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[monkeywoman]

I'm beginning my new lecturer position in September and wondered how should I deal with two invitations to present conference papers in the US. They are a week apart in November which would mean missing classes for two weeks. I wouldn't feel terrible to withdraw from one of them, but the other one is very important for my work and definitely worth attending. I assume the thing to do is email the Chair of my department, but this is all new to me! I've never had to ask permission to attend a conference, but the US/UK thing presents a whole new problematic.

Thank you for any advice.

[expatinuk]

Probably every UK university is different.

I've never had to 'ask permission' to attend a conference. I have, however, had to request funding for each conference. As part of our funding request we have to say how lectures, seminars, tutorials will be covered. The reason for this is that the Research Committee needs to know if you're requesting funds to 'buy' a guest lecturer. If that's the case then that funding comes from another source.

I have a budget of £500 a year that I can use for guest lecturers. If there's no other way that I can cover a lecture I dip into that funding. Most of the time, with planning I can have the class do something else.

I can also put things online and hold an 'online seminar' if I'm out of the country for a couple of weeks (this happens to me a lot).

As for 'time off'... not a problem at my university. We have 28 days of 'research' time that we use for conferences and such. There's no restriction about when one can take those days.

[babbinacara]

I wouldn't recommend being out of the country for two full weeks in your first term at any job. Withdraw regretfully from the least important conference.
Then check any paperwork the university gives you for rules about "short term leave of absence". At my uni, you can be gone without telling or asking anyone for 4 days; longer than that, you need to get the approval of your Head of Dept or Chair of Faculty.
Even if you don't need approval, its wise to let the Chair or Head know you'll be gone (and why, of course). You should inquire from him/her about the possibility of buying in a guest lecturer; but my guess is that guest lecturer cash will have been allocated for next term already. If there's no cash, try to have a colleague cover for you (promise to do the same for him/her in future), get a PhD student or post-doc to run a seminar, and/or just reschedule everything you are going to miss for either before or after your conference. This last is painful and difficult, but I end up doing it often.

[dellaroux]

Remember not only to look at it as a problem to be solved, but a situation to be glad about.

They want you!

Your chair should be reminded of that in some subtle, positive way throughout any notifications/discussions of coverage planning, so that it's clear this is an actual honor, not just another problem.

[scotia]

We need to ask permission of the Head of Department to be away during the semester. Usually they will want to be sure that you have made arrangements for your teaching to be covered when you are away; I have not yet worked in a UK university where cancelling classes is acceptable, other than for emergencies. If I am team teaching (not uncommon in the lower level courses in UK universities) I will make sure my teaching is not scheduled for the conference time. Alternatively I bring in a visiting speaker or set up an exercise that clearly maps onto the course learning objectives, and which can be done instead of students coming to class.

You should also check that your department will support you attending the conference(s). We have some conferences that are approved and others where you would have to make a very strong case for using university funds and/or time to attend. I have never had anyone say 'no' to me attending a conference, but when I sat on the Research Committee at Old U we did turn down some requests to attend what were plainly conferences of marginal quality (to put it kindly) in fantastic locations.

You will also need to ensure that you tell your university where you are: they will need to know to comply with the new rules on immigration.

[science_expat]

<Wearing my manager's hat>

I agree that a two week absence in your first semester is too much and that you need to contact your head of department. You're not asking permission to go to a conference, but to miss a week of term when you're teaching.

I don't think there's any harm is asking what the policy is with respect to missed teaching. Do you have to arrange cover or can you set students some work to do or engage in an online discussion while you're away? I've had folks come to me (as director of research) with similar questions.

You don't say anything about funding - do you need money, have it yourself, or are the conference organizers paying for your trip? Be upfront about this with the HoD, obviously the latter is more prestigious.

<Takes off hat>

Personally, I do cancel classes assign independent study from time to time when I go to a conference. Without advertising it...But I wouldn't recommend this for a brand new member of staff!

[secretweapon]

Also, any extra days on either side of the conference are pure luxury.  Fly in, fly out.  It sounds like you are trying to make one transatlantic trip to hit two conferences, but that just might not be possible. 

