International travel using University funds is no longer banned, according to a memo sent Jan. 30 by UTPA President Robert Nelsen.
The ban was introduced last April in the wake of extensive budget cuts and prohibited all UTPA-funded international travel that was not study abroad or “extraordinary mission-critical” travel.
The ban was replaced by guidelines developed by the Provost’s Office to ensure that funds are equally distributed.
“Rather than having a blanket ban, we tried to create a more reasonable policy to deal with all the professors who have research and tenure that rely on where their research takes them,” said Dora Saavedra, chair of the Faculty Senate.
The new guidelines will help the office review, prioritize and approve travel requests. Among items under review are whether or not the individual’s proposed international travel will benefit the University, and if an individual is presenting at a major conference.
A detailed budget breakdown of the trip is required along with a potential traveler’s registration with International SOS, an organization that provides medical, clinical and security services to organizations with international operations.
“As part of the global community, we value that our faculty actively participate in international conferences/events in which they can present their research, engage in performances or exhibitions, and develop and expand their professional networks,” said Havidan Rodriguez, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “These experiences are extremely important as we continue to promote the education of global citizens at the University level.”
According to Saavedra, the administration will now be more open to listening to cases.