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These resources should answer your commonly asked questions about Departmental Operations. Feel free to look around here and email us if any of it requires further explanation:

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Travel & PD

Travel Process

Last updated 02/24/2023

Call or email Melissa ([email protected], x57037) or Michael ([email protected]) with any questions!

Step 1: Funding

  • Determine what funds are available for you to use. Depending on your classification you may have money from the department, money from the Dean’s Office, and/or money from the University. Check in with Operations Coordinator (Michael) to find out how much money you have left to work with.

Step 2: Complete a Spend Authorization in Workday (must be completed at least 30 days prior to trip)

  • Set a meeting with Melissa or Michael to assist in completing this report.
  • Bring any travel estimates you have to the pre-approval meeting (lodging, airfare, etc.)
    • Before you leave this meeting, make sure you have all confirmations in hand (air, hotel, registration, etc.)
  • Once you have completed and submitted this report, we are available to help book your travel and registration

Step 3: Booking (must be done at least 3 weeks prior to trip, and only after funding is approved)

You have two options when booking your travel:

  • You can work with the Operations and Finance Team. You can choose your own flight and hotel and send that information to the team. You can also provide them with the information to register you for a conference. They will then do the booking using the correct accounts based on funding sources.
  • You can book the flight, hotel, and registration yourself and be reimbursed. If you choose this option you will be reimbursed for ACTUAL EXPENSES after submission and processing of your Post-Travel Expense report in Workday. DO NOT BOOK BEFORE COMPLETING STEPS 1-3.
  • NOTE: Receipts must contain the last four digits of your credit card used in the booking. Hotel Folios must have a zerio balance. All Travelers to conferences must submit the conference program or schedule with final reports

Step 4: Go on your trip! Have fun! But remember…

  • You do not need to save receipts for meals. You will receive reimbursement for meals after your trip based on per diem rates, which differ by location. The only exception to this is if there were meals provided as part of your conference registration. These meals will be excluded by Accounts Payable from per diem reimbursement.
  • You DO need to save receipts if you plan to request reimbursement for shuttles, taxis, parking at airport, baggage fees, etc. You will note these expenses on your post-travel expense report and upload receipts at that time.

Step 5: Post-Travel Expense Report

  • When you return from your trip you will have to complete the post-travel expense report. This is a different report in Workday. The amounts and times of departure and return must all be exact. Obviously since you’ve already travelled you will know the exact cost of your flight, hotel, registration, parking etc. If the Operations and Finance team did some or all of the booking for you, check in with them for exact amounts.
  • Upon completion of travel, make a meeting appointment with Michael or Melissa to assemble and submit your post-travel expense report.
  • This is when you would request reimbursement for relevant expenses that you paid for yourself. If you paid for your flight or hotel out-of-pocket you will reflect that on the post-travel report.
  • Upload copies of the following to your post-travel report (you may need to request some of these from Operations and Finance Team):
    • Flight itinerary/receipt
    • Itemized hotel folio with $0 balance due
    • Conference brochure showing the schedule and meals provided
    • Conference Registration receipt
    • Receipts for any incidentals (parking, baggage fees, taxi/shuttle, etc.)
  • Any out-of-pocket expense you incurred, within your available budget, will be reimbursed once the routed post-travel expense report is processed.

Professional Development Funds

Each year, staff and faculty have the opportunity to spend professional development funds, potentially from different sources.  There are Department PD funds (determined each August), University PD (currently on hold until new guidelines can be determined), and Dean’s PD funds (awarded yearly for the Chair to disburse throughout the department).

Below are the Departmental Guidelines for the use of PD funds. All PD purchase requests must be submitted by April 15 for processing prior to the end of the fiscal year. Contact Melissa or Michael with further questions.

Department PD Fund Use Parameters

Scholarly Funds

Each fiscal year, the Department attempts to set aside funding for Category I faculty with funds to support their scholarly activities. Notices of funding are sent out in the Fall.  In order to expend those funds, the department asks faculty to complete a proposal at the beginning of the year.  A template for that is attached.

Scholarly Funds Proposal Template

Personnel

Student Employment

The Department of Social Work strives to provide a diverse array of student employment opportunities for our majors, including Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant roles.  Each program has its own guidelines for application and onboarding (links below).  We also have guidance here on how to request and manage an RA or TA as a faculty member.  Please read those documents and let us know if you have any questions!

Research Assistant Program

Teaching Assistant Program

Welcome Desk Ambassador (WDA)

Affiliate Faculty Onboarding

Have you completed your application and uploaded your CV?

Have you taken the required affiliate faculty survey?

