Faculty Travel Guidelines
Faculty travel is an essential part of faculty development at Occidental College. It is important that
we develop clear guidelines on the distribution of resources that will help the faculty in their
professional planning.
1. Definition of faculty travel
Faculty travel covered by these guidelines includes participation in professional meetings
designed to enhance the professional expertise of the faculty.
2. Eligibility
Full-time regular tenured and untenured faculty are eligible for faculty travel funds.
Faculty on sabbatical are eligible for travel funds, but faculty on unpaid leave are not eligible.
Faculty in the early retirement program are eligible for travel funds.
The Dean of the College may make exceptions to this policy.
3. Participation requirements
Faculty must show active participation in the meeting for which travel funds are granted. This
includes presentation of a paper or creative work, discussant on panel, chair of panel,
respondent, and/or officer in the organization. If the faculty member plans to attend as a
general participant special justification must be offered for why travel should be supported.
4. Funding priorities and limits
 The College will continue to support travel to academic meetings for all untenured regular
faculty with a cap of $1,600.00 per year. This is in addition to travel support from faculty
personal research accounts, start-up money, and other sources. The Dean may approve a
higher amount in extraordinary circumstances.

The College will continue to support travel to academic meetings for tenured faculty with a
cap of $1,200.00 per year within the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii) and
Canada, and $1,600.00 for trips outside these regions. The Dean may approve a higher
amount in extraordinary circumstances. This is in addition to travel support from faculty
personal research accounts, start-up money and other sources. For tenured and tenure-track
faculty, first priority will be given to those who participate in the academic meeting as a
presenter, chair, or member of the governing board. Once all first priority trips are funded and
if funds remain, travel funds for attendance at meetings will be provided.

Funding of all faculty travel is contingent and constrained by the budget allocated to this
purpose. If requests exceed available funds, first priority shall go to support of untenured
regular faculty, and next priority will go to support tenured faculty.
5. What will be reimbursed?
The College will reimburse faculty for all legitimate expenses. Expenses may include
economy airfare, hotel, conference registration, meals (in accord with guidelines set each year
by the Business Office), ground transportation, and miscellaneous expenses. For all expenses
for which a receipt is normally issued (i.e., all expenses except business mileage and tips), an
Rev. 2/6/2016
original receipt must be attached to the Employee Expense Reimbursement Form. A
photocopy of a receipt will not suffice.
All expenses must conform to the general rules of the College, and requests for
reimbursement must be submitted within 30 days of your return from travel. Please see
http://tinyurl.com/2cbjnn5 for a detailed description of College spending and
reimbursement guidelines.
6. What will not be reimbursed?
Cost of rental cars and other expenses not listed in item #5 will not be reimbursed without
approval from the Dean. Membership in professional societies will not be reimbursed.
7. Approval requirements
All travel must be approved prior to travel date.
After completion of a travel request application, the applicant should submit the application to
his/her department chair who will forward the application to the office of the Dean.
If classes are to be missed because of faculty travel, a plan for how the classes will be covered
must be filed with and approved by your department chair. Faculty should make every effort
not to cancel classes.
8. Deadlines
File faculty travel requests for the July 1-June 30 period by October 15 or February 15 of
the academic year. The Dean shall reserve some funds for faculty travel for faculty who
submit their applications between October 15 and February 15. This pool of money, however,
will be limited. Therefore, funds may not be available for those submitting a travel
request after October 15.
Summer approvals will be available for travel from July 1-October 15.
You may submit a request with or without a firm confirmation of your participation.
Confirmation of your participation may be provided after the application period.
Rev. 2/6/2016
OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE
FACULTY TRAVEL REQUEST FORM
TRAVEL MUST BE APPROVED PRIOR TO TRAVEL DATE!
SECTION I
Name ________________________________________________________ Date ______________________
Dept/Program__________________________________________________ Mail Code __________________
Telephone ______________________________ E-mail address ____________________________________
SECTION II
(A) Name of conference _____________________________________________________________________
(B) Purpose of meeting ______________________________________________________________________
(C) Briefly describe your participation___________________________________________________________
(If you have no formal participation planned for this meeting, please attach a 2-3 paragraph description of why it is
essential for you to attend this meeting.)
(D) Is your participation (check one) confirmed
anticipated
?
(E) Date and location of meeting _______________________________________________________________
(F) Departure date ______________________________ (G) Return date _______________________________
(H) Estimated itemized expenses:
Registration (with meals) _______________________ (without meals) _________________________
Transportation __________________
Hotel _________________________
Meals ________________________
Other_________________________
TOTAL _______________________
(I) Has your plan for covering missed classes been filed with the department/program chair? Yes
No
SECTION III
I have reviewed this application including the plans to cover any missed classes.
_____________________________________________________ _____________
Department/Program Chair’s Signature
Date
SECTION IV
____________________________________________________ ______________
Dean’s Signature for Approval
Date
Deadlines for travel requests each academic year (travel from July 1 to June 30) are October 15 and February
15. Those planning to travel in the summer should submit their proposals as soon as possible. Funding of trips
requested after October 15 is contingent upon available funds.
Rev. 2/6/2016