TCU travel budget change, lack of notice problematic

In a move that came as a surprise to many members of the Tufts community, the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate has removed off-campus travel funding from next year’s budget. While the Senate has emphasized that this change will not necessarily be permanent and that they will assess the situation based on the status of its surplus fund later in the year, this does not change the fact that it has put many student organizations at Tufts in jeopardy with little to no notice. Ultimately, this sudden decision reveals a startling lack of foresight and has severe financial implications for the students.

Since airfare and hotel fees were taking a disproportionate toll on the Senate’s surplus funds, it does appear as though the removal of off-campus travel funding from next year’s budget was necessary. The real problem here, however, is the suddenness of the Senate’s decision. Is it possible that the Senate did not see this coming? More importantly, if they did see this coming, why did they leave the student body in the dark until the decision?

Many student groups were blindsided by this decision and are worried about their futures on this campus. Because groups like the Tufts Model United Nations team, Tufts Mock Trial, club athletics and others must travel to compete, these changes in the Senate budget are of vital importance. If these groups cannot travel, they may need to fundamentally alter the way that they function at Tufts, or even shut down.

Unfortunately, due to this decision, the only real option many of these groups may have going forward is to force participants to pay for their own travel. The decision could cause a rift among the student body; while wealthier students may not be impacted, others may miss out on the chance to continue participating in activities that they love and depend on for community, fun, networking and even resume-building.

There is no easy solution to this problem, and it is clear that the TCU Senate was faced with a very tough choice. It may be worthwhile to consider the fact that, according to the TCU Senate, Tufts is the only school in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) that puts its student government in charge of off-campus travel funding.

While it is true that the Senate may ultimately decide that it has enough money to continue funding some off-campus travel for the coming fiscal year, it is clear that student confidence in the Senate’s budgeting capabilities has been shaken, no matter what the eventual outcome of this situation may be. It is unacceptable for groups that depend on off-campus travel funding to hear about this decision in such an inconsiderate, last-minute way. If the numbers presented are correct, and over the past five years the TCU Senate has burned through its $65,000, then clearly a more forward-thinking fiscal policy should be implemented.

This decision is harmful to individual students, who could lose their chance at extracurricular involvement on campus if they cannot come up with enough money to pay for their own travel expenses. Ultimately, this budget decision is not just a blip for the Senate, but will actively harm the student body.