Date, Time, and Location:   The workshop will begin June 3, 2009 at 8:30 AM in Room 28A, VMTH Bldg. of the Veterinary School on the TAMU Campus, and will end June 4, 2009 at ~4:00 PM.

Lodging:  Participants living > 70 miles away and needing lodging will lodge at the La Quinta Inn at the rate of $58.50 per room/night (plus local taxes).

La Quinta Inn                                 Block Name:  Texas A&M PEER Workshop
607 Texas Avenue 
College Station, TX  77840              Hotel Reservations must be made by May 11th.
Ph:  (979) 696-7777                        (All reserved rooms are non-smoking with double beds.)

      Teachers who live >70 miles from the workshop and need lodging must contact the hotel and reserve a room in their name from the “TAMU PEER Workshop” block of rooms by May 11, 2009. Participants must guarantee their rooms with a personal credit card, and then, when checking in to the hotel, participants will present a letter from us (which we will mail to qualified participants) directing the hotel to bill TAMU for the room(s) instead of your credit card. Having room charges direct billed to TAMU will circumvent the reimbursement process and prevent participants from having out-of-pocket expenses for lodging.
      Should you not be able to attend this workshop, it is the participant's responsibility to cancel their hotel reservation by 6:00 PM the day of arrival to prevent a charge to your credit card.

Directions to the Hotel:   Arriving into town on State Hwy 6, turn west on University Drive and proceed ~ 2 miles and turn south on Texas Avenue.  Drive south for 1 block and turn left.  The hotel will be on your left.  See the map below:    
 
Checking into Hotel:   Participants lodging at the La Quinta Inn will check in under their own name, having already called and reserved a room in their name under the Texas A&M PEER Workshop block of rooms.  Upon check in, participants must present La Quinta with a letter directing them to bill our account for their room.  This letter will be mailed to participants needing lodging as the workshop date approaches.

Directions from the Hotel to the Workshop:  From the La Quinta Inn, participants will travel north back to University Drive and proceed westward on University Drive for ~ 2.1 miles to the intersection of University and Agronomy Rd.  (During these 2.1 miles you will travel through several traffic lights, ultimately passing under a railroad track just before arriving at the intersection of University and Agronomy Rd.).  Turn right on Agronomy Road, travel ~300 ft., and take the first left into Parking Lot “PA 36”.  Upon arrival into the parking lot, you should be met by a PEER staff member who will have a “Parking Pass” for you to place on the dash of your vehicle.  Once you have parked, proceed southwest and enter the VMS building.

Directions to Room 28A, VMTH Building:  Enter the VMS building and proceed down the hall (west) ~ 420 ft. until you come to a “T” in the hallway.  Take the hallway to your right and proceed ~ 50 ft.  Room 28A will be on your left.

Travel and Meal Reimbursement:  Participants living in the same city (leaving for and returning from the workshop at the same time of day) should carpool to the workshop if at all possible. Texas law prevents reimbursement of  individuals who do not carpool when appropriate. Before leaving home, participants should record their beginning odometer reading for their vehicle as participants are required to keep a beginning and ending odometer reading to and from the workshop, and to keep all meal receipts in order to obtain reimbursement.  For participants lodging at the La Quinta Inn, a Continental Breakfast will be provided consisting of bagels, donuts, cereals, milk, juices, coffee and fruit, etc.  PEER will provide lunch on both days of the workshop.
          During the trip to and from the workshop, teachers driving to the workshop will be reimbursed for automobile travel at a rate of $0.38 per mile traveled per vehicle.  All workshop participants will be reimbursed up to $28 per day per teacher for meals (up to $6 for breakfast, $7 for lunch, and $15 for dinner) provided that participants fill out and sign a travel reimbursement form (which will be provided at the workshop) including the participant’s name, mailing address, and social security number, plus a beginning and ending odometer reading for the trip.  Reimbursements for meals and travel, and payment for lodging for any teacher will not exceed a total of $225.

    NOTE: Alcohol costs incurred during meals IS NOT considered part of “meals”, and cannot be reimbursed.  To obtain reimbursement for travel and meals, participants must write their names on any meal receipts and return them with their Travel Reimbursement Form to:

                                                Ms. Sandra Reyes
                                                Department of VIBS - MS # 4458
                                                College of Veterinary Medicine
                                                College Station, TX 77843-4458

            We look forward to your attendance of our PEER Veterinarian Black Bag Curriculum Workshop to be held in College Station on June 3-4, 2009.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. 

Thank you.

Vince Hardy
PEER Workshop Coordinator
Texas A&M University
Phone: (979) 845-8339
Email:  vhardy@cvm.tamu.edu