Some Asian countries may be infamous for cheap knock offs, but gifts given to two TRU administrators — including a $1,500 handbag — are the real deal.

The Daily News has obtained values of four handbags given by a representative of a Malaysian college.

Together they’re worth almost $3,200, according to information provided through a freedom of information request.

The items were turned over to the university a few months ago after a story in The Daily News. They were gifts from a representative of Legenda College, a private institution in Malaysia.

During a business trip to Asia in June two Thompson Rivers University administrators — associate vice-president of open learning Judith Murray and Christine Wihak, director of prior learning — were taken on a shopping trip to a Prada outlet.

The university determined the handbags given to Murray are worth $1,485 and $876 and the bags given to Wihak are valued at $618 and $200.

University president Roger Barnsley said Tuesday the board of governors is set to tighten its policy on gifts to fall in line with other government institutions. The board will vote at its December meeting on a motion that employees must declare “significant” gifts worth more than $250.

The current policy on gifts does not include the definition of a significant gift that must be declared.

“I expect it would be passed,” said Barnsley, noting the board has seen a draft of the motion already.

The four handbags will remain the property of the university. Their disposition, along with all gifts deemed significant under the new policy, will be up to the president.

Barnsley said under the policy the president will decide the disposition of significant gifts but the process will be discreet to avoid offending the gift-giver.

“One would not want it to be seen that gifts were disposed of in any way that’s disrespectful.”

Gift giving is a standard of conduct for university officials doing business in Asia, an increasingly important and lucrative business for TRU.

The four handbags were the only gifts declared by administrators in 2008 and 2009.

The university also provided a 17-page list of gifts it provided for administrators and staff to hand out.

They ranged in value from a $500 certificate for a Whistler hotel to key tags worth pennies each. Nearly all the gifts were valued at $100 and less.

On the inexpensive end, popular items purchased by the university were TRU-branded clothing and pens.

More costly were popular First Nations-themed bowls, prints and other decorative crafts ranging from $40 to $100.

After publicity on the handbags, Barnsley ordered a review of the contract with Legenda College to ensure conflict of interest did not influence the deal. That review is complete.

“There’s been a lot of eyes and time put into it,” Barnsley said.

The contract remains in negotiation between TRU and the Malaysian institution.

cfortems@kamloopsnews.ca