What started as an innovative and much-needed student program has now become the embodiment of administrative mismanagement. While AUTO’s fleet might have impressed in years past, what remains is an ill-equipped flock of vans in desperate need of repairs and modern niceties such as GPS systems. Many AU students tell horror stories of vans breaking down and feeling helpless, leaving riders stranded on the shoulder of the Beltway. Clearly, improvements should have stood out to Student Government officials. Yet some leadership has been lackluster. In less than one year, there have been three AUTO commissioners, two of which have tendered their resignations early. This lack of continuity, coupled with mounting troubles had pushed the AUTO program to the epitome of dysfunction.
But before the program can meet its seemingly inevitable, messy end, SG President Andy MacCracken and AUTO Commissioner Nicholas Russotto have utilized the only viable option: pressing the pause button.
By indefinitely suspending AUTO operations, the SG has begun to take the steps necessary to repair a vital institution. While past administrations have idled as AUTO continued to fall into disarray, MacCracken and Russotto should be commended for their initiative. They have inherited a broken program, but rather than continue to pass it along to successive SG administrations, they intend to — at the least — make AUTO functional again. This temporary stop on activity is the right move.
Only a pause in operations will allow for the needed changes to occur. All vans can now receive needed repairs at once. Moreover, Russotto plans to form an AUTO manual, outlining the proper actions to be taken in the case of an accident or other situations that may arise. When these issues — in addition to payment and reservation concerns — are resolved, AU will have the efficient program its students deserve.
More than simply addressing the superficial problems with AUTO, the SG needs to fix the management of the system. Consistent neglect of the program by past AUTO commissioners has proven that AUTO cannot be effectively run by the SG alone. When it comes to the future of the program, The Eagle believes that MacCracken and Russotto should seek to forge an extensive SG-AU administration partnership — perhaps through the specific hiring of an AUTO administrator. If not, the program will be run in a similar manner as it has in the past. And doing the same thing while expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity.
It is regrettable that so many student activities dependent on AUTO for transportation must now scramble to continue operating as normal. And perhaps better notification from SG officials would have been beneficial. Still, this angst caused by a temporary suspension in AUTO operations highlights the ultimate importance of this program. If AUTO had simply been allowed to continue its ugly fall, AU and its student groups would have been left with a permanent lack of usable transportation.
Therefore, The Eagle praises Russotto and MacCracken’s decision to momentarily halt AUTO. We encourage them to further work with the AU administration in order to completely and competently strengthen this program so crucial to university students.
