Policy UL-TR01 Types of Libraries Travel

Main Policy Content

  • Purpose
  • Professional Travel 
  • Administrative Travel
  • Development Travel 
  • Grant and Endowment Funded Travel 
  • Training/Professional Development 
  • Cross References

PURPOSE:

To describe the five types of travel for which there is reimbursement.

PROFESSIONAL TRAVEL:

Professional travel includes travel to organizational conferences such as ALA and SLA. It is requested by the employee and used for professional enrichment and service to professional organizations.

The Libraries reimburse travel expenses per University Travel Policy. There is a reimbursement cap of $2,000 per year for tenured faculty, non-tenure track faculty, administrators, and for staff in Salary Bands J and above. Exceptions to this are made on a case by case basis.

There is a reimbursement cap of $2,500 per year for untenured faculty. If some expenses are being reimbursed by another University department, the Libraries will only reimburse the remainder that would have been reimbursed under the Libraries' travel guidelines.

Travel funds are not transferable to other employees nor across fiscal years. Unspent funds will be returned to the central budget.

ADMINISTRATIVE TRAVEL:

Administrative travel is travel that is required because of administrative duties or institutional memberships, such as BTAA memberships, or at the request of the Dean or Associate Deans.

Administrative travel typically does not include attendance at professional organizations in which an individual has a personal membership.

Reimbursement is at the discretion of the Dean and/or Associate Deans and the amount is based on University Policy. There may be situations where only partial reimbursements will be made.

Faculty and Staff who receive funding from Libraries Administration to attend professional conferences, workshops, or represent the Libraries on external groups and at meetings are asked to prepared brief reports containing takeaways from those meetings.  These reports should be submitted via the Libraries’ intranet blog and tagged for easy retrieval.  A suggested format includes 2-3 bulleted takeaways and links for additional information if applicable.  If you do not have access to the blog, please have your supervisor fill out an account request form. 

Libraries employees traveling on libraries business between Penn State campuses for the purpose of activities that would be fulfilled locally if that was an option, do not need to complete brief reports containing takeaways from those meetings.  These include but are not limited to: traveling between Penn State campuses for strategic action or other working group meetings, conducting peer evaluations, and attending a Penn State meeting (no registration involved).

DEVELOPMENT TRAVEL:

If a staff member or librarian travels to meet/cultivate a potential donor, the travel will be funded by Libraries Development.

At no time should a Libraries staff member or librarian meet with a donor or potential donor without the involvement of Development. Any travel that will be charged to the Libraries Development budget must be approved in advance by the Dean's External Relations Assistant.

If a librarian or staff member is asked by Development to travel for the purpose of assessing a collection donation, the travel will be funded by Libraries' Development. The appropriate Associate Dean should be apprised in advance of any potential collection solicitations. Collections-related travel that is not related to Development will be supported from administrative travel funds or the collections budget, which must have prior approval by the appropriate Associate Dean.

GRANT AND ENDOWMENT FUNDED TRAVEL:

All reimbursement is set by the terms of the grant, granting agency, or endowment, and University Policy.

TRAINING/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

Training and/or Professional Development is requested by the department and is for the benefit of the entire department. Professional Development is approved at the discretion of the supervisor and/or budget administrator.

Reimbursement of expenses is based on University Policy.

CROSS REFERENCES:

Other Policies in this manual should also be referenced, especially the following:

Guideline UL-TRG01 – Requests for Travel
Guideline UL-TRG02 – Making Travel Arrangements
Guideline UL-TRG05 – ERS Travel Reimbursement Checklist
Guideline UL-TRG06 – Responsibilities of Libraries Travel Coordinator

Form:  Travel Request Form (staff only)
Form:  Employee Travel Reimbursement Checklist (staff only)

Effective Date: December 2003
Date Approved: December 2003 (Dean)

Most recent changes:

  • Removal of Guideline UL-TRG07 - Libraries-Supported Staff Travel Funds, updated professional travel funding amounts
  • Removal of details regarding Berks and professional travel funds, clarification of expectation in relation to travel reports
  • Deletion of list of staff positions eligible for professional travel funds, replaced with types of positions
  • Addition to list of staff positions eligible for professional travel funds

Revision History (and effective dates):

  • October 2022 - Updated "CIC" to "BTAA."
  • November 2021 - Removal of Guideline UL-TRG07 - Libraries-Supported Staff Travel Funds.
  • August 2021 - Revised "Fixed-Term" to "Non-Tenure Track" to comply with suggested language from the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs Office.
  • February 2017 – Revised; removal of discussion of Berks and professional travel funds, clarified expectations related to travel reports.  Removal of UL-TRG04
  • November 2015 – Revised yearly travel allotment for faculty and staff who are eligible for professional travel funds
  • June 2014 – Revised; Removed UL-TR02 Commonwealth Campus Libraries Travel and combined it with UL-TR02, Removed Guideline UL-TRG03 and combined with UL-TRG01
  • November 2009 - Revised
  • July 2008 - Revised reimbursement amount for fixed-term multi-year faculty to be in line with tenured faculty
  • August 2007 - Revised; Addition to list of staff positions eligible for professional travel funds
  • December 2003 - Revised; Clarification regarding approval for collections-related travel not related to Development
  • December 2002 - Revised; Clarification regarding unspent professional travel allotments and reporting requirements for administrative travel
  • September 2002 - Revised; Professional travel funds increased
  • July 29, 1997 - New policy

Last Review Date: November 2021