Step 1 – Completion of the Travel Planning Form
All faculty are required to submit a Travel Planning Form by the first Friday in September 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 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 Katie Antonioli (antoniok@lafayette.edu) as soon as feasible.
On the Travel Planning Form, faculty should include any conference trip that has already been completed and/or charged to the current fiscal 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 that 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 – Approval by the Office of the Provost
The Provost’s Office no longer sends a formal approval letter. If you do not hear anything from the Office of the Provost, please consider your travel approved. Katie Antonioli will reach out within two weeks of the deadline if there are any issues with the request.
Airline ticket purchases can be made through Emanuel Travel in Easton using your PCard. 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 (only for international travel) – Registering for Coverage through On Call International
Faculty planning to travel internationally are required to register with the Office of International and Off-Campus Education no later than two weeks prior to the trip in order to obtain medical and emergency coverage abroad through On Call International. See: https://studyabroad.lafayette.edu/information-for-faculty/.
Step 5 (only for domestic travel) / Step 6 (for international travel) – Reimbursement Procedures
Faculty are now required to submit conference travel receipts to Emburse within two weeks of your return. (The Provost’s Office can no longer accept the Travel and Reimbursement Form, nor paper copies of receipts.) To submit receipts, please visit Emburse · Finance & Administration · Lafayette College. If you require assistance with Emburse, please reach out to emburse@lafayette.edu.
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/.