Faculty Development Funds Managed by the Provost's Office
Funding Source Information
1) Evelyn Rhodes Wilson Endowment Fund
The purpose of the Wilson Endowment Fund is to support "faculty travel to meetings of international, national, and major regional professional academic associations for the purpose of participation in a conference program as a panel chair or paper presenter... or for those in the arts for the purpose of having their creations or techniques critiqued and reviewed by peers." For complete information regarding the Wilson Endowment Fund, please see Appendix A of the faculty handbook. The limit for Wilson Fund applications for a faculty member in a fiscal year is $1500, subject to change by Faculty Senate. Applications are reviewed by the Provost on a first come, first served basis. The Provost issues decisions within ten working days.
2) Article 5 & Article 15.9 of the UNAC Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) Funds
These two articles of the United Academics CBA address travel funds to support faculty professional development. The UAS application process changed during the last UNAC contract negotiations. There is a Request for Proposals (RFP) announced each fall and each spring. Please carefully read the Request for Proposals (RFP) document when it is available to ensure you submit a complete application and are prepared to meet all requirements. [Note: The fall application period has closed, but here is a link to the expired RFP for that cycle for reference.]
In May 2023 this memo was prepared to memorialize the process the provost's office will utilize when managing these two funding sources.
Information and Instructions
Applications are to be completed online using the template located on the adjacent Application tab. To complete the application, it is necessary to include the following materials:
| Requirement | Wilson Endowment Fund Applicant | UNAC Articles 5 and 15.9 Faculty Professional Development Applicant |
|---|---|---|
| Permission from Dean or Director to travel or participate. (UA Travel Authorization required for travel on either fund.) | Yes | Please read the RFP document (see link above) carefully to ensure you submit a complete proposal and are prepared to meet all requirements. RFPs are announced once in the fall and once in the spring. |
| Invitation or confirmation letter | Yes | |
| Event brochure | Yes | |
| Title of and/or Paper to be presented | Yes | |
| Breakdown of requested funding | Yes | |
| Other related materials | Yes |
WILSON FUND: Click submit for your Wilson Fund application to be emailed to the Provost. The Provost will act upon the Wilson fund request via e-mail to the faculty member. If approved, the response will include confirmation of the dollar amount approved. At this point, the faculty member can proceed to coordinate travel/participation plans with their designated department administrative staff.
CBA Travel Funds: Please carefully read the RFP when it is available to ensure you submit a complete application and are able to meet all requirements.
Within 15 calendar days of completion of travel or participation, faculty must submit:
- Travel/participation paperwork and supporting documentation to their administrative support staff. Complete expense documentation is required for Wilson Funds.
- Either: Wilson Fund Activity Report to the Provost's Office (uas.provost@alaska.edu) including the following:
- Description and evaluation of the activity and the faculty's participation (e.g., benefit gained; critical assessment of activity; insights gained; etc.)
- Evidence that the activity took place (e.g., a letter of thanks; the final program; etc.)
Administrative Support Information
Please note: Reimbursements cannot exceed pre-approved amount.
Administrative staff will:
- Coordinate and acquire all Wilson Fund and UNAC Article 15.9 travel using departmental funds
- At the conclusion of travel, after expense and narrative reports have been completed, departmental administrative support staff will submit to the Provost's Office:
- A journal voucher (JV) seeking reimbursement from the provost's office to the department (Please see this sample JV).
- Supporting documentation including the following:
- E-mail approval from the Provost
- Final Conference agenda
- Other materials (brochures, etc.)
- Banner expense screenshot (FGITRND)
- Detailed expense documentation (Wilson Fund only)