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[Julian]

If a college/university advertises faculty positions nationwide on Web sites such as Chronicle.com and higheredjobs.com, is it safe to assume they will be the ones paying the travel expenses involved? Is it improper to call or e-mail in advance of applying for the position and inquire as to whether or not they are paying any travel expenses? Or should one wait until one is contacted regarding an interview to inquire about travel expenses? Thanks for any input.

[B.F.]

You cannot assume that schools will reimburse your expenses. I would wait until I was contacted for an interview before inquiring about their reimbursement policy.

[On the move too]

First, you should talk with your advisor or a reliable mentor about the interview process if you are asking this question. They can probably help you with other facets of interviewing as you get started.

Yes, you can assume that they will pay for travel, unless they are conducting interviews at a conference, then in the case of the latter, travel accomodations are usually up to the person interviewing. Do not call, do not email -- it will make you look naive about the whole process.

If you are called in for an interview and they request that you to make your own travel arrangements, that is the time to ask about their reimbursement policy. Have the search committee chair send it to you by email. Make sure that it is not contingent on your getting and accepting an offer. Get this in writing, and be forthright in asking.

Also they should be forthcoming about other reimbursements such as parking, travel to and from the airport, and food while traveling. Most universities of reasonable size have a travel department that they work directly with. If a department asks you to pay for everything up front, then beware! It could very well be the case that they are struggling just a little too much, and that funding is a bigger problem involving more than reimbursements and future salary. It is not unusual for you to pay for incidentals first, such as parking and food, because those are the items that a travel department cannot foresee.

[Researcher]

In most cases, the university will cover all travel expenses. Sometimes, the university will stipulate that if you are offered the position and decline, then you are responsible for the travel expenses.  

I would wait until you are offered an interview to inquire about travel expenses. If you inquire before applying, the first impression you make may not be a positive one, depending on how the committee responds to your inquiry. Most committees will arrange for a administrative assistant to contact you about travel and accommodations and when the subject is brought up, you can ask about expenses.

[Julian]

Many people will have expended a lot of time, effort, energy and $$$$$ just getting the application packet together and mailed off. It seems to me that it is a waste of resources only to discover that the advertising institution expects you to pay for your travel, which I suspect many of us can't really afford to. That is why I am asking. Wouldn't it be better to know upfront who was paying for travel? Then you could submit applications only for those positions you know you can afford to pursue?

[Anon]

I have never heard of a nationwide search that did not pay for its interviewees' expenses. In fact, I would strongly suspect the financial stability of such an institution. But this may depend on the type of school (community college vs. big research school). I agree with B.F. that you should wait until you are contacted before inquiring. In fact, I wouldn't inquire until you have to -- meaning you might want to wait and see what they tell you first. If you are perceived as being very concerned with the expenses, you might not seem that interested in the job.

[David Evans]

Dear On the Move Too and others:

By state policy (Georgia) we cannot pay in advance for candidate travel. We do reimburse, and the policy has nothing to do with our financial status (which, given Georgia's current budget situation, isn't great but certainly isn't that dire).  

So, it would be a mistake automatically to assume that an institution that asks you to pay upfront is in financial difficulties. I believe you'll find that often public institutions cannot pay in advance because of rules over which they have no control (and yes, it's deeply embarrassing to tell candidates about this).

Just so you know,

David Evans
(Chair, English, Speech and Journalism, Georgia College & State University)

[helpful]

I don't think you should ask up front. Wait until you are contacted for an interview. It is awfully presumptuous to ask your question before you apply!