SPIRIT Fund

Design Your Own SPIRIT Event

With advance notice and submission of an online application, funding is available to professors and pre-major advisors who propose a new way of interacting with students beyond the classroom. SPIRIT can help defray the cost of taking your class to see a play or concert, hosting your advisees to dinner at your home.

SPIRIT Applications

We accept applications during the following timeframes:

• Fall Semester: September 1 - October 15 for events planned for the fall semester
• Spring Semester: January 1-February 15 for events planned for the spring semester
• Summer: SPIRIT Program funds are not available during the summer

We do consider SPIRIT requests received after these deadlines but funding will be limited and priority will be given to outings with your pre-major advisees and academic activities (e.g., taking your class to see a play, refreshments for class debate open to rest of campus).
 
To apply, go to the SPIRIT online application form.

SPIRIT Budget Guidelines

The amount you request should be under $350 per course, event, or program. If approved, SPIRIT will cover the cost of the outing via the program Apptricity. Please see the "Reimbursement Through SPIRIT" section below for more information. 

SPIRIT is intended to defray the costs of faculty-student socializing, with smart budgeting, SPIRIT may be able to pay for the entire cost, or may share costs with your academic department. 

• For class field trips and advisee outings to cultural events such as concerts, plays or museum attendance, expect a limit of $12 per ticket per student. SPIRIT has a cap of 30 students per outing.
• If you take your students out to a restaurant, expect a limit of $10 per student, with a cap of 20 students per outing.
• If you host a meal for your students at your home, expect a limit of $100 for the entire meal. For cost-sharing with academic departments for academic/cultural programs, such as a foreign-language film series, SPIRIT generally contributes $200, depending on attendance.

Per Tufts policy, do not serve alcohol or include receipts for alcoholic beverages in your reimbursement request. 

Types of Student-Faculty Events and Programs Eligible for SPIRIT Support

• Class field trips (e.g., museum, concert, theater, cultural event)
• Outings with advisees (e.g., apple picking, bowling, pizza)
• Hosting dinner at your home for your pre-major advisees
• Class event open to the rest of campus (debate, performance, research presentation)
• Program overseen by department (e.g., film series sponsored by academic department)
• Special student-faculty academic events (e.g., refreshments for Phi Beta Kappa induction ceremony)

Not Supported by SPIRIT

• In-class parties or ordering pizza and refreshments for your class while class is in session
• Faculty-only events or events primarily for faculty and staff
• Student-only events or events sponsored by student organizations
• Departmental parties (e.g., department Christmas party, staff retirement party)
• Events aimed primarily at graduate students (See dean of appropriate graduate school for SPIRIT-type funding specifically for graduate students)
• Research expenses (Undergraduate research expenses may be eligible for reimbursement through the Undergraduate Research Fund.)
• Honoraria for visiting artists, lecturers, scholars, or refreshments for poetry readings, lectures, etc. (The dean of the appropriate school may have funding set aside for this purpose)
• Student publications (Students should apply for student activities funding through the Office of Student Life)
• Field trips and events for Ex-College classes. (See Ex-College for events directly related to your course.)
• Alcoholic beverages

Reimbursement through SPIRIT

Reimbursements through SPIRIT are done using the program e-Expense/Apptricity. Information about e-Expense can be found here: https://access.tufts.edu/apptricity.

Keep your receipts! We cannot reimburse you without receipts. 

• For out-of-pocket expenses over $50, submit a Business Expense Report through Tufts' e-Expense system. Keep all receipts and scan them to e-Expense or submit them to your department administrator, who may be able to assist you with e-Expense. Select Jennifer Gates as the ad-hoc approver and SPIRIT will cover the payment when the report is sent for approval. 
• If you do not have a Tufts Travel MasterCard or Purchasing Card or made purchases out of pocket, you are eligible for reimbursement, however, this must be done using e-Expense