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Faculty Extension Travel

Guidelines for Reimbursement and Payment of Travel Expenses from Off-Campus Instructional Funds

  • A Travel Arrangement Form (PDF) must be completed prior to any travel for which expenses and/or instructional stipends are to be paid. Failure to submit the Travel Arrangement Form may result in nonpayment of reimbursement and/or stipend.
  • Reimbursement for off-campus instruction for advising purposes, departmental meetings, and/or individual meetings with students will not be paid. Faculty travel reimbursement/payment is allowed only for officially-scheduled class times at an off-site location.
  • Faculty teaching hybrid classes who commute to an off-site location for an officially-scheduled class time may receive payment/reimbursement for expenses incurred for such travel. Note: A Travel Arrangement Form must be submitted with dates of travel indicated.
  • Funds/payments will not be provided to faculty who wish to have face-to-face meetings with students in their video conference classes.

Personal Vehicle/University Vehicle [View WIU Guidelines]

Indicate on the Travel Arrangement Form whether a University vehicle or personal vehicle will be used for travel and whether mileage reimbursement will be requested. Mileage is calculated from the faculty member’s home campus to the course location. Drivers wishing to use personal vehicles must have an up-to-date online vehicle certification on file with WIU Business Services. This can be done by logging in to WIUP on the web, entering “VINC” in the display box, reading the certification information, and clicking “Agree.” Failure to complete the certification will delay mileage reimbursement.

Faculty members intending to use a University vehicle can have vehicle requests made by their work department in consultation with Lissa Cullen at la-cullen@wiu.edu. A copy of the Vehicle Requisition Form will be sent to the faculty member. Before a Vehicle Request can be made, a Travel Arrangement Form must be submitted. If a trip is cancelled, contact Transportation Services at (309) 298-1100 or email Lissa Cullen at la-cullen@wiu.edu as soon as possible. Charges are incurred for non-cancellations.

Lodging

Lodging expenses will be reimbursed from Off-Campus Instructional funds according to State of Illinois rates when scheduled class times are more than one day.

Lodging expenses can be paid for the evening before an 8 a.m. class only if a faculty member’s home campus is more than 120 miles from the class location.

Meals/Per Diem

Eligible meals and/or per diem may be reimbursed according to State of Illinois guidelines. (see WIU Travel Services )

Faculty members seeking reimbursement for travel expenses should submit all necessary information (receipts, dates and times of travel, etc.) to their work department office manager who will complete a Travel Voucher. The account number may be obtained from Lissa Cullen, and the fiscal agent line should be left blank. Completed Travel Vouchers should be submitted via email to la-cullen@wiu.edu for fiscal agent approval and signature.

Off-Campus Instruction Stipends or Extension Travel Compensation per Article 29.9 of WIU-UPI Contract

Note: Department Chairs, Directors, adjunct faculty members, and retirees are not eligible for the off-campus instruction stipend as they are not members of the Bargaining Unit.

Off-campus instruction stipends are not paid to faculty who travel for internship and or/student teaching supervision, face-to-face meeting times with students in a video conference class, advising, departmental meetings, etc.

Faculty members commuting to teach scheduled courses at off-campus locations may be eligible to receive an instructional stipend. Stipends are paid only for trips made for officially-scheduled course meeting times. Travel Arrangement Forms must be submitted to Lissa Cullen via email la-cullen@wiu.edu at the beginning of the semester with the specified dates of travel listed.

The stipend shall be in the dollar amount specified in Article 29.9.b of the current UPI contract. The amount of the stipend is based on the distance from the instructor’s home campus to the off-campus location at the following rates:

  • $720 for sites located more than 150 miles from campus or $45 per trip
  • $560 for sites located 50-150 miles from campus or $35 per trip
  • $400 for sites located less than 50 miles from campus or $25 per trip

Amounts are based on a semester-long course taught once per week (16 weeks per semester).

Using information from Travel Arrangement Forms, Travel Vouchers, and Vehicle Request Forms received, information will be submitted to Academic Personnel at the end of each semester for the payment of off-campus instructional stipends. Therefore, travel documentation must be submitted to Lissa Cullen in a timely manner after travel completion.

Forms

Travel Arrangement Form (PDF)

WIU Travel Guidelines

Contact Information

Lissa Cullen
Malpass Library 3rd Floor
Western Illinois University
Macomb, IL 61455
(309) 298-1929
la-cullen@wiu.edu