Academic Department and Program Retreats

As part of the overall assessment process that occurs at the College, each department and program is expected to coordinate regular assessment procedures to ensure appropriate attention to student learning. As part of these assessment procedures each academic department and program may hold an annual meeting (i.e., a retreat), typically at the end of the spring semester, but possibly occurring at other times (e.g., late summer, early Fall semester). The purpose of these annual meetings is to provide an opportunity for departments and programs to review and revise curricular goals, consider the effectiveness of the curriculum in meeting those goals, and to plan for future years. Additional information about the specific expectations and objectives of these retreats can be found under “End-of-year meetings” in section II-B.18 Assessment of the Handbook for Instructional Staff.

Planning

Please consider equity and accessibility when selecting a time, duration, and location, and assess whether these decisions place undue burden on some faculty members. The following guidelines must be met: 

  1. Held during normal business hours (i.e., no evenings, overnights or weekends)
  2. Use of an Approved Retreat/Meeting Space (listed below)

Note: In rare extenuating circumstances, a department or program can ask for an exception to these two guidelines. The request must be made the the Provost Office at least 4 weeks prior to the retreat and no reservations should be made prior to receiving approval. If the guidelines are not followed, the College will not reimburse these expenses.

Funding Requirements

  1. All expenses must adhere to the College’s business and expense policy.
  2. Departments and programs are required to submit a retreat agenda along with receipts for all reimbursement/expense reports.
  3. All expenses should be incurred and submitted by the chair of the department (or coordinator of the program), or a tenured faculty member if the chair/coordinator is not in attendance.
  4. Total cost for the event should not exceed $60 per attendee.
  5. Typically, retreats are paid for using the operating budget or department/program- specific endowed funds. If a department or program does not have the resources, they can apply for limited funding from the Provost Office. Faculty travel and research funds are not appropriate.
  6. Unallowable expenses include anything that would be considered personal entertainment or personal purchases.

 

Approved Retreat/Meeting Spaces

Most on-campus spaces are available to reserve at no cost for College-business purposes. Space is reservable through 25live up to six months in advance, or email space@swarthmore.edu to make longer-term future reservations. Please remember to adhere to Space and Use Policies, which includes the requirement to use Campus Catering for any event where food and drink costs exceed $250.

  • The Inn at Swarthmore is available to reserve at no cost to Swarthmore College events (must be paid with direct bill to the department/program account). Ordering food is required, but is comparable to per diem rates.
  • The Friends Meeting House in Swarthmore offers space rentals for groups up to 250, and there is no fee for Swarthmore faculty/staff. Please contact meeting@swarthmore.edu for availability.
  • Pendle Hill Campus (Wallingford, PA) offers facilities for retreats. Larger departments may find this space attractive. Space rentals vary by capacity.
  • Friends Center (Philadelphia, PA) offers event space downtown. Swarthmore gets a discount as a Quaker College, please reach out to Shakirah Holloway (sholloway@friendscentercorp.org) directly for reservations. Departments and programs should be able to directly bill the College.