Richard W. Riley College of Education
Faculty Development Travel
Policies and Guidelines
COE Faculty Development travel funds are available to support the faculty’s scholarly activity
and professional development. [For funds to support Faculty Research, Faculty Research with
Student Co-Investigator, or Curriculum Enhancement/Instructional Improvement, see Research
Council grant guidelines: http://www.winthrop.edu/SPAR/default.aspx?id=36773. ]
Eligibility: Tenure-track faculty members, excluding department chairs and other COE
administrators. Full-time non-tenure track faculty members must request support directly from their
department chairs.
Request process: Chair of the COE Faculty Development Committee announces fall and spring
deadlines providing faculty at least two weeks to prepare their travel request/s. The committee will
provide information and guidance to faculty as deemed appropriate. Only complete proposals will be
considered. Complete proposals require the following:
 Faculty Development Travel Request Form
 Documentation of expenses
 Travel Authorization Form/s (mark 1st and 2nd priority if submitting more than one Travel
Request Form)
Faculty are encouraged to submit forms for 1st , 2nd and possibly 3rd priorities for conference travel,
realizing that presentation acceptance or other determinants may change during the year. The
Faculty Development Committee will meet to consider all requests and make recommendations for
awards, with consideration of equity. Instead of recommendations being based on percentages of all
requests, each request will be reviewed independently based on the cost of the trip and significance of
the conference participation to the faculty member’s professional growth. Recommendations from
the committee will be reviewed collectively by the COE Chairs, and the dean’s office will notify faculty
of their allocations. If a cancellation or change occurs in conference travel plans, the respective
department chair must be notified. See the section “Cancellations or change in plans” below.
Cancellations or change in plans: If an approved trip is cancelled, the respective
department chair must be notified by the faculty member within 30 days after the scheduled trip. If
notification is not received, any financial loss to the university will be deducted from travel funding the
faculty member would receive the following fiscal year or the faculty member will not be eligible for
funding the next year.
If a faculty member’s proposed conference presentation is not accepted, the faculty member should
ask the department chair to approve--in advance of travel--a second priority travel request. If the
faculty member does not have a secondary priority travel request pre-approved by the Faculty
Development Committee or wishes to use the funds for a different conference, then a new request
must be submitted to the department chair. If a change is made in travel, the dean’s office must be
notified by the department chair to ensure the Budget Analyst has a copy of the correct travel forms.
Faculty may submit up to three Travel Request forms (1st, 2nd, and 3rd priorities) and may note if they
want a request to be reconsidered in the spring term if not funded in the fall. Faculty members may
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also resubmit or submit new Travel Request forms in the spring, following the deadline set by the
committee.
Allowable expenses: Reimbursable expenditures follow university policy:
http://www.winthrop.edu/controllersoffice/default.aspx?id=4974.
Limitations: Conference travel may only be funded through this source if the faculty member is
presenting or engaging in significant stewardship activity at the conference. The amount awarded to
individual proposals is based on overall funding available during the fiscal year and number of
requests received.
New tenure-track faculty members in their first year of service have the option of receiving $1,000
toward professional travel without submitting a request to the Faculty Development Committee. For
first-year faculty, no presentation is required, although highly encouraged. New faculty who receive
this funding are not eligible to apply to the Faculty Development Committee during their first year.
Overall COE funding to a faculty member during a fiscal year may not exceed two (2) conferences and
$1,800 (international travel maximum is $2,000). This includes Faculty Development Travel Funds
and departmental revenue funds, but does not include grants or foundation funding (e.g., Singleton or
Bank of America Professorship funds). If a faculty member is asked to make a trip by the dean for
college business (e.g., special trainings, state meetings), other funding will be used to reimburse
expenses and the trip will not impact Faculty Development Travel funding decisions.
Student travel may not be paid using operational funds, even if traveling to a conference with faculty.
Student travel, if supported by the college, should be funded by designated foundation funds or the
limited amount of revenue funds made available to departments at the department chair’s discretion.
Exceptions to limitations: In unusual circumstances, exceptions to the limitations may be considered
with approval of the respective department chair and the dean. Requests must be submitted to the
dean in writing with documentation to support the request. If other Winthrop or external funding
sources are available, the faculty member must show attempts to secure that funding first.
