Editorial: Classes held at mall unfair

It has been more than two weeks since USF began holding classes at the University Mall. Though this may seem like a good, temporary solution, it does not hide the fact that USF needs to seriously consider building more classrooms.

USF is obviously growing. Parking lots and student housing has greatly expanded in the past years. However, classroom space has become more scarce. The university should spend more money on building new classrooms and offering more diverse classes instead of other side projects.

The money that was spent to rent the University Mall theater classrooms would have been better spent on the construction of permanent buildings on USF property. Unless the university plans to buy malls and convert stores into classrooms, this is an absolute waste of time and resources.

It is also grossly unfair that students who have to take classes at the mall are made to pay an additional fee to cover shuttle and other expenses. Not only are these students inconvenienced by needing a shuttle and taking longer to commute back and forth, but they are insulted even further by having to pay more for that inconvenience.

The need for more classroom space is a problem that will only increase with time as more students are coming to USF each year. USF is spread out, but moving some classes to a much farther location makes the campus seem disconnected and unable to accommodate students. Universities are places of higher learning meant to help students gain a better education, not turn profits, and USF would do well to learn this now and invest more resources in its students.

If not, the university won’t need the mall’s services for much longer because students won’t come to a school that can’t provide appropriate and sufficient learning environments.