Faculty Resources

Itemized Reimbursements

Requests for reimbursement submitted more than 30 days after the event will not be approved by the Dean's Office due to the time required for document processing, both within the department and in the UT Office of Accounting.

 PLEASE REVIEW THE FOLLOWING BEFORE SUBMITTING:

 

To receive a reimbursement you must:

• Supply original receipts with details pertaining to the reimbursement including funding source and expense reasoning via this link: https://utexas.app.box.com/f/57e46b142f5d40f596a374003848eeed. All receipts will go directly to our adminstrative assistant who will follow up with any questions or concerns.

Entertainment Expenses

Preapproved entertainment costs may be reimbursed by the department or by endowment holders' own accounts. These are considered "Official Occasions". An "official occasion" is defined as a reception, luncheon, dinner, or any purchase related to food that is sponsored and funded by UT (e.g., conferences, meetings, planning retreats, staff meetings). These functions are normally associated with special programs or conferences, University guests, faculty and staff recruitment, or business meetings that span a meal time. To prevent a personal tax liability, you will need to document each occasion with receipts for expenses.

• Faculty & staff must submit itemized receipts to our administrative assistant within 30 days of the official occasion.
• They must also submit a receipt showing proof of payment (if this does not already appear on the itemized receipt). If an itemized receipt or proof of payment is not available, the payee must sign a memo explaining why such proof is not available and the document creator should include it with the voucher paperwork. This should be mentioned in the document notes.
• If there are 10 or fewer attendees at the event, a list of attendees must be submitted with receipts.
• Tips/gratuity should be limited to no more than 20%.
• Procards cannot be used at restaurants.

Travel Expenses

Please note that travel reimbursement requests must be submitted no later than 30 days after your last approved travel date. You must have an approved TAR prior to travel in order to receive any reimbursements (See below: REQUEST FOR TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION).

University employees are EXEMPT from Texas State hotel occupancy taxes when traveling for University business. The University cannot reimburse any Texas State occupancy taxes unless the hotel refuses to honor the exemption certificate (see above).

Meals are normally paid by meal allowance (per diem), currently $36 on state funds and $51 on local funds. No meal receipts are required to receive meal allowance.

The University of Texas cannot reimburse a split bill (such as hotel) that does not have the UT payee's name; we will not accept private invoices for split bills — it is up to individual travelers to reconcile any private agreement.

Upon return to Austin, original receipts must be turned in for reimbursement. Expenses that can be reimbursed include, but are not limited to:

• Airfare (with original receipt clearly showing that payment was made)
• Lodging (original hotel bills are required showing itemized room rate and taxes, and showing a zero balance)
• Meals (at current per diem)
• Registration fees
• Parking fees
• Cab/Bus/Train fares (receipts are not required [but recommended] if travel is within a city; receipts are required for travel between cities)
• UT Business telephone calls and UT business internet service (reimbursed via the hotel bill)
• Hotel occupancy taxes (reimbursed via the hotel bill)
• Gasoline for personal car (if not claiming mileage reimbursement)

Travel Reimbursement Limits:

• You cannot be reimbursed for travel to a Restricted Region unless you have received advance approval from the International Oversight Committee in the International Office for such travel. Check here to determine if you are traveling to a restricted region and to complete the application to request an exception to travel to the restricted region.
• You cannot be reimbursed for travel without an approved travel authorization request on file.
• You cannot be reimbursed for paying another person’s travel.  Only yours.
• Lodging reimbursements are limited to single-occupancy. 
• We cannot reimburse purchases made with gift cards, reward points, airline miles, or any type of credits.
• To be reimbursed for travel, receipts must be processed within 60 days of return date. Reimbursements are routinely denied for receipts processed later than 60 days. Please submit your travel receipts within 45 days of return date to staff to allow ample time for processing.
• Reimbursement for payments to non-commercial lodging cannot be reimbursed without prior authorization.

An easy reference organizational form is available courtesy of the Department of Economics but is not required.