  • If not, please click here to complete the survey

ONCE YOU’VE BEEN HIRED – Onboarding Requirements

  • Once you receive your welcome email from the department, we will alert Human Resources to reach out to you. They will send you an email with all the steps you need to take to complete onboarding, including paperwork, background check, and I9 verification.
  • Please refer to the new employee page for affiliates for more information
  • Review and bookmark the Social Work Affiliate Faculty Handbook for future reference

Material Requests

Connectivity

Online Support

We have amazing support for online teaching from our Online Education Coordinator (Ann Obermann PhD) and our Online and Hybrid Development Analyst (Becky Cottrell).  Check out their dedicated webpage for tons of great resources: https://sites.msudenver.edu/socialwork/

Zoom/Teams

The department encourages faculty and staff to use the university approved and supported technology available from Microsoft Teams for meetings and classroom instruction.  When Teams is not meeting your requirements, you may inquire about the availability of a Zoom account. Zoom basic accounts are free and available with little notice to faculty and staff. The only limitation on these accounts is that meetings will automatically end after 40 minutes.  Zoom Licensed or Pro accounts are purchased by the department for faculty or staff who need to use Zoom continuously for longer than 40 minutes on a regular basis. If you think you need a Zoom Basic or Pro account, please contact Melissa or Michael to determine availability.


Purchasing

Office Supplies, Book Order, and Purchases Under $100

Contact the Welcome Desk Coordinator, Kayla Duensing, at [email protected] or 303-615-0555

Travel Purchases, Registrations, and Memberships

Contact the Associate Director of Operations and Finance, Melissa Grogan Gore, at [email protected] or the Operations and Finance Coordinator, Michael Holroyd, at [email protected]

Non-Travel Purchases over $100

Complete the Qualtrics Survey to request the purchase, indicating if this is or is not an urgent request. Please discuss all requests with your supervisor prior to filling out this form. Requests will be reviewed quarterly by the Department Chair and the Director of Student Services, Operations and Finance unless deemed “urgent”. Urgent classification is reserved for needs that impact your ability to perform the duties of your job effectively.

Reserving Spaces, Media Carts & Caddies

Reservable and Drop in Work and Gathering Spaces

We are pleased to offer on campus spaces for working individually or in groups. Please review the lists below for more information and reach out to the Welcome Desk if you have further questions. The spaces are open for reservations for faculty, staff, and student groups.

Reservable Spaces

Contact the Welcome Desk at [email protected] to reserve available spaces for meetings or quiet workspace. You will need a key card encoded for the requested room if you are needing space after business hours.

Drop-In Spaces

Please contact the Welcome Desk for drop-in workspace options

Media Carts and Adaptors

The department has provided two tech carts, and one tech backpack that you can use in your classes to support hybrid learning. These are in Kayla’s office. You can check out a cart day of if available or reserve one in advance by following the steps below or by contacting the Welcome Desk.

Steps for reserving a media cart:

  1. Go to own outlook calendar
  2. Create event on calendar for when you are needing a media cart
  3. Enter title (ex. Reserved for ‘Name’)
  4. Click ‘Invite attendees’
  5. Click ‘required’
  6. In the ‘search’ function that pops up in the new window type ‘CN 201 Y’ and select either Media Cart 1 or Media Cart 2 – click OK
  7. You can click on ‘scheduling assistant’ to check if the media cart is available OR you will get an email that says the request was accepted or denied due to conflict

You can access instructions and hybrid teaching tips on our website, and remember to reserve the carts in advance by contacting the Welcome Desk.  Eventually, the WDA team will be trained on the basics of this technology so we can better support you in your classroom. This will be happening soon. You can always call IT at 303-352-7548 or go to their office in WC 243 and they will be able to help you also.

We have different adaptors located at the Welcome Desk if you are needing specific adaptors for your classroom. Please fill out the check out and check in form for these when you take them.

Requests for Accessible Documentation

A Welcome Desk Ambassador, with the appropriate training will handle the request! Please use this link to request services. A WDA will contact you with the ETA of the completion of the project.

Emergency Preparedness and Safety

The Welcome Desk is a hub for sharing information about emergency planning and campus safety.

Please review our Emergency Planning Document.

You can find the most up to date version as well as other helpful documents here: Y:\Social Work Shared Files\Emergency Preparedness

Here are some other helpful resources:

Active Harmer Video:

Other helpful resources and trainings:

In Case of Emergency:

  • Dial 911 (from a campus phone – goes directly to our on campus police). Please note, if you dial 9-1-1 from your cell phone, Denver Dispatch will be contacted.
  • Dial 303-556-5000 (from your cell phone – this number goes directly to our campus police and they will respond faster since they are on campus)
  • Text-a-Tip: 720-593-TIPS (8477)

Troubleshooting Access to Spaces

If you are needing access to Central Classroom Building, the Social Work Offices, and/or the Social Work Classrooms, please make sure you have your MSU Denver ID and send an email to Rae Wiegand, [email protected]

If you have already emailed and been given access and are still having issues, please call Access Control while standing at the door you are trying to enter so that they can trouble shoot. Their phone number is 303-556-4296.