Presentation Transcript

1. Traveling in ….Sty…le September 13, 2011 Presented by: PLPA Office Staff Social at 3:00 PM, PLPA Library Seminar at 3:30 PM, PTSC 009
2. Travel Policies/Procedures Entire UA Travel policy can be found at: http://travel.uark.edu/ Travel Preparation Travel Authorization Form: Turn your travel authorization form (TA) in at least two weeks prior to your departure. Make sure the travel dates referenced on the TA are correct! If you’re unsure of your exact departure date, reference the earliest date that you would leave. Attach receipts for any expenses already incurred, and indicate if the T-Card is or has been used. Travel Advances: If the day of departure (as indicated on the TA) is less than 7 days, the Travel Advance check must be picked up in the Treasurer’s Office (unless you have signed up for Direct Deposit). To comply with Governor's Policy Directive No. 6, all advances must be settled within thirty (30) days of return from the trip. University policy is that a Travel Claim should be submitted within five (5) working days after return. Failure to settle a travel advance balance due within 30 days will result in a payroll deduction and loss of travel advance privileges. Travel Card: o Allowable Purchases for Administrative TCard Airfare, Registration, Locally Rented and Returned Cars Lodging ONLY with prior approval, and when savings to the UA is justified (such as airfare/lodging package). The amount saved must be specified! o All tcard purchases MUST be recorded on the clipboard o An approved travel authorization form and receipts must be turned in with return of tcard Traveling Meals: o Meals may NOT be purchased for another UA employee, including Graduate Assistants. MAXIMUM MUST NOT BE CLAIMED unless expenditures were actually made. Meals Without An Overnight Stay: Travel must be to a destination of at least 200 miles from his/her official station and be in a travel status for at least ten hours to qualify. Lodging: Lodging may NOT be covered for another UA employee, including Graduate Assistants. If sharing a room with another UA employee, you MUST get separate receipts showing your share of the cost. If more than one person occupies a room, the single room rate must be noted on the receipt. If the room rate is the same regardless of number of people in room, then this too must be noted. Reimbursement for lodging is limited to the single room rate, plus applicable taxes. Miscellaneous Expenses: All miscellaneous expenses incurred in connection with travel reimbursement requests must be clearly identified and explained in detail on the travel expense statement. Charges incurred in storing, handling, and transporting items used in connection with an employee's official travel and standard charges for handling baggage other than "personal" may be reimbursed. Parking fees and toll charges for private, rental, or university owned vehicles are reimbursable and may be claimed on the Statement of Travel Expense, with appropriate receipts attached. Taxi charges may be claimed. Receipts are required for taxi charges over $25.00. Return from Travel: A Travel claim must be submitted within 5 days of return. If the claim has not been submitted within 30 days of return, the TA will be closed and no claim will be permitted.
3. Travel Authorization Form
4. Please fill out ALL fields that are appropriate. You MUST tell us if you use the T Card!! Travel Advance?? Please attach hotel confirmation and /or receipt We will assume “per diem” for meals for the TA, however the Travel Claim must state actual expenses You do not need to know the Cost Center #, a name is fine. Please obtain your Advisor/Supervisors signature before turning in to the Office for Dr. Bennett’s signature
5. Travel Advances & Travel Grants vs.
6. Travel advance vs. Grad School travel grant ADVANCE Available UPON REQUEST to all employees and students traveling on behalf of the UA. Travel Advance Agreement must be signed and is kept on file by the Treasurer's Office. Amount is based on estimated reimbursable expense for meals, lodging, taxi fares, car rental or personal vehicle mileage. Limited to 50% of estimated expense for domestic travel and 75% for international travel. MUST be settled within 30 days of return from trip! A travel claim should be submitted within 5 working days after the trip to allow time for processing and approval. The advance will be netted out against expenses with any balance immediately paid to, or due from the traveler. Will be recovered by payroll deduction as a last resort and future requests for advance will be denied! If request is made less than 7 days before trip, advance must be picked up in the Treasurer's Office BEFORE departure. Otherwise, it will be sent by campus mail. There is also the option to sign up for direct deposit through webBASIS.
7. Grad School travel grants http://grad.uark.edu/future/funding/travelgrants.php Details for application found on Grad School's website. - Available only for travel to professional conferences/meetings; one per year. PLPA office staff are not involved with the application or award but do need to be notified if a grant has been received for a specific trip. After the travel claim is processed, Grad School will reimburse the PI's cost center for the appropriate expenses. The PI is responsible for paying at least 10% of the expenses.
8. Our department has two tcards – belonging to Doris and Kim. Kim’s card is located in the Tcard clipboard at Debbie’s desk. Doris keeps her card in her office. Please keep in mind that our cards can and will be suspended if proper documentation is not provided as required. Travel Card (tcard) There is a Voyager card available for rental vehicles only! This can be checked out in the main office just prior to departure, and must be returned immediately upon return from trip.
