Travel Expense Management Guidelines and Procedures
Proper management of travel expenses is crucial to ensure compliance with university policies. This document outlines internal controls, use of blanket travel authorizations, credit card approval processes, and guidelines for car rentals. It also provides instructions for accessing online accounts and handling insurance coverage for rented vehicles.
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Contact information: Karen M. Jones kmj004@uark.edu uatravel@uark.edu 479/575-8414 479/575-3166 (fax) http://travel.uark.edu/
Travel Internal Controls TA s should be set up in advance of purchases/cut-off date, administrative t-card charges to be approved regularly Proper use of in-state blanket travel authorizations: In-state travel only administrative t-card charges for out-of-state trips should not be approved against in-state blankets All administrative t-card charges approved against an in-state blanket must have a claim filed in order to properly document trip details (even if no reimbursable expenses will be filed) Mileage logs should span a 30 day period when possible (Washington, Benton, Madison County only) and must not include meals, lodging etc. (mileage only) New BASIS job available Job name: UPJTCACC Use of LETA function to identify outstanding t-card charges to be filed on a claim (blanket TA s) Check command LOTR regularly to view traveler t-card charges outstanding claims should be filed within 30 days of trip end date
US Bank website Register your account to view online at https://access.usbank.com/cpsApp1/AxolComLogonServlet Short name: STAR
Car Rental Update Insurance Car rental under contract is covered 100% for employees with no deductible (when rented under contract, not retail site) Off-contract rentals are covered by University insurance with deductible International rentals may or may not be covered under Enterprise/National/Hertz contract, must call reservations at International Booking Line: 800 227 3876 and inquire about coverage based upon geographic region do not recommend booking international reservations online Drop fee applies when returning car at alternate location for one-way rental (do not book using online tool, wrong rate being applied) GPS is normally not allowed unless needed for safety, must receive prior approval Students (not employed) are not covered under our car rental contract for insurance. Please see student travel policy for proper procedure: http://vcfa.uark.edu/Documents/3324.pdf Use of off-contract car rental agency must be approved by exception prior to rental
Carlson Wagonlit Travel Profile Recently updated laws and business regulations have required that the following information be listed on the traveler s profile. An incomplete profile may result in delays in booking and travelling. The information required is listed below: Required Full, legal name as it appears on your passport or government-issued ID card. Date of birth. Gender. Phone number (preferably mobile). Passport information (or indicate no passport ). Citizenship. Contact Karen Jones at kmj004@uark.edu to reset password or add new profiles. For bookings by phone contact Heather Beard at 877/222-6188
Proper documentation Travel Claims Lodging (room-sharing), if both parties are employees, the charge must be split, if family/guest must document the single occupancy rate Lodging amenities must be entered separately on the claim under the miscellaneous section (parking, internet, room service etc.) Official functions (no local meals allowed) deduct employees portion from per diem max, document who was in attendance, function name, detailed receipt Group travel must include list of attendees with the travel claim Guest travel authorizations, vendor ID should be set up with SSN prior to booking airfare, etc. to ensure that a TA is in place prior to travel Valet Parking must justify use, (examples: safety, only parking available, etc.) Internet/Phone calls comment needed to justify that it was used for business purposes Prepare claims for scanning legible receipts, one-sided copies, small receipts taped to 8 x 11 paper to avoid lost receipts
Proper documentation Travel Claims Miscellaneous expenses (books, fedex charges, copies, etc.) related to the travel must have a comment of justification with the claim form Taxi tips are not allowed to be reimbursed, remove from reimbursement total prior to submitting claim Meal tips individual not to exceed 15%, group 20% per diem max still applies Preferred seating not allowed unless required, exception must be approved in advance and documented on the receipt or claim Airline tickets purchased less than 14 days in advance require comment of justification Airfare trip insurance not allowed, unless prior exception received (due to travel warnings, weather, etc.) Domestic normally allow one day before/after trip, any additional travel time must be documented International allow up to two days before/after trip for lengthy flights, additional time must be documented Business trips that include additional days of vacation travel must not add additional cost to the University, document on TA/Claim Car rental, must use Enterprise, National, Hertz mandated contract unless exception given prior to booking travelers
Tutorial on International Travel Registration Managed through the U of A Office of Study Abroad and International Exchange Questions? Email intltravel@uark.edu Or contact: Office of Study Abroad and International Exchange 722 W. Maple St. tel. 575-7582
Why Do We Register International Travel? 1. SAFETY The University can t respond or assist if we don t know where you are. 2. INSTITUTIONAL DATA We are a globally engaged university and should be proud of our growing number of students, faculty and staff gaining significant international experiences. Numbers are important. 3. ACCOUNTABILITY Good risk management reflects good stewardship of resources and care for our university students, faculty and staff.
