Programmatic Support

Course Funds

Course Funds may be available to support your class by providing funding for a guest speaker, additional materials/equipment, and/or funding for a field trip; however, course funds may not be used for any food-related expense or meals provided for your course.

Please connect with department staff to verify available funding and for additional policy information:

If you have any questions about the policies, please be in contact with the Assistant DFO.

Guest Speaker Honoraria

If course funds are used to hire a guest speaker, first verify funding with your studio manager or the appropriate Department staff, then please fill out the Guest Honorarium webform to enter your request into the Department's processing queue. 

  • The Department has a sliding scale for honoraria based upon the course length and the audience:
    • $250 for a 1-hour undergraduate course visit
    • $350 for a 2-hour undergraduate course visit
    • $300 for a 1-hour graduate seminar course visit
    • $400 for a 2-hour graduate seminar course visit
    • $500 for a 3-hour graduate seminar course visit
    • $500 for a workshop for either graduates or undergraduates
  • With limited exceptions, only non-Stanford affiliate guests may be paid honoraria to speak for your course. To pay a Stanford-affiliated guest speaker, please inquire with Director of Finance & Operations.

The honoraria is inclusive of all compensation paid to the guest. Additional compensation or arrangements for parking or transportation are not permitted. It is expected that the guest will make their own arrangements, if applicable.

Honoraria Policies

Honoraria will not be paid sooner than the date of the guest speaker's visit; however, the Department recommends submitting your Guest Honorarium webform as soon as the speaking engagement is confirmed. Delays in submitting your request will result in payment delays.

Before submitting a webform, please confirm with the appropriate Department staff to verify funding and to identify the PTA (the funding account) to which the honorarium will be applied. Please also gather the following information from the guest:

  • Full Legal Name
  • Email Address
  • Legal Address
  • Citizenship (Required for tax purposes; foreign speakers visiting the U.S. must have a J-1, B-1, or WB visa [OR request for a visa waiver (ESTA)] to receive honoraria from the University if they are speaking on campus or remotely from a location in the U.S. Visas are not required if the guest is speaking remotely from a foreign location.)
  • Preferred Payment Method (Mailed Check, Electronic/ACH Deposit, or Foreign Wire). Please note:
    • Mailed Check is the default payment method and is the easiest/quickest account to set up.
    • Electronic/ACH Deposit requires payees to later input their bank routing information, requiring additional steps in the payee setup process.
    • Foreign Wire incurs an additional $35 fee that will be allocated against your available funding. Foreign wires are typically required when paying any foreign guest as most foreign banking institutions no longer accept physical checks. The setup process for Foreign Wire also requires additional steps in the payee setup process.

Additional considerations:

  • The federal government requires the University to withhold 30% of any honorarium payment when the payee does not have an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) or Social Security Number (SSN). If a foreign payee has an ITIN or SSN, they will need to claim their country's tax treaty through the appropriate IRS forms to avoid the 30% withholding. The Department cannot assist with this.
  • The Department does not permit "topping" up honoraria to account for tax withholding.
  • With limited exceptions, only non-Stanford affiliate guests may be paid to speak for a course. To bring in a Stanford-affiliated guest speaker, please inquire with Director of Finance & Operations.

For additional information, please refer to Stanford's Administrative Guide, Chapter 5.3.6 Payments to Nonemployees, Section 5. Foreign Visitors

Field Trip Planning

Faculty & Lecturers wishing to plan a field trip during the quarter must first check with your Department Administrator to ensure Department funds are available and to become aware of all applicable policies and procedures. 

Liability Waiver Form

The Liability Waiver Form must be completed prior to departure. Please email this form to your students for them to electronically date & sign it. Once students sign and date electronically, they should then upload the completed form here.

Mandatory/Required Participation Field Trips

Faculty can make a field trip mandatory for a particular course, as long as certain requirements are met:

  1. The field trip requirement must be clearly stated on the syllabus, including the date and time commitment associated with the field trip. Students must be fully informed of the requirement at the start of the quarter and well in advance of the final study list deadline so that they can make an informed decision about whether or not their schedule can accommodate that requirement.
  2. The syllabus should note any grade penalty for not participating in the field trip and whether or not there are opportunities to make-up the field trip.
  3. There should be a policy on what happens should a student not be able to participate due to unanticipated circumstances beyond their control. 

Additional considerations if the field trip is required:

  • If students are expected to bear a partial cost associated with the field trip, there must be a mechanism to ensure that no student is denied the opportunity because of inability to pay.
  • The department must coordinate with the Office of Academic Advising to ensure that any students with disabilities are fully able to participate.
  • There must be equal opportunity to participate.

Even if the instructor decides to offer the field trip but not require it, the department should take steps to ensure equal opportunity for all students to participate. These considerations apply to both undergraduate and graduate course activities. 

Transportation Options

  • Stanford Transportation Charter Services
  • AAH Lyft Vouchers. 
    • This program is set up to facilitate transportation of the department’s guests, students, faculty, and staff across the SF Bay Area without creating the need for reimbursement. Lyft vouchers are made accessible with a unique code that the rider enters in the payment section of the Lyft Mobile App. Codes can be requested with the Faculty Support Specialist. At this point, tips are not covered by the Lyft voucher and will be charged to a personal credit card linked to the Mobile App.

Class Materials for Art Practice Courses

Contact your Lab Manager for the ordering of any class materials (drawing paper, printmaking ink, canvas, etc.). Please order your materials at least two weeks before you need them. There are set budgets for classroom supplies which can be discussed with your Lab Manager.

Film Rentals for Class Screenings

The University Library has a collection of DVDs. If they do not have a specific film, you can make a request to Media Collections on the lower level of Green Library asking that they add the film to their collection. You may then place the film on reserve for the quarter, for your class use.

Requests for 16mm prints should be made to the Assistant DFO at least four weeks prior to the screening date. Requests should include: title, producer, screening date, and distributor (if known). The department will provide a film projectionist for your screening.

Department Events and Public Relations Support

The Events & Communications Manager is responsible for planning and publicizing most events within the department. These events include the Studio Lecture Series, the Weintz Art Lecture Series, the Christensen Distinguished Lecture, exhibition openings, student film screening receptions, and many public lectures.

The Department hosts 80+ large and small events per year, although not all events are organized and managed by the Events & Communications Manager. Should you be planning an event, please clear your date with the Events & Communications Manager in advance, so the department may avoid any potential conflicts that could affect attendance. They may also assist with promoting your event through various online avenues.

To subscribe to the Department's announcements and annual newsletter, please visit the Department's "Subscribe" webform.

Doc Film Edit Rooms and Screenings

Documentary Film MFA program students are assigned to an edit room which they have access to for the academic year. Access to building is 24/7, with some closures of the building due to University scheduling.  Access to equipment and facilities is strictly reserved for class instruction and is not permitted for projects outside of coursework. Quarterly screenings of student work is typically the last Friday of classes for Undergraduates and during finals week for Graduate Students. The MFA Thesis Screening takes place on the day before Commencement in June.

Back to Top