Lundquist Professional Development Allocation (PDA) Policy

This information is available in web form and as a PDF below. Last Updated: 11/2024

Lundquist Professional Development Allocation (PDA) Policy

Purpose

The Lundquist College of Business is committed to encouraging and supporting faculty in professional development activities that further the university’s academic mission and enhance teaching, scholarship, creative activities, service, and equity and inclusion. This policy sets the standard allocations for professional development funds and provides guidance on uses. Career and tenure-related faculty can receive or compete for available professional development funds when available. This policy does not address the expenditure of professional development funds, external grants or awards that have restrictions on use, or endowment funds that have restrictions on use.
Regardless of the categories listed below or the fund used, every purchase must have a justifiable business purpose and follow the Business Expense Guidelines set forth by the Business Affairs Office. However, even when a business purpose can be articulated, use of funding for that purpose may not be permissible in some cases. All funds' expenditures must significantly benefit the school/college and the University of Oregon (UO).

Availability

Funding for professional development is available to all career and tenure-related faculty holding the rank of Instructor, Lecturer, Senior Instructor, Senior Lecturer, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor with appointment of .50 FTE or above. Funding levels are as follows (for full-time appointments). For partial-year or part-time appointments above .50 PDA allocations are prorated to the level of appointment. These figures are subject to change and are contingent on funding availability and review at the Dean’s discretion. Fiscal year is defined as July 1-June 30.

  • Tenure-Track: $4,500 per fiscal year
  • Career Faculty: $1,500 per fiscal year

Examples of Allowable Standard or Typical Expenses (not exhaustive)

Note: If the legitimacy of a purchase is ever in question, contact the Office of Fiscal Services for guidance prior to incurring the expense.

  • Books, publications, and other reference materials
  • Conference/workshop/training expenses
  • Research equipment and supplies (including computer and IT (Information Technology) peripherals and software, data and payment to research subjects, submission fees)
  • Maintenance and IT support of research equipment and peripherals purchased with research funding.
  • Symposiums and on-campus events related to discipline
  • Student and research assistant pay
  • Dues and memberships to organizations related to the employee's ability to fulfill the professional responsibilities of their position
  • Instructional supplies (above available instructional support funds)
  • Editing services
  • Materials and items related to creative practice
  • Research incentives (for example, incentives for students to participate in a survey or other research activity)
  • Giveaways (e.g., Candy for classes or incentives for student participation or class activities – overall spending must be less than $50)
  • Gifts for guest speakers (small swag or items under $50)

Note: All materials and equipment purchased with faculty funds are the property of the UO and do not become the property of the individual faculty member. Computers (including mobile tablets, and iPads) purchased with faculty funds must be purchased through the Lundquist IT department and may be subject to periodic return to Lundquist IT to maintain inventory and update software.

Accumulated carryovers

Balance Limits (3-year cap)

  • $13,500 for TTF (Tenure Track Faculty) – Standard Professional Development Accounts
  • $4,500 for Career
  • Three years’ worth of allocations. Amounts may vary depending upon appointment.

Standard Professional Development Accounts: Unexpended balances (less the amount tied to a named appointment or otherwise negotiated as indicated in monthly PDA reports) remaining at year-end in individual PDAs (Professional Development Allocation) of up to three years of allocation will automatically be carried forward into the next fiscal year. Balances above the 
amounts listed will be carried forward into the next fiscal year by special request only if approved by the appropriate Dean and/or Senior Associate Dean. Approval of any carryforward expenditure requires a significant benefit to the LCB (Lundquist College of Business). Therefore, in some situations, unspent funds may remain unspent. The Dean and/or his/her designee will make the final decision on special requests to keep balances over the stated amounts.

Named Appointment – Professional Development Funds: Faculty with named appointments may carry a balance equal to or below three years’ worth of allocation. Any funds above this amount will be swept and applied toward summer support for the faculty member (if the gift language is restrictive to the incumbent) or added to the overall pool of funds used for summer support (if the language is non-restrictive). Balances above the amounts listed will be carried forward into the next fiscal year
by special request only if approved by the appropriate Dean and/or Senior Associate Dean.

Additional Travel Funds

A pool of additional travel funds will be available, and funds will be transferred to the faculty member’s PDA index when awarded. TTF are eligible for up to $2,500 per year for a “peer-reviewed” conference with a paper on the program. A copy of the program or invitation email must be submitted with travel request. Career faculty are eligible for up to $1,500 per year in support of significant teaching or scholarship contributions (e.g., conference tied to curriculum innovations, scholarship of engagement (outreach scholarship) or research. Proposals must be submitted with travel requests.
Process: Requests should be submitted in Concur with appropriate documentation. These funds are only available once per fiscal year.

Instructional Support

A pool of funds will be available each fiscal year for instructional needs and to defray student related expenses, grading, copying, etc. (on average approximately $75,000 per year).

