Department of English
English Department's Travel Allocation Policy
Revised Fall 2006
1. The Department Head will allocate available funds annually in accordance with this policy and in consultation with the Advisory Committee. Claims for reimbursement will comply with state guidelines.
2. Conference presentations, invited presentations, readings, and travel to collections
The Department will seek to provide each full-time faculty member and faculty member in phased retirement with a total of $1000 per year (contingent on the annual OTP allocation) for travel to give conference presentations or invited lectures, and to conduct research at libraries and collections. The faculty member may use this amount for any approved purpose at any time during the year, expending the total on a single trip or using it to supplement several trips.
> Faculty participating in domestic conferences should seek additional funds from the Scholars' Travel Fund or other appropriate sources. Those participating in international conferences should request supplemental funds from the Office of International Programs. Faculty are responsible for reserving enough of their allocated $1000 to meet any requirement by the supplemental fund that the department provide partial funding (usually the required amount of department support is $200-250). No additional department funds will be provided for that purpose.
> Faculty must provide documentation of the travel's professional purpose when they present their receipts for reimbursement. A conference program listing, a letter of invitation for a lecture, or a letter from the library or collection indicating faculty's use of the facility for research would be appropriate documentation.
> In order to insure full expenditure of travel funds before the end of the University's fiscal year, the Department's reimbursement year is set from May 16 to May 15 of consecutive calendar years. Travel during June 2007, for instance, will be reimbursed from the funds for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007. Faculty presenting receipts for travel after May 15 should expect reimbursement after July 1.
> The Department will pay for a University vehicle for a conference within reasonable driving distance if there are two participants, but this amount will be deducted proportionally from each faculty member's $1000 annual total.
3. Faculty searches
The Department will provide full reimbursement for reasonable and customary expenses subject to university regulations on per diem reimbursement for meals (contingent on OTP) for up to 3 faculty members, (usually the Head, the search committee chair, and one search committee member), selected by the Head, to attend MLA and will provide a suite in which to hold interviews. At the discretion of the Head, additional search committee members will be eligible for up to $500 (contingent on OTP) for travel to MLA. This funding will not be deducted from the faculty members' individual $1000 annual allocation.
4. ADE, AWP, and WPA meetings
The Department will provide travel funds (up to $1000 contingent on OTP allocations) for one representative to attend annual meetings of the Association of Departments of English and the Associated Writing Programs and periodic meetings of the Writing Program Administrators. This funding will not be deducted from the $1000 annual allocation.
5. Application for additional funding
Faculty may apply for up to $200 in additional funds for any of the approved purposes in (2) above. Interested faculty should send a brief letter to the Head by March 30. Faculty are responsible for presenting documentation and receipts for possible additional funding (clearly marked as such) by April 15 for reimbursement in that year. If unallocated travel funds remain as of April 14, the Head in consultation with the Advisory Committee will authorize further reimbursements, with priority going to applications from Assistant Professors.