Policies

POLICY:

Utica University promotes and supports research, scholarship, and/or creative projects as well as curriculum and instructional design by making development funds available to members of its faculty. Faculty members who have been awarded funds for the purchase of equipment, travel, or other comparable goods and services must adequately account for these expenditures within a reasonable period. Faculty members who have been awarded funds to support research or writing will receive those funds in the form of taxable supplemental salary.

SCOPE:

This policy applies to all faculty members who are applying for and/or have been awarded funds that have been designated for or are restricted to faculty development.

REASON FOR POLICY:

Faculty development funds are available to all faculty members to encourage innovation and improvement in the quality of instruction and curriculum design. This policy is designed to reinforce standards and procedures that have been established by the Faculty Resources Committee, and is also designed to ensure:
 

DEFINITIONS:

Adequate Accounting – Original receipts presented to the Office of General Accounting for substantiation of expenses.

Reasonable Period – Generally 30 days, depending on circumstances.

Verification of Funds – Review and approval of expenditures by the relevant academic unit to ensure that allocated funds have been properly used.

PROCEDURES:

1. Applying for Faculty Development Funds

1. Types of Funds Available
   
   Utica University provides a variety of sources of faculty development funds including faculty leadership funds, summer fellowship funds, Professional Development Committee awards, Crisafulli awards, start-up funds, small grants, and other sources. The allocation, verification, and approval of disbursements and reimbursements of all faculty development funds are overseen by the Office of Academic Affairs. 
   
   Faculty development funds fall into two broad categories:
    
   1. • Taxable Supplemental Income (Non-Accountable)
        
        These funds are given to support projects such as research and writing. Awarded funds are processed through the Office of Human Resources as taxable supplemental income; there is no need to account for the funds with the Office of General Accounting.
        
        Faculty members may elect to spend a portion of their funds on travel or to purchase goods. Any purchases of goods and/or services must be substantiated with original receipts (see Accounting for Faculty Development Funds).
        
        Any funds not used to purchase goods and services will be processed through the Office of Human Resources as taxable supplemental income.
         
      • Purchase of Goods and Services (Accountable)
        
        These funds are awarded for the purchase of equipment, travel, or other comparable expenses, and are processed by the Office of General Accounting following procedures described in the Purchasing and Accounts Payable Policy and/or the Business Travel and Entertainment Policy. Adequate accounting of expenses is required (see Accounting for Faculty Development Funds).
         
2. Instructions for Applying
   
   For instructions regarding Professional Development Committee awards, refer to the American Association of University Professors – Utica University Chapter (AAUP-UC) contract.
   
   Start-up funds are negotiated as part of the faculty hiring process. These funds must be spent within two years of hiring and their disbursement follows procedures outlined above (see Purchase of Goods and Services).  Start-up funds may not be used for travel unless specifically authorized by the vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty.
   
   Instructions and deadlines for all other development funds are outlined in the Dean’s Professional Development Resources memo, which is updated annually and can be found at the Faculty Resource Committee's web page.

2. Awarding of Faculty Development Funds

For the majority of faculty development funds, the Faculty Resources Committee (FRC) reviews proposals and makes recommendations to the vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty. More information about the FRC’s timelines and procedures is available at http://www.utica.edu/academic/facultyinfo/frc.cfm

3. Accounting for Faculty Development Funds

1. Faculty members who receive awards to support work such as research and writing need not account for any portion of their awards taken as taxable supplemental income.
    
2. Faculty members who elect to use a portion of their taxable supplemental salary to purchase goods and/or services, and faculty members whose awards dictate that they use their awards to purchase goods and/or services, may choose from two disbursement options:

1. 1. Reimbursements
       
      • The awardee receives payment after equipment, travel, or comparable expenses are incurred.
         
      • The awardee must adequately account for expenses by submitting original receipts to the relevant academic unit for verification, or by submitting a Travel Expense Reconciliation Form for the University’s per diem rate. Only original receipts may be used to account for expenses; monthly credit card statements will not be accepted.
      • The relevant academic unit submits approved receipts to the Office of General Accounting.
         
      • Reimbursements will be processed within a reasonable period of time by the Office of Purchasing and Accounts Payable following instructions from the Office of General Accounting (see Purchasing and Accounts Payable Policy and Business Travel and Entertainment Policy).
         
   2. Advance Allowance
      
      
      • The awardee receives funds before equipment, travel, or comparable expenses are incurred. Requests for advances should be made using the Travel Authorization and Advance Request Form.
         
      • Once funds have been spent by the awardee, he or she must adequately account for these expenditures within a reasonable period of time by submitting original receipts to the relevant academic unit for verification, or by submitting a Travel Expense Reconciliation Form for the University’s per diem rate. Only original receipts may be used to account for expenses; monthly credit card statements will not be accepted.
      • The relevant academic unit submits approved receipts and/or forms to the Office of General Accounting.
         
      • Depending upon the type of award, once expenses have been accounted for, any remaining funds will be processed by the Office of Human Resources as taxable supplemental income or must be returned to the University.
         
      • Depending upon the type of award, expenses that are not substantiated within a reasonable period will be deducted from the award recipient’s salary.