Step 1 – Completion of the Travel Planning Form
All faculty are required to submit a Travel Planning Form by the September deadline using the on-line process if they plan to request support for conference travel that will occur during the current fiscal year with travel requests listed in priority order. A first-priority trip will be funded for all faculty who complete the Travel Planning Form before the deadline, prior to a second-priority trip being considered for anyone. Similarly, third-priority trips (for pre-tenured faculty only) will be approved only after all second- priority trips have been funded.
For budgetary purposes, all faculty members who wish to request support for conference travel must submit the Travel Planning Form before the deadline even if the conference travel plans are only tentative at the time. If conference travel plans change, faculty members may request approval for the change in conference travel plans by notifying Kathryn Antonioli (antoniok@lafayette.edu) as soon as feasible.
On the Travel Planning Form, faculty should include any conference trip that already completed and/or charged to the current year’s travel budget. They should also be sure to identify conference travel costs that are to be paid from other sources (e.g., grant accounts, professional development funds, named chair funds), and indicate in the cost estimates for which support is requested from the faculty conference travel budget. If faculty request extraordinary support for a particular trip, that request must be included in the Travel Planning Form.
Step 2 – Approval of Travel Request by Department Head or Program Chair
The department head or program chair of the faculty member will automatically receive an emailed copy of the submitted Travel Planning Form and will need to electronically sign it for approval.
Step 3 – Official Letter of Approval Sent by the Provost’s Office
Faculty requesting support will be notified via Lafayette email of those conference trips that the College has approved and the maximum amounts for which they will be reimbursed.
Travel arrangements should be made after faculty receive the letter of approval from the Provost’s Office listing approved conference trips and reimbursement amounts per trip. If preferred, airline ticket purchases can be made through the American Express online travel system or through Emanuel Travel in Easton, Pennsylvania, with the expense being directly billed to Lafayette. To request a log-in and password to the American Express online travel website, travelers should contact the Purchasing Office. Information about travel reimbursement policies can be found at:
http://finadmin.lafayette.edu/information-for-faculty-staff/policies/
Step 4 – Completion of Travel Notice Form
Approximately four weeks prior to an approved trip, faculty traveling must submit a Travel Notice Form; the department head/program chair will automatically receive an emailed copy of the completed form with a request for an electronic signature. This form serves as the official approval form for Lafayette Travel. Even when a trip has been approved on the Travel Planning Form, expenses may not be reimbursed unless a Travel Notice Form has also been approved prior to the trip by the Department Head/Program Chair and the Provost’s Office.
The Travel Notice Form serves as the necessary confirmation that the trip will be taken and that the Department Head or Program Chair supports your travel. It also serves as an official record. As noted below, faculty members are covered by the College insurance policy while engaged in travel for official business. To document the official nature of the travel, written notice must be provided in advance of the trip.
Included on the Travel Notice Form should be the exact dates that you will be away from campus, an updated estimate of expenses, and a description of the provisions made for covering any classes that will be missed. Faculty members who will be absent from campus for a period of more than four days of instruction must request written permission from the Provost’s Office in advance of filling out the Travel Notice Form.
Step 5 – Reimbursement Procedures
A Travel & Expense Reimbursement Form should be submitted to the Provost’s Office within two weeks of return using the downloadable form; these forms must be sent to Katie Antonioli, Administrative Budget Coordinator. Attached to this form should be fully documented receipts for expenditures that meet Lafayette’s guidelines. Both the Travel & Expense Reimbursement Form and the reimbursement guidelines can be found on the Finance and Administration link indicated above. Do not include expenses that have been prepaid by Lafayette on the Travel & Expense Reimbursement Form (e.g. airfare); advances received toward the travel should be indicated on the form.
The Travel & Expense Reimbursement Form and accompanying original receipts should be sent to Katie Antonioli (antoniok@lafayette.edu); the form does not need to be signed by the Department Head or Program Chair.
The use of a rental car in lieu of one’s personal car is considered a convenience for the individual and as such is normally not covered. If a rental car is used, Lafayette will reimburse the lesser of the cost of the rental car or the mileage at the prevailing mileage rate.
Additional information about Lafayette’s allowable expense policies can be found in the documents linked on:
http://finadmin.lafayette.edu/information-for-faculty-staff/policies/
International Travel
If conference, research, or other professional travel supported by the College will occur in an international destination, faculty are required to register travel with the Office of International and Off-Campus Education. The IOCE will enroll them in the College’s International Health and Security insurance plan through On Call International. For registration instructions and information about On Call International’s coverage, please see the IOCE website. Please contact Rochelle Keesler with any questions (keeslerr@lafayette.edu).
Faculty can also ask Human Resources about the benefits they may be able to utilize when traveling overseas.