbooks
A lot of times, a teacher will tell you that buying the textbook is mandatory for a class... and then at the end of the semester and after dropping $150 for a book, you realize that you never even took it out of the packaging. I think that LSU professors need to really make sure that they're going to be using the textbooks so students aren't wasting their money.
Find a better way to address sexual assault
Consent isn't "sexy," it's mandatory... when giving presentations on sexual safety and student life, LSU faculty needs to make sure they're going about it the right way. Dumbing it down to seem cooler to college kids isn't the right way to address the subject.
Fixing all of these issues would help us live in a brighter world; that would REALLY be a #geaux #Tigers