PCC starts spring semester

Construction on PCC solar structures. (Source: Tucson News Now)

TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) - The spring semester is starting for an estimated 20,000 plus Pima Community College part-time and full-time students.

New this spring, students can expect to park under some extra shade at three of the college's six campuses - the Downtown, West, and Community.

However, students may have a wait a few weeks until they can park under them. Right now, fencing blocks all the parking spaces under the shade structures while workers finish construction and connect to TEP's system. That means finding parking could be tough until it's done.

PCC leaders say they decided to build the structures for sustainability and cost-savings purposes.

They estimate the solar-powered parking shade structures are expected to save the college and estimated $47,000 in operational savings within its first year. Every dollar counts, especially since state funding is slim.

"Every dollar counts, especially since this is the second year in a row that PCC has been recommended for zero state funding," said PCC spokeswoman, Libby Howell. "Last year, we worked hard to ensure the budget cuts we had to put in place didn't affect students. For example, we have a hiring freeze and no employees received a raise. We plan to implement further budget cuts for 2016-2017, but it's too early to tell what those will be."

Also this sometime this semester, PCC's board is expected to make its temporary revised weapons policy official. The old policy just applied to students. The new policy bans guns to everyone on campuses.

Whether a student or not, expect extra traffic around all six PCC campuses. Sasha Loftis is showing where there may be possible slowing. Follow her on Twitter @SashaLoftis.