Give the U-Pass a go

The North Pole is melting. The polar bears are losing their habitat. Also, if you believe prominent environmentalists like Al Gore, our planet is heating up so much that all life on earth is threatened; one thing that our university can do to make a difference in the face of these circumstances is offer the CTA U-Pass.  It is one of the greatest assets we, as a university, can offer in environmental protection on the local level. The U-Pass would provide students with unlimited transportation to the University, as well as being an ideal way to get to work and after school activities.  The fact that it is given to full-time students for much less than standard buses is a great selling feature to potential new students in city colleges, and would prove an asset to NEIU's enrollment as well.

I have a friend, Dina Stuart, who held on to a class she was floundering in rather than withdraw from Truman College because she didn't want to risk losing her U-pass by dropping to part-time status.  She said, "Public Transportation was the only way that I could get to school.  I couldn't have obtained any education without the U-Pass, and I was willing to sacrifice my GPA because of it." If our university offered the U-Pass, it is my contention that our numbers of currently enrolled underclassman, particularly at the freshman and sophomore level, would significantly increase because the U-Pass would enhance our marketability to those currently enrolled in city colleges.

According to transitchicago.com, the official CTA website, important benefits of the U-pass are that it offers full-time students enrolled at participating schools unlimited rides on any CTA bus or train during an academic term.  The U-Pass could be used by full-time NEIU students only. It is important to note that students who drop to part-time status would have their U-Pass deactivated, so full-time student enrollment would rise as a result of the NEIU U-Pass. The U-Pass positively impacts campus life by reducing our demand for on-campus parking, saving money (and space) on building new garage structures, and would be a valuable addition for student recruitment.  The U-Pass has a positive impact on the environment by reducing traffic congestion and, as a result, air pollution.

A significant factor that I would like to add to the aforementioned benefits of the U-pass is that it will also diminish the likelihood of getting a DUI, something college students are notoriously prone to do.  I believe that the investment of our university in the U-Pass is worth a life or two, and that consideration alone is enough to give the U-Pass a go at NEIU.