The University of West Florida is a relatively young and small university. This fall semester, UWF drew a record class to Pensacola of over 13,000 students. The community is ecstatic that the university is growing and thriving. However, the students are not. As the university grows in numbers it is losing its great quality. As a member of the student community, I am happy that UWF is growing in numbers but it also needs to grow in other important aspects. Here are several problems that UWF needs to fix before admitting more students because quality is better than quantity.

Parking Services

After a long, full day of classes, you're walking to your car and there it is. That white piece of paper tucked under your windshield wiper. On that little white piece of paper is a $50 charge for parking in the wrong area. But you couldn’t and wouldn’t park in the right area because you’ve been looking for 45 minutes, which made you late to class. Ever since the first day of classes, there has been a constant problem with parking for both students and faculty and staff. Also, the prices of parking decals and tickets have gone up tremendously but the amount of parking hasn’t changed. Many students have been forced to park at apartment complexes off campus and walk or bike 30 minutes to class. Others park in the 9 Mile Target parking lot and ride the trolley to campus. Professors are late to class because they can’t find parking either. If the university can’t provide parking, the student population on campus will drop.

Classrooms

I am currently attending two classes that don’t have enough seats for the amount of enrolled students in the classes. I am not the only student that has this problem every time they walk into class. There are plenty of classrooms that lack seats compared to the amount of students in that class. As a student paying for school on her own, I am outraged that I have to sit on the floor or pull a chair from outside the classroom to learn. Although I can pull a chair from the hallway or a different classroom, I still don’t have a desk to write on or a computer, if the class is in a computer lab. Not having a seat in the classroom has made it hard to fully participate and learn in class. Why should I enroll at a university that doesn’t even provide basic school necessities?

Professors and Classes

At most universities during the time of class enrollment, there are the basic battles to get into certain classes before they all fill up. However, at UWF there are not enough professors to provide enough classes that many students need to fill their degree. As a Hospitality, Recreation and Resort major I currently have to drive an hour away to the Fort Walton Beach because one of my classes is only offered on that campus. Some classes aren’t even offered some semesters, which has caused my graduation to date to be pushed back. And although UWF has hired some new professors, it is still not enough to have a good professor to student ratio. Many students have chosen to attend UWF because of the great professor to student ratio. However, due to the growth in enrollment, many students aren’t receiving what they expected.

The University of West Florida is a great school. But to grow while continuing to be a great school, more than just the amount of students on campus needs to change.