Request for Travel Authorization

A Travel Authorization Request (TAR) must be filed with Central Business Services at least two weeks prior to your travel. The online TAR form can be found HERE. (Requires log-on with EID.)

• Prior approval of travel for all business travel is required for absences of Faculty or Staff from the campus or other designated headquarters for periods of half a day or more during the normal working period, whether or not there is a cost to the University. 
• Request for Travel Authorizations should be assigned to a Slavic (Group 00065) travel group or the Administrative Associate's EID.
• If you are missing class or have an administrative appointment during the travel period you must list the name of the faculty member or administrator who will assume your duties during the travel period or detail if another activity has been scheduled for that time such as a research or independent study day. 
• If a travel authorization has not been requested prior to travel the faculty member will be asked to submit a signed memo acknowledging that they did not previously know that a travel authorization request was necessary and submit this with the late request. Three exceptions (at most) will be allowed per fiscal year (per faculty) by the Dean’s Office. The fourth request will be denied.
• If you plan personal travel dates within a research travel period, the specific personal travel dates must be indicated on your travel authorization request form in the notes section.
• Please be sure to list all travel destinations where an expense may be incurred.
• Please submit your request for travel authorization no later than 21 days before your travel start date to allow ample time for processing and avoid additional paperwork.

For further information, consult the Travel Policies in the Handbook of Business Procedures.

Faculty Travel Grant

FTG applications must be approved before the date of travel. Faculty should complete and submit applications here at least three weeks in advance of travel to allow ample time for routing/processing. FTG can only be assigned to an individual’s EID for processing. Our Administrative Associate is the main FTG processor for the department and the Executive Assistant is the backup.

Please note, an FTG application is not also a travel authorization request. You will still need to also submit a travel authorization request to accompany your FTG application. Your FTG award will not be automatically connected to your Travel Authorization Request. Your FTG confirmation must be forwarded to the Administrative Associate before any reimbursement can occur.

Purpose: The purpose of the travel grant is to support presentation of the applicant's original research or creative effort. The research must be presented at a recognized organized conference or professional meeting. The presentation will usually be in the form of an oral or poster presentation, but can vary with field (example: performance of a new musical work or an art exhibit). Attending a meeting or chairing a session does not qualify. Accepting an invitation to present a seminar or giving a colloquium at another university does not qualify.

Funding: Eligible faculty can receive up to $1,400 per academic year for travel expenses to present original papers at scholarly and professional meetings. This includes reimbursement for all allowable travel-related expenses (such as lodging, meals, transportation and registration, which are non-taxable reimbursements), and can also be used to cover extra childcare expenses incurred because of the travel (a taxable reimbursement).

Eligibility: All tenured and tenure-track faculty members (Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor and Instructor) and emeritus faculty are eligible. Senior Lecturers and Distinguished Senior Lecturers with at least five years of service at UT Austin are also eligible. Visiting, adjunct, research and clinical faculty, specialists, lecturers, classified personnel, and other non-teaching staff are ineligible.

Office Supplies

We strongly encourage faculty to go through the office manager for all office supply needs. The University has a standing contract with Office Max and is unable to reimburse purchases made with other vendors. Please use the online Office Max catalog for product numbers when making requests so we can be sure to get exactly what you need.

Computers, monitors, and printers cannot be purchased by anyone besides the staff members to ensure University policy compliance.

Reimbursements Policy:

• REVIEW LIST OF DISALLOWED PURCHASES
• Sales tax is only reimbursed when associated with an entertainment expense from dining in a restaurant or similar establishment. Please be sure you utilize the sales tax exemption certificates found here.
• University funds cannot be used to reimburse office supplies or equipment purchased from personal funds. If you have a research stipends or award that permits these types of expenses please contact Lori Moody to discuss your purchasing options.
• Any print services for an approved budgeted event should be completed by UT Printing and direct billed to the department. If you’d prefer to use a print vendor other than UT Printing, please ask a staff member for assistance as we cannot reimburse for printing expenses. 
• We cannot reimburse purchases made with gift cards or reward points.
• Reimbursement for copyrights maybe denied based on seller. If you plan to purchase copyrighted material and seek reimbursement, these purchases must be made through the department to guarantee approval.
• All receipts must be fully processed within 60 days of the order/item received date. Receipts must be itemized and show a method of payment or zero balance due. Please submit your receipts to staff within 45 days of the received date to allow ample time for processing, ensuring your reimbursement is fully processed within the allowable 60 days. Receipts submitted or processed late will be returned.

