[Faculty Handbook Category #3]
Each member of the faculty with a tenured, tenure-track, or special appointment, excluding those who possess professional development support as the holder of a named professorship, will be granted up to $1,500 each fiscal year (June 1–May 31) for professional development support, including scholarship or creative activity needs. Examples of such needs include travel to professional meetings (for purposes of participation or attendance); travel for the purposes of research or performance; acquisition of research materials, including books; campus visits by collaborators or consultants; manuscript preparation costs, subvention fees, and copyright permissions; professional organization dues; etc. These funds may not be used to purchase or maintain cellular telephones, computer hardware/software, or audio visual technology, to pay stipends or honoraria to college employees, or to pay students. The one exception to these restrictions is found in the St. Olaf College iPad Pilot Purchase Policy for Teaching and Research (iPadswithIPATFundsPolicy). All expenses paid or reimbursed from these funds are subject to college policies, including the College Travel and Business Expense Policy (https://wp.stolaf.edu/finance/travel-policy/), and expense substantiation rules. Questions about whether these funds may be used for a particular expense should be directed to the Budget Analyst (x3876) in the Provost’s Office.
Procedures for accessing IPAT account funds are detailed at https://wp.stolaf.edu/doc/professional-development/.
Reports indicating the balance available will be sent monthly to each faculty member with an IPAT account. Unspent funds will not normally carry over from one fiscal year to the next. However, faculty anticipating international travel or other significant professional expenses in the following year may request that funds remaining at the end of a fiscal year be carried over. Such requests, including a rationale, should be directed to Assistant Provost and must be received by April 15. (Please note that it may not be possible to honor all requests.)
From time to time there are extraordinary opportunities for faculty professional development that require funding beyond the limits established in this policy. Although available funds are limited, the college will try to support a faculty member in taking advantage of such opportunities. Please address all requests of this nature to your associate dean using the Faculty Travel Authorization form. A link to the form can be found at https://wp.stolaf.edu/doc/ipat/.
Each member of the faculty who uses college professional development funds must submit an annual report on his/her activities and plans. Forms for this purpose will be distributed in the spring.