Faculty Travel Guidelines
For faculty considering travel
- Department, units and or other sources are expected provide 50% of the total requested
for faculty travel.
- Preference will be given to individuals who are actively engaged in research as evidenced
by published refereed journal articles, books, external grant submissions, or proceedings. Individuals
seeking travel funds for professional or faculty development purposes must attach a brief statement or outline which relates the travel activity to enhancement
of teaching, service or research abilities or professional competence. In addition,
consideration is given to efforts by those involved in new curricular assignments
and significant curricular and delivery enhancements of existing courses and external
activities which generate grant monies, internships, and placement/employment of graduates.
- Funds encumbered by the Dean's Office cannot be assumed to transfer to another faculty
member if unused. A new request form must be filled out. Unused funds are returned to the Dean for reallocation. Additionally, if the total actual reimbursement is different from the total amount
initially approved for reimbursement, each provider of funds will pay their proportionate share.
- Funding requests should be submitted at least 30 days (60 for international travel)
prior to travel date to ensure funding. Under normal circumstances, the Dean’s office
will communicate acceptance or rejection of requests for travel funds to departments
within 14 days. Faculty members are urged to utilize super-saver fares, early purchase
discounts, or other available discounts for travel and lodging. In addition, all university
travel policies must be followed for reimbursement to occur.
- Efforts will be made to honor at least one request from each qualifying faculty member. All
travel requests are subject to availability of funds.
- Funding is provided for one WKU presenter per refereed paper. Co-authored or multiple
authored papers may share the allocation. If two co-authors have two papers accepted,
each may be funded.
- REASONABLE REGISTRATION FEES will be covered in order to maximize faculty travel opportunities. Faculty are encouraged to take
advantage of early registration discounts, when available. The College will not fund
the portion of registration fees that include professional dues or professional and
scholarly publications, though individual faculty development funds may be used to
cover these expenses.
- Travel reimbursement for travel using a personal automobile is limited to a maximum
of round-trip airfare plus round-trip transportation to the airport.
- Usually, College of Business and department funding will be limited to a combined
maximum of $2,000 per faculty member for domestic travel, regardless of the number
of trips involved. Travel requests exceeding $2,000 may require individual development
funds or personal payment for the amounts exceeding the $2,000 limit. If a faculty
member can make more than one trip within the $2,000 limit, funds will be approved
up to the limit providing the travel meets all other guidelines. When appropriate
to a unit’s goals and objectives, more expensive international travel may be considered.
Faculty development programs and special institutes will be considered on a case-by-case
basis.
- All receipts and reimbursements requests must be submitted to the faculty member's
department within 10 days of travel completion in order to process reimbursement of
expenses.
- Professional travel and purpose of the travel should relate to and reflect department
or College programs and objectives.
- Faculty requests for professional travel funds are submitted to the department head
for approval and the approved matching funds shared by the department, other units
on campus or from other fund sources such as grants. Approved requests are then forwarded
to the Dean's Office.
- Requests for reimbursement for expenses after 30 days or longer will not be accepted.
- The Dean’s office will provide a detailed summary and listing of faculty travel to
the faculty upon request.
