Marquette offers a cross-registration program allowing students to take classes at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, but this requires students to commute about two miles back and forth to attend classes.
For students taking evening classes at MIAD, this commute is a major risk to their safety. In order to uphold its commitment to keeping all its students safe, Marquette should add an EagleExpress route between the two schools.
While the EagleExpress is mostly confined to locations on campus, it does provide rides off-campus to Milwaukee Intermodal Station and Eleven25 at Pabst Apartments.
A route to MIAD would cover a greater distance than other drives on the EagleExpress, but not by a very significant margin. A drive to MIAD from Mashuda Hall, the farthest residence hall from the college, would only take about 10 minutes.
The commute is manageable by car, so students are encouraged to drive and carpool when they can. Unfortunately, this is not possible for most students, as few have cars on campus, and it is difficult to find parking near MIAD. Most students, therefore, opt to take the bus using the discounted U-Pass provided by the university.
Taking the bus to MIAD presents its own challenges. Students frequently complain about the unpredictability of the transit system. A commute that takes 15 minutes one day, can take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes another day. I have made the trip many times myself to visit friends at MIAD and can attest to how unpredictable taking the bus can be.
Additionally, the bus is not always a safe option at night. Waiting at stops can leaves students vulnerable, especially when buses are delayed. This is unfortunate, as late classes can be more convenient for some students who are busy with their regular course load during the day.
An EagleExpress route may also make cross-registration to Marquette more attractive to MIAD students. Sheena Carey, director of MIAD programs at Marquette, explained one issue the cross-registration program has is the lack of students from MIAD interested in taking classes at Marquette.
Carey said the university sends about 30 to 40 students a semester to MIAD, while it only receives about 20 students, and the program cannot expand if it does not attract more MIAD students to Marquette.
MIAD students enrolled in classes at Marquette are given Marquette ID cards and university email addresses, so they could use the route between the two schools if one was established.
When I introduced MIAD students to the EagleExpress, many of them found the idea appealing, and said they would be more likely to take classes at Marquette if there was a route back and forth.
I would also feel more comfortable taking fine arts classes at MIAD if the EagleExpress ran there. Many Marquette students overlook the potential for collaborative opportunities with students at the art school because they do not have many reasons to step onto their campus.
Marquette and MIAD’s cross-registration program is a brilliant opportunity for students at both schools, but it is held back by safety concerns that could be rectified by the establishment of an EagleExpress route between the schools.
When administration was asked for a comment, they expressed concern that a route to MIAD may extend wait times by decreasing the efficiency of the rideshare service.
It is true a small proportion of students are enrolled in the cross-registration program, but extending wait times is a small price to pay to ensure the safety of these students.
Marquette should make sure these students can find a safe way home.
This story was written by Joseph Schamber. He can be reached at [email protected].
