MTD Faculty Travel Allowance
PURPOSE
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The School of Music, Theatre, and Dance is committed to supporting faculty in their research, scholarship, creative activities, and discovery (RSCAD) by providing an annual research travel allowance.
ELIGIBILITY
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Each faculty member with a research component in their appointment is assigned a primary travel account, typically from an endowed foundation account or, in some cases, a state account that is designated to support faculty research travel. Faculty may see whether they have a research component in their appointment by reviewing their last annual evaluation and whether an RSCAD percentage exists.
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​Newly hired faculty members are eligible for full travel funding in their first year.
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For continuing faculty, funding eligibility is contingent upon completing the most recent annual evaluation cycle with all required materials and receiving a comprehensive rating of “Meets Expectations” or better. Faculty who either fail to submit a complete evaluation or receive a rating below “Meets Expectations” will have their travel allowance reduced by 50%.
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Additionally, all faculty must provide documentation demonstrating how their travel directly supports their RSCAD activities to the Budget Fiscal Coordinator before traveling.
SCOPE
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Each eligible faculty member is allocated $1,000 per 1.0 FTE (full time equivalency) annually, which may be used for travel expenses such as airfare, lodging, and conference registration fees. Meals are not covered.
TIMING
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All travel allowance funds must be spent within the fiscal year beginning July 1 and ending June 30. Any unused funds do not carry over to the next fiscal year.
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ALLOWANCE PROCESS
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To receive travel funding, faculty must submit documentation of RSCAD activity to the Budget Fiscal Coordinator for approval prior to travel. Acceptable documentation includes a conference invitation, event schedule, presentation abstract, registration confirmation, performance program, or correspondence confirming the RSCAD activity.
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Once the documentation is reviewed, the Budget Fiscal Coordinator will verify the request and provide faculty with instructions on how the travel allowance will be processed in accordance with University policies.
Faculty are responsible for ensuring compliance with all University travel regulations, including international travel policies, expense reporting, and reimbursement procedures.