Top administrators will no longer be the only ones flying high in Ohio University’s personal plane.
Officials have budgeted for faculty to travel in the university-owned airplane to “ease the complexity” of getting to Washington, D.C., to lobby for research grants.
Faculty, staff and students associated with research projects must first prove the necessity of using the plane. Money will be overseen and distributed by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.
“There is probably anywhere between $6,000 to $7,000 set aside each month for trips,” said Ken Carley. director of OU’s Gordon K. Bush Airport and Snyder Field.
OU President Roderick McDavis and other top administrators typically use OU’s Beechcraft King Air 350 plane for fundraising. The plane, which was purchased in 2003 for $4.8 million, is contracted with Lane Aviation for charter purposes.
OU has budgeted for two round-trips to D.C. each month for faculty, on top of the administrative trips. The money comes, in part, from Lane’s contract and research reimbursements. It does not use tuition money or general fee and SSI funding.
“This seemed like a necessary and appropriate service to provide to people who bring in $25 million worth of research,” said Stephen Golding, vice president for finance and administration.
The university also covers up to $100 for ground transportation. Previously, full transportation costs were paid out of pocket by faculty members or taken out of their research grants.
“We have to look at it in terms of the university’s long term goals to increase our research footprint. It helps us out through the state of Ohio,” Golding said.
The program’s first trip with faculty had three filled seats; all seven were booked for its second.
“They’re trying to give a little bit more of an ability to people who need research funding to get out in front of their sponsors,” Carley said.
The KingAir plane took a trip to D.C. as recently as Sept. 3 in order for the representatives from the Avionics Engineering Center to meet with potential research partners.
OU will fund the program through the end of the current fiscal year.
“We have an asset … It’s called an airplane. We need to provide our students with flight time; we came up with a way to overwrite the cost of the plane,” Golding said.
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