[monkeywoman]

Thanks for the great advice, everyone. Both conferences are quite important and my hope was to do both in one trip; there really no plans for any luxury time off although they both fell on Thurs-Sun. so some question of what to do with the time in between. But, two weeks does seem a long time to be away during my first semester and I am not comfortable with that prospect. I have gracefully withdrawn from one conference (a big annual meeting in my cross-discipline!) and hope to attend the latter. Obviously, I'm concerned about teaching and leaving for a week.

I emailed the Chair of my department and told him about the conference and very politely inquired about the policy on absence during the teaching term for this purpose. Haven't got as far as thinking about funding as yet! Funny, how where I am now, professors simply cancel classes or get a TA to cover. Indeed, for my own interview for this job, I had to cancel my class!

[expatinuk]

Funny, how where I am now, professors simply cancel classes or get a TA to cover. Indeed, for my own interview for this job, I had to cancel my class!

Class in the UK usually only meet once a week. Additionally the teaching semester is only 12 weeks. So, canceling one class is a pretty big impact on contact time.

[scotia]

Haven't got as far as thinking about funding as yet! Funny, how where I am now, professors simply cancel classes or get a TA to cover. Indeed, for my own interview for this job, I had to cancel my class!

I would advise you to start thinking about this soon. Deadlines for funding here are often ridiculously early.

[bacardiandlime]

Thanks for the great advice, everyone. Both conferences are quite important and my hope was to do both in one trip; there really no plans for any luxury time off although they both fell on Thurs-Sun. so some question of what to do with the time in between. But, two weeks does seem a long time to be away during my first semester and I am not comfortable with that prospect. I have gracefully withdrawn from one conference (a big annual meeting in my cross-discipline!) and hope to attend the latter. Obviously, I'm concerned about teaching and leaving for a week.

SecretWeapon's fly in/fly out plan is right, if you want to do both. Assuming your conferences are on the East coast, you can fly out on Thursday, and fly back Sunday night and be back at work on Monday having landed at 6am (yes, you feel somewhat subpar. But it's totally doable). You leave again on Thursday (or even Friday, depending on when your paper is), and return again Saturday or Sunday. That way you've missed 3 or 4 days in total, not two weeks.
Likewise on the funding for travel scotia is right, unless you have a departmental travel fund that you can apply to at any time, the external funding options do have long lead times. Not sure your field, but the next conference grant round from the British Academy will have a deadline around October, for conferences from January (for a conference this October, you would have had to apply back in March/April). And for North America, they give (I think) £300.

[secretweapon]

Thanks for the great advice, everyone. Both conferences are quite important and my hope was to do both in one trip; there really no plans for any luxury time off although they both fell on Thurs-Sun. so some question of what to do with the time in between. But, two weeks does seem a long time to be away during my first semester and I am not comfortable with that prospect. I have gracefully withdrawn from one conference (a big annual meeting in my cross-discipline!) and hope to attend the latter. Obviously, I'm concerned about teaching and leaving for a week.

SecretWeapon's fly in/fly out plan is right, if you want to do both. Assuming your conferences are on the East coast, you can fly out on Thursday, and fly back Sunday night and be back at work on Monday having landed at 6am (yes, you feel somewhat subpar. But it's totally doable). You leave again on Thursday (or even Friday, depending on when your paper is), and return again Saturday or Sunday. That way you've missed 3 or 4 days in total, not two weeks.

Exactly my point!

[britmom]

Funny, how where I am now, professors simply cancel classes or get a TA to cover. Indeed, for my own interview for this job, I had to cancel my class!

Class in the UK usually only meet once a week. Additionally the teaching semester is only 12 weeks. So, canceling one class is a pretty big impact on contact time.

Absolutely. We only have 10 teaching weeks per semester (one week of which is used for introductions etc.) . Just missing one week of teaching can make it really difficult to cover all the material.

[monkeywoman]

I've worked out everything with the Head of my Department and I will go to the conference--straight there and back. Obviously, some concerns about missing class time, but we're going to work it out. It's going to be a gruelling trip as it's on the West Coast! Any advice on the best way (route/transfers/airlines etc.) to fly there and back?

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I haven't dealt with the funding issue yet, but will broach it soon.

[expatinuk]

If you're in London you can fly to the West Coast quite easily. From other parts of the UK you'd have to go through Chicago or one of the East Coast cities. I'd probably go down to London and fly out from there... or take a flight from one of the northern airports to London.