On Apr 15, 2010, at 8:28 AM, Shane Ford wrote:
The students returned anyway, saying they believed it was allowed
because they used private money. UF Provost Joe Glover later said
that allowing the footage to be used in the thesis would have
defied the purpose of the travel policy. Bougher said the
university relented only after his lawyer, Gary Edinger, sent a
letter threatening a lawsuit.
As did I, albeit without the lawsuit threat.
-Zeb
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Begin forwarded message:
From: "Glover,Joseph" <[email protected]>
Date: March 31, 2010 8:22:07 PM EDT
To: John Vega <[email protected]>
Cc: "Glover,Joseph" <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: [SUN]: UF students run afoul of UF's Haiti travel ban
[Crabbe]
Dear Mr. Vega,
Thank you for your email regarding the University of Florida’s
policy on student travel to Haitihttp://www.admin.ufl.edu/ddd/
default.asp?doc=15.8.2467.2 The policy was based, and continues to
be based, on advisories from competent experts in state and federal
government, in particular the U.S. Department of State. The
Department of State Travel Warning, dated March 30, states in part,
“The Department of State strongly urges U.S. citizens to avoid
travel to Haiti.” The full text of the travel warning is available
at http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_4632.html
In light of these advisories, and in view of the University of
Florida’s primary responsibility to promote and maintain the well-
being of its students, we made the decision to restrict “UF-
sanctioned, -sponsored, or –approved trips for students to Haiti.”
We will review this policy on a regular basis, although we
anticipate it will remain in place until conditions change and
competent experts advise that travel to Haiti presents a reasonable
risk for UF students.
Had either of the two students been injured or killed while in
Haiti, we would be having a very different conversation. The
university, and the professors who encouraged them to go back to
Haiti, would be blamed for being reckless and irresponsible. We
must make our decisions, although sometimes unpopular, with our
students’ well-being in mind.
Sincerely yours,
Joe Glover, Provost
From: John Vega [[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 11:45 AM
To: Glover,Joseph; [email protected]
Subject: Re: [SUN]: UF students run afoul of UF's Haiti travel ban
[Crabbe]
Mr. Glover and Ms. Telles-Irvin,
As nothing more than an interested UF alumnus (College of Law),
I've read the stated travel ban regarding Haiti and the matter of
the students filming a documentary in that country. To be frank,
the ban reads more like a disclaimer than an actual travel ban.
Given potential liability concerns, I can fully understand why UF
adopted this policy:
2.
Travel to Haiti
2/5/2010
Joe Glover, Provost & Patricia Telles-Irvin, Vice President for
Student Affairs
Based on an assessment of risk and on advice from the federal and
state governments, we are adopting the following policy until
further notice:
There are to be no UF-sanctioned, -sponsored, or -approved trips
for students to Haiti.
Faculty and staff who wish to travel to Haiti to render assistance,
to pursue research, or to otherwise act in their professional
capacities as employees or representatives of UF must receive prior
approval for the trip from Lynn Frazier, David Sammons, or the
Provost.
Faculty and staff who do not receive such approval but who
nevertheless choose to travel to Haiti on unpaid or annual leave
should make clear that they are acting without the approval or
sanction of the university and do not represent the university.
However, I have a hard time reading this policy and concluding that
information gained during a non-sanctioned, non-sponsored and
unapproved trip could not be included in one's thesis. I read it
more along this lines of "cancel UF-sanctioned activities in
Haiti" (such as exchange programs or University-sponsored charity
work).
It would seem that faculty who have had prior approval denied could
still visit Haiti during the ban, so long as they make it clear
that they are acting without the approval or sanction of the
University and do not represent it, and utilize whatever
information they learn or material they obtain to augment their
future course materials. It would seem inapposite to deny UF
students the same option. The fact that "students" are not
referenced in the final two paragraphs would seem to imply that
their freedoms are greater than the limitations placed upon
faculty; not lesser.
There is a big difference between these two sentences:
"There are to be no UF-sanctioned, -sponsored, or -approved trips
for students to Haiti."
(a position taken to limit UF's potential liability)
and
"There are to be no trips for UF students to Haiti."
(a complete travel ban)
In my opinion, UF should respect the difference between the two
sentences and not rewrite this policy ex post facto.
-John Vega
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