2015-2016 PROFESSIONAL TRAVEL PROCEDURES
for Faculty and Staff in the School of Humanities and Sciences
These procedures, revised for this year, include information about how much is available in funding for
professional development, and updated guidelines for submission of Travel Authorization forms and
Travel Expense Reports. Please review these carefully, as there have been some changes. Detailed
instructions for completing Travel Authorization Forms and Travel Expense Reports are provided in a
separate document.
H&S FACULTY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND
Part Time Faculty
Part-time faculty are eligible for professional development funds at a prorated rate (based on the
percentage of teaching load per semester; $75 per credit taught). Part-time faculty are eligible for
travel support only during their contracted time of employment.
Full Time Faculty
Each full-time H&S faculty member is eligible to receive UP TO A TOTAL OF $1,800 for
professional development travel during AY 2015-2016, to attend conferences (whether presenting
or not) or for research related travel. If you have questions about whether a different type of travel
is covered, please contact the Dean’s Office.
If you are attending or presenting at an International Conference, you may be eligible to receive up to
$1,300 in additional funding assuming that funds remain. This is a limited fund so please apply
early. When funds are exhausted, travel will not be funded. Funds will be awarded based on the trip
estimate from the Travel Authorization. The travel authorization will be returned to the department
assistant from the Dean’s Office signed and with the approved travel funding noted.
If you are planning a second trip, you may be eligible to receive up to $500 additional funding
assuming that funds remain. This is a limited fund so please apply early. When funds are
exhausted, travel will not be funded. You may use any funds remaining from the $1,800 in addition
to $500. Funds will be awarded based on the trip estimate from the Travel Authorization. The
travel authorization will be returned to the department assistant from the Dean’s Office signed and
with the approved travel funding noted. Please write on the Travel Authorization that you are
applying for “2nd Trip” funds.
If you are attending a conference solely to chaperone students who are presenting at a conference (you
would not otherwise attend), you may be eligible for $1,000 in funding for your travel (this doesn’t
cover student costs). This is a limited fund so please apply early. When funds are exhausted, travel
will not be funded. Please note that this trip will only be supported at the Travel Authorization
amount not to exceed $1,000.Note that only one faculty member will be supported for each
conference. Please write on the Travel Authorization that you are applying for “Chaperone” funds.
Please apply online at: http://www.ithaca.edu/hs/faculty/explrng/travelsupport/
Note that there is a fund to support students traveling to conferences. Please have students apply online
at: http://www.ithaca.edu/hs/awards_and_honors/awardsgrants/scfunding/
NOTE: These funds DO NOT ROLL OVER FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT (i.e., faculty cannot
“save” money in one year and add it to the $1,800 maximum in the next year).
NOTE: There is no longer any travel funding in the Provost’s office.
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To activate these funds, faculty members must complete a Travel Authorization Form (see below for
specific instructions) before purchases related to the trip are made (e.g., airline tickets), and at least two
weeks in advance of traveling, and submit it to the Dean’s office for review and approval.
Failure to complete a Travel Authorization form in advance may jeopardize activation of these funds.
Absence from Classes
Faculty should not be away from campus more than three consecutive days on which the College has
classes scheduled. Exceptions must have the prior approval of the dean. The total time away from
classes per semester should not exceed one week. Travel during the first week of a semester is
discouraged.
OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS TRAVEL PROCESSES AND PAPERWORK REQUIREMENTS
Before you travel:
•Submit a Travel Authorization form to the H&S Dean’s Office
(http://www.ithaca.edu/financial_services/forms/travel_authorization/travel_authorization_form.htm)
as soon as you make purchases relating to the trip or at least two weeks before the trip,
whichever comes first. Detailed guidelines for completing this form are online at
http://www.ithaca.edu/hs/resources/businesstravel/travauthform/.
-The form is required for funds verification purposes.
-The form must be signed by the traveler and the Department Chair.
