Jaunt Program Helps Students Navigate Auburn’s Campus

Auburn University is an expansive 1,483 acres, with the central part of campus spanning approximately 300 acres. Students have either 10 or 15 minutes to get between classes.

For students with physical disabilities or mobility issues, something as simple as getting to a class on time can be difficult.

In 2011, Director of Accessibility Trace Donald heard about students dropping out of classes that were too difficult to walk to after they suffered an injury. So, he created Jaunt, an on-campus golf cart service to help students with mobility issues make it to different buildings for class.

The service started with two golf carts and two graduate students driving. Now, there are five carts with a couple dozen student drivers helping 100 to 130 students per semester.

Some students need help for only a few weeks while they heal from a sprained ankle or a surgery, while others may need assistance for a semester or even their entire college career.

Student driver Samantha Avila said the program is helpful for students and has also opened her own eyes to the mobility issues students on campus can face.

“I think it’s a really good service because sometimes people don’t realize that it’s work to go to class. We’re lucky to be able to go [to class] without any problems but not everyone is. So, it’s nice to provide a service for that,” Avila said.

Assistant Director of Accessibility Barclay Bentley handles approving the accommodation requests. Transportation Services handles scheduling rides, drivers and maintaining the golf carts. The process is quick once students submit legitimate documentation from either the on-campus medical clinic or another doctor. Students who get injured during the week can be riding the golf carts to class the next day. Students also submit where they would like to be picked up from and dropped off to each day. The services can pick up and drop off students at any on-campus location.

“The whole point of the golf cart service is to be helpful and to provide as much assistance to as many people as possible,” Bentley said.

Senior Shelby Anderson used the service twice, once a couple of years ago after knee surgery, and she is currently using it as she recovers from shoulder surgery. She said the service makes it possible for her to get to classes and obligations on campus.

“I couldn’t walk that fast to get to class. With my knee surgery, I would go from Lowder to Mell in 10 minutes so there was no way. I would not have made it. I just would not have gone to class until I could walk,” Anderson said.

Bentley says the mission of the service is simple. “[We’re] just trying to give people the opportunity to show what they know and if all it takes is that we need to pick you up for a couple weeks to help you get to class while you recover from a leg injury, who cares? It’s easy stuff.”