Our Pay As You Are Able Model (PAYAA)

With VELI, HuMetricsHSS is experimenting with an equitable approach to sustainability. We believe that institutions should be willing to invest in their own transformation while acknowledging that there are a host of conditions that can impede that investment, including vast differences in institutional fiscal stability.

Without external support, the estimated cost of VELI would be approximately $7500 per person or $30,000 per team of four. These costs include transportation (ground and air), food, lodging, conference space, and venue and facilitation fees.

However, thanks to the generous support of the Mellon and William and Flora Hewlett Foundations, HuMetricsHSS is able to offset participation costs for institutional teams using a "Pay As You Are Able" model. Under the PAYAA model, we are asking teams to let us know how much they or their institutions are willing to contribute (up to a maximum of $10,000 per team) to the cost of their attendance at VELI. For example, a team from a university that holds a substantial endowment and provides professional development funding might contribute $10,000 towards the cost of VELI, whereas a team primarily funded through tuition income and with minimal or no professional development budget might be unable to contribute at all.

This approach means that some teams' VELI attendance costs might be wholly or partly defrayed by their institutions, while others may receive full support from us.

Comparable online-only professional development experiences have a price that ranges from $5,000-$6,000 per person. Comparable in-person professional development experiences are offered at prices around $10,000 per person. This financial approach was agreed upon by the HuMetricsHSS team based on the guiding values of transparency, reflection, equity, sustainability, and reciprocity.

No team will be turned away on the basis of their institution's ability to contribute to the costs of participation. No matter what their affiliation, teams should not hesitate to apply based on perceptions of their ability to contribute.

Participation costs in VELI includes the following:

• Five days' expert facilitation in values-enacted decision making
• Meeting rooms, A/V, and meeting supplies
• Travel and transportation: airfare; ground transportation during the event; baggage charges; per diem on travel days (Sunday/Friday).
• Accommodation for five (5) nights.
• Meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, tea, and snacks) during VELI

How to PAYAA

Participants will be asked to reflect on the following financial conditions to determine what amount their institution may be able to contribute:

• Institution type
• Institutional endowment
• Availability of professional development and travel resources
• Availability of funding from other institutional sources (provosts, deans, research funds, internal grants)
• Historical expenditures on leadership training and professional development