While aiding disabled and handicapped students should be a priority for Pierce College, a tram service will only end up burying the campus in more debt than it already is.
Pierce College is facing a deficit that is going to affect both students and faculty alike with its repercussions.
Unlike the past few years, the reserves of money that Pierce has built up over the years will not be able cover the large debt, and measures that will cut around 2 million dollars worth of programs will have to be made in order to keep the campus afloat.
Now, there is a time and a place for Pierce that is able to offer assistance to those less fortunate, but considering the circumstances that the campus faces, this is clearly not one of those times.
Instead, Pierce should focus on cleaning up the deficit and other issues before it can start providing more assistance than it already does.
According to the Pierce College website, the Special Services program has been up since 1974 to accommodate for people with disabilities,
For example, the physically handicapped have access to ramps that make certain buildings that are higher than the campus’ ground level more accessible.
There is also an elevator in the library area that allows disabled students to reach the building’s second story without having to trudge up the large staircase.
The campus is spacious, but there isn’t much preventing these particular students from reaching their destination with the addition of elevators and ramps.
Adding a tram system is fairly unnecessary for the most part, and would only serve to drain the already fledgeling budget even further.
This also doesn’t include how the tram service will be implemented or constructed, as it can range from being numerous carts driven by specialized staff in order to deliver the students to a specified area, or it could be a tram system that cuts through the main section of the campus.
There aren’t concrete designs for this system yet, and expenses vary dramatically depending on if they choose to see any of these ideas through.
In the end, Pierce is not in the proper place to build anything as of right now, let alone set up a trolly system. Instead, the college needs to be able to sustain itself before it sets aside money to help a problem that has already been resolved some years ago.
