Binghamton University Travel Expenses Criticized in State Audit

An audit by the New York State Comptroller's office is taking issue with some of the travel expenses logged at Binghamton University over several years, starting in 2009.

The report from Thomas DiNapoli's office examined the travel expenses of seven B.U. employees and found of the $839,204 recorded, the audit was only able to track a little over $548,000. That's because the university, as allowed by the state, purged some documents dated prior to June 14, 2009.

The audit noted most of the expenses were appropriate, but the university failed to make sure lodging expenses remained within allowable rates in 24 instances.

In response, the university said most of those overruns noted in the audit were related to athletics travel. The response stated the complexities of athletics travel, including a varying number of people traveling at any given time and differing rates in several destinations, requires the need for procedures outside the typical standard travel policies.