Cape Cod Community College Travel Procedures

Transcription

1 Cape Cod Community College Travel Procedures Travel Procedures apply to all travel reimbursed from the funds under Cape Cod Community College (CCCC) control, irrespective of their source or nature and is established in accordance with Administrative Bulletin A&F-8, the provisions of 801 CMR 7.00, and the Standards for the Expenditures of Trust Funds (revised December 5, 2000). When travelling on institutional business, staff members are expected to conduct business in a fiscally responsible manner. All individuals should fly coach class or at discount fares. Where practical, the least expensive mode of transportation should be selected. Where appropriate and available, travelers should take advantage of discount rates on hotel and motel stays. All charges, other than basic room charges and taxes, such as meals or phone calls should be separately identified on the expense report. The planning process should be done well ahead of the intended travel date to ensure the College obtains the best rates on conference fees, lodging, airfare, etc. Failure to properly plan travel arrangements in advance may result in unnecessary additional fees and charges, which may not be reimbursed by the College. Presenting at a conference does not guarantee college funding for that travel. If you anticipate requesting institutional funds for travel to a conference at which you are presenting, your conference proposal must have been approved by the President or appropriate Vice President prior to its official submission. Authorization is required for ALL travel on official college business, whether or not reimbursement is sought. All travelers seeking authorization to travel (in state, out-of-state, or international) MUST complete the Travel Authorization Form, have it approved by your appropriate supervisors and submitted to the Staff Assistant of the Vice President of Finance and Operations (AD104) a minimum of seven (7) business days prior to travel. This documentation is necessary for insurance, audit, and reimbursement purposes. Please note if you are using Professional Development funds for your travel you must allow sufficient time for the Professional Development Committee to approve your request in addition to obtaining required travel approvals from supervisors a minimum of 7 business days prior to your first day of travel. Reimbursement shall be contingent upon prior approval of the travel, the availability of funds, and the receipt of required documentation as detailed in this document. Employees submitting expenses that are not in compliance with this document risk delayed partial or forfeited reimbursement. The Travel Authorization Form is available in the Office of the Vice President of Finance and Operations. This Form must be completed and approved by the appropriate individuals prior to booking travel. 1

2 Travel Management Provider The Travel Agent Authorization number is required before booking airfare with our Airfare Management provider Pan Am Travel. Finance & Operations will provide a 6-digit Travel Agent Authorization number once your airfare has been approved. PanAm provides access to domestic and international travel. PanAm is the statewide travel provider for the Commonwealth. Airfare arrangements can be made using PanAm s dedicated agents via phone, or live chat. HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS: PanAm is to be used solely to book airfare and cannot be used to book hotel reservations. The traveler must personally handle hotel reservations. Travelers have two options when contacting the hotel directly to reserve their room(s): The travelers should inquire with the hotel if they will accept a check from the college. If the hotel will accept a check, the traveler must obtain in writing the total charges including all applicable taxes. The traveler would then need to submit the charges to the Accounts Payable office 7 days in advance of the arrival date. A check would then be prepared and provided to the traveler to bring with him or her to the hotel. If the hotel will not accept a check from the college, the traveler must pay for the hotel stay on his or her personal credit card. In this instance, the traveler will be reimbursed upon his or her return once a Travel Voucher reimbursement form is filled out along with appropriate backup. Procedures to Book College Related Travel by Phone CCCC s dedicated PanAm phone number is capecod@panam.travel Go to and click Live Agent Chat Prior to contacting the travel agent, the following information needs to be readily available: CCCC 6-Digit Travel Authorization Number Names of traveler(s) (As it appears on the Gov ID) Dates of Travel Date of Birth and Gender of Traveler(s) Origination/Destination information Estimated Departure/Arrival time expectation of Traveler(s) if they want a copy of itinerary Cell phone of at least one person to put in the record After gathering your details and discussing your trip, PanAm will a quotation/itinerary to the person making the airfare request and to Cheryl Rambert (crambert@capecod.edu) in accounts payable. It is the traveler s responsibility to follow up on plans to ensure arrangements are correct & have been finalized prior to traveling. 2

3 Required Approvals: Area Dean or Director All Travel Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs (Travel out of state and/or in excess of $250.00) Vice President of Finance and Operations (Travel out of State and/or in excess of $250.00) Professional Development Committee (if funds requested) President (for International Travel, Travel outside of New England, and Vice Presidents' travel) *PanAm will charge the college directly for the costs of the airfare only. You should not give them your credit card information for airfare. 3

4 Reimbursement of Travel Expenses: A comprehensive Travel Expense Voucher Form, supporting documentation (airline boarding passes, lodging, meals, registrations, etc.) and original itemized receipts for which reimbursement is sought must be submitted for each trip within 30 days of completion of the travel. Personal monthly credit card and monthly bank statements are not considered original or itemized receipts. A traveler is eligible for reimbursement for all allowable expenses as described below. Travel will be reimbursed at actual costs except when subject to the guidelines of collective bargaining agreements or the non-unit personnel policies handbook. The Travel Expense Voucher Form may be downloaded from the College website ( under Travel Forms. Allowable expenses (with original itemized receipts) include but are not limited to: Hotel expenditures (daily itemized bill from hotel required) Airfare (boarding pass or ticket stub from air carrier required) Registration fees Transportation to and from the airport Meals for travelling out-of-town on institutional business, for attendance at a conference, or for a professional organization meeting (itemized restaurant receipt required to ensure as a state agency we are not reimbursing for alcoholic beverages) Meals which have a clear and documented business purpose (written approval must be obtained prior to incurring expense and itemized restaurant receipt required) Expenditures for the purpose of recruiting potential employees (the Asst. Vice President of Human Resources must approve prior to incurring expense) Fee for one checked bag, if applicable (see comment re: excess baggage fees below) Unallowable expenditures include but are not limited to: Alcoholic Beverages Personal gifts Movie rentals Internet service Health club or spa services Excess baggage fees charged by airline for checking additional bags Laundry or valet service Travel insurance Fines for traffic or parking violations 4

