Should I finance my own research trip?

[wwwdotcom]

Academics often have to spend their own money to do their job.

This is a problem.

Why?

M.

This doesn't really provide an answer to "why", but if the university hired someone to conduct research, then why shouldn't the necessary resources be provided (at least initially)?  Of course, part of the job is to successfully land the necessary funding (grants, contracts, etc.), but one should never have to spend their own personal money for employer-related functions. 

[mamselle]

The general comment (one shouldn't have to pay to do one's work...) may not apply equally to all scholars, though.

No-one is "hiring" me to do my work--it's my work to do, however it needs to get done.

I know, I'm also not representative of the melee, either.

But just to balance the conversation a bit.

-=-=-=-

I was also going to amend my costs for my recent trip: I neglected to return a rental car so had a couple extra days on it I could have avoided (lesson #1 learned) since I was within walking distance of the library I needed and the campus garages all filled up by 9 AM.

And had I booked a couple of weeks earlier in my hostel, I would have probably had a more-cheaply-priced room, saving a couple hundred more.

(Who knew Bob Dylan was playing in town that weekend? Well--one of my friends, for one--she went to the concert--but I didn't realize it would make bookings harder to get.)

So--final cost just under 1000.00; could have been about 600.00 or so with those caveats attended to.

Still, it averaged about 100+/day for 6 days: 2 days to prep and give a paper and three days in the library, with a really good, coherent collection in the stuff I needed to see. (One day for play/travel/seeing friends and family, too.)

I'm planning Europe in December now.

:--}

M.

[wwwdotcom]

If you're speaking about independent scholars, then yes, I guess the only option would be to spend personal finances.  I read Aside's comment as referring to university faculty who I strongly believe should never dip into personal funds for any part of the job.  Maybe for no other reason than to avoid the precedent. Today you're paying for your lab supplies, next semester you're buying your own whiteboard markers for the classroom, next year you're having to bring in your own copier paper to make exams. Exaggeration, maybe, but I'll advise young faculty to never spend one dime of your personal money on such items.

[spork]

If you're speaking about independent scholars, then yes, I guess the only option would be to spend personal finances.  I read Aside's comment as referring to university faculty who I strongly believe should never dip into personal funds for any part of the job.  Maybe for no other reason than to avoid the precedent. Today you're paying for your lab supplies, next semester you're buying your own whiteboard markers for the classroom, next year you're having to bring in your own copier paper to make exams. Exaggeration, maybe, but I'll advise young faculty to never spend one dime of your personal money on such items.

I'm of the same opinion. This is getting to be a significant problem for new tenure-track hires because my university's funding allocation for faculty professional development (which includes reimbursement for conference expenses) hasn't increased in over a decade.

[aside]

If you're speaking about independent scholars, then yes, I guess the only option would be to spend personal finances.  I read Aside's comment as referring to university faculty who I strongly believe should never dip into personal funds for any part of the job.  Maybe for no other reason than to avoid the precedent. Today you're paying for your lab supplies, next semester you're buying your own whiteboard markers for the classroom, next year you're having to bring in your own copier paper to make exams. Exaggeration, maybe, but I'll advise young faculty to never spend one dime of your personal money on such items.

I'm of the same opinion. This is getting to be a significant problem for new tenure-track hires because my university's funding allocation for faculty professional development (which includes reimbursement for conference expenses) hasn't increased in over a decade.

Yes, I was referring to university faculty spending their own funds, specifically as regards travel expenses for conferences or research (the context of this thread) once travel funds from other sources have been expended.  It would be interesting to see how many full-time faculty have never had to dip into their own funds in this way.

[polly_mer]

Yes, I was referring to university faculty spending their own funds, specifically as regards travel expenses for conferences or research (the context of this thread) once travel funds from other sources have been expended.  It would be interesting to see how many full-time faculty have never had to dip into their own funds in this way.

I expect well-funded places that truly support research tend to have few full-time faculty who have to dip into their own funds.  Start-up funds are frequently available for those who are supposed to be writing grants with the expectation that one will be successful in short order.

Places that think they are generous for having competitive travel grants that top out at $1000 and only half the people who apply will get one tend to have a lot of full-time faculty who either decide that conferences and research trips are optional or pay out of pocket.  I've paid for a lot of trips out of pocket when I've been at small places, which meant I could then get a better job when the time came. 

People who opted for not doing anything if they have to pay out of pocket and are at places with almost no support for conferences tend to get trapped at the schools that are circling the drain.  I can't find the article I want right this second, but Matt Reed on IHE has a good one regarding how cutting conference travel for administrators in the short term has no affects, but is a big problem in the long term because it cuts the information flow about the big picture.  Reed's article this week is right on about how conferences allow for scoping out the higher ed terrain outside of one's campus.

That same information flow is necessary for folks who do research.  Being cut off from the relevant research community or even cut off from one's research tools is undermining the endeavor.  One won't have a job as a researcher for too long if one has no research activity, even at the level of discussions with other researchers.

[Hibush]

People who opted for not doing anything if they have to pay out of pocket and are at places with almost no support for conferences tend to get trapped at the schools that are circling the drain.  I can't find the article I want right this second, but Matt Reed on IHE has a good one regarding how cutting conference travel for administrators in the short term has no affects, but is a big problem in the long term because it cuts the information flow about the big picture.  Reed's article this week is right on about how conferences allow for scoping out the higher ed terrain outside of one's campus.

One alternative for the cash-strapped admnistrators is to come to The Fora to compare notes (aka compete to see who has the dumbest board/legislature/students/alumni/faculty). We can provide a deep information flow.

[artalot]

Just to report back that I asked for funding from my uni. No dice from admin. So, I decided to finance it myself. I'm going to speak at a colleague's institution in return for free dinner and a night at my airbnb (my thanks to the fora for that idea). Otherwise, I'm looking at it as good for my mental health to get away from campus to a place I love and do the work that got me fired up about academia in the first place.

[mamselle]

If you're speaking about independent scholars, then yes, I guess the only option would be to spend personal finances.  I read Aside's comment as referring to university faculty who I strongly believe should never dip into personal funds for any part of the job.  Maybe for no other reason than to avoid the precedent. Today you're paying for your lab supplies, next semester you're buying your own whiteboard markers for the classroom, next year you're having to bring in your own copier paper to make exams. Exaggeration, maybe, but I'll advise young faculty to never spend one dime of your personal money on such items.

Maybe that's what happened to the green magic marker....

;--}

M.