College Travel Policies and Procedures

Faculty Development and Professional Travel Procedures and Policies Using College Funds - College of the Environment

(Approved by College vote 5/6/2013)

The UFWW-WWU-CBA (COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT BETWEEN Western Washington University and United Faculty of Western Washington University, SEPTEMBER 16, 2012 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 15, 2015) specifies that each college will fund a faculty development and professional travel pool with an annual amount equal to $1,000 per FTE tenured/tenure- track faculty, and $500 per FTE non-tenure-track faculty member. The funds will be allocated and administered by deans of colleges and the Library in accordance with criteria and procedures in guidelines developed within the faculty governance bodies of each college and the Library.

These funds will be made available to each College of the Environment faculty member to be used for professional development, including travel, based on the criteria listed below under "Professional Development and Travel Fund Allocation Criteria."

Full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty will be allocated $1,000 per FY, or the amount specified in the CBA; part-time tenured and tenure-track faculty will be allocated the fractional amount based on their FTE appointment. Tenured and tenure-track faculty with release time are eligible for their full annual allocation. Unused portions of the annual allocation may be carried forward, subject to university and state budget guidelines, and combined with future allocations and other funding sources, subject to the terms of the CBA.

Non-tenure-track faculty will be allocated up to $500 per FY, or the amount specified in the CBA, with the amount determined by their fractional FTE appointment. Unused portions of the allocation will not be carried forward beyond the end of the FY and can only be used within their term of appointment.

Upon termination, retirement, or permanent departure from College of the Environment, any remaining development and professional travel funds in the faculty member's account will be redistributed by the college to support faculty development and professional travel.

Professional Development and Travel Fund Allocation Criteria

The primary purpose of the professional development and travel funds is to support travel expenses related to professional development. In addition, faculty may choose to use their professional development and travel allocation for any of activities listed below. All use of these funds must follow current WWU policies.

Faculty unfamiliar with WWU purchasing and travel policies should discuss their intended use of funds with the Department Chair, or designated Administrative staff before encumbering any portion of their allocation. Use of funds for items not listed below must be approved in advance by the Department Chair.

  1. Conference travel and related expenses for the purpose of presenting scholarship results.
  2. Other forms of travel for professional development, such as, but not limited to
    • travel expenses in support of duties as an officer in a national organization;
    • travel expenses to visit a proposed research site;
    • travel expenses to attend workshops, including proposal workshops and pre-award negotiations;
    • travel expenses to confer with colleagues on a shared research project;
    • conference travel and related expenses for professional development, without presentation of scholarship results.
  3. Supplies, materials, and equipment that contribute directly to professional development.