State Sales Tax

University of Texas employees are exempt from Texas sales tax if a purchase is made for University purposes. Faculty and staff are highly encouraged to utilize this status as sales tax may not be reimbursable for some purposes. If you plan on making purchases that are taxable, download the form and complete the information. Please present the certificate to the vendor for University-related expenses (including entertainment) to claim the exemption. There are no reimbursements for any Texas State sales tax for approved purchases on department funding. You may have the department make your purchase for you to ensure exemption.

Departmental Course Planning

The Department of Slavic & Eurasian Studies and CREEES are determined to work with faculty and related departments to find the best possible teaching times and courses for both the student curriculum and professional development. 

The Course Scheduler regularly works on future semester 9 to 10 months ahead of the current semester. The period during which each phase is open varies. Original phases last approximately 4 weeks. Chair's Proof phases generally last only a few working days. The approximate schedule is below for your reference:

Semester		Original	Chair's Proof	Post-Publication
Spring	Mid April - Early May	August (first three weeks)	Early October (until twelfth class day)
Summer	Late October - Mid Novemeber	Mid January (four working days)	Early March (until fourth class day)
Fall	Mid November - Early December	Mid February (four working days)	Late March (until twelfth class day)

Course Description Policy for Unnumbered Topics Courses

Most undergraduate course titles printed in the course schedule are unnumbered topic titles offered under a base topics course number. All undergraduate course titles must have an approved course description on file with the Dean's Office before they can be published in the course schedule. Course descriptions are course number and instructor specific and are valid for three years. Unnumbered topics courses taught by the same instructor require an updated course description every three years.

For more information, please see: https://registrar.utexas.edu/staff

Flags

Courses designated by special flags ensure that all UT students acquire important skills required by the state curriculum. Flags are a great way to advertise your class and fill seats.  The guidelines are published by the School of Undergraduate Studies, and the application process is facilitated by an online proposal system.

Please be advised that in most cases the application window closes during the first period of any course scheduling phase, approximately 9 months prior to the beginning of the class. Reminders will be distributed regularly by the department, but the choice to apply rests with the faculty and Chair.

Textbooks

Course Requisitions

Course requisitions are maintained by the University Co-Op. In preparing for future semesters, you can submit your required and suggested textbooks through their website.

Desk Copies

Teaching Assistants will need desk copies of text required for classes to which they are assigned. You should contact the publisher to inquire about desk copies for yourself and your TA.

Final Exam Scheduling and Course Instructor Surveys

Final exams

Based on your response to the Department's Final Exam Request, we will work with the Office of the Registrar to schedule your exam. If you do not respond to this request, no exam will be scheduled for your class. Do not request a general-purpose classroom if you only need a place for students to turn in papers; the Office of the Registrar cannot accommodate these quests due to the limited number of rooms available, so we must ask that the instructor's office or the departmental office be used for this purpose. Once final exams have been scheduled by the Registrar's Office, you can look up scheduled exams by unique number to see your final exam assignment.

The Index of Final Exams lists the general schedule of exams and can be used to project the final exam time for your syllabus.

Course Instructor Surveys (CIS)

The university requires that all organized classes be surveyed every semester, including summer, using an approved CIS form. You can choose to survey your classes electronically (students will receive a link to their surveys via email) or using the traditional paper surveys. Both paper and electronic surveys are administered during the last two weeks of class, before the final exam period and before any grades are reported for the semester.

Surveys are ordered by your departmental course scheduler. If you do not respond to this request, you will receive the default survey order for your class: paper basic survey forms.  Once your surveys have been ordered, you will receive a reminder to check your survey order on the MyCIS site; please take a moment to check your survey order to prevent any errors in your order.

Useful Links:

• MyCIS - Confirm survey order and view your electronic survey results (EID required)
• CIS Results site - View survey results for any instructor or course
• CIS for Faculty and Staff page - Reminder of important dates, policies, and FAQ's

HB2504 and Syllabus Standards

We are required by House Bill 2504 to post a syllabus for every organized undergraduate course and a current CV for every faculty member teaching an undergraduate course by the 7th class day of each semester. Syllabi and CVs are due to departmental contacts no later than the 1st class day and should be directed to Nhi Nguyen.

View the syllabus policies to see what items are required to be included in the posted syllabi. CV requirements are available in the Provost's HB 2504 Implementation Policy. Submitted syllabi and CVs will be posted to the Access Syllabi and CV's site by the 7th class day.

Media Availability per Room

A number of resources are available regarding the media resources in classrooms across campus.

• Technology Classroom Database (includes most rooms)
• General Purpose Classrooms (rooms controlled by the Office of the Registrar)
• Liberal Arts Supported Classrooms (includes all departmental and General Purpose Classrooms supported by LAITS)

Note: Burdine Hall has three rooms for use by the Slavic Dept/CREEES. The Fusion Room (BUR 460), The Language Lab (BUR 560), and BUR 231. You can check availabilty here, however, to arrange a reservation, please email or see the administrative assistant in BUR 452. 

Need to know about courses available through other departments? Wondering when the final exam schedule will be published? Need to easily find your grade submission page? Looking for your class roster? All of this and more is available at the Office of the Registrar's website.

 

DSES/CREEES Faculty Service Roles

Explanations of faculty service roles and committees can be found here.

 

Professional Services and Guest Speakers 

Please notify the department well in advance of guest lecturer travel so that staff will be able to process the appropriate paperwork in order to arrange airfare, hotel, pay travel expenses or honorarium. Use the forms available here and forward information regarding contributions from any other departments who will provide funding for the guest lecturer.

• CREEES Event Funding/Co-Sponsorship Request

All professional services and guest speakers being funded by university funds will require prior approved work authorizations. Please give staff at least 4 weeks advance notice for any professional services or guest speakers that will be paid from university funds this includes current students and UT employees. Also note, professional services should not be received without a prior approved work authorization if funded from university funds. If services are received without a prior approved work authorization, the expense is likely to become an non-reimbursable out-of-pocket expense. 

Faculty Computer Support

The Liberal Arts desktop support team provides computer support for all faculty and staff in the College of Liberal Arts for your UT-owned equipment. Contact Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Support (LAITS) by email at help@la.utexas.edu or by phone at 512-471-5000, Monday-Friday, 7 am-7 pm.  

Business Cards

Business cards are available via UT Document Solutions. Please contact our Administrative Assistant for an account number to complete your purchase.

Liberal Arts Faculty Resources

The Liberal Arts Faculty Resource page highlights the resources available through the college. The Liberal Arts website has a wealth of useful, up-to-date information on a range of human resources and training topics, including promotion and tenure, faculty annual reports, and research. Commonly used forms are also available for your convenience.

Fellowships, grants and awards available to faculty through the University are listed, along with deadlines, in the UT Faculty Fellowships PDF.

Fellowships, Grants and Awards

Fellowships, grants and awards available to faculty through the University are listed here.

Family Friendly Policies

The University has numerous policies, services and resources to support our faculty and their families. Please consult the University's Family Matters webpage to find more information about childcare, hiring dual career couples, extension of the tenure-track probationary period, Family and Medical Leave, modified instructional duties (MID), sick leave, the Employee Assistance Program, the Employee Discount Program, off-camus housing, and many other family friendly initiatives.

University Policies

The Provost's Resource page contains a comprehensive list of university policies by topic, as well as links to relevant forms. This is the best resource for all policy related questions or concerns, including handling scholastic dishonesty, scheduling final exams, searching a student's personal papers or belongings, sexual harassment, and observance of religious holy days.

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