District Travel / Conference:

District travel/conference is any conference or event that is directly related to the employee's ability to effectively and efficiently function in their discipline or assigned area. Such events may provide a certificate, license or retrain/update an employee for their specific job.

• Applicants must fill out the Convention/Meeting/Travel Request Form (triplicate form), and the Supplemental Application for Conference and Travel Form (goldenrod form) and forward to their supervisor.
• Five weeks is the suggested turn-around time for the applications to be funded.
• Some departments have travel/conference monies built into their budgets. Please contact your dean or supervisor to determine if these funds are available.

Travel Expense Reimbursement Process:

• Original receipts are required for lodging bills and registration fees.
• Charge card receipts will not be accepted as original receipts.
• The district will reimburse for single room rates only. If your spouse/family/guests accompany you, indicate the single room rate and write it on the bill for reimbursement purposes.
• Personal telephone calls will not be reimbursed; business telephone calls must be identified as such.
• All air travel accommodations are to be made through the Office of the President. Do not book your own flight arrangements!
• The president must approve all out-of-state travel.
• Original receipts are required for transportation expenses (excluding taxis, shuttles, etc.)
• Meal receipts are not required. However, the District will reimburse for employee mealsonly. There are approximate limits for meal allowances. The District realizes that the cost of living differs in various areas.
  Please use good judgment.

Reasonable Rates:
$ 5.00 - 8.00 Breakfast
$ 7.00 - 15.00 Lunch
$15.00 - 25.00 Dinner
(The District will not reimburse alcoholic beverages.)

• When a Travel/Conference Request form is submitted for final reimbursement of expenses, proper signatures and appropriate documentation must be provided with the form. The Staff Development Coordinator must approve Staff Development expense reimbursements.

Guidelines for All Travel Requests:

• Secure appropriate forms from department/division office for each individual request. Please note: each applicant for conference travel monies must file an individual conference/travel application even if there may be more than one staff member attending the same conference.
• Complete the Convention/Meeting/Travel Request Form (triplicate form), and the Supplemental Application for Conference and Travel Form (goldenrod form).

  Note:

  1. If you are a presenter at the conference please read the Presenter Policy in this handbook.
  2. All conference travel must be approved in advance.
  3. If you are not asking for funding, or are being funded from another source, you must still fill out the Convention/Meeting/Travel Request Form (triplicate form), and the Supplemental Application for Conference and Travel Form (goldenrod form).
     
• Turn in these forms to your supervisor/division dean at least five weeks before the event. The request will be forwarded to the Executive Council for approval. The Executive Council will approve, disapprove or forward to Staff Development for consideration.
• Maximum for Staff Development Funding is $600.00 over a 2-year period. TTIP funding is a maximum $1000.00 per year, while funds last.
• If approved for District and/or Staff Development/TTIP funds, your District Convention/Meeting/Travel Request Form (triplicate form) will be returned to you, along with a memo detailing instructions for completing the Travel/Conference process.
• District vehicles, as opposed to personal vehicles must be used whenever possible. Call the Transportation Office to reserve district vehicles, unless arrangements have already been made for you. Each division/department may have specific methods of arranging vehicles and lodging. Approval to use your private car if a district vehicle is not available is also made through the Transportation Office. All airline or other commercial transportation must be made through the Office of the President. The President must approve all out-of-state travel.

Staff Development Travel / Conference Funds:

Staff Development travel/conference is any conference or event that is related to the applicant's job in the institution that is professional growth and enhances job performance, but is not a requirement of the job.

• Staff Development funds are limited to a cumulative $600 per two-year period, per individual.
• Applicants must fill out the Convention/Meeting/Travel Request Form (triplicate form), and the Supplemental Application for Conference and Travel Form (goldenrod form) and forward to their supervisor.
• Five weeks is the suggested turn-around time for the applications to be funded.

TTIP Travel / Conference Funds:

• TTIP funding is specific funding to help introduce and implement information and educational technologies.
• TTIP funding is for technology related travel/conference only and is limited to $1,000 per person per year only after department funds (if applicable) have been depleted.
• Applicants must fill out the Convention/Meeting/Travel Request Form (triplicate form), and the Supplemental Application for Conference and Travel Form (goldenrod form) and forward to their supervisor.
• All applications must include all back-up materials to include proposed conference schedules and all fees and costs.
• Five weeks is the suggested turn-around time for applications to be funded.

VTEA Travel / Conference Funds:

VTEA travel/conference funding is to support staff development in the areas of vocational education.

Applicants in the areas of: Administration of Justice, Applied Art and Design, Applied Photography, Agriculture, Automotive Technology, Business, Computer Integrated Electronics, Computer Information Systems, Construction Technology, Design Drafting, Early Childhood Education, Emergency Medical Technician, Environmental Horticulture, Fashion and Apparel Design, Fire Technology, Metals Manufacturing, Nursing, and Technical Theater are considered vocational education.

• Applicants must fill out the Convention/Meeting/Travel Request Form (triplicate form), and the Supplemental Application for Conference and Travel Form (goldenrod form) and forward to their supervisor.
• The Staff Development Office will forward the application to the VTEA coordinator for approval.
• Applicants are asked to contact the VTEA coordinator prior to forwarding their application to their supervisor for prior approval.
• There is no limit to the amount of funding per applicant.
• Six weeks is the suggested turn-around time for applications to be funded.

Sierra College Presenter Policy:

Sierra College encourages staff to make presentations at other institutions or at conferences. However, if you plan to give a presentation, you first need to follow these travel/conference procedures in the following order:

• Obtain pre-authorization and funding approval from the Executive Council at least four weeks in advance of consideration before you accept a speaking engagement.
• Present to the Executive Council any available information regarding the location and content of the proposed presentation, funding and transportation arrangements. If approved, apply for funding by completing the Convention/Meeting/Travel Request Form (triplicate form), and the Supplemental Application for Conference and Travel Form (goldenrod form).
• If the Executive Council denies funding, you may submit the same information to the Staff Development Committee for consideration. Staff Development funds are limited to a cumulative $600 per two-year period, per individual, until funds are depleted.
• Once approved, plane or commercial travel reservations must be made through the Office of the President, unless you are paying for transportation yourself.
• Upon returning from your presentation, fill out the relevant paperwork, send receipts to the business office for reimbursement, and if you have received funding from Staff Development or VTEA, write a summary of your presentation and submit it to appropriate office.
• Note: The college will not fund presentations which are in no way related to your job duties or which present a conflict of interest. However, if either the Executive Council or the Staff Development Committee refuses your request for you to attend, you may personally justify your case before either committee.