Highway to health

A shuttle service providing transportation for Marshall University students to and from the student health center is the subject of a proposal from the Office of Student Affairs.
Steve Hensley, dean of student affairs, said the idea for the service developed in response to concerns from students.
“Students have complained, justifiably so, that when they’re sick, they don’t feel like walking over there,” Hensley said. “We don’t have an easy answer for them so we’re investigating whether we could create a shuttle to get students over there and back.”
Responses to surveys given at Marshall in previous years indicate that most students have cars. Bus passes are given to students without their own transportation to the student health center, but the need for a shuttle service is becoming greater, said Carla Lapelle, associate dean of student affairs.
“As we get more and more students here that don’t bring cars — they live great distances from home — it just makes sense to look into that option now,” Lapelle said.
The plan is for the shuttle service to be available Monday through Friday during student health center hours and when the university is in session.
Several issues and factors are being considered. One of the biggest obstacles is funding for a vehicle and hiring a qualified driver, Hensley said.
“I don’t know if anybody has the money to do it,” Hensley said. “I guess eventually the president’s office would be involved in making that decision, but he will only do that as part of a consultation with the budget office and with our office. I don’t think it’s a decision that one person’s going to make.”
Interest and need of students is another determining factor because the service would be provided from the university budget. Even if students support the idea, it is uncertain how many would actually take advantage of the service, Hensley said.
“Would they rather take their car or wait on the shuttle?” Hensley said. “We have to assess that. I don’t think people would know whether they’d ride it or not. If we see that thing circling the campus and it’s empty nine times out of 10, we would know that we’ve wasted our money.”
Leasing a vehicle for a year to test the idea of a shuttle service is also a possibility to determine student need. Hensley said Marshall might model its prospective shuttle service after systems from larger universities.
Hensley said he is meeting with Cabell Huntington Hospital representatives Friday to discuss the possibilities of any additional stops between Marshall and the hospital’s designation.
“We’re going to try to talk to Cabell to see if their schedule would allow them to run their shuttle over and pick up students,” Hensley said. “I have no idea whether they would or not or what problems it would cause them  what inconvenience, what expense, what liability.”
Lapelle said the proposal will officially be presented when all the information regarding costs and vendors is gathered.
“We are nowhere near a proposal being passed,” Lapelle said. “We’re really hoping that it will be something affordable.”
Hensley said he hopes the shuttle service would become available for the 2010-11 academic year if the proposal is passed. If an agreement is worked out with Cabell Huntington Hospital, the service could be available as early as next semester.
“In the end, it all gets down to money and how many students would have to ride it in order to make it a viable activity,” Hensley said. “I do think it is something we are going to eventually get.”

Marlowe Hereford can be contacted at hereford4@marshall.edu.