OUR OPINION: The travel ban is difficult to accept but necessary given the state of the economy. However, there must be exemptions for travel that is not going to cost the University and for programs that need it to fulfill their mission
Given the economic recession and its impact on state tax revenue, Gov. Bev Perdue has ordered a 7 percent reduction in state expenditures in order to balance the budget as required by law.
This has affected the University as it limits the number of positions it can create and fill and expenditures on equipment or upgrades the University may want to purchase. It also has curtailed travel, which is seen as nonessential to regular operations and is now limited to important academic-related travel or plans already paid for in part.
The University does not allow travel for anyone associated with it unless there is prior approval, but the travel restrictions should not apply to trips that will come at no cost to the University because we don’t believe this is what Purdue wanted to include in the travel ban. The travel ban means faculty cannot attend conferences or meetings outside of the University without approval from administration, even if it is paid for in full.
Just like Athletics needs to travel to serve the University, other groups need to travel to fulfill requirements and serve the Wolfpack community.
Tom Stafford, vice chancellor for Student Affairs, said the University has administratively terminated all travel, although deans and vice chancellors can make some exceptions. Stafford said most exceptions are related to travel directly related to academics or connected to the advancement of students’ educational experience.
One notable exception, however, is any travel to UNC system Board of Governors meetings. Greg Doucette, Student Senate president and president of the Association of Student Governments, said the exemption does not extend to ASG-related travel.
The University should consider removing the exemption regarding BOG meetings and focus more on paying for or helping to pay for academic-related travel for students and faculty. According to Doucette, another exemption is trips for which a majority of the costs have been paid for — as long as this exemption is limited to educational travel, it should continue. Student groups have advisers for a reason, and they are hired to determine what is appropriate travel and what is not.
We understand why the University is trying to save money by preventing travel paid by it, but a blanket travel ban will create more trouble than it is worth. The University should allow travel that is paid for out of pocket and become less bureaucratic. These trips, that come at no cost to the University, should not have to be approved.