•Expenses requiring payment in advance of a trip such as hotel deposits, conference registrations,
or plane tickets can be paid for by:
-using a Voucher Authorization form (VAF) to request a check be sent in advance directly to the
provider (allow a week for processing). Please send the original to the Dean’s Office for approval
and processing — this form is available at
http://www.ithaca.edu/financial_services/forms/voucher/voucher_auth_form.htm; OR
-using a personal check or credit card, and requesting reimbursement when you file the Travel
Expense Report; OR
-using an Ithaca College Travel Card (in this case, it is the traveler’s responsibility to provide a copy
of the receipt to your Department Assistant within 10 days of making the purchase, so that it can be
properly closed out in Parnassus; be sure to retain the original to be attached to the Travel Expense
Report upon your return).
•Cash advances are not normally available to individual travelers.
Exceptions to this policy are as follows:
-Faculty traveling with a group of students or internationally may request a cash advance. For
international travel, contact Travel Services and for Student Travel, contact Cashiering Services.
Unused portions of the cash advance need to be deposited back into the departments accounts
within 5 business days after returning from travel. Faculty members should send the completed
VAF, along with back-up documentation, to the Dean’s office for approval and to be advised on
next steps to receive the funds.
•If you plan to drive more than 180 miles round-trip, you are expected to use an Ithaca College
vehicle or to rent a car from Enterprise (please consult the updated Ithaca College Transportation
guidelines at http://www.ithaca.edu/financial_services/travel/transportation/).
-To drive an Ithaca College car, you must be an authorized IC driver; to become an authorized
driver (authorization lasts for two years), complete the Driver Information Form and submit it
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directly to the Office of Risk Management; the form is available at
http://www.ithaca.edu/riskmanagement/forms/mvr_welcome_page.htm).
-To reserve an Ithaca College car, you must complete a Vehicle Request form; a link to this form
is provided on the Travel Authorization form. You will need a 21-digit account number to reserve a
vehicle; please contact your Department Assistant if you need assistance with this information.
-The Vehicle Request will be cancelled if a Travel Authorization form is not on file in the Dean’s
office.
-For 2015-2016, rates for college vehicles are:
Passenger cars (Malibu, Impala, Prius) - $38/day
Uplander vans (7 passenger) - $45/day
NOTE: If there are extenuating circumstances that make it more expedient for you to use your personal
vehicle for a trip of more than 180 miles, you can petition the Dean’s Office for an exception to this
policy. In all cases, however, reimbursement is limited to the first 180 miles.
•Alcohol policy for H&S-Only one drink per meal will be reimbursed. If you are dining with
students, no alcohol will be reimbursed even if they are of legal drinking age.
After you travel:
•Expense Report forms are to be completed within ten days after the conclusion of each trip. The
forms are at
http://www.ithaca.edu/financial_services/forms/expense_report_form/expense_report.htm.
-Expense Report forms must be completed even if all expenses were paid for using a Travel Card,
VAF, or direct department charge, and there is no reimbursement due to the traveler.
-If your trip falls at the end of the fiscal year (i.e., at the end of May), you have until June 5 to turn
in your expense report with receipts to have funding utilized in the current fiscal year.
-If filed after June 5, expenses will be charged to the next fiscal year budget.
-Note: Ithaca College policy stipulates that failure to perform reconciliation of travel expenses
within 60 days will result in any College funds disbursed for trip-related expenses being treated as
taxable wages paid to the employee and subject to federal and state income tax, Social Security
and Medicare withholdings. Any College related travel expenses incurred using personal funds
will be ineligible for reimbursement after 60 days. Failure to submit Travel Expense Reports in
a timely fashion may result in loss of Travel Card privileges.
•Submit completed Expense Report forms to your department administrative assistant, who will
review them for completeness and work with you to insure accuracy; the department assistant will then
forward the Expense Reports to the Dean’s office for approval and processing.
•Reimbursement checks are issued once a month by Accounts Payable, on the 30th of each month,
regardless of when the Expense Report was filed. Direct deposit of reimbursement checks is also
available; these are processed immediately. We strongly encourage faculty to sign up for
EFT/Direct deposit; not only does this insure that the funds get into your hands quickly, but it is a
more sustainable practice (no paper checks have to be issued). To register for EFT/Direct deposit, go
to: http://www.ithaca.edu/financial_services/ap/eftanddd/.
It is essential that Travel Expense Reports be filled out accurately and completely, and have all the
necessary documentation at the time of submission. Please be sure to consult the detailed
instructions for H&S travelers for preparing Travel Expense Reports
(http://www.ithaca.edu/hs/resources/businesstravel/travexpreport/).
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