As part of the bargaining agreement between Boston University Trustees and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU, Local 509), a professional development fund was created for part-time lecturers and instructors. The fund provides opportunities for part-time lecturers and instructors to extend their professional development through attending academic conferences or other opportunities related to their teaching at Boston University.
The bargaining agreement for 2023-2027 makes $40,000 available for applications for professional development each fiscal (July-June) year (FY). If the full $40,000 is not disbursed during the fiscal year, rollover of funds may occur (the fund will not exceed $60,000). If you would like to know more about the details of this agreement, please refer to L.509-Part-Time-Faculty-Collective-Bargaining-Agreement-2023-2027.
Who can apply?
Applications are welcome from part-time lecturers and instructors covered by the agreement. Please see the information on the Human Resources website about who is covered by the agreement.
How much may I apply for?
There is no specified amount for an application to this fund; however, we assess the amount in relation to the type and number of requests we typically receive and the time of year for the request. (For example, the typical amount awarded in FY 2025 was $1800 per application.) This process ensures that the fund is available to support as many people as possible during the fiscal (July to June) year.
May I apply more than once?
Part-time lecturers are eligible for one award from the professional development fund each fiscal year.
When do applications close each fiscal year?
Applications typically close in mid-June for end-of-fiscal year processing and will re-open in mid-July. However, if the $40,000 fund has been committed prior to mid-June, we may need to close the fund to applications earlier.
What's the process?
Please complete this online form at least one month before the proposed professional development activity. You will need to provide details of the proposed professional development activity (typically an academic conference or other relevant professional development activity related to teaching at Boston University) and all expected costs. You also need to provide a letter of support from the Chair or Director of your department or unit and a recent CV. Please note that you will be reimbursed after costs have been incurred, when you submit your receipts to your unit or department business office.
How long does the approval process take?
You should expect to hear from the Institute for Excellence in Teaching & Learning within two weeks of submitting your application. If you do not hear back within this time period, please email excellence@bu.edu to ask about the status of your application.
What else should I know about using these funds?
- You should be familiar with the university reimbursement policies as you may only request reimbursements that meet these guidelines.
- You should keep all receipts related to your professional development activity.
- You need to submit your receipts to the Concur platform within 30 days of completing your professional development activity. Staff in your business office will guide you through this process.
