Development Funds

Policies and Procedures

Below you will find policies, forms, and best practices in using development funds. All faculty members are subject to University Financial Policies.

Purpose	Policy	Form
To request professional development activities (i.e. conferences, publication fees, association fees, etc.)	Development Funds Policies	Development Funds Forms
To reimburse any out-of-pocket expenses (meals, transportation, lodging, etc.) and mileage	Expense Reimbursement Policies	Expense Reimbursement Form (2024)

Eligibility for Development Funds

Tenure, tenure-track, and practitioner faculty members are eligible for development funds for the current academic year:

Tenure/ Tenure-track = $3,000
Practitioner faculty who teach at least 12 units:
- 21+ units: $2,500
- 16-20 units: $2,000
- 12-15 units: $1,500

Note: Instructors/Lecturers are not eligible for development funds.

Depending on the nature of the expense, all development fund expenses are subject to approval from the Department Chair (DC) and/or Associate Dean (AD) of Academic Affairs based on the schedule below:

August 1 - January 31

Faculty members must submit the Development Fund Proposal Form to their respective Department Chair.

April 1 - May 31

Based upon the discretion of the Department Chair, unreserved funds may be reallocated within the disciplines.

June 1 - July 31

Based upon the discretion of the Associate Dean, remaining funds may be allocated to other departments or school-wide.

Development Fund Guidelines

Faculty development funds are intended for professional development and are subject to an annual limit. Additionally, there may be other items that may help promote your teaching/research goals; therefore, a portion of your personal development funds (up to $1,000) may be used for non-conference-related expenses. Lastly, any requests that conflict with University Financial Policies will be denied. Faculty members who pay for these items directly risk non-reimbursement per University Policy.

NOTE: Based on University financial policies, expenses impact the budget in the fiscal year in which the conference/services/subscriptions/memberships take place, not necessarily when the expense is incurred (e.g. if expenses are paid in July 2024 for a conference that occurs in August 2024, these expenses will impact faculty’s development funds budget for fiscal year 2024-25).

When considering the use of development funds, please refer to the following guidelines:

Common Uses of Development Funds
Books
Conference fees (registration, hotel, transportation, meals)
Equipment (see below)*
Journal Subscriptions
Meals related to professional development. Please keep meal expenses at a reasonable amount. University Guidelines (See Section 4.1: Travel and Entertainment: Meals While In Travel Status)
Membership Dues
Webinars

NOTE: All requests should demonstrate good stewardship of our financial resources; therefore, all purchases must be pre-approved. Development funds are non-transferable to other faculty members and unused funds cannot be rolled over into the next fiscal year. All of the University's funds from the general operating budget are only available during the fiscal year in which they are granted. PGBS budgets are reset for the new year on August 1st.

Journal Submissions
Journal submission fees up to $300 (per submission) are eligible for payment by Pepperdine Graziadio Business School (PGBS). With appropriate approval from the Department Chair or Associate Dean, excess fees may be covered with personal development funds.

Memberships
Faculty members within a discipline should work with their department chair to identify appropriate academies/associations consistent with PGBS mission. Generally, development funds may be used for a single membership dues per year. Any exception must be approved by a department chair and the ADAA.


Dicipline	Academies/ Associations
REAL	American Real Estate Society (ARES ares.org)
STGY	Academy of Management
ABS	Academy of Management
ACCT	American Accounting Association (AAA)
DESC	Decision Sciences Institute (DSI), INFORMS
ECNM	American Economic Association (AEA)
FINC	Financial Management Association (FMA)
ISTM	AIS (Association for Information Systems)
LEGL	American Bar Association (ABA), California Bar Association (required for CA lawyers)
MKTG	American Marketing Association
OTMT	Academy of Management

Technology Equipment/Additional Device
Technology equipment is University owed and should be returned to the University when a faculty member leaves the University. Full-time faculty are provided with one office computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, dock, and adapters. Faculty are on a three-year computer refresh cycle. Computer upgrades will be paid for out of personal faculty development funds.

Faculty are not eligible to hold more than two (2) devices (such as a tablet, iPad, or another laptop) at any time. Upon receipt of a new device, old equipment needs to be returned to the University.

Printers/Ink Cartridges/Paper
Faculty have access to printers at all four Pepperdine campuses. Home printers/ink cartridges are not supplied by the University.

Procedures

When requesting development funds, please follow the steps below:

Complete the development fund request form.
The development form will be automatically routed for approval to the designated Department Chair.
You will receive a notification via email (Subject line: Etrieve Flow Notification) if your request was approved or denied.
If approved, you may begin making travel arrangements or making purchases.
See reimbursement guidelines.

Reminder: Reimbursements

To ensure timely reimbursement, receipts for all expenses should be submitted within 45 days of the purchase date. Per University policy, after 120 days, reimbursements become taxable income. As a result, the school incurs additional expenses which include payroll taxes.

Questions?

For questions regarding approval, development funds, faculty awards, and other non-program expenses, please contact your Department Chair.