As finals wrap up and the holiday festivities begin, students at Florida Atlantic University are starting to write Christmas lists.

While students said they wanted things ranging from new technology to health and happiness, the University Press followed up by asking what they hypothetically wanted most from university officials this holiday season. 

Some students gave silly but relatable responses, such as good grades on their finals and a month’s worth of their rent. The UP dove deeper into the concerns around campus and what students think FAU can improve on.

Better nutrition options and longer dining hours

The Atlantic Dining Hall on FAU’s Boca Raton campus is open from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. during the week. It’s open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the weekends, with hour-long breaks throughout the day. The Breezeway Food Court is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the week and only 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the weekends. Holidays may affect these hours depending on the restaurant.

Students feel these hours should be extended, especially on the weekends.

“Considering I just came from the food court that was closed by the time I got there, I would say longer hours would be something I want from the university,” said Sophia Zapata, a senior biology major. “Maybe a couple more options for coffee besides the Starbucks and the Dunkin’, even a little pop-up would be cool around campus.”

Whether it’s the Atlantic Dining Hall or the Breezeway Food Court — which contains restaurants like Panda Express, Chick-fil-A and Pizza Hut —– students feel the dining hours are not long enough.

“The limited hours make it harder for students with busy schedules to get a meal in, which forces us to use delivery or even leave campus to get something else,” said Devyn Waters, a social work student.

The dining hall is a buffet-style eatery serving students breakfast, lunch and dinner. Its options range from eggs and pancakes for breakfast, to burgers and salads for lunch and dinner. It also contains a dessert station where students can indulge in pastries and ice cream.

With the variety of food options FAU offers its students and staff, many students like Waters agree it is time for a change. However, she feels that the meal plans they are paying for are costly and fail to deliver the quality or value that students expect.

“Dining hall food is honestly a hit or miss most days. The food is genuinely unappetizing; it lacks taste,” said Waters. “While it meets basic needs, the variety and quality could be improved and reflect and accommodate the diverse population it serves.”

More parking options

FAU has various parking options for students, staff and visitors. With metered parking for guests along with student and staff lots and garages, many still struggle to find parking at the university. 

As of 2024, 30,850 students across undergraduate and graduate degree programs attend FAU. While not all students attend classes in person or drive to class, students feel there should be more parking available to accommodate all students.

“With the unfortunate car dependency that Boca Raton has, it’s important with the increased growth of students attending that there needs to be more parking available, especially for the freshman dorms,” said Haley Sciole, a senior criminal justice major.

The UP reported in 2017 that the Boca Raton campus only has 11,403 parking spots. FAU recently expanded lots 16 and 18 for more parking availability.

FAU parking is separated by lots with blue, green and red parking permits. Blue lots are for commuter students, green lots are for on-campus residents and red lots are for teachers and staff. Parking garages are labeled as blue lots.

Students like Tiffany Arnett, a business marketing major at FAU, say the abundance of red lots compared to student lots forces them to park in lots that are not permitted, resulting in parking citations.

FAU’s Davie campus, with a student population of more than 5,000 students, has 750 parking spaces, according to the campus master plan adopted in 2007. 

However, the John D. MacArthur campus in Jupiter, which has 855 students, has more parking spaces than students. FAU’s latest campus master plan update from 2019 projects 2,095 parking spaces by 2028.

More financial support for first-generation, low-income students

As almost every student and parent knows college is not cheap, especially when paying out-of-pocket tuition. Plus, housing, textbooks and other expenses rack up while attending college. 

Out-of-state students pay an estimated $11,000 more for tuition than in-state students. Students also have to pay more money to take online classes because of a “distance learning fee,” which usually adds about $30 per credit hour.

While scholarships and grants are available to help cut the cost of schooling, they sometimes only accommodate certain expenses, such as housing or books.

“Most people I know have Bright Futures, but for those who don’t like me it’s a bit of a struggle,” said Robinson Joachim, a chemistry major at FAU. 

More on-campus housing

With nine different on-campus dorms, the demand for on-campus housing has been extremely high.

In March 2023, the FAU Department of Housing and Residential Education (HRE) waitlisted over 1,000 students who sent in a housing application. 

HRE divides students into priority groups, with freshmen and sophomores at the top. This leaves juniors, seniors and graduate students no other choice but to live off-campus.

Rent prices for apartments in Boca Raton and Delray Beach are so high that most students and their families need additional financial support to cover the monthly costs.

Innovation Village Apartments (IVA) and University Village Apartments (UVA) are the only two dorms on FAU’s Boca Raton campus for upperclassmen, so there is minimal space and high demand every year when housing applications come out.

“Living in one of the most expensive parts of the country is difficult as it is, let alone having to worry about if you will have a place to stay the following year,” said Sciole. “I know many students that had to take out loans to live somewhere off campus and didn’t receive housing after sophomore year. It really takes a toll on students.”

Angelina Martell is a Staff Writer with the University Press. Email her at amartell2023@fau.edu or reach out on Instagram @angieemartell for information regarding this or other stories.