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Thursday,
April 8, 2004 |
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Attention
to detail is university policy
State
Department safety warnings rightly end trip
Policies
are generally enacted by the university to ensure the
well-being of the general population. Curfews in dorms
are to provide a safe environment for residents. No parking
in certain zones guarantee a path for a fire truck if
necessary. No funding student organization trips to countries
where there are State Department-issued travel warnings
because — well, you get the point.
The African Heritage Organization recently learned that
its trip to Kenya had been canceled due to a university
policy that prevents students, faculty and staff from
using university funds for trips to areas with State Department-issued
travel warnings. This particular warning was issued last
September, urging Americans to avoid non-essential travel
to Kenya because of terrorist threats.
Interestingly, the policy prevented a trip to Israel last
year for the same reason. This small detail was apparently
missed by both the SGA and AHO in their attempts to allocate
funding for the trip. Whether you’re asking or providing
for a trip that requires such a large amount of funding
— specifically $14,208 — from an organization
designed to benefit all students, you would think that
the policy warranted more of an interest than an oversight
caught by the university after the fact.
And while many university policies seem to have been instituted
out of the blue, this one appears to be pretty legit.
There is no reason the university should condone, much
less provide funding for, a trip that could potentially
put students in danger.
Sending students to a country that has government-recognized
potential danger for tourists may not be the best thing
to do. |
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