ASPSU trip canceled after allegations

A major annual student government conference trip for ASPSU was canceled by an administrator after she alleged that the student who booked the flight tickets was not authorized to do so.

Because the flights were canceled, eight members of student government might not attend the 2008 United States Student Association’s Legislative Convention, or LegCon, an event to be held March 14 in Washington, D.C., that focuses on legislative practices nationwide. ASPSU President Rudy Soto said the conference is a vital part of training for student government.

Natalee Webb, interim assistant director for Student Activities and Leadership Programs and student government adviser, canceled the trip because she said Ryan Klute, ASPSU senior policy adviser, made the booking without SALP approval. Student government members are not allowed to purchase tickets outright, Webb said, though they are allowed to make reservations and await approval from SALP before the flights are booked.

Klute said he didn’t know he was booking the flights to LegCon. He said that when he contacted Azumano Travel, a regular travel agency for PSU, he believed he was making a reservation that SALP could later review.

Webb said she canceled the tickets upon learning from an Azumano representative that Klute purchased tickets and that he did not identify himself as a student. She alleges that he purchased them with a billing code he should not have used.

“I never told them about any kind of codes, and I didn’t think students could even make a purchase without SALP being involved before any money was actually spent,” Klute said. “And I certainly never tried to represent myself as anything but a student. I just said I was making the order on behalf of student government, not that I wasn’t a student.”

Klute said he spoke with two different service representatives at Azumano, and that he feels a miscommunication could be the reason Webb was told a booking had been made, though he insists he only made a reservation.

“I was given reasons by Azumano to believe that a booking was made, and this isn’t the first expensive trip student government has planned this year,” Webb said. “I didn’t just cancel the trip for fun.”

Webb said that Klute was similarly accused of booking flights for a January ASPSU trip to Florida without SALP authorization. She sent a memo to ASPSU and SALP members saying she reminded Klute after the trip that he did not have proper authority to book a flight. Klute said he was not aware that he had done anything wrong regarding January’s trip, until he was approached about the LegCon booking.

Klute said it is inappropriate for Webb to cancel the trip because of his alleged oversight. He said Tuesday evening that he has filed a grievance with SALP and will tentatively meet with Webb, Soto and interim SALP Director Aimee Shattuck next week about the canceled trip.

“I’m confident it’s going to be resolved,” Klute said.