Conclave: Higher Ed, Researchers, and Campus Parking

I don’t know what the parking situation is at your university, but at Louisiana State University (my alma mater, Geaux Tigers, Beat Bama!—sorry I had to...) parking on campus is a nightmare. First off you pay an ungodly amount for a parking permit, then you learn that the permit only allows you to park in certain designated lots, situated strategically at the very far edges of campus, ensuring you will get at least a 15 minute walk in before class. 

While this is handy for getting in the feds daily recommended 30 minutes of activity, it’s no fun when you’re running late. For an exam. You’re stressed. There’s no parking spots. And you forgot your blue book. Doh.

And as you sprint to your classroom, papers flying out your bag, sweat dripping from your brow, your hair getting even more disheveled than it already was, you see a professor driving leisurely and calmly on the campus road next to you, and he pulls out his badge, swipes it, and a gate opens up allowing him to park right next to his office building. 

I was green with envy of those faculty parking privileges. How easy their lives must be. And then they get out of their car, go into their buildings, and immediately get to start interesting work on research in their field, coming up with innovative theories or filling in the gaps of previous researchers. Honestly, this is more attractive to me than the parking permit. 

Researchers and higher education faculty are crucial to any profession, because they not only train the incoming future professionals but also break ground by creating and testing theories, studying the norms of the profession and then challenging them. Occupational therapy is no different—in fact researchers in your profession are creating evidence to ensure that practice is effective in helping clients. 

So if you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be a researcher or a professor (or have that coveted faculty parking permit), you will want to attend one of the sessions on Friday, November 20 after the keynote address, “So You Think You Want to Be a Researcher?” or “We Need You in Higher Education.”

We now have more details about all the sessions and events at Student Conclave here. 

Have you registered yet? There are only one day left to get the early bird discount, so register today. And be sure to book a hotel room while you’re at it.