We have received surveys 365 and blog comments from throughout campus and here are the results:

Overall, 59% of students responded “Yes” and 41% of students responded “No”

Of employees, 75% responded “Yes” and 25% responded  “No”

The numbers are heavily skewed depending on the student populations that voted. For example:

Of the surveys received on the main campus (including all day and evening students) 67% responded “Yes”33%” and “responded  “No.”

Of the surveys submitted from Salt Lake City, the Roy campus or the BDO campus, the numbers were exactly–and coincidentally–opposite.  Only 33% said “Yes,” while 67% said “No.” This reflects the fact that many of these students attend for shorter times (such as those in CNA), and they are working at jobs that require them to drive.  Fewer of these students saw a benefit.

It was interesting that many of the students who said “Yes” said it enthusiastically, some almost begged.  This is because many students are struggling to make ends meet.  Transportation costs are a big deal, and students need all the help they can get to finish school.

That said, is it fair to charge everyone for a benefit not everyone will use?  How do we make it fair?  In order to pay for the program, we HAVE to charge most students.  If we start taking certain student groups out of the mandatory category, we have to charge more per pass.  I wish there was an easy answer but if there was, we would have already made a decision.

So…

These are still unresolved questions, but rest assured we are looking for a viable solution that accounts for the many different student situations.  Stay tuned for the latest…and submit your comments!