Responsible Office: University Police
Policy Officer: VP for Finance and Administration
Scope: |Faculty |Staff |Student |Public

Approved By: President's Council

Approved Date: 11/14/2011

Effective Date: 11/1/2011

Category: Institutional

Description/Purpose:

Parking policy

Procedures:

Consequence:

Details:

1.0  The operation of a motor vehicle on Saint Francis University property is a privilege granted by the University. It is not an inherent right of any faculty/staff member or student.

1.1  All vehicles shall be operated or parked on campus at the owner's risk. The University is not responsible for damage to or theft from any vehicle while parked on campus.

1.2  The issuance of a parking permit shall constitute acceptance by the applicant to obey all parking and traffic policies of the University and motor vehicle laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

VEHICLE REGISTRATION

2.0  Registration: all student, faculty, and staff who attend class, teach, or work at the Loretto campus of Saint Francis University are required to register, with University Police, the vehicle that they use.

• a.) Student vehicle registration shall be completed during times specified by University Police. Notification of registration portal open date will be sent to students' SFU email during the summer prior to each academic year. Student permits expire of August 15 of the following year. Registration fees are charged to students' accounts.
• b.) Resident Students are not guaranteed a parking spot nor are they guaranteed a spot in the lot closest to their dormitory. Permits for preferred lots (yellow and orange) are assigned by completed credit hours and on a first come/first served basis. Students may be placed on a waitlist for a preferred lot and will be contacted should a spot become available. Students must have a registered vehicle to be placed on a waitlist for a preferred lot.
• c.) Faculty and staff vehicle registrations should be done on their first day of work by contacting University Police. Registration fee will be automatically deducted from payroll.

2.1  It is the responsibility of the student, faculty, or staff member to notify University Police should an unregistered vehicle be brought onto campus property. Temporary parking permits are available, free of charge, to registered parkers using an unregistered vehicle after identifying information is provided to University Police. Failure to report an unregistered vehicle to University Police may result in the issuance of a parking violation.

2.2  Students, faculty, and staff shall notify University Police within 24 hours when the original vehicle or license plate has changed. Failure to notify the University Police of a vehicle or license plate change may result in the issuance of a parking violation.

2.3  PLACEMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY PARKING PERMIT

• a.) Student permits shall be secured to the bottom left corner of the rear window.
• b.) Faculty and staff permits shall be placed on the rearview mirror post which is attached to the inside of the windshield. The permit shall face outward and be clearly visible from the outside of the vehicle. The permit shall remain attached to the rearview mirror while the vehicle is parked on Saint Francis University property. Faculty and staff may register multiple vehicles owned and operated by the same person at no additional cost. Parking privileges are terminated upon completion or employment, or upon the expiration of validity or the parking permit.

2.4  Vehicle operators failing to display the University issued parking permit in their vehicle may be cited for the violation in addition to any other parking violations. With limited exceptions, one permit will be issued to each person registering a vehicle on campus.

2.5  The loss of a registration permit shall be reported to University Police within 24 hours. There is a nominal fee for replacement of a lost parking permit.

2.6  The person registering the vehicle shall be liable for all violations incurred by that vehicle.

2.7  All vehicles registered with University Police for parking privilege consideration shall be duly licensed in the state of origin and maintain a current certification of inspection. Vehicles registered in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania shall have insurance coverage or a certificate from the Department of Transportation certifying financial responsibility.

GENERAL TRAFFIC REGULATIONS

3.0  The speed limit on campus is 20 miles per hour. Officers will use speed timing devices to ensure compliance with campus speed regulations.

3.1  Pedestrians shall always have the right of way. Any driver not yielding to a pedestrian in a crosswalk is in violation of these regulations.

3.2  Operating or parking motor vehicles on sidewalks, athletic fields, or lawns is prohibited.

3.3  No person shall interfere with traffic enforcement, the operation of any traffic control device, ignore any officer’s signal or instruction, tamper with, destroy, or deface any traffic control device.

