Report of the Ad Hoc Group on Travel Guidelines

The purpose of the Ad Hoc Group on Travel Guidelines was to develop guidelines for applying for travel funding to support professional development and to prepare a document summarizing these guidelines.

The group met twice to formulate “Guidelines and Criteria", where “guidelines” include housekeeping and procedural issues involved in applying for travel funding. “Criteria” include principles and standards used by a manager to determine the allocation of funds. As such, the criteria should be kept in mind when applying for travel funds. The group also developed proposed revisions to the “Request for Travel Funding: Professional Development” form. The group recommends that the web version of this form be maintained and the paper version be discontinued.

It was agreed that a draft of the attached documents would be presented for comment to the Library Executive Committee and to the Executive of the Librarians’ Association of the University of Waterloo (LAUW) since a recent request for guidelines originated with LAUW. Following any revisions to the draft documents, the group proposes that they be made available library-wide.

The group also recommends that the Library develop an effective way to facilitate the sharing of information gleaned from professional development activities.

Submitted by:
Lorraine Beattie, Chair
on behalf of:
Annette Dandyk
Sandra Keys
Bill Oldfield

May 19, 2004

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Guidelines and Criteria for applying for Travel Funding

Preamble

All regular full-time and regular part-time staff are eligible to apply for travel funding for professional development. The following guidelines and criteria were developed to assist people applying for such funding. Professional development activity includes, but may not be limited to conferences, training sessions, workshops, seminars, meetings and observation leaves.

These guidelines do not apply to:

• administrative travel where such travel is understood to be required as a function of one’s job responsibilities (e.g., VDX training, Voyager EndUser workshop). Administrative travel is arranged in consultation with one’s manager.
• requests for professional development activity where no funding is required (e.g., attendance at university classes). Such requests should be discussed with one’s manager and the appropriate form prepared as necessary (see http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/staff/liboff/course.html).
• requests for study leaves or leaves without pay (see http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/staff/liboff/studyleave.pdf) .

Guidelines

The following guidelines address housekeeping and procedural issues involved in applying for travel funding. For further information, see also UW Policy 31, “Travel”.

Before you travel

Complete the “Request for Travel Funding: Professional Development” form and submit it to your manager. The following guidelines are keyed to specific sections of that form:

• All reasonable attempts should be made to secure travel and accommodation consistent with reasonable comfort and economy.
• “Estimated Costs” should include applicable taxes and currency exchange (url for currency conversion rates to be provided)
• Registration for Library Association conferences is funded at the “member” rate. Early bird registration rates should be secured if available.
• Incidental transportation costs (i.e., those other than costs listed under “Principal method of transportation”) such as airport transportation, taxis and other ground transportation should be listed under “Other Costs”.
• Meals are funded at a per diem rate $50 Canadian per day including gratuities for travel within Canada, and $50 U.S. per day for travel outside of Canada, in accordance with UW Policy 31.

Travel advances are available for registration and airfare. To request a travel advance, complete and submit the upper portion of “ Travel Advance and Settlement Claim”, Form #50A-2 (available to be ordered by library departments from Central Stores) a minimum of 7 business days before travelling.

After you travel

Complete the “Travel Advance and Settlement Claim” form and submit the completed form to the Administrative Assistant in the Library Office (Porter). In so doing, remember that:

• Original receipts are required for registration, transportation accommodation, parking and other incidental fees.
• If you have travelled by air with a regular ticket, the carbon copy of the ticket must be submitted with your receipt. If you purchased an e-ticket, the invoice and your boarding pass must be submitted with your receipt.
• If a travel agent charges airport transportation costs to your credit card, a receipt from the driver is still required for reimbursement
• Your Manager/Department Head must sign the “Signature of Traveller’s Supervisor” line. You must sign both the “Signature of Traveller” and “Signature of Claimant” lines.

When travel for professional development falls on a Saturday or Sunday or on a University holiday, sa the staff member may take equivalent time off (up to 7 hours per day) at a time to be arranged with her/his manager.

Criteria

Applications for funding to support professional development are considered by one’s Department Head/Manager in consultation with his/her manager. When funds requested by an individual exceed $1,500 (subject to annual review) in a fiscal year, the application is subject to the approval of the Library Executive Committee. In all cases, requests are judged individually on their own merits. There is no formula-driven method of determining which requests will be granted and at what level of funding. Should a request for funding or part thereof be denied, one’s manager will indicate the reasons for the decision.

The following criteria reflect principles and standards that may be used to assess the merits of a request and to determine the allocation of funds. These criteria should be kept in mind when applying for travel funds:

• Benefit of the professional development activity to the individual
• Benefit of the activity to the Library and/or its partners (e.g., the extent to which the activity would support/enable the Library’s strategic goals)
• Benefit of the activity to the University
• Contribution of the activity to the library profession
• Role of the requestor in the activity (e.g., contributor vs. attendee)
• Relationship of the activity to previous skill/knowledge development (e.g., other research or professional development activity)
• Proposed outcomes as to the dissemination of knowledge and information and the extent to which the requestor becomes a resource to others; i.e., evidence of active sharing and usage of experience gleaned

July 7, 2004

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¹ In some cases, engaging in professional development activity may not require travel. This form is used even if applying only for funding for registration for an event.

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