University of Southern Maine

Faculty Handbook

Faculty Development and Travel

Professional Development Opportunities

Early each academic year, the Provost invites faculty members to submit proposals and applications for faculty development opportunities (see the USM Faculty Handbook). Resources to support eligible faculty in professional development activities are available from a variety of sources and in a number of different forms. In general, proposals for any professional, scholarly, or research activity, which enhances the faculty member's participation in, and contributions to a field, will be considered. Part-time, temporary faculty are not currently eligible and some opportunities are limited to full time faculty with probationary or tenure appointments who will return for the next academic year. Detailed information about these development opportunities is available through the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. A brief summary is provided below:

• Sabbatical Leaves
• Leaves of Absence, Without Salary for Educational Purposes
• Faculty Senate Research Awards
• Pre-doctoral Fellowship Award
• Faculty Travel Stipends for International Study and Exchange

Travel

All full-time faculty, with primary appointments in the College and who are in state-supported positions are eligible for travel/developmental funds. Funds must be used in the year they are committed and cannot be carried forward.

Faculty are encouraged to review the University of Maine System Administrative Practice Letter NO.26 - provides additional guidelines for acceptable travel and related expenses. 

Approval

All travel within the State for USM related business must be approved by the Dean prior to travel (irrespective of whether the College is underwriting the cost of the trip). By September 1st of each year faculty will submit to the Dean office (to Pam Hartford) a Travel Advance Request/Approval Form. For "Dates trip to be taken" write the academic year (e.g., 2008-2009). For "Nature of official business" write or check box for USM related travel in-state. The faculty member should sign as the traveler. 

All travel outside of Maine for continuing education, attending conferences, or other professional development must be approved prior to travel irrespective of whether the College is underwriting all or part of the travel costs. Faculty members submit (well in advance of travel date) requests to the Dean's office (to Pam Hartford)on the College's "Travel Request Form".

Full-time faculty with primary appointments outside the College and/or are not state funded for their salary and part-time faculty usually will not be funded for Faculty Development Funds. If there are compelling reasons the Dean will reconsider requests for possible appropriation of monies. 

Funding requests for full-time faculty members should be for events that:

1. Foster the development or direction of College programs,
   
2. Meet the changing needs of the health care environment,
   
3. Facilitate a faculty member's reassignment to accommodate a shift in the curriculum's focus or a gap in the courses (to meet the needs of the course offerings),
   
4. Bring faculty together as an educational community,
   
5. Foster a faculty member's area of scholarship, or
   
6. Support a faculty member's presentation of his/her scholarship.

Funds, which are not related to the professional development of the faculty member, will not be approved.

Forms to request faculty development funds are available on the USM Business Services home page under travel or through Pam Hartford, Coordinator of Finances, and are returned to Pam to process.

See travel application form.

Reimbursement

Requests and receipts for travel reimbursement are made through Pam Hartford. The required paperwork ("Travel Expense Voucher") is available at www.usm.maine.edu/bus/usmtev.xls.  All travel expenses must be submitted to Pam within 5 business days.

NOTE: Reimbursement depends on submission of ORIGINAL receipts (see below).

Travel Procedures and Policies :

• Please fill out an internal CONHP travel expense form with estimates, sign and submit to Pam Hartford 2 weeks or more prior to your trip for authorization and processing.  You can use airline websites (such as Travelocity, Orbitz, etc.) to determine available flight times and fare estimates for this form.  Faculty must have the Dean’s approval prior to purchasing their airline tickets to be paid by USM, CONHP.
• Registration fees should be initiated for payment through Pam Hartford.  Please fill out a registration form for Pam to include with the check request, or pay with the USM, CONHP purchasing card.  You should be aware of the early registration deadline, if any.  If you pay for your registration fee personally, you must submit an ORIGINAL document of receipt in order to be reimbursed.  Canceled checks are NOT accepted as receipts.
• Hotel reservations can be made as soon as the trip is approved by calling the hotel, or housing bureau with your own credit card.  If booking directly through the hotel (not a housing bureau), you may ask them to fax a third party credit card form to Pam at (207) 228-8177 to process with the USM, CONHP purchasing card.  Please be sure to pick up a receipt at the reservation desk when leaving the hotel that shows that the USM, VISA was charged for the expense, not your own personal credit card, when this process is used.   The original receipt will be submitted with your travel expense voucher when you return.
• A traveler is to submit an itemized accounting of travel expenses, together with ORIGINAL receipts, within FIVE (5) days of returning.  Hotel folio receipts, which include other expenses such as telephone, meals and parking, are itemized separately in the appropriate columns on the TEV.  Meals should be itemized under MEALS, parking under FARES (auto), and telephone under MISC. for each date.  Lodging costs should be separated by date also.  These are calculated automatically on the on-line form.  If USM, CONHP paid for expenses, please put the amount in the Paid by USM column AND the expense column for each date, so the form will subtract the amount from the Reimbursable Total.  You will need to type the mileage total into the line below the totals row under personal vehicle miles in order for the mileage cost to calculate.  Please print one TEV form to sign, (make a copy for yourself), and submit to Pam.
• An original, itemized receipt is required for all meals up to $48. Per day (unless per diem of $39. per day is requested prior to the travel).  There is a 15% allowance for gratuity.  If the restaurant requires a higher rate, please ask for written proof of this to submit with receipts.  If your receipt has been lost or forgotten, please fill out a “lost receipt” form to be included with the TEV.  Alcohol is not reimbursed and should be deducted from meal receipts.   The daily limit and gratuity allowance amounts are subject to change when notified by the USM, Finance Dept.
• If asking for an advance on travel costs (up to $300.) a Travel Request/Advance form needs to be submitted to Pam Hartford to have authorized and mailed to the Accounts Payable/Travel Dept. to be received 3 weeks prior to the date the trip is to be taken, in order to process a check in time.  Original receipts are required to submit or unused cash or check to USM for the unused advanced amount when you return.
•   The Travel Expense Vouchers must have the approval of the appropriate department head, chair or director, or the dean.  In NO case should the approving signature be the same as that of the traveler.

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