3.4  Any vehicle operated or parked on University property shall be so operated or parked in a manner as to conform to these regulations, the laws of the Loretto Borough, Cambria County, and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

3.5  No person shall park or operate a motor vehicle in such a manner which may cause damage to any University property or grounds.

3.6  The University reserves the right to remove from its property abandoned vehicles, vehicles without a valid current license plate displayed, and vehicles parked in such a way as to constitute a serious hazard to vehicular or pedestrian traffic or to the movement and operation of emergency equipment. The owner or operator will be responsible for all costs involved in the removal of such vehicles. The University will assume no responsibility for damages to such vehicles or for the contents of the vehicle, which were towed from the campus by University Police. Refer to section 6 for the towing policy.

3.7  It is prohibited to transport passengers on the fenders, hood, roof, or in the hatch area or trunk of any vehicle.

3.8  University Police reserves the right to suspend and/or revoke anyone’s parking/driving privileges based upon serious traffic offenses or excessive numbers of violations of these regulations. It shall not be a defense to report that another student, faculty, or staff member was operating the vehicle.

PARKING REGULATIONS

4.0  Daytime parking (5:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday) When on campus, all student, faculty, and staff vehicles shall be parked in their assigned area.

Evening parking (5:00 PM until 2:00 AM, Monday through Friday, on weekends and official holidays as defined by University policy) When on campus, all student, faculty, and staff vehicles may be parked in any legal parking area including business spaces, the mall, and reserved areas that are not marked with a reserved parking sign. This exception does not include the Louis/Ave, Christian, and Treeline lots or the parking lots located behind Saint Joan, Saint Elizabeth, Upper Stokes, and the Admissions lot. These lots are reserved 24/7 for permitted or visitor vehicles only.

Overnight Parking (2:00 AM until 5:00 AM) Overnight parking is prohibited in the commuter sections of JFK and Lower Stokes. Overnight parking is also prohibited in Upper Stokes, the Fieldhouse lot, along the mall, and along any curbline. Commuters shall park in the non-commuter section of Lower JFK or Upper JFK if necessary to park on campus overnight.

4.1  LOT SPECIFIC PARKING REGULATIONS

• Admissions/St Francis Hall - Reserved 24/7 for admissions visitors only.
• Christian/St. Louis/Ave - Reserved 24/7 for yellow permit holders only.
• DiSepio Patient Parking - Reserved 24/7. These DiSepio spots are for community member patients receiving physical therapy services only. Students, faculty, and staff who are acquiring physical therapy services at DiSepio are not permitted to park in DiSepio patient parking spots. You must park in your assigned lot.
• Fieldhouse - Parking overnight from 2:00 AM - 5:00 AM is prohibited. Reserved 5:00 AM - 5:00 PM for faculty/staff only. From 5:00 PM - 2:00 AM, student parking is permitted. The parking spaces on Saint Catherine Street in front of the Connors Family Fine Arts Center are considered an extension of the Fieldhouse lot and are reserved for faculty/staff only.
• DeGol Field inside the fence) -This area is reserved for Athletics employees and staff only. Students shall not park in this area without prior permission from University Police.
• HATP parking (Eastgate/Pineview) - Reserved 24/7 for white permit with purple lettering only.
• Honors House - Reserved 24/7 for blue permits only.
• Lakeview and Mountainview - Reserved 24/7 for faculty and staff only. No overnight parking permitted.
• Lower JFK Commuter section - The Lower JFK parking lot is separated by posted signs and a solid line painted on the pavement. Commuter students, visitors, and faculty and staff may park on the side nearest to the JFK building. Overnight parking from 2:00 AM - 5:00 PM in this section is prohibited. Resident students shall park on the Small Business Development Center side of the line.
• Lower Stokes - From 5:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Lower Stokes is reserved for commuters, faculty, staff, and visitors only. From 5:00 PM - 2:00 AM, student parking is permitted. Parking overnight from 2:00 AM - 5:00 AM is prohibited.
  a.) As stated above, there is no overnight parking in Lower Stokes. Athletes and coaches travelling for an away game may park in the designated athletic overnight parking area at the rear of the Lower Stokes parking lot. A dashboard pass shall be displayed in any vehicle parked in this area. Athletes or coaches parked overnight outside of this area may be ticketed.
  b.) From the period of 5:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, HATP will have a designated parking area in the rear of the Lower Stokes parking lot, which is marked by signs.
• Mall (Franciscan Way) - Reserved 5:00 AM - 5:00 PM for persons issued a state issued disability parking placard or temporary disabled permit and Chapel visitors only. From 5:00 PM - 2:00 AM, student parking is permitted. Parking overnight from 2:00 AM - 5:00 AM is prohibited.
• Raymond - From 5:00 AM - 5:00 PM, the Raymond lot and Peace Lane are reserved for faculty and staff who are issued a white permit. Raymond lot is a reserved lot; anyone who currently has reserved parking in Raymond may park in any open parking space in the Raymond lot. Peace Lane will remain individual reserved spaces. Those who have reserved parking in Raymond cannot park on Peace Lane, and those who have reserved spaces on Peace Lane cannot park in the Raymond lot. From 5:00 PM - 2:00 AM, student parking is permitted. Parking overnight from 2:00 AM - 5:00 AM is prohibited.
• Treeline - Reserved 24/7 for orange permits only.
• Upper JFK and back half of Lower JFK - Reserved for all students, faculty, staff, and visitors.
• Upper Stokes - Reserved 24/7 for faculty and staff only. No overnight parking permitted. Student parking in this lot is strictly prohibited.

