Promoting Research & Development

H&S faculty can apply for travel funding each fiscal year. This page serves as a hub to offer guidance for faculty and admin assists. You'll find a travel overview, along with the college's and school's policies. You'll also find instructions to help you navigate Finance Cloud.
Travel Overview & Guidance
  1. If you're planning to travel in AY2324, begin by identifying your funding sources. Think of funding sources as falling into two categories: those in H&S (H&S Faculty Travel & Research Fund) and those that are outside H&S (grants, start up funds, CFE awards, and Provost's Office mini-grants). If you're requesting funds within H&S, you'll need to submit a request, which can be done on this Qualtrics form.
  2. The associate dean of faculty--Raul Palma (RPalma@Ithaca.edu)--evaluates all requests under these parameters: a) The category--is the faculty member disseminating research?; b) the significance of travel/research to the faculty member and the school’s mission; c) compliance with the college’s travel policy. Please note that, while decisions are generally made promptly, they can take up to two weeks.

  3. Faculty are notified via email when a decision is made, and they are instructed to generate a Spend Authorization in HR Cloud. The faculty member's department admin assist and Maria Haner, the Budget Officer in the Provost's Office, will be cc'd in the communication. It is common practice for the admin assist to generate the spend authorization as delegate on behalf of the faculty member; however, faculty should follow departmental norms.

  4. Once a Spend Authorization is approved, faculty may use their IC travel card to make purchases; however, be sure that you have reviewed the Ithaca College Travel Policy. There may be certain requirements (such as tax-exemption in certain states) or restrictions (such as AirBnB, VRBO, etc.). If you have questions regarding the college travel policy, please contact Sheryl Moore (smoore12@ithaca.edu) in Travel Services.

  5. As expenses appear in Finance Cloud (or as faculty incur expenses for travel), be sure to reconcile them as soon as possible. It is common practice for the admin assist faculty; however, faculty should follow departmental norms. Team Dynamix can be helpful here.

Tax Guidelines

Ithaca College is a not-for-profit institution and is exempt from New York State sales tax on all goods and services purchased by employees for business use. In order to obtain the sales tax exemption, present the Sales Tax Exempt Form to the vendor at the time service is rendered or goods are received and paid for.


Ithaca College is exempt from sales tax in the following states:

  • Florida
  • Kansas
  • Mississippi
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • North Dakota
  • Rhode Island
  • Texas
  • Wisconsin
  • Maine
  • Michigan

Travelers may obtain copies of Tax Exempt Forms from the Travel Services website.


If sales tax exemption is denied using the Ithaca College JP Morgan Chase Travel Card, note the name of the vendor, a contact person, and telephone number so that Departmental Coordinator may follow up with the vendor. If cash or personal credit card is used, vendors are not required to honor Ithaca College’s sales tax exemption. Therefore, it is beneficial and cost effective to use the JP Morgan Chase Travel Card.


If sales tax is paid because the service provider does not accept the Ithaca College Sales Tax Exempt Form, reimbursements are allowed. In this case, a written explanation must be submitted with the Expense
Report Form.

H&S Travel Staff Contacts:

Raul Palma, Associate Dean of Faculty: for questions about the H&S Travel Policy

Maria Haner, Administrative and Financial Operations Manager: for questions that pertain to HR Cloud