Staff Travel Policy

Travel to Conferences for Administrative Staff and Academic Support Staff Members

The Dean’s office recognizes the importance of participating in professional meetings for full-time administrative staff members who need further professional training related to their academic position, who engage in scholarship, or who wish to improve their teaching skills.  In order to clarify and aid in consistency, this memo sets down policies regarding Associate Dean’s Office financial support for professional travel of administrative staff members. 

Travel to administrative training or professional conferences:

Full-time administrative staff members may be reimbursed for expenses for ONE trip per fiscal year (July 1 – June 30) to a conference that is directly related to their academic administrative position.  If the program or department for which the individual works has a travel budget for such training expenses, these funds should be used first.  In that case, the Associate Dean’s Office will cover additional costs that the program or department cannot cover up to a maximum of $1500.  If the program or department does not have a budget for such travel-training expenses, the Associate Dean’s Office will cover the cost of the training conference up to a maximum of $2500.  These maximums are negotiable in extraordinary circumstances. 

Travel to academic (scholarly) conferences or pedagogy conferences:

Full-time administrative staff members may be reimbursed for expenses for ONE trip per fiscal year (July 1-June 30) to an academic or scholarly conference at which they are participating in the conference program (presenting scholarship or acting as chair, discussant, or presiding officer).  The cost of trips within the continental United States and Canada will be reimbursed up to $1400 per trip.  The cost of trips outside the United States and Canada will be reimbursed up to $2100. 

Full-time administrative staff members may be reimbursed up to $500 for travel to attend ONE scholarly conference at which they are not participating in the program. 

Full-time administrative staff members who regularly teach courses or labs or who work closely with students in some other capacity may also be reimbursed for attending ONE pedagogy conference per year.  If the staff member is presenting at a pedagogy conference, (including presenting a poster or paper, running a workshop or participating on a panel), conference-related expenses will be reimbursed up to $1400.  If the staff member is attending and not presenting at the conference, reimbursement will be up to $1100.  Requests should be for conferences dedicated to the improvement of teaching and learning that either cross disciplinary boundaries and focus on teaching, or for discipline-specific conferences solely devoted to the improvement of teaching and learning in that discipline.

Reimbursement for scholarly conference presentations, “research attend” and pedagogy conference travel expenses accrued in a single fiscal year shall not exceed $3500 for each administrative staff member. 

Cancellation Policy:

In the event that the staff member is unable to travel to a conference due to a cancellation of the conference (e.g. due to severe weather emergency), personal or family emergency or illness, the Associate Dean’s office will work with the staff member to try to attain refunds of expenses paid for the conference (e.g., registration fees, prepaid hotel costs).   Any costs for which reimbursement is not given can be covered by the institution at the staff member’s request.  However, in that case, these costs will count toward the faculty members allotted travel budget for the year.  Please note that airfares booked through Christopherson Travel can often be credited toward future travel, but there may be fees associated with changing travel dates for non-refundable airline tickets booked outside the Christopherson Travel system.

Staff members who do not have an emergency or illness and decide not to attend a conference will not be reimbursed for their out-of-pocket expenses and may owe money to the University for expenses paid by the institution for which the university cannot be reimbursed, and the staff member must re-pay travel advances. 

Procedures:

Staff members seeking reimbursement for travel to conferences must complete and submit the appropriate on-line travel request form at least two weeks in advance of the proposed trip: for travel to a training/professional conference or academic/scholarly conference use the on-line Professional Travel Funds Request Form (available on the Academic Affairs, Forms and Resources page) and for travel to attend a pedagogy conference use the on-line Pedagogy Travel Funds Request Form.

Staff members should follow all other guidelines available on the Academic Affairs, Forms and Resources page and in the University Travel Policy.