Funding period: Requests for travel funding are considered by the Faculty Development Committee
and department chairs twice each academic year. Faculty members are encouraged to submit requests
in the fall semester since only unused funds are reallocated in the spring. Funds must be expended
during the current fiscal year (July 1-June 30). Funds not expended during the fiscal year may not
carry over to the next year.
Reimbursement: A Travel Authorization form must be approved prior to travel. All travel
expenditures must be submitted to the faculty member’s departmental administrative assistant within
thirty (30) days of travel using the university’s Travel Reimbursement form. Faculty should not expect
reimbursement if this deadline is not met.
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Richard W. Riley College of Education
Faculty Development Travel Request
Name:
Date
Submitted:
Department:
Priority #
Project Description (maximum 250 words)
1. Dates of travel, location, and total amount requested (Note: Use dates of the
faculty member’s expected travel, not necessarily dates of the conference.)
2. Description of conference proposal, identifying if the proposal has been
submitted and/or approved yet by the sponsoring organization.
3. Description of the significance of the conference in relationship to the faculty
member’s academic discipline and to their own professional development,
scholarship goals, and/or significant stewardship role at the conference. (Note:
Conference travel for stewardship responsibilities must be clearly explained.)
4. If partial funding is awarded, identification of which expenses are most critical to
the faculty member in order to make the trip.
5. Identification of any remuneration the faculty member may be receiving from the
sponsoring organization.
Example:
I am requesting $1,250 to reimburse costs to participate in the annual American
Educational Research Association conference to be held April 1-3 at the Boston
Convention Center in Boston, MA. This conference is the most significant meeting of
scholars in my discipline and offers an opportunity to network and stay abreast of new
research in the field. My presentation, titled “Meeting ESEA Requirements for Student
Growth Measures as a Key Element of Teacher Evaluations: How Student Learning
Outcomes Work,” is part of my ongoing research on student growth models and will
contribute to a journal manuscript in progress. I have submitted my proposal but have
not been notified of acceptance yet. To make the trip, I must have at least airfare, hotel,
and meals covered. No expenses are covered by AERA. (I will not attend this
conference if my proposal is not accepted, and will ask for my 2nd priority to be funded.)
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IRB approval: (check one)
 Project does not require IRB approval
 Project is exempt (attach exemption letter)
 IRB approval obtained (attach approval letter)
Itemized budget: Efforts should be made by the faculty member to get best possible
price for expenses such as airfare, hotel, and ground transportation. In the table
below, provide actual cost or solid estimates of travel expenses. It is understood that
some estimated expenses, such as airfare, may change and award would need to be
adjusted accordingly. Committee awards will be based on actual costs and not
percentage.
Expense
Registration fee (may not include
membership or special events)
Airfare (estimate for economy class)
Mileage to/from airport (# miles @
.535/mile)
Baggage ($XX each way)
Airport Parking (# days at $XX/day)
Taxis/Local Transportation (airport
shuttle or taxi round trip fees—
excluding ground travel for personal
excursions)
Meals: # days at out of state/Canada per
diem rate: $32/day. In-state rate is
$25/day (policy below)
Lodging (# days at conference rate
including estimated taxes)
Other
Total (rounded to nearest dollar)
Cost
Documentation
Copy of conference fee form or web
page
Webpage print-out
Webpage print-out
Copy of conference fee form or web
page
Conference fee form or web site listing
conference rate
Funding available from other sources
Amount requested of
Faculty Development Committee
Documentation to attach:
 Conference proposal/abstract (if available)
 Notification of acceptance (if available)
 Registration fee form or conference web page listing fees
 Airfare (estimate or actual) or mileage
 Hotel rate
 Other (documentation to support other expenditures required for the travel)
 Travel Authorization Form/s marked 1st and 2nd priority if submitting more than one.
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Explanation of expenses (only if needed):
PER DIEM POLICY - AMOUNT PER MEAL
If Departure Time is:
1. Before 6:30 AM
If Return Time is:
In-State Maximum $25/day Out-of-State Maximum $32/day
1. After 11:00 AM
$6.00
$7.00
2. After 1:30 PM (Lunch)
$7.00
$9.00
3. After 8:30 PM (Supper)
$12.00
$16.00
$7.00
$9.00
$12.00
$16.00
$12.00
$16.00
2. 6:30 AM or after and before 11:00 AM 1. After 1:30 PM (Lunch
2. After 8:30 PM
3. 11:00 AM or after and before 5:15 PM 1. After 8:30 PM (Supper)
Rev. 9/2015