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Motor Vehicle Policy for Students

Berea College is committed to providing low cost, high quality education to students with limited economic resources. Because the ownership of motor vehicles has clear relationship to funds available for education, College policy is to discourage unnecessary ownership and use of personal vehicles by students. It also is College policy to provide an educational and social situation in which the ownership and use of personal motor vehicles by students normally is not needed. Ecological and environmental effects, loss of open space, costs of parking, and increased traffic hazards associated with a large number of motor vehicles also are factors influencing the College’s policy of restricting student vehicles.

The College attempts to foster a sense of community among students, faculty, and staff. The essentially residential nature of the campus and the College’s emphasis on involvement of all its members in various programs and activities contribute in significant ways to the development and preservation of community. The College also tries to encourage personal and social values that do not depend upon material gain or wealth. These commitments find expressions in policies governing the environment, culture, and lifestyle of the College.

Accordingly, regulations regarding the use of motor vehicles by residential students are needed.

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 8 hours (or 500+ miles) driving distance from Berea (as verified by appropriate documentation).
    2. Juniors (classification 3);
    3. Sophomores (classification 2);
  3. First Year Students are not permitted to have vehicles in Berea except under the circumstances noted above.
  4. No student on any form of probation may receive authorization to have a vehicle in Berea.
  5. Applications will be taken by the Department of Public Safety first for those categories noted under #1 above during the first week of each Term. Thereafter, approvals will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis for juniors and then sophomores. Applications for all reasons other than student classification must be accompanied by appropriate documentation. All applications require evidence of license, registration, and proof of insurance.
  6. 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).
  7. 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.

  8. 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. 

  9. The decal fee for students is $50 annually. Temporary, two-week permits cost $7 each. Decals must be paid for at the Department of Public Safety (Woods Penniman Hall) prior to issue. They may not 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 Judiciary Code.)

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 at the time of decal purchase. This information also is available on the Public Safety Web page (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. Failure to pay citations within the prescribed time will result in a late fee being charged to the Student Account. Multiple citations may result in the vehicle being booted or towed from campus property at the owner’s expense.
  3. Any student who accumulates more than three (3) campus parking citations during a single academic year will be fined $100 and have parking privileges revoked (i.e. vehicle authorization will be rescinded) for the remainder of the year.
  4. Citations may be appealed within five working days, in writing, to the Office of Public Safety. Following review by 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.

Possession and Use of Unauthorized Vehicles

The Office of Public Safety monitors both campus and, with assistance from the City of Berea, city parking areas. If a student is found to have a vehicle on campus or in the Berea area without proper authorization (i.e., without a properly issued and displayed decal), that student will be considered in violation of the Policy on Possession and Use of Motor Vehicles by Residential Students. A student will be considered in possession of a motor vehicle if the vehicle is on or off campus in the Berea area and is registered in the student’s name; the name of a parent, guardian, or other relative; or if the student has extended possession of a vehicle registered in the name of another person. The record of violations for unauthorized vehicles is cumulative across all years of enrollment.

  1. The first time a student is found to be in violation of the possession regulations a warning will be issued with instructions to remove the vehicle from the Berea area within one week. Additionally, a $100 fine will be levied. If the vehicle is found on College property, it may be booted or towed at the owner’s expense.
  2. The second time a student is found to be in violation of the possession regulations, a fine of $250 will be levied, the student will be placed on Social Probation for a period of one regular term, and the student will forfeit vehicle authorization for the remainder of that academic year. As above, unauthorized vehicles found on College property may be booted or towed at the owner’s expense.
  3. The third time a student is found to be in violation of the possession regulations, the student will be suspended automatically by the Vice President for Student Life for a period of one regular term. In addition, the student will forfeit the privilege of vehicle authorization at any time in the future. Suspension penalties may be appealed in writing to the Student Life Council within one week of the date of the suspension notification. Appeals must be based on verifiable evidence that the appellant was not in violation of policy.

Effective Date: May 8, 2003

Revision Date:

Approved by: General Faculty

Submitted by: Beverly Penkalski