POLICY STATEMENT

The College will fund recruitment and relocation costs, within the guidelines described below, associated with the fill of approved faculty positions.  This policy applies to all Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor positions budgeted in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, including the Geneva Experiment Station. This policy does not apply to other academic positions (i.e., Research Associate, Lecturer).

REASON FOR POLICY

Prior to July 1, 1984, relocation and recruitment costs associated with filling approved faculty positions were borne by the unit conducting the search.  Subsequent to recruiting and filling an approved faculty position, many units made after-the-fact requests for funds to cover recruitment and relocation costs.  As a result, the College incurred unbudgeted expenditures and units were providing inconsistent expense allowances for new faculty.  It was determined that the College should set established expenditure guidelines and provide funding.

PROCESS
1) A “Faculty Recruitment and Relocation” account has been established in the Dean’s Office for Ithaca positions and in the Director’s Office for the Geneva Experiment Station positions, to record all such costs.
2) The advertising plan and cost estimate will be reviewed as part of the Search Plan Proposal.
3) Purchase orders, payment requests, and reimbursements for recruitment and relocation costs will be forwarded to Cheryl Yaw (Finance Specialist, CALS Dean’s Office, 250 Roberts Hall) for review.  Transactions will be forwarded to the CALS Finance BSC for processing after review.
4) Costs exceeding those allowable, in accordance with these guidelines, will be charged back to the Department/Section.  An account number will be provided by the department which can be used for these charges.

ALLOWABLE COSTS
1) Advertising costs as detailed in the approved Search Plan Proposal.  John Lemley is the contact for advertising placement.
2) The actual cost of travel, meals, and lodging for up to three applicants per faculty position will be covered.  Prior approval of Associate Dean Bill Fry will be required for:
·        Reimbursement of more than three applicant travel expenses;
·        Additional visits to Cornell, either for second interview or house hunting;
·        Costs relating to additional family members’ travel.
3) Reimbursement of dinner expense with each candidate will be paid by the College.
·        Limit:  $40 per person, not to exceed $200 in total, including tax/tips.  The College will not cover expenses associated with alcoholic beverages which are the Department’s responsibility.
·        A list of attendees must be included with meal receipts.
4) The cost of breakfast and luncheon meetings with faculty candidates will be the responsibility of the Department/Section.
5) The College will pay the actual cost of household relocation up to, but not exceeding, the total authorized by the University (see excerpt from Faculty Handbook), or as outlined in the appointment letter.
·        The new faculty member will be contacted by The Finance BSC representative to obtain:
o       Quotations for moving expenditures (minimum of two) from Cornell preferred movers.
·        Relocation costs for other than normal household items (cars, boats, travel trailers) require Associate Dean Bill Fry’s approval prior to obtaining moving estimates from moving companies.
6) Requests to fund office and/or laboratory relocation costs must be negotiated with Associate Dean Bill Fry prior to the move and preferably prior to the hiring commitment.

DEPARTMENT STAFF RESPONSIBILITY

NOTE:  All receipts and payment requests must indicate the faculty position for which the job applicant is interviewing.

It is the department’s responsibility to: 
1) Coordinate placement of advertising with John Lemley, Human Resources, Roberts Hall.
2) Coordinate travel arrangements for job applicants:
·        Job applicants can make their own travel arrangements and request reimbursement after travel is completed, or
·        department staff can:
o       Make air travel reservations through the Cornell travel office.
§         Cheryl Yaw can provide the correct Faculty Recruitment and Relocation account number to use.
§         Cheryl should be chosen as the air requisition approver.
o       Make hotel reservations.
§         Statler Club will direct charge the Faculty Recruitment and Relocation account.
§         Some local hotels (ie, Best Western) will invoice for room charges.  Invoices should be sent to department contact person and forwarded to Cheryl Yaw with notation referencing the faculty position.
·        Collect travel receipts and forward to Cheryl Yaw along with the Non-Cornell Travel Attestation form.  This form can be found here. A signed letter from applicant can be substituted for the form.
·        Forward all original receipts to Cheryl Yaw for payment.

CONTACTS

Direct inquires to:

• Cheryl Yaw, CALS Financial Affairs Office, 250 Roberts Hall (4-8010), or
• Dorothy Robertson, CALS Finance Business Service Center (5-0765).

FROM FACULTY HANDBOOK:

MOVING ALLOWANCE

At the discretion of the appropriate dean, director, or executive officer, new academic staff members may be reimbursed for the costs of moving to Cornell.

All moving allowances are paid from University funds; the allowances cannot be directly charged to a sponsored project or included as cost sharing.

If the employee will be using a commercial moving company to move household goods, CALS Finance BSC staff will work with the employee and Cornell’s Office of Purchasing Services in order to assure best price, issuance of a purchase order, and direct payment by Cornell.

Payments for moving, which are not paid directly by Cornell to a moving company, are processed as a travel reimbursement. The employee receives the actual reimbursement in a paycheck because of IRS reporting requirements. Caution: IRS classifies indirect moving expenses (i.e., house hunting trips, hotel expenses upon arrival, meals in transit, etc.) as taxable wages. Some units limit reimbursements to direct moving expenses as defined by tax law to avoid taxable implications to the employee.

Business Service Centers should maintain agreements related to the move and notify the Office of Tax Compliance if an employee does not complete one year of service.