It is 'fair' in some senses and not others... it means if you are a student with later classes, you are less likely to get parking.
It also means you can't plan effectively. If half the time, you show up to class and can't park anywhere, how can you make it to class on time consistently?
If your answer is "well, maybe you should take public transportation instead of driving", how is that any better for students than charging for parking?
If you charge for parking, you are at least giving students a choice and the ability to make an informed decision: "is it better to drive and pay $x to park, or save money and take public transportation?"
If you have free parking that is often full, your choice is "take public transportation or have a x% chance of not being able to park and missing class"
It also means you can't plan effectively. If half the time, you show up to class and can't park anywhere, how can you make it to class on time consistently?
If your answer is "well, maybe you should take public transportation instead of driving", how is that any better for students than charging for parking?
If you charge for parking, you are at least giving students a choice and the ability to make an informed decision: "is it better to drive and pay $x to park, or save money and take public transportation?"
If you have free parking that is often full, your choice is "take public transportation or have a x% chance of not being able to park and missing class"