All students, faculty and staff travelling outside of the United States for any period of time on a University related activity. Exception: students already applying or accepted for study abroad through the study abroad office and faculty leaders for our approved study abroad programs are not asked to complete this registration as it is a duplication of information we will have already collected. Who Should be Registered Before Traveling Abroad? When Should People Register? The earlier the better but at least 4-6 weeks prior to travel and before a request for Travel Authorization is made on BASIS. Important: No university funds may be authorized prior to approval for student travel.
What Information is Needed? 1. Traveler(s) name and ID# 2. Passport information 3. Dates of Travel 4. Purpose of Travel 5. Destinations (cities/countries) 6. Emergency Contact Info. Intended Travel to Travel Warning Countries The University of Arkansas does not currently support travel, research or study in a country where non-essential travel is not recommended by the U.S. State Department. Travel to any country under a current Travel Warning (as opposed to an alert or worldwide caution ) is not authorized without petition to the IEAC and approval through the Chancellor s Executive Committee. Go to: http://provost.uark.edu/1835.00_Petition__for_Travel_Exception.pdf
STEPS for International Travel Registration 1. Go to: http://studyabroad.uark.edu/employeetravel/ OR http://studyabroad.uark.edu/independentstudenttravel/ 2. Click on box for either the traveler or the administrator (proxy) 3. Log in (UA email address and password accepted) 4. Complete each question with traveler information. 5. Submit Registration. Upon submission, you will receive an email confirmation from intltravel@uark.edu. 6. Forward the email confirmation to the administrative assistant in your dept. who will add Completed Int l Travel Registration on (date) to the TA request through BASIS. This completes the travel registration requirement unless otherwise notified by the Office of Study Abroad. Students will receive a follow up email indicating approval within 5 days.
The following screen shots are for faculty and staff registration: If you plan to register a GROUP that combines faculty and students, you may use the faculty/staff registration form. You will be asked to register the primary faculty/staff traveler and then email an excel sheet providing information on the additional travelers. http://studyabroad.uark.edu/employeetravel/ For the registration of students travelling independently outside of the U.S. (other than study abroad): http://studyabroad.uark.edu/independentstudenttravel/
Upon submitting, the traveler will receive an automated email shown on the next slide. Note: This management tool currently does not allow travelers or proxies to retrieve travel and passport information. Therefore, travelers must complete a new registration for each trip or to make changes to a trip already registered in the system. We hope these improvements will be possible in the future.
This is an automated notification that an application has been created on the Office of Study Abroad web site: Applicant: Samantha Sample Email: ssample@uark.edu Program: Faculty/Staff: International Travel Registration Rome, Italy From: 11/3/2013 To: 11/12/2013 Thank you for completing this registration! Please email this confirmation to the administrative assistant in your dept. who will note this registration on BASIS when processing your Travel Authorization request. We have also attached some information below that may be helpful even for our more seasoned travelers... TRA VEL DOCUMENTS Entry Requirements vary by country and many counties require visas to be obtained prior to travel, even for U.S. citizens. This may impact individuals traveling as tourists or professionals even for a short stay. Make sure that you under- stand the requirements well ahead of your planned trip so that you can secure the necessary travel documents. The best information is generally found through the country embassy website: http://www.embassy.org/embassies/ COUNTRY INFORMATION An excellent source of information for travelers is available through the U.S. Department of State: Country descriptions include medical facilities, traffic safety, crime, entry/exit requirements, how to sign up for Travel Alerts, etc. http://travel.state.gov/ TRA VELERS HEALTH The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides immunizations requirements and recommendations. Travel notices are designed to inform travelers about current health issues related to specific destinations. http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel For consultation or immunizations, feel free to contact the University Travel Clinic, located in the Pat Walker Health Clinic: on the web HEALTH INSURANCE U of A Benefit eligible employees automatically have travel assistance coverage through Assist America. This travel assistance coverage comes to the University through our association with UNUM, the University's provider for Life Insurance and Long Term Disability Insurance. For more information about this coverage and how United Healthcare Options cover illness outside of the U.S., contact the Office of Human Resources: http://hr.uark.edu/benefits/ .
THANK YOU! Be sure to let us know if you have any questions or concerns as you complete the international travel registration process! intltravel@uark.edu Office of Study Abroad and International Exchange 722 W. Maple St. Fayetteville, AR 72701 tel. 479 575 7582 fax 479 575 7402 http://studyabroad.uark.edu/
