Per President Drake’s email on Saturday, the travel without exemption ban will continue until Dec. 31. I have confirmed the interpretation of this email with the CFAES COVID-19 Operations Team and CFAES Finance.
What this means:
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We will not be able to attend in-person conferences or other out of state events until the ban is lifted.
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We are asking about possible exemptions for in-county/in-state essential Extension travel, but have not received that exemption, so ONLY approved exemption travel (e.g., Exempted research and Extension activities) are currently eligible to travel and for mileage reimbursement).
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Travel to offices counts as typical commute and is not part of the restriction or covered by mileage reimbursement.
The rationale behind the travel restrictions is still very much founded in reducing the spread of the virus across counties and states, as well as limiting discretionary spending. Most universities in our region, and many nationally, are also extending their travel restrictions through the end of the year; and additional conferences are beginning to transition to virtual platforms. This restriction is in force for all departments and colleges, not simply CFAES or Extension.