Motor Vehicle Policy for Students

Motor Vehicle Policy for Students

Possession of Motor Vehicles in the Berea Area by Residential Students

  1. The policy is premised on the number of authorized student vehicles being limited to the current number of campus spots designated for students in the student lots.
  2. Vehicle applications will be approved in the following order until the maximum capacity is reached, with some spots reserved for special circumstances:
    1. Seniors (classification 4); “independent” students (as verified by Student Financial Aid Services); students who are active members of a military reserve unit; and students whose homes (according to the address on the FAFSA) are greater than 6 hours (or 350+ miles) driving distance from Berea (as verified by appropriate documentation).
    2. Juniors (classification 3);
    3. Sophomores (classification 2);
    4. First-Year (classification 1).
  3. Applications will be taken by the Department of Public Safety until the end of the first week of classes of each Term. Thereafter, approvals will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications for reasons other than student classification must be accompanied by appropriate documentation.
  4. The Office of Student Life reserves the right to make selective exceptions under extenuating circumstances related to personal medical needs with documentation and review by Student Health Services (White House Clinics), or any non-normal circumstance.
  5. Temporary permission (for up to two weeks) is given for other reasons. A certain number of parking places are reserved for parking by those who receive temporary permits. Applications should be submitted to Public Safety in the same manner outlined above.
  6. A grace period allows for transportation to and from campus at the beginning and end of each term. During these periods, any student may have a vehicle in Berea as long as they are parked only in designated areas according to the parking regulations from Public Safety. The “grace period” consists of two (2) weeks at the beginning of each term and starts during move-in and two (2) weeks at the end of each term. 
  7. The decal fee for students is $50 annually. Temporary, two-week permits cost $7 each. Decals will be charged to the Student Account. Parking decals must be displayed appropriately as specified by Public Safety. Giving, selling, or purchasing a decal for another student or registering a vehicle owned by another student is a violation of the Berea College Code of Conduct and will result in disciplinary action. (See the Community Judicial Code in the Student Handbook.)

Compliance with Parking Regulations

  1. Parking regulations, monitoring and enforcement are administered by the Department of Public Safety. A copy of the rules and regulations associated with campus parking will be provided to each decal holder. This information also is available on the Public Safety webpage (www.berea.edu/public-safety). It is the responsibility of all members of the campus community to know and abide by these regulations. Citations are issued for noncompliance. Individuals to whom parking decals are issued are responsible for all parking and traffic violations associated with their vehicle, regardless of who is operating the vehicle.
  2. Four (4) or more citations, within an academic year, may result in the vehicle being restrained (booted) at the owner’s expense.
  3. Three (3) or more incidents of vehicle restraints (booted or towed) will be referred to the Campus Conduct Hearing Board (CCHB) for review and/or consideration.
  4. Citations may be appealed within five working days, in writing or by email to the Office of Public Safety.  Appeals will be forwarded to the Parking Review Board. Appeals of parking citations should be submitted along with a Citations Appeal Form, available at Public Safety. Appeals must be based on verifiable evidence. Lack of knowledge of the regulations is not grounds for appeal.

Student Life Division Plans for Supporting Students and a Residential Community.

The Office of Student Life supports a revised Motor Vehicle Policy and will continue to promote student engagement and a residential living environment by developing accountability standards for reckless driving, accidents on campus, cars used for illegal activity, unauthorized cars, etc.

The Office of Student Life recognizes that there will continue to be students who do not own a personal motor vehicle. Current shuttle services would continue while Student Life works to develop more comprehensive resources and services for students who do not own a car.

 

Effective November 9, 2023

Approved by the General Assembly and College Faculty Assembly November 9, 2023.