Start-up Funds Policy, Procedure, and Guidelines

Rooted in the belief that dual pursuits of strong teaching and active scholarship nurture and strengthen each other, Earlham College is invested in cultivating teacher-scholars. To continue and to advance that model, the college seeks to recruit and retain tenure-line faculty with significant potential for scholarly, creative, and entrepreneurial activities by making start-up funds available to them during their time as pre-tenure faculty.

The following policy is meant to ensure sound business practices, timely and accurate recording of expenses, compliance with college policies, and compliance with tax regulations under the Internal Revenue Code.

Faculty start-up funds are intended to support new faculty members by supporting expenses related to their research, scholarly, and creative activities over a defined period of time, typically up to five years. Broadly speaking, these funds are meant to jumpstart the scholarly agenda of new faculty and to help position them for success in the tenure review process. Faculty start-up funds are not considered personal compensation and may not be used to supplement a faculty member’s academic year or summer salary or to cover personal expenses of any kind.

All assets purchased with start-up funds are the property of Earlham College and are permanently retained by the College unless otherwise negotiated with the Provost. Examples of assets include—but are not limited to—computers, lab equipment, printers, scanners, office furniture, etc. (Replacements are not guaranteed should damage or breakage occur; faculty should approach the Dean of Faculty, so the College can ascertain what, if any, remediation it can offer.)

The College prohibits the use of faculty start-up funds for gifts of any kind, donations, alcohol, flowers, works of art, home office expenses, cell phones, non-academic streaming services, personal website expenses, non-research or non-professional conference related travel, or any costs unrelated to faculty research or scholarly activities.

In the event of a faculty member’s departure from Earlham, any unspent start-up funds, assets, or other items remain with the College unless otherwise negotiated with the Provost. If the faculty member has announced plans to leave Earlham, no expenditures will be allowed from start-up funds without the prior approval of the Provost. (Note: a departing faculty member may be able to negotiate a buy-out option for eligible items and must first contact the Associate Academic Dean for Faculty to explore this possibility.)

Initial sum of start-up funds will be negotiated when a verbal offer of employment is made to the faculty candidate by the Provost or Associate Academic Dean for Faculty, who will invite the candidate to submit a start-up funds request.

• This request should include a general budget linked to a broad scholarly or artistic agenda spanning the first several years of the faculty member’s employment.
• Once this request is on file and approved by the Provost, a start-up amount will be formally offered in a letter from Human Resources, signed by the college president. Significant deviations in the budget in subsequent years must be approved by the Provost.
• Note: The finalization of the start-up funds request may post-date the start of the faculty member’s appointment but may not go beyond the first six months of that appointment.

Start-up funds are normally to be spent within the first five years of the new faculty member’s employment. During each of those years, unspent start-up funds will carry over to the next fiscal year.

The awarded start-up funds will not be available after a tenure decision has been communicated unless an express agreement has been reached between the faculty member and the Provost.

Expenses typically covered by start-up funds for newly hired faculty include:

• Conference travel;
• Specialized accessories and software for work directly related to the requester’s scholarly agenda;
• Books, journals, electronic resources, special laboratory and office supplies;
• Designated research travel associated with start-up or transition. This would include travel to special collections, consultations with collaborators, professional development opportunities, etc.; and
• Scientific equipment and materials/supplies not already available for the faculty member’s use.

All expense receipts from faculty start-up funds must be submitted to the College via the procedures outlined by the Accounting Office.

Use of startup funds must follow Earlham’s existing purchasing guidelines, including the Business Expense Policy, Purchasing and Contract Authority and Responsibility, and annual budgeting procedures.

In the event a faculty member separates from Earlham, the Provost’s office, in consultation with ITS, will determine what happens with any technology purchased with startup funds.

Amendments to this policy are made with the approval of the Provost.

June 11, 2025 – Approved by Lori K. Schroeder, Provost

• May 8 – June 11, 2025 – Open comment for proposed policy