VISITOR PARKING

4.2  Visitor parking areas include JFK lots, Lower Stokes, along Lakeview Drive and along the mall (Franciscan Way). There are also several posted visitor parking spots in various areas around campus. Visitor and short-term parking is prohibited along roadways on University property.

• a.) Persons whose business may require them to be on University property for extended periods shall contact University Police to obtain a temporary parking permit.
• b.) All guests who are staying on campus overnight shall register their vehicle with the University Police. Once registered, they will be given a temporary parking pass for the dates requested. All guests’ parking violations will be the responsibility of the student, staff, or faculty member being visited. Overnight guest parking is restricted to the JFK parking lot or in the posted parking spot for the cottage they are staying in.

DISABLED PARKING

4.3  Persons with a physical condition which precludes them from parking in a designated area may obtain a temporary disabled parking permit from University Police.

• a.) Students who require a temporary parking pass shall first contact the Center for Academic Success for all student ADA accommodations.
• b.) Faculty and staff shall first contact Human Resources for all ADA accommodations.

For students, faculty, and staff, a physician's note is required and shall be presented to either the Center for Academic Success or Human Resources in order to obtain disabled parking privileges. Once you are approved for a temporary disabled parking pass, CAS or HR will then authorize University Police to issue you a temporary permit. This temporary permit is good for 4-6 weeks from the date issued.

For those needing long term disabled parking longer than 4-6 weeks, you shall obtain an applicable placard from your state of residency. You will still be issued a temporary permit to give you time to apply for the state issued placard. Failure to obtain a state issued placard for injuries or physical conditions is not a valid defense or reason to extend the temporary pass.

LOADING AND UNLOADING

4.4  Loading and unloading by students, faculty, and staff is not permitted anywhere on Franciscan Way, Evergreen Drive, and Pineview Drive, except for Fall/Spring check-in/check-out and publicized University breaks.

• a.) Those requiring to load and unload in these areas shall contact the on-duty University Police officer at 814-472-3360 for permission to do so. Any operators that violate this section may be issued parking citations.
• b.) Those wishing to load or unload outside academic buildings shall notify the on- duty officer of their intention, park at the rear of the buildings, and activate their four-way flashers.
• c.) Reserved parking spaces behind buildings shall not be used for loading and unloading purposes. The parking lot at the rear of St. Joan is reserved 24 hours a day/7 days a week for loading and unloading. Vehicles shall use four-way flashers when parked in this lot. Time for loading and unloading shall not exceed 15 minutes.

ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS/ INFORMATION

4.5  If your assigned lot is full, you shall park in Upper JFK or the non-commuter section of Lower JFK. You may contact the on-duty University Police officer at 814-472-3360 for additional guidance or consideration.

Reserved Spaces - Drivers are not permitted to temporarily park in reserved spaces. Additionally, those with reserved parking privileges are not permitted to block another vehicle that has taken their space. Faculty and staff who find their reserved parking space taken by an illegal parker are not permitted to block the illegally parked vehicle. Faculty and staff shall contact University Police at 814-472-3360, who will attempt to identify the violator and have the vehicle removed. Until the reserved space is available, University Police will advise the reserved parker where to legally park.

4.6  Faculty and staff utilizing privately owned vehicles for job related tasks may be permitted to park their vehicle in restricted areas with prior approval from the University Police.

4.7  At no time faculty, staff, students, or guests are permitted to park vehicles on any roadway located on Saint Francis University property unless prior authorization is granted by University Police. No person shall park a motor vehicle on university property in any location other than an authorized parking area. Parking regulations are enforced 365 days a year.

4.8  The University reserves the right to impose limitations on parking for emergencies, large events, or on special occasions. For these types of situations, students, faculty, and staff will be directed by University Police to an alternate parking area.

SNOW REMOVAL POLICY

4.9  University Police, in conjunction with Physical Plant personnel, shall post all parking lots that do not have overnight parking restrictions which need plowing at least 24 hours in advance to give vehicle operators ample time to remove their vehicles from the parking lot. University Police will not attempt to contact the operators of illegally parked vehicles. If vehicles are not removed from this area at the designated time, the vehicle may be towed as per section 6.0, Towing Policy.
The snow removal policy shall apply to all vehicles parking on Saint Francis University property between November 1 and April 15.

PARKING AND TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT

5.0  VIOLATIONS / PENALTIES

*Violators may receive more than one citation when there are multiple violations of this regulation. If the vehicle remains at the initial violation location, no further citations will be issued within a 24-hour period. Once the vehicle is moved from the original violation location, it may be subject to further enforcement, even if it is returned to the original violation location.

ENHANCED PENALTIES FOR CERTAIN VIOLATIONS

5.2  Enhanced Penalties 

• a.) Theft of a permit or the use of a stolen/found parking permit by any person is prohibited and will result in the revocation of parking privileges of the unauthorized user. A criminal investigation shall also be initiated by the appropriate police agency.
• b.) Trading, borrowing, selling, or altering parking permits is prohibited and will result in revocation of parking privileges for both the authorized user and the person who illegally used the permit. A criminal investigation shall also be initiated by the appropriate police agency.
• c.) Registering a vehicle for another student is prohibited and will result in revocation of parking privileges for both parties.
• d.) All unregistered vehicles ticketed by police will automatically be registered and charged the appropriate registration fee.

REPEAT OFFENDERS

5.2  Four (4) violations accumulated on the students, faculty, or staff member’s parking account results in:

• a.) An advisory warning email will be sent to the violator.
• b.) A letter will also be sent to the parents of the student or to the employee’s supervisor advising them of the violations.
• c.) Fines will double

Six (6) violations accumulated:

• a.) A second warning email will be sent to the violator.
• b.) A second letter will be sent to the parents of the student or to the employee’s supervisor advising of the violations.
• c.) Fines will double again.

Eight (8) violations accumulated:

• a.) An email letter will be sent to the violator
• b.) A letter will be sent to the parents of the student or the employee’s supervisor advising of the continued violations.
• c.) The revocation of campus driving and parking privileges.
• d.) Student violator’s vehicle shall be parked in Upper JFK parking near Saint Francis University Police as designated by the Chief of Police and shall only be used for off- campus travel. If the vehicle is found to be parked anywhere else on campus, it shall be immediately towed off- campus and subsequently banned from campus.
• e.) Employees who reach this threshold will be referred to HR for further action.

