The Daily News

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota State University President Joseph Chapman spent more than $22,000 to take his family to President Barack Obama’s inauguration, according to documents from the donation-funded NDSU Development Foundation that provided the money.

Chapman took a $17,420 charter flight to Washington, D.C., using money from the foundation’s discretionary fund, according to a report Tuesday in The Forum. They planned to take the university plane, but a part needed to fix it did not arrive in time, NDSU spokeswoman Najla Amundson said.

“By that time it was too late to make another arrangement,” she said.

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In comparison, a University of North Dakota spokesman says that school spent $2,176 for President Robert Kelley’s trip to the inauguration in January.

Chapman took his wife, Gale, his daughters Jennifer and Valerie, and Valerie’s now-husband, Mike Casano, to Washington, the foundation documents show. He said the trip gave him a chance to meet with members of the new administration, agency heads and other officials.

“It was a tremendous opportunity to represent NDSU in a very important set of events,” he said told The Forum.

Chapman spent nearly $4,300 for two rooms for three nights at a Washington hotel, foundation documents show.

“You couldn’t book a hotel for less than three nights during that time,” Amundson said. “They were very expensive.”

The family also spent one night at a hotel in McLean, Va., costing about $640 for two rooms.

Chapman said it was appropriate for the foundation to pay for his children to attend, and he does not consider the expenses excessive.

“The foundation has always supported my family at these kinds of activities,” he said.

“Whenever I do anything, I always do it with the best interest of the institution in mind,” Chapman said. “What I’ve accomplished over the last 10 years speaks pretty well to what we’ve done.”

The NDSU foundation says it no longer will reimburse the university for use of the plane, which totaled $65,000 last year. The foundation also set a $35,000 limit on the president’s discretionary fund, part of an effort to cut expenses.

Of the $17,420 charge for the plane, $10,495 was for the flight itself, Amundson said. The other charges were for pilot fees, meals, parking and other fees. Had the Chapmans taken the NDSU plane, the flight would have cost $6,732, plus the cost of lodging and meals for the flight crew, she said.

The $2,176 spent by UND for Kelley’s trip included $576 for an economy-class seat on a commercial flight, spokesman Peter Johnson said. His wife, Marcia, traveled with him, but the couple paid for her airfare.

They spent $1,600 on five nights at a bed-and-breakfast in the Washington area, Johnson said.

Besides the inauguration, Kelley attended a mandatory NCAA conference and other meetings.

 

Comments

Concerned student wrote on Oct 17, 2009 8:57 PM:

" Absolutely ridiculous, that school blows way too much on unnecessary things. Higher board of education needs to step up and look into this unreasonable expenditure on president’s house and extravagant trips, and possibly lower limits to such things. "




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Concerned Citizen of America wrote on Oct 14, 2009 2:41 PM:

" That is absolutely ridiculous... Why would he spend so much? He even says it was not excessive. "




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