Saving money should trump convenience when it comes to the politics of Syracuse University’s travel policy.

About 40 percent —357 members — of the faculty have signed a petition opposing a travel policy that requires them to use a designated online booking service for “university-funded, sponsored research or grant-funded travel,” citing the system’s inconvenience and inefficiency.

The policy, which went into effect Sept. 1, is the result of a task given to the Fast Forward Syracuse Operational Excellence initiative teams to leverage SU’s purchasing power as “One University.” By creating a uniform method for travel planning, the university expects it will save $2 million annually, according to an SU News release.

Even in the face of a petition, the current travel policy is justified. The move to a universal system for travel heightens SU’s organization in dissolving unnecessary overlap between travel agencies and has the potential to conserve millions of dollars in university resources.

Adjusting to change takes time and faculty members have the right to voice their concerns of SU’s actions, especially in regard to professional research.

But considering some reasons for resistance include time-consuming administrative paperwork, less flexibility in combining professional and personal travel and a $10 per use booking fee, there is room to adapt when the benefits of a centralized policy outweigh its existing weak points.

Though frustrating, these changes ensure the proper documentation of university-related travel and prove immense reduction in travel-planning expenses.

While the university should uphold these fundamental strong points, the considerable opposition toward the travel policy change warrants the administration taking a second look at the policy. By remaining receptive to staff and faculty, SU can explore alternative options that are supported by legitimate criticisms to find a middle ground with the current travel policy’s efficiency and fiscal savings.

In response to the petition, SU has since reconvened the initiative’s Fast Forward team with increased faculty participation, created a survey for policy feedback and is working to compose a full-fledged report on the grievances that will be presented to Chancellor Kent Syverud in January.

However, as the university moves to address these concerns, it should be maintained that complaints backed by inconvenience lack validity in the context of the university’s budget.

Published on December 3, 2015 at 1:11 am

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