Revision of University Fiscal Policy – Travel Policy (4/4/2011)
Treasurer Charles (Butch) Peccolo has announced that the following fiscal policy has been posted. The policy is effective April 1, 2011, and is now on the policy web site.
Several travel policy changes have been made in an effort to streamline the reimbursement process and provide clarification in certain areas. Some of the more significant changes include:
- When a stay at a business location is extended either prior to or after the business mission for personal reasons, the entire airfare is now reimbursable. Other expenses incurred during the personal portion such as meals or lodging are not reimbursable. Currently the traveler is required to document the cost of the airfare for just the business portion of the trip and the trip is treated as an exception, thereby requiring additional approvals. We have found the difference between these airfares to be negligible and have therefore removed this requirement.
- For flights outside of North America the University will reimburse coach upgrade charges for seats that provide additional leg room. The upgrade can’t include first or business class, which is still prohibited by State statute. This change was made to accommodate travelers on long flights.
- Guidance is provided for obtaining quotes that will be used in determining the amount of reimbursement for instances when a traveler leaves from a destination other than their official station or combines personal travel with business travel and includes additional destinations, or the traveler wishes to purchase a first or business class ticket. In these instances the traveler will be reimbursed the cost of the lowest discounted coach ticket for the business portion of the flight originated from their official station. If the comparable quote is obtained in accordance with these changes, the reimbursement request will not be treated as an exception. Currently, policy doesn’t address these situations and trips of this nature are treated as an exception requiring additional approvals.
- Clarification is provided for airline code share with respect to the Fly America Act.
- Clarification is provided regarding the reimbursement of local mileage. It specifically prohibits the reimbursement of commuting miles from the traveler’s home to their official work station. The requirement to claim the lesser of miles from their official station to the business meeting or the traveler’s home to the business meeting was removed from policy.
- Clarification was provided that ATM fees are not reimbursable.
- Clarifies that if a traveler elects not to eat a conference provided meal, the deduction for the meal should still be taken. Otherwise, the University is purchasing the same meal twice.
All university business managers whose faculty and staff travel should read and understand the guidelines provided in this policy.