  • Process: Requests for student hires for research and/or grading support or supply purchases should be submitted to the Office of Fiscal Services with appropriate information/documentation. The Director of Fiscal Operations will approve or seek approval from the Associate Dean for Finance & Administration as appropriate.
    • Faculty may use PDA funds for the above as well. The approval process remains the same.
  • Grading is considered faculty work, therefore, grading support for courses (for example, scantron or multiple choice versus essays requiring subject knowledge and evaluation) must be approved in advance and cannot conflict with the Collective Bargaining Agreement for Graduate Employees.
    • In most cases, grading and/or TA support is intended for large-section courses.
  • Faculty Support can assist with:
    • Exam proctoring & scantron processing
    • Providing supplies such as scantrons, pencils, and carts for exams
    • Supply ordering

Requests for copying do not need to be submitted, however, faculty are still required to use a code for copying and use will be monitored.

Retired Faculty and Retired Faculty on post- retirement TRP appointments, terminal appointments, and resignations.

  • Funding for faculty who resign or retire from the university without post-retirement TRP appointments will be available until the date of retirement. Any remaining balance will be returned to the college.
  • Retired faculty who are completing their post-retirement TRP appointments can continue to use their balances through the end of their final appointment, but may not be eligible for additional allocations, or these allocations may be adjusted/pro-rated depending on the conditions of the post-retirement appointments.
  • Faculty with emeritus appointments will not receive additional funding allocations but may be able to use remaining funding if active, with documented approval from the Dean or his/her designee.
  • Faculty issued non-renewable contracts may incur expenses on their individual accounts until the last day of the appointment, with documented approval from the appropriate dean or his/her designee. Any additional allocations during this appointment may be adjusted or pro-rated depending on the terms and conditions of the final contract.

Faculty on Leaves

  • Leaves granted to explore other positions: existing funding will not be available for use after the leave is approved. Exceptions for use with a clear business purpose and benefit to the UO may be granted with documented approval from the appropriate dean or his/her designee. Additional funding will not be allocated during this leave. If resignation is submitted, any remaining balance will be returned to the original funding source.
  • Sabbatical and research leaves: existing funding will be available for use toward activities outlined in the sabbatical plan. Any additional allocations during this leave may be adjusted depending on its terms and conditions.
  • Partial or full personal leaves: existing PDA funding may be available for use, with documented approval from the appropriate dean or his/her designee. Any additional allocations during this leave may be adjusted or pro-rated depending on FTE.
  • Travel expenses incurred during sabbatical leave may be paid/reimbursed only if the travel was approved by Office of the Provost as part of the application for sabbatical leave. Payment/reimbursement for travel expenses while on other types of leave is warranted only in exceptional circumstances.

Responsibility and Control

By law PDA and any materials purchased with the funds are property of the UO and do not become property of the individual faculty member. The college is responsible for ensuring that expenditures meet applicable laws and administrative rules. The University, the Oregon University System (OUS), and the state all may audit expenditures. In addition, the college must also comply with IRS (Internal Revenue Services) rules on taxable benefits. The level and strictness of oversight has increased significantly placing greater responsibility on the college to assure that controls on funds and expenditures are appropriate.
At the end of their university contract, faculty members are responsible for returning materials purchased with their PDA funds to the university's custody. All items purchased in whole or in part with funds from an PDA account are the property of the University of Oregon and as such must be properly inventoried, surplused and/or disposed of in a manner consistent with the policies and practices at UO and in Lundquist.

Named Appointments

PDA from named appointments: the language in endowment gift agreements is binding on acceptable uses for the funds from that gift.

Other Uses

Faculty may request reassignment of some portion of their PDA to other LCB uses/users permitted by the college and the funding source. Final decisions on all allocations of reassigned funds are made by the Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Research or his/her designee.

Examples of Generally Disallowed expenses (not exhaustive)

Note: If the legitimacy of a purchase is ever in question, contact the Office of Fiscal Services for guidance prior to incurring the expense.

  • Personal salary
  • Home internet
  • Secondary, tertiary, etc. computers/laptops/computing devices (above what is allowed in the Technology Policy)
  • Expenses that do not meet the test of legal, ethical, or public perception of appropriateness.
  • Personal reimbursements for equipment costs (will pay vendors but not reimburse directly)
  • Personal travel or travel without a clear business purpose
  • Entertainment and/or food and beverage that are disallowed by Business Expense Guidelines set forth by the Business Affairs Office.
  • Parking permits or fines
  • Expenses without appropriate documentation
  • Expenses exceeding available account balances
  • Charges for spouse/children/family members
  • Hosting or sponsoring colleagues (other UO employees even if they are in different schools/units) or guests
  • Office décor
  • Mobile technology reimbursement (e.g., cell phones)
  • Ongoing overhead expenses (e.g., basic office telecom/printer/copier/supplies)
  • Home office furniture or equipment
  • Cash Donations