Budget and Financial Services

Travel Reimbursement
Travel reimbursements can be processed after the trip has occurred. Due two weeks after return from travel please submit Travel Report Form [PDF], and travel receipts showing proof of purchase. Please include hotel check-out folio with itemized charges or lodging receipt, airfare purchase including passenger and flight itinerary, transportation, and meal receipts as applicable. Please submit all receipts showing proof of purchase and supporting documentation using the Payment Request Form for reimbursement.

Travel Advance – Spend Authorization
Spend authorizations can be processed prior to travel. A spend authorization can advance funds for work travel and can be processed after pre-approval for travel is granted and total travel expenses have been estimated. If you choose this option, please submit a travel advance prior to travel using the Payment Request Form, please include conference date information, conference/seminar agenda, invitation, airfare receipt, and lodging reservation, etc. Please indicate in the comment section of the form that you would like to request a travel advance spend authorization.

After travel is complete, but no longer than two weeks upon return, please fill out the Travel Report Form (PDF) and provide all travel-related receipts and supplementary documents to close out the advance, by using the Payment Request Form. Please indicate in the comment section of the form that you are closing out a travel advance.

Reimbursement for Meals/Class Meals
Reimbursement for meals must include itemized receipts and proof of payment. The business purpose and names of attendees must also be included. There is $50 available per class for end-of-semester food (pizza, cookies, etc.). Itemized receipts and a course roster are required for reimbursement. Please submit all receipts and supporting documentation using the Payment Request Form for reimbursement

Reimbursement for Events Funded Through Teaching, Learning, and Campus Life Committee 
Events funded through the Teaching, Learning, and Campus Life Committee (TLCLC) are prepared by the Dean of Faculty’s Budget Management Team. Please submit your receipts and all supporting documentation including event announcement, flyer, and award letter using the Payment Request Form for reimbursement.

Honoraria/Class Speaker
To process an honorarium, please include the payee’s name, permanent address, phone number, and email address. Please include the date and subject of the presentation (flyer if available), if presentation was given over Zoom or in person, honorarium amount, and the budget the funds should be expensed from using the Payment Request Form. For class speakers there is a $50 honorarium for each individual class per academic year. For class speaker honorariums please submit in addition the course roster.

Faculty Travel

Faculty Travel to Professional Meetings
Normally, no less than $2000 will be available annually for faculty travel allowances, although the Dean of Faculty will annually announce the amount of travel funds available for faculty during the fiscal year. These funds can be used for any combination of domestic or international travel to conferences or for professional activity, including research. Faculty can combine annual allocations for up to two years to cover travel expenses, although they cannot exceed the two-year maximum amount.

Faculty allowances are allocated by the Dean of Faculty’s Office and must be used consistent with College policies on allowable and unallowable expenses and timelines for submission of reimbursement materials. Faculty may apply at any time during the academic year for funds to assist with one or more professional trips, domestic or international, made during the fiscal year which runs from July 1 to June 30 or combine funds over two fiscal years. Requests for reimbursement for travel must be accompanied by a Travel Form available from the Dean of Faculty’s Office and original receipts/documentation. Faculty also can request an advance for travel, although they are still responsible for timely submission of relevant receipts/documentation after completing their travel.
 

Eligibility
Current full-time Pitzer and Department of Natural Sciences faculty on Pitzer rotation [including those on sabbatical leave and unpaid professional leave] are eligible for travel and research funds. Current part-time Pitzer and Department of Natural Sciences faculty on Pitzer rotation who have taught 2/5 or more per year during consecutive years shall be eligible for funds during the year following the accumulation of a full year’s equivalent of teaching time. Faculty on terminal contracts are only eligible for and can be reimbursed/spend College funding while their contracts are active. 

Emeriti faculty are eligible up to $750 in travel funds, provided that such awards do not come at the expense of active faculty members in the award year.
 

Student Travel

Travel, registration, room and board costs for students who are presenting papers at academic conferences, who are working with Pitzer faculty are eligible for funding. Funding ranges from $200 to $500, depending on cost of airfare, registration and hotel. In all cases, students are encouraged to minimize costs wherever possible (e.g. sharing a hotel room with fellow student presenters).

Students must provide documentation confirming that their papers have been accepted for presentation at the conference in their application. Applications for funding must be submitted prior to attending the conference. Students will receive responses within 10 working days. Students must email original receipts to be reimbursed.

Permitted Expenses

View the Pitzer College Expense Policy for guiding principles and policies and procedures for reimbursements including allowable and non-allowable expenses. These polices may also be found on the Treasurer's Documents & Policies webpage.

Student Research Assistants
Faculty members who plan to hire a student research assistant will need to specify an available budget (i.e., Faculty R&A awards, endowment funds, external grant funds, etc.) for the student wages to be charged.

Administrative Departments or Programs with Student Employment Budgets
Faculty and administrators who plan to hire students for an administrative department, program, or field group with an existing student employment budget, please visit Posting Positions and Hiring Students on the Student Employment website. This usually refers to administrative departments or programs like the Writing Center; Community Engagement Center; Redford Conservancy; Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures Lab; Pitzer Gardens; Study Abroad and International Programs; Pitzer Galleries; Media Studies; IGLAS; etc.

All students must still complete the hiring process (see below) before working in a Pitzer College student employment position.

Two steps to hiring a student employee for existing student employment budgets

1. Recruit for the position(s)

To hire students, please review the College student hiring information web page.

2. Student completes the hiring process

Have your selected student(s) complete an authorization to hire student form.

Authorization to Hire Student Form

Once the student(s) have been selected, the student must work with HR to complete the hire process. This includes completing employment forms, providing I-9 documents, and onboarding and training.  Students can begin working only after receiving clearance from Human Resources. The student and supervisor will receive notification from Human Resources when the hire process is complete

Faculty R&A (Research and Awards)

Early in the fall and spring semesters of each academic year, a call is sent out to faculty for research, curriculum design and enhancement, development, publication, and professional activity, including travel for research purposes. Normally, no less than $3,000 will be available annually, although the Dean of Faculty will annually announce the maximum amount available for individual faculty awards during the fiscal year. Because some projects may be larger in scope, faculty can request a single award of up to two years of total funding support. Regardless of number of awards, funding received cannot exceed the two-year maximum amount. Faculty cannot simultaneously hold more than two active research awards. All funds must be spent from an award before funds are drawn from a second, subsequent award. 

Research funds cannot be used for dissertations, other advanced degree expenses, or any other costs connected with credentials for faculty.
 

Eligibility

Current full-time Pitzer and Department of Natural Sciences faculty on Pitzer rotation [including those on sabbatical leave and unpaid professional leave] are eligible for travel and research funds. Current part-time Pitzer and Department of Natural Sciences faculty on Pitzer rotation who have taught 2/5 or more per year during consecutive years shall be eligible for funds during the year following the accumulation of a full year’s equivalent of teaching time. Faculty on terminal contracts are only eligible for and can be reimbursed/spend College funding while their contracts are active.

Student R&A (Research and Awards)

Provides Pitzer students research projects in connection with Independent Study or Senior Thesis. Early in the fall and spring semesters of each academic year, a call is put out for proposals for students to apply. The maximum award is $750 per academic year.

Student Funding Opportunities

Catherine Blore NR Books:
New Resources Students with financial needs to offset the cost of their books

Faculty-Student Summer Research: Pitzer students receive a stipend to undertake a research assistantship with a Pitzer Faculty member during the summer with funding

Katie Lawson Endowed Memorial Award:
Helps Pitzer Students, particularly psychology majors, to pursue their social work or community service objectives