Caregiving and Conferencing: Supporting Faculty Participation in Conference Travel

Abstract

Participation in academic conferences is vital to faculty careers. A statewide program in West Virginia sought to remove travel-related barriers for scholars by reimbursing caregiving costs incurred from traveling. While women were the majority of applicants, faculty of immigrant status and those of color reported more benefits from travel. Family travel funds were requested most often to offset childcare responsibilities for dual career couples. For institutions aiming to implement intersectional, multipronged approaches to institutional change, supporting family travel is vital for the professional development of underrepresented faculty.