January 24, 2007 U-Pass Meeting (PPT)
January 24, 2007 U-Pass Meeting (PDF)
Questions or comments? Email Ashi, GSA President: ashi(AT)northwestern(DOT)edu
How can I get involved?
E-mail anyone that is on the GLC website and they can give you information on meetings or point you in the right direction. We can definitely use volunteers or you can run for office in the individual groups that make up the GLC and take a more substantial role.
What was the process for U-Pass approval?
The TGS administration had to approve it, then Board of Trustees budget committee had to approve it, and then the Provost signed the contract.
How many respondents supported it from each campus?
Evanston 61.7% for, 29% against, 9.3% undecided/no opinion
Chicago 82.6% for, 13.7% against, 3.7% undecided/no opinion
“Both” campuses (31 people) 83.9%, 16.1%, 0%
Other campus (2 people) 0%, 100%, 0%
Why can't people with a parking pass be exempt from paying?
The U-pass would still have to be paid for even if someone didn't use it. Additionally, there are also students who walk or bike or take the Metra to campus, and the U-pass is not only for commuting.
How does our contract's price compare with other schools?
All schools pay the same price. It's based on the number of days in the
school’s academic year.
Note: It's 0.70 cents a day, $56 a quarter. This means 1.5 round trips a week would pay
itself off.
Why didn’t the survey tell us that we would have to pay for the U-Pass, or how much the U-Pass would cost?
Question 10 from the survey asked, “With the UPASS program through the university, getting unlimited CTA rides would cost $50-60 per quarter, which pays for itself in 1-2 round trips per week. Would you be willing to pay $50-60 per quarter for unlimited use of the CTA buses and trains (the UPASS program)?” In fact it did address both of those questions. It did not say that everyone would have to pay for the U-pass but that will hopefully be addressed in the future with an opt-out program.
Why wasn’t an opt-out program offered initially?
An opt-out option was considered, TGS decided it involved too much financial risk. The university would still have to pay for the U-Pass for those who opted out. If the program is priced too high or too low it could run a deficit. However, the opt-out has NOT been ruled out categorically, just for the next two quarters.
Why was the U-Pass adopted during winter quarter?
TGS wanted to provide the service to graduate students as soon as possible. Talks with CTA had been ongoing for over a year, and various administrative hurdles were still being cleared during fall quarter.
Why wasn’t something this important offered as a referendum or vote instead of a survey?
A vote or referendum would currently be similar to a survey. There is no policy to say that a certain percentage on a vote will determine policy. All of the power still lies in the hands of the administration. The survey is more useful as a broad analysis of the graduate student’s interests.
Why couldn’t the U-Pass be included in tuition?
If the U-Pass could be included as a part of tuition, it would only have resulted in lower stipend raises or lower health insurance subsidies because there is only a certain amount of money that the graduate school has to allot and they thought that providing all of the other services in their current subsidy levels was more important. The other services provided by the university and are included in tuition are the gym, libraries, safe Ride, shuttles, and health services. TGS currently supplies funds for travel grants, health insurance and childcare.
Why did the GLC rely on the survey for its decision to recommend the U-Pass?
The survey was sent to all students in TGS via e-mail in October. 963 or 32.1% of all graduate students took the survey. 254 written responses to final survey question soliciting concerns for GLC to review, many requesting the U-Pass.
What about self-selection bias? Where those who feel the most strongly about the U-Pass are the most likely to respond?
This is possible though a self-selection bias would exist even if it were a vote, not a survey. The survey was not just about the U-Pass, but was a general survey, including such issues as stipends, health insurance, and childcare. Health insurance affects the take home pay of students much more than the U-Pass – it alone merits taking the survey.
Is it legal to give students mandatory fees?
Yes, Health Services fees, Facilities Fees, & Activities Fees are routinely administered at universities. At public schools, they must be approved by the state legislature. At Northwestern the Board of Trustees operates like the legislature in this regard – the BoT had to approve the mandatory fee.
Is it against our student rights to instill a fee without a vote?
The TGS website says “Students will have their views and welfare considered in the formation of University policy and will be consulted by or represented on University committees that affect students as members of the University community.” The GLC was consulted on this matter and the GLC made the recommendation for accepting the U-pass because a large majority supported this measure.
Why doesn’t the U-Pass include the Metra?
The CTA did do a trial period which included the Metra on their U-pass however that policy has since been discontinued.
Does the U-Pass economically benefit our graduate student population?
Overall the graduation population probably pays at least $75,000 less per quarter
Can I get a refund for my parking permit?
Yes, as long as you turn it in to parking services within 5 days of the beginning of the spring quarter you will receive $219. That is equivalent to a full refund on the spring and summer quarters for your parking pass.
Can I use my U-pass on PACE busses?
Yes
Can part time students get the U-Pass?
The U-Pass is available for full time students only.
What about students studying abroad?
Students studying abroad on foreign exchange are not included in the U-Pass program.
What’s the percentage of students living in Evanston? If it’s large, what’s the point of having a UPASS?
Only a small minority of survey respondents was from the Chicago campus. The vast majority of survey respondents who were in favor of the U-Pass were from the Evanston campus.
Do you think UPASS will reduce the car usage?
In the 2005 Survey, ~1/3 of drivers who took the survey indicated that they would use their car “less” often. We hope that those who switch to the U-Pass for commuting and general use will help ease traffic and parking congestion
What are the environmental advantages of having the U-pass?
We can make an effort to reduce the ecological footprint of Northwestern University as a whole by not driving to campus.
Isn’t the NU shuttle enough? Why a UPASS?
As mentioned in the 2005 GLC Annual report, the expansion of the shuttle system was considered. However, there is no way the shuttle system could feasibly match the public transportation system, particularly for students who live further from campus and for whom no logical main “route” could be made.
Can the shuttle be eliminated and use that money to pay for the UPass?
No, the shuttles have a variety of uses and are used by more than just the graduate population.
Can Northwestern buy a bulk CTA passes, at lower cost than the commercial one, instead of enrolling all grad students in the UPASS?
No, to our knowledge the CTA does not offer such a program.
Why does the U-pass have a 10-15 minute delay?
The U-Pass has a 10-15 min delay to make sure you don't use it more than once at the same station or bus line. So if you walk out of an El station you won't be able to get back in immediately with it. Similarly, for some of the elevated stops, if you enter on the wrong side, and have to go downstairs and up the other side it may not let you for the same reason. This feature is to prevent abuse. You can try talking to an employee in these cases and maybe they can help you
Don't put your U-Pass in the regular fare refilling machines! It will say no balance and eat your card, then you'll have to contact the CTA to buy a replacement!
The CTA website offers questions and answers on their website as well
http://www.transitchicago.com/maps/question.html