UCLA Officials Accused Of Spending $2M On 'Lavish' Travel
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Questions are being raised about what some call lavish travel and entertainment spending by UCLA officials over the past five years.
The Center for Investigative Reporting's review of university spending from 2008 to 2012 documented $2 million in expenditures by the chancellor and academic deans on high-priced plane tickets, chauffeured cars and hotel stays.
At the same time, tuition has risen roughly 70 percent.
UCLA Officials Accused Of Lavish Travel Spending
Daniella, who works at UCLA, says costs do mount up for travel. KNX1070's Pete Demetriou asked her if there has been some creative submitting of invoices to bend the rules.
"It's fun to spend money and I think that's where some of the confusion is," she said.
Six deans used doctors' notes as a means to circumvent UC travel policies and to purchase business and first class airfare.
Judy Olian, the dean of the Anderson School of Management, has been $647,000 on travel and lodging over the past five years.
UCLA officials defend the expenditures in some cases as necessary for donor relations or to generate private funding or research grants for the university.
