Campus parking has undergone drastic changes for the Fall 2012 semester, including changes in student and faculty positions and higher fees.

A basic parking fine will now be $50. A mobilized fine will be $75. Failure to register a vehicle will cost $250.

“Every semester we have students who rack up $700-$800 or more in parking fines,” ULM Chief of Police Larry Ellerman said. “Larger fines will act as a deterrent.”

Ellerman said higher fines are not aimed at students but rather a way to better control parking.

“I personally feel like there will be less money involved now since students will be more cautious of parking fines,” Ellerman said.

The money the University receives from parking fines is put into the university general fund.

These changes were approved by the ULM Parking Committee made up of faculty, staff and students. This committee, appointed by Wayne Brumfield, vice president of student affairs, met over the summer primarily to address safety concerns involving parking.

Ellerman explained that diagonal parking along University and Northeast Avenue created a hazard for both pedestrians and drivers in the past.

“Our pedestrian accidents are very low in number, but one is one too many,” Ellerman said.

Ellerman said the new parallel parking along University and Northeast Avenue will improve the line of sight for pedestrians and drivers and will help ensure safety for students crossing the roads between classes.

Because parallel parking only provides one space where diagonal parking would provide two and a half, a significant number of parking spaces have been lost. However, Ellerman said the safety turnaround is well worth it.

Faculty and student parking positions have been changed due to the closure of Walker Hall and the movement of many faculty offices.

The entire area between the library and Desiard Strett is now faculty parking.

However, the area between the SUB and Stubbs Hall, as well as the horseshoe-shaped area between Walker, Hanna and Sugar Halls, is now student parking.

The ULM Police will be distributing flyers during the first few weeks of school to inform students of the parking changes.

Ellerman suggests that students heed this warning since parking fines have now increased significantly.