CITATION NOTIFICATION, APPEAL PROCESS, AND PAYMENT OF FINE

5.5  When students, faculty, and staff are issued a citation or warning, they are notified by an email sent to their SFU email account. Warnings require no further action. Citations do not require further action unless the violator requests an appeal. Citation appeals shall be submitted within five (5) days of issuance and will be reviewed by University Police. Citation appeals that are sent to the Parking Appeal Board, which is comprised of two University employees and one member of the Student Government Association, will be reviewed and voted upon by the board to grant or deny the appeal. Violators will be notified via email of their appeal status.

• a.) For all student appeals not granted, the amount of the violation will be charged to the student’s account.
• b.) For all faculty and staff appeals not granted, the amount of the violation will be payroll deducted on the next applicable pay period. Citations cannot be paid at the Business Office.

5.6  The fact that other vehicles are parked improperly shall not constitute a defense for illegal parking. It is also not a defense that while some vehicles were ticketed in a particular area while others were not. Authorized parking in a particular area may be granted for some vehicles while denied for others, depending on the need and circumstances.

5.7  Payment / Holds

• a.) University Police do not accept payment for violations of this regulation. Payment is handled through the Business Office.
• b). Registration, graduation, and/or transcript holds may be placed against any student who has not cleared their accounts.
• c.) A payroll deduction may be imposed against faculty and staff who have not cleared their accounts.

TOWING POLICY

6.0  Saint Francis University reserves the right to have any vehicle towed from its property at the discretion of the University Police for one or more violations listed below or for any emergency situations. Saint Francis University will not be responsible for any damage to the vehicle resulting from the tow and is not responsible for the contents of the vehicle. The cost of the tow shall be the responsibility of the vehicle owner and/or registered student.
Vehicles may be towed for any of the following reasons:

1. Any unregistered vehicle on campus of which an owner cannot be determined or any student who has failed to register their vehicle
2. Excessive violations of this regulation
3. Snow policy violation
4. Disabled/abandoned vehicles
5. Parked in reserved space or unauthorized parking lot
6. Parked in a marked disabled space
7. Along a roadway marked with no parking signs
8. If found using a lost, stolen, altered, or counterfeit parking permit
9. Parked in a hazardous manner
10. If the vehicle cannot be driven on a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania roadway.
11. For any reasonably articulatable situation or circumstance brought to the attention of, and investigated by, University Police.

COMMON QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Q. Why did I receive a ticket while other vehicles around me were not ticketed?
A. Other vehicles may have been given permission by University Police or may have a temporary permit. Also, citations are issued electronically, therefore others are not aware who was ticketed or not.

Q. Why did I get a ticket for parking in Torvian space overnight?
A. Torvian employee spaces are reserved 24/7 for Torvian employees only.

Q. My car broke down outside my hall and I received a ticket. Why did I get the ticket when my car was disabled?
A. You shall notify University Police if you experience vehicle issues or if you must park in violation of this regulation.

Q. My hang tag fell off and was lying on the floor. Why did I get a ticket?
A. The parking policy clearly indicates parking permits shall be displayed from the rear-view mirror while your vehicle is parked on campus. Failure to display your hangtag from the rear-view mirror is a violation.

Q. I got a new vehicle. How can I update the information/ get a new permit?
A. During normal business hours, call, email, or stop in University Police with the vehicle information and a replacement permit sticker will be issued.

Q. I must be across campus early in the morning- why can’t I drive from my dorm to another building and park there for an hour? Can I park on the mall close to Torvian for breakfast/ lunch?
A. With a limited number of parking spaces available, we cannot accommodate all students, faculty, and staff wishing to park near each building. In order to be fair to all, vehicles shall remain in their assigned lot unless departing campus. At most, it is a short 10- 12-minute walk across campus.

Revisions and consolidation of parking policies (including the retiring of other parking policies) approved by VP Finance on 07/14/2025