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Volume XCIV, Number 10
University of Southern California
Monday, September 19, 1983
New parking structure D to help alleviate problems
By Douglas Lytle
Investigations Writer
Parking structure D, which is expected to be completed sometime in the spring, will help alleviate the parking crunch by providing 1,400 new parking spaces for both students and staff, said Carl Levredge, direc-
pand it further. Levredge said the three-story parking structure was almost ready for vehicles when the decision was made to enlarge the structure by an additional three levels.
"We gave a lot of consideration to what our needs would be in the future, and decided that it
Students and staff have become painfully aware that finding a place to park is a lengthy task for many and windshields dotted with parking tickets are a typical sight on area streets.
tor of security and parking operations.
A shortage of parking spaces plagues the university.
Students and staff have become painfully aware that finding a place to park is a lengthy task for many and windshields dotted with parking tickets are typical a sight on area streets.
"The new structure will give a better balance to the parking spaces on campus," Levredge said.
The parking structure is located on the northeast area of campus, near the Continuing College of Education. Levredge said parking is very limited in this area of campus.
The structure was to have been completed last April, but the university decided to ex-
would be in our best interest to expand," Levredge said, adding that the coming Olympic Games, as well as the urgent need for student parking were factors in the decision to expand.
The structure had been designed so that it could be expanded later, but a study showed that it would be better to enlarge this year, instead of in the next few years when construction costs are expected to be much higher, he explained.
If the contractor allows, Levredge said there is a possibility several of the levels-in the structure could be opened before the rest of the structure is completed.
In response to students' complaints that the “high costs of
parking permits are mostly unjustified, Levredge said that parking operations is out to provide a service, and not to make a profit.
"We are on a break-even budget," Levredge explained, "and we set our rates accordingly. We fund any construction and maintenance entirely out of revenue. We certainly don't set our prices in anticipation of receiving a profit."
He said although parking operations obviously does everything it can to hold permit prices down, the fact that the the university has several major parking construction projects underway, in addition to ongoing maintenence and security, makes it impossible to keep the cost of the permits and gate prices down.
Levredge said the university is seeing an "erosion" of parking spaces on the inside of campus, and that parking operations is forced to find or build new parking structures on the perimeter of the campus.
"As new buildings come, parking spaces go," he said, "and that requires us to work outward."
Consequendy, he said, parking operations is spending more on security and tram lines to ferry people to and from the "satellite" spaces.
Next summer, when the (Continued on page 8)
Foreign students affected
New immigration form is required within 30 days
By Jeffrey Tylicki
Assistant Qty Editor
New immigration regulations have caused a flurry of confusion and frustration for hundreds of incoming international students, and the new policies will eventually affect all foreign students, the office of international students and scholars reports.
All foreign students—who comprise about 15 percent of the student population on campus— must have student visas in order to study in this country.
The problem has centered around a form, known as 1-20, that international students must file with the Immigration and Naturalization Service when they enter the country on an F-l visa. A revised 1-20 became required August 1, and students entering the country without this new form were given 30 days to return the new form to the immigration office.
All international students who have entered the country for the first time or have recently returned to the U.S. have been subject to the new rule.
"(The 1-20) has been the source of much frustration on the part of new students," said Na-dudur Kumar, an international student adviser at the OISS. "These students had filled out all of the right forms we sent them, then the officer (at the point of entry to the U.S.) tells them they don't have the right form and gives them 30 days to take care of it."
Steve Pake, immigration technician at the OISS, said part of the problem stemmed from a lack of communication between the justice department, the immigration service and the people at the port of entry in Los Angeles.
"When the immigration service announced (the revised form) last spring, they told us the old form would be accepted with attached revisions," Pake explained.
"The university complied with the revisions. However on August 1, the immigration officers would not accept the revision form we had supplied to the students. The situation was further complicated by the fact that the new 1-20 forms didn't arrive on the West Coast until the middle of August, which didn't give our office enough time to prepare for it."
Later, the immigration service informed the officials at the jxiint of entry that they were sup>-posed to accept the forms. Immigration officials admitted they were wrong and have taken a more flexible stance on the 30-day deadline, Pake said.
"Students are not in danger of being expelled," Pake added, "but it is difficult for us to communicate this."
Since admitting their mistake, the immigration office has been cooperative with the OISS, Kumar said. After a meeting with immigration officials last week, an agreement was reached whereas the OISS will process students' 1-20 forms and take the forms to the immigration office for them.
Pake said the mix-up means a lot of work for the OISS, and estimated about 300 students were given 30-day limits that need attention.
"This whole mess has slowed down the paperwork process, and the telephone strike complicated matters even more, making contact with some of these students difficult," he complained. "The immigration service keeps changing their policies so fast we can't keep up with them. Last week they informed us of 'one more item' we will have to take care of."
Chau-Lung Wu, a graduate student entering the civil engineering program this semester, was one of the many students given a 30-day notice when he arrived in this country from the National Republic of China.
(Continued on page 5)
LARKY GUND / DAILY TROJAN
NO MORE SHORTAGE—The university's new Parking Structure D will help alleviate the parking crunch by adding 1,400 extra parking spaces.
Youth brought to security as Explorers hit campus
By Doreen Guarino
Staff Writer
If students think University Security officers just look more youthful this semester, they should look again.
University Security has established an Explorer program in which junior high and high school students assist officers in their duties and gain exposure to a university atmosphere.
However, the 14 to 20-year-olds, who will begin work as Explorers this month, will not be paid or receive credit for their service.
"The motivation is the chance to be around a law enforcement atmosphere," said Mike Heckel-man, a staff adviser to the program. "Some live in the USC area. This gives them a chance to have a connection with USC."
Students were drawn from area schools, and the 28 recruits were placed in a training program last March. That number later dwindled to the 17 recruits who graduated from the program September lO.
Heckelman said the goal of the program is to help the students prepare for the future.
"Maybe by exposing them to a university setting, it will encourage them to go on to higher education," he said. "I’d love to hear that one day an Explorer applied to USC and got accepted because of the exp>osure of the program."
"What you're doing is investing in people," said Lt. George Farina, lieutenant commander of support services. "Some of them are going to leam an awful lot about citizenship here."
The Explorer program is divided into two different divisions, field operations and administrative duties, Heckelman said. Certain Explorers are assigned to run each division.
Duties will include assisting officers in interviewing victims and witnesses, obtaining de-scriptons of suspects and broadcasting them over the radio.
During an athletic or cultural event, the Explorers will assist the parking attendants, answer questions and give diredtons, and watch people going to and from their cars. They will also ride with security officers on patrol.
The Explorers have already made an appearance on campus, helping security at registration by giving directions to students and answering their questions.
"They are just an extra set of eyes and ears out there," Heckelman said. "They may point something out to the officer he doesn't see. That will increase our ability to prevent crime."
Heckelman said the Explorers will not be making arrests or be involved in confrontations.
"We are not training them as miniature officers," he said. "We trained them to be Explorers assisting officers. If they see a crime, they should report it immediately."
Heckelman said the Explorers will augment the officers and not take over their duties.
"They're not a form of cheap labor," he said. "There will always be an officer present."
Heckelman said he does not
(Continued on page 7)