5 Insurance for a personally-owned vehicle Articles stolen from a personal or rental vehicle Briefcases and luggage Expenses incurred in connection with personal business Any unexplained expenses or expenses lacking proper approval or supporting documentation Meals Meals (which includes room service) shall be reimbursed at the lesser of actual cost or per the rates established by the specific collective bargaining agreement applicable to the employee (see chart below). An original itemized receipt must be submitted with each reimbursement request. Meals will not be reimbursed when it is included as part of attendance at conferences or meeting of professional organizations. Reimbursement rates for non-unit personnel will be subject to the guidelines of the Non-Unit Personnel Policies Handbook. Meals reimbursements are as follows: AFSCME Non Unit & MCCC Breakfast: $ 8.00 Breakfast: $ 7.50 Lunch: $11.00 Lunch: $ Dinner: $14.00 Dinner: $ Meal expenditures which have a clear business purpose, but are not necessarily incurred as part of travel expenditures, are reimbursable if pre-approval has been obtained from your Area Dean or Director. An Out-of-Pocket Reimbursement Request form can be downloaded from the College website ( under Travel Forms. This form must be completed and submitted along with original itemized receipts. The same approval process that applies to reimbursement of travel expenditures applies to reimbursement of business meals. Lodging Lodging expenses are reimbursed at the single room rate. The traveler is expected to incur the least expense to the college when the selection of the room and the rate are available. Telephone Calls Business calls made while an individual is on travel status are reimbursable. One (1) personal call per day may be reimbursed to provide employee's family with information regarding his/her travel status. Gratuities Customary and reasonable gratuities are reimbursable. 5

6 Transportation The traveler is expected to travel via the least expensive means available. The cost of transportation shall include fares and applicable taxes. Commuting between an individual's home and place of work is not reimbursable. Travelers using airplanes, taxis, airport limousine service, shuttles, buses, etc. must submit original receipts, boarding passes, etc. for reimbursement. College-Owned Vehicles Employees of the college are strongly encouraged to use college-owned vehicles when appropriate and available. College-owned passenger vehicles shall be used for "official" business only; private use is not permitted. Operators of college-owned passenger vehicles must possess a valid driver's license. To reserve a college vehicle, contact the Staff Assistant in the Office of the Vice President of Finance and Operations (X4302) to make the arrangements. Any accident in which a college-owned vehicle is involved must be reported in writing to the police department where the accident occurred. A copy of the report must be provided to the Vice President of Administration and Finance. Traffic violations are the responsibility of the driver/employee and not the college. College funds shall not be used in connection with the payment of traffic violations, including but not limited to parking tickets, moving violations, or towing charges. No operator of a college-owned vehicle shall transport a passenger(s) other than those traveling on "official" college business. College-owned vehicles shall not be parked overnight off campus unless an Overnight Travel Form is completed and approved by the Vice President of Finance and Operations. Reimbursement shall be allowed for expenditures including charges for fuel, oil, parking fees, and toll charges with original itemized receipts. When using a college-owned vehicle, the driver is required to complete the log which is kept in the vehicle. The driver is required to note the odometer reading at the beginning and end of the trip, all passengers riding in the vehicle, and, if applicable, any remarks regarding the "condition" of the vehicle. Please note smoking is prohibited in any college owned vehicles. Privately-Owned Vehicles If a college vehicle is not available at the time and date of travel or if picking up the car will be a significant inconvenience for the traveler, such as adding significant time to the commute, the employee may use his/her own vehicle. When employees are not returning to the college after the work related event for personal reasons, reimbursement will be permitted from the main campus or the Hyannis Center to the event (1 way only). The college will reimburse Mileage reimbursement shall be at the prevailing IRS rate, which is $0.56 per mile effective 1/1/2014, plus documented parking and tolls with original receipts. Employees who choose to take their personal automobile when a college vehicle is available and/or when picking up the car at the college is not an inconvenience, will not be eligible for mileage reimbursement. Beginning and ending odometer readings are required for reimbursement. 6

7 Use of the college vehicles provides a savings for the college and is strongly recommended. Employees attending the same event are encouraged to trave together in a college vehicle. *Transporting students in privately-owned vehicles is prohibited. If you are transporting students to a college sponsored event and the college vehicle is not available or inadequate, a vehicle must be rented through our approved vendor. Please contact Stacey Giannelli in the procurement department for information. (x4470) Rental Vehicles The circumstances of an out-of-town trip and the availability of public transportation may require the use of rental cars. All receipted expenses related to rental of motor vehicles shall be reimbursed, such as fuel, tolls, parking, and insurance paid to the rental car carrier. Rental vehicles MUST be preapproved by the Vice President of Finance and Operations when submitting an original Travel Authorization Form. All rental vehicles will be reserved by the Purchasing Department by either Stacey Giannelli or Rob Mucