Conference and Travel Funds

A Guide to Getting Approval for Your CTF Application 

The De Anza Conference and Travel Funding committee is committed to helping each eligible employee access contractually available funding to support professional development.  This guide is designed to provide guidance for applicants, deans or managers, and committee members to ensure the quality of applications for Conference and Travel Funds (CTF) and meaningful outcomes for the CTF process.

Steps In the Process

Criteria for Approval

CTF: Who and What It's For

Note: The fiscal year cycle is July 1 – June 30.

Faculty Members: Article 36

36.2:  The Professional Conference Fund... shall be used to defray in whole or in part the cost of attendance by faculty employees at professional conferences or seminars, including the cost of fees, travel, lodging, and meals, not to exceed $2,000 per employee per year.

36.3.2:  The committee shall award reimbursements from the Professional Conference Fund on the basis of the professional merit of conferences and seminars attended.

36.4:  The form of the application shall... include at the minimum the nature and purpose of the conference or seminar, the total cost of the conference or seminar to the applicant, and the amount of funding requested.

36.4.1:  Those eligible for funding shall be regular and contract faculty, and part-time faculty with reemployment preference

See Faculty Funding Policies

Classified Professionals: Article 14.7

14.7.1: The worker shall obtain the prior approval of their immediate supervisor to attend the conference, seminar or workshop. 

14.7.2:  A worker who wishes to receive funding for attendance at a professional conference, workshop or seminar shall submit a written application to the appropriate Staff Development office in accordance with the timelines established by each office. All funding decisions shall be made by the appropriate Staff  Development Committee. 

14.7.3: A worker may receive up to a maximum of $1,600 per fiscal year for attendance at a conference, workshop or seminar. 

See Classified Funding Policies


CTF Application Process 

  1. Employee identifies professional development learning activity that is meaningful and relevant to their professional role.

  2. Employee discusses professional development learning activities with the dean/manager.
     
  3. In some extenuating instances, it may be possible to use the division's ProCard or the Associate Vice President's ProCard to make refundable reservations for registration fees, air transportation and lodging.  (Usually, reservations are made following committee approval of the CTF application.) 
    * Please read the district's ProCard Policies and Procedures and the CTF Guide for Successful Reimbursement When Your Return, before making ProCard reservations.
    * Please note that making reservations before submitting a CTF application will not impact the approval process or guarantee committee approval of the CTF application.

  4. Employee completes online CTF application with detailed, substantive, and meaningful explanations.

  5. Dean or manager reviews application for depth and clarity and either signs and sends it immediately forward or offers comments for improvement and resubmission.  
    * For classified professionals, the resubmission process repeats until dean/manager approves the application and signs and sends it forward.  
    * For faculty resubmissions, dean or manager will either sign and send the application forward without reservations or sign and send the application forward with comments for the committee.

  6. Committee considers application within two weeks of receipt, unless there is a specific reason to consider application in a batch (for example, with NCORE applications).
     
  7. If the application meets the expectations of the committee, it is approved and an award letter is sent.

  8. If the application does not meet the expectations of the committee, then a member of the committee (on a rotating basis) will reach out the applicant to provide a consultation for improvement.  
    * Once the applicant has submitted revisions, the application is resent through the committee process.
    * If the application meets the expectations of the committee, it is approved and an award letter is sent.
    * This process repeats until the application attains approval from the committee.

  9.  Employee makes the necessary registrations or reservations to attend the professional development activity.  
    * It may be possible to use the division's ProCard or the Associate Vice President's ProCard to make refundable reservations for registration fees, air transportation and lodging.  
    * Please read the district's ProCard Policies and Procedures and the CTF Guide for Successful Reimbursement, before making ProCard reservations.

  10. Employee attends the professional development learning activity.

  11. Within 90 days of returning from the activity, employee follows the instructions in the award letter and submits required documentation and receipts.

  12. Employee is reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses up to the amount of their approved request after ProCard expenses accounted for.

  13. Employee follows through on their commitment to share what they have learned with their colleagues or the De Anza community.


Criteria for Approval

The employee is expected to provide detailed, substantive and meaningful descriptions of how the proposed activity will help the college achieve its mission, help the employee meet their personal and professional goals, and help students achieve success. If necessary, the committee will work with employees to ensure that they have a clear statement of purpose and intention and that they clearly communicate how the proposed activity will benefit them, the college and our students.

Guiding Clarification Questions

  • Are the personal and professional objectives clearly identified, described, and explained?
  • Are the commitments to the college mission and to De Anza students thoughtfully explored and expressed?
  • Is there a clear plan for sharing what is learned following the conference?
  • Does the activity meet the criteria for Conference Travel Funding based on contract?

Some examples to guide clarification might include:

  • If an applicant says that attending a conference will make them a better teacher or classified professional, they should provide direct and concrete ideas about the skills and knowledge they hope to obtain.
  • If an applicant expresses that they wish to build their understanding of equity issues, they should provide some context for how they are growing and expanding their perspectives and how they plan to put their growth into practice.
  • If an applicant is connecting the proposed activity to a department, division or institutional initiative or activity, they should be specific and intentional about their participation and make commitments to broader efforts and ways their work connects to the work of others
  • If an applicant proposes that they will do a 15-minute presentation in a division meeting or share 10 concrete ideas for action in a department meeting, they should be indicating a specific commitment to a time and place including when and during which quarter and how they plan to fit their presentation into the overall agenda.

Improvement and Resubmission

If the application does not clearly offer detailed, substantive and meaningful answers to the application questions, a CTF committee member (on a rotating basis) will reach out to the applicant to offer comments or consultation for improvement and resubmission.

  • This process can happen via e-mail, on Zoom, or in-person depending on the depth of revision required and the schedules of the applicant and committee member.  
  • Once the applicant has submitted revisions, the application is resent through the committee process.
  • This process repeats until the application attains approval from the committee.
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