Students may be funded for independent travel through the Instructionally Related Activities (IRA) and LCA funds in accordance with the guidelines and procedures indicated below. Student travel through these funds will be supported only if the following conditions are met and the request is approved in advance by the College of Liberal & Creative Arts and University Provost (or designee). IRA travel funding is only offered in the Fall and Spring semesters. Students can apply in spring for summer travel. Funding is allocated on a first come, first served basis until funds are exhausted and is disbursed as a reimbursement, after travel has taken place.
Guidelines
- The student applying is and will be an enrolled student at the time of application and the professional conference, meeting, or exhibit; if it is a summer event, the student expects to continue his or her enrollment in the following fall semester. Current students cannot be funded if the conference occurs after they have graduated. Graduate students may be in their grace semester (the semester immediately following enrollment in a culminating experience course if that work is not completed) to receive funding.
- The fund is for a student presenting their own work at a professional conference (no student-only conferences), meeting, or exhibit. The work may be co-authored by the student and others.
- The student is not receiving travel funds to attend the same conference/meeting through any other IRA budget (i.e. Model UN, Forensics)
- No more than $600 will be awarded per student each fiscal year. Funds must be expended in accordance with state travel regulations. Funding requests to travel outside of the U.S. must follow current CSU International Travel/Travel to High Risk Countries guidelines and the advance process necessary through the college dean (or designee), Risk Management, the provost, and the president. NOTE: Travel Insurance is required for all International Travel with the insurance cost being deducted from the allocation.
- A student may not be reimbursed for mileage or the cost of a rental car unless he/she is employed by the University (or appointed as a volunteer) and meets the SF State Driver Safety Program requirements.
- For SF State/CSU detailed travel information, please view the CSU Travel Policy (pdf).
Procedures
Submission must include:
- A completed Request for Approval of Student IRA Travel form.
- A request for Request for Authorization to Travel form (pdf), line 1-5 completed and signed.
- A signed Release of Liability for Domestic or International form (pdf).
- A brief statement indicating how participation in this conference/meeting will enhance his/her educational goals.
- Evidence of his/her participation in conference/meeting (e.g., a letter of invitation or a copy of the conference program or acceptance from the conference/meeting).
- Statement from the Department Chair of the student’s program endorsing the request, signed on letterhead.
- If the travel is international, all the paperwork required for international travel (pdf) is included in the application packet file at least 45 days in advance of the travel. (If applicable, please complete Request to Travel to High-Risk Country form (pdf)) Students and faculty should know that academic travel can be canceled by the university, the California State University System, or the State Department at any time, and that under these conditions faculty and students may not travel on university business or be reimbursed for travel.
The packet of materials should be submitted through the student’s academic program to the college office for review at least 30 days in advance of domestic travel, 45 days in advance for international travel. The chair either endorses the request or denies it based on its adherence to the guidelines stated above and/or its educational merits. If endorsed, the department forwards the request and supporting documents to the College office. The department will be notified if the student is approved to receive funding and will then notify the student.
Immediately following the trip, the student works with the department to submit receipts for airline tickets, hotel, meals, conference/meeting agenda etc. along with a brief written evaluation of the conference/meetings attended and the value of the experience no later than 30 days from the date the student returns from his/her trip. The department will submit completed travel claim to the College office. The student will receive a reimbursement check 3-4 weeks from when the claim was submitted to the College office.
For questions, please contact your major department office.