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Visiting Scholars Program | 2024 - 2025

The Visiting Scholars (VS) program. Funding requests for academic year 2024-2025 may now be submitted.

Center for Teaching and Learning

The Visiting Scholars Program supports efforts to increase scholarly and creative engagement, outreach, and internationalization on campus by hosting scholars, filmmakers, artists, and other prominent individuals who participate in an array of events that enrich the intellectual and creative vibrancy of the university and regional community. The 2023 - 2024 AY funds helped support visits to CSUS by 24 scholars, both national and international.

The Visiting Scholars Subcommittee of the Faculty Senate, with the administrative assistance of the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), reviews funding applications. Applications are judged on completeness, qualifications of the visiting scholar to be brought to campus, value of the event to the campus and regional community, and adherence to the Program guidelines and procedures below.

Visiting Scholars Program Funding Guidelines

To request funds for a visiting scholar, the following forms must be submitted for approval by the Visiting Scholars Subcommittee:

If funded, the following forms must be submitted to CTL

  1. Vendor Data Record (204 Form)
  2. Generic Invoice Form
  3. Independent Contractor Form
  4. Feedback Form (within two weeks after the event)
  5. Note: Non-U.S.-resident applicants will have additional document requirements:
  6. Copy of I-94 “Arrival/Departure” card;
  7. Copy of passport (including the number and visa sticker/stamp);
  8. Receipts for travel expenses (other than per diem) are also required. If receipts are not provided, the payment is taxable income subject to withholding and reporting.

FPC-Approved Program Guidelines

  1. As many scholars will be invited to campus throughout the academic year as circumstances and funding permit.

  2. Those recommended for Program funding must have established records of accomplishment in their fields.

  3. Events with visiting scholars shall be free to the University and regional community.

  4. Events shall be scheduled at times and places to maximize attendance, with maximum use of appropriate indoor and outdoor University facilities.

  5. Please note that Program funds are not intended solely for a guest speaker/lecturer in a class.

  6. No more than 1/2 of the current year’s budget can be encumbered for one semester; if earmarked funds for fall semester events are less than 50% of the total budget by semester’s end, the remainder shall be made available for the spring semester.

  7. Faculty may receive funding for only one visiting scholar per year. The funding limits are as follows: $250 for scholars visiting within a 150-mile radius of Sacramento (including Reno and Lake Tahoe, NV); $400 for scholars visiting from between a 150- and 250-mile radius of Sacramento; $600 for scholars visiting from areas of California beyond a 250-mile radius of Sacramento; $1,000 for scholars visiting from outside California (excluding Reno and Lake Tahoe).

  8. Sponsoring faculty are responsible for publicizing events throughout the campus community and the region.

  9. Nominations for visiting scholars or performers will be accepted from a) individual faculty members or departments/programs, or b) multiple faculty members proposing to bring several scholars to campus for a single event.

  10. Funding for a single event cannot exceed 25% of that semester’s budget (Faculty Senate September 23, 1999, FS 99/46; FPC/VSP 10/13/17).

Procedures:

  1. Application may be submitted beginning the first day of instruction of an academic year.

  2. Awards are made on a first-come, first-served basis upon receipt and approval of the application, not based on the date of the event.

  3. By law, international visiting scholars will have 30% withheld from their honorarium for taxes.

  4. Applications must be received at least 20 working days before the event.

  5. Events can be funded only during the fiscal year in which they occur.

  6. Sponsoring faculty and departments are responsible for the logistics of visits; communicating with the visiting scholars; arranging for event rooms and times and accommodations for visitors; and publicizing events in appropriate venues. The law forbids the use of University funds to pay for food and drink, as at an event reception.

  7. The Center for Teaching and Learning maintains a calendar of upcoming visiting scholar events, but sponsoring faculty are responsible for broad advertising and promotion of funded events.

  8. The faculty sponsor completes and submits a feedback form for the funded event no later than two weeks after the event.

Event Advertisement:

Questions?

Please contact the Center for Teaching and Learning at ctl@csus.edu