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[sunsearching]

Hello friends,
  maybe this belongs in the job-seeking section, but anyway,

I have already received approval for university funds to present a paper; now I need to tell the Dean I'm quitting, but he won't get the travel reimbursement form until about a week from now.  Do I risk that the Dean's office says *no* to the travel since I will be leaving the university??   I can't imagine they'd do this if they already approved it.  What do you think?
   I didn't see anything in the handbook about having to return for a year if you accept conference money.

[minor_t]

Since you already have the approval, you should get the reimbursement.  Hold on to that approval form, though, just in case. 

[espagnole]

Will the conference be held this semester while you are still a university employee or is is this summer after your resignation is official? That could make the difference.

[sunsearching]

Conference is in a few weeks so I'm definitely still an employee. 
So I think there is no way they could justify not reimbursing me.

[espagnole]

Conference is in a few weeks so I'm definitely still an employee. 
So I think there is no way they could justify not reimbursing me.

Seems right to me, but strange things happen. Can you postpone announcing your resignation until after the conference?

[sunsearching]

I wish I could wait, but I already told the department I accepted an offer and the chair is pushing me to tell the Dean because we need to get going to see if we'll get the money to hire someone and we have multiple hires going on, so I told her I'd tell him in the next few days.  In short, he'll get an email resignation then an airfare reimbursement a few days later, then an official resignation letter a couple days after that  (bad timing I know, but I can't wait too long on the reimbursement for this expensive ticket). 

[mended_drum]

The timing is bad, and I suppose the dean could decide that conference funding is an investment in future research and publication and decide not to reimburse you.  But he or she probably won't.

[svenc]

I'm a bit surprised by the high level of caution advised here.

Going to the conference is part of your current job.  You will be representing your current institution.   To not reimburse you after you have received explicit approval would be horribly petty, unethical, and possibly even illegal.

Put another way: The reimbursement has no legitimate connection to your resignation.

Unless you have a specific reason to suspect that your Dean will retaliate (mentally unstable, history of lashing out against departing employees, etc.), you should not anticipate any problems. 

If you do have reason to suspect your Dean is a nutcase, then all the better that you have a new job lined up!