9. Allowable Purchases for Administrative Tcard The employee whose name appears on the Travel Card is authorized and responsible for all charges on the card. It is the responsibility of every Cardholder to safeguard their card and card number against use by unauthorized individuals within or outside of the University. Under no circumstances may the Travel Card be used for items of personal use or Non-University purposes. Allowable Purchases for Administrative Tcard: ■ Airfare ■ Registration ■ Locally Rented and Returned cars ■ Lodging is allowed ONLY when it has been pre-approved, and savings to the UA can be justified. Airfare and registration may be purchased for any traveler for which a valid Travel Authorization is entered in BASIS for the trip. These charges are approved online in BASIS and supporting documentation sent to the Travel Office.NOTE: Membership fee made be paid in conjuction with registration fee ONLY if it is a requirement to purchase the registration. Attach Tcard receipts to TA or forward to Debbie and Kim as soon as possible Inform Debbie of foreign registrations BEFORE using Tcard. Due to fraud from foreign countries, the Travel Office will notify the bank of the impending charge so it is not denied. Go to Enterprise.com to print a lost receipt. Your name and driver’s license # will be required When purchasing an online package from Travelocity, etc., please make note of the airfare cost and the lodging cost – or print the screen showing the costs separately. A travel claim cannot be processed until all associated tcard transactions have been processed The membership fee MUST be included in the registration total and processed as one transaction, or the fee will be will be denied by the Travel Office
10. ALL tcard transactions need to be documented on this form! If you are unable to access this log, email information to Debbie & Kim. Exact amounts need to be recorded – please do not round off!
11. Meals http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/21287 Per Diem Rates reflect the maximum a traveler is allowed to claim. Per University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture policy, this maximum must not be claimed unless actual expenditures exceed the per diem. How is that enforced? A traveler may save all meal receipts for the trip and turn them in with their claim to document the actual amount spent. The amount submitted will be the lesser of actual expenditure or per diem. A traveler may claim an amount less than the maximum without presenting receipts. If the maximum is claimed but no receipts are presented to substantiate the actual amount spent, office personnel will deduct $5 from the per diem limit.
12. Group meals DO NOT PURCHASE MEALS FOR ANOTHER UA EMPLOYEE! They must turn in their own meals on their own travel claim for reimbursement. If you should end up paying for a group meal, you must provide the itemized receipt and a list of all people in attendance. You must also include a statement as to the purpose of the meeting. If everyone in attendance is a UA employee, the claim may be refused.
13. Meals Meals w/out an overnight stay
14. Meals without an Overnight Stay Reimbursement for meals is not normally allowed while in travel status WITHOUT an overnight stay, whether instate or out of state.  Under a ‘special authorization’ meals may be reimbursed if clear justification is provided showing economic benefit to the State (e.g. a long travel day where traveler returns home for the night rather than incurring overnight lodging expenses).  Written justification must be included with the Travel Claim either by attaching a written justification (see forms), or by entering text in the text field of the TC function.  The following conditions must exist: ● One must travel to a destination of at least 200 miles from his/her official station and be in a travel status for at least ten hours to qualify. (mileage is roundtrip) ● Claims shall not exceed the maximum daily allowance plus applicable sales tax.  Reimbursement is to be claimed for actual expenses incurred.  MAXIMUM MUST NOT BE CLAIMED unless expenditures were actually made.
15. ● The time of actual travel status must fall within these parameters: ● Breakfast may be claimed if the traveler must leave official station prior to 6:30am ● Lunch may be claimed if the traveler must leave official station prior to 11:30 am, and when returning to official station after 12:30 pm ● Dinner may be claimed if the traveler must leave official station prior to 5:00 pm, and when returning to official station after 6:30 pm Meal receipts are not required, however, only actual expenses may be claimed!
16. 100-mile radius map
17. Lodging
18. Lodging: Lodging may NOT be covered for another UA employee, including Graduate Assistants. If sharing a room with another UA employee, you MUST get separate receipts showing your share of the cost. Credit Card receipts are not accepted. If more than one person occupies a room, the single room rate must be noted on the receipt. If the room rate is the same regardless of number of people in room, then this too must be noted. Reimbursement for lodging is limited to the single room rate, plus applicable taxes.
19. Miscellaneous Expenses All misc. expenses must be clearly identified and explained in detail on the travel claim Charges incurred in storing, handling, and transporting items used in connection with official travel and standard charges for handling baggage other than “personal” may be reimbursed Parking fees & toll charges may be claimed Taxi charges – receipts for over $25.00 are required and we must have a receipt for each charge.
20. Return from Travel Travel Claim for Reimbursement
21. Return from Travel A Travel claim must be submitted within 5 days of return If the claim has not been submitted within 30 days of return, the TA may be closed and no claim will be permitted without the department head’s approval. There may be extenuating circumstances that prevent you from turning in your travel claim within 30 days.
22. Please fill out ALL fields that are appropriate. Please add your name and purpose of trip to be matched up with the matching TA that was turned in previously All dates, times, departing from, destination, and means of travel are required. Date/Time for when trip ended is required. Please add all $$ you would like reimbursed for. If it was charged to the T-Card just write T-Card in that space. Misc. expenses go here.
23. New Policies for 2011 & Reminders while Traveling in State Vehicles
24. Use Common Sense when traveling in a state vehicle! Do not drive a state vehicle home Do not transport family members in a state vehicle without prior approval Do not go to inappropriate places in a state vehicle (such as the liquor store) Etc… Remember when you are traveling, whether in a state vehicle or not, you are representing the University of Arkansas and the Division of Agriculture. Please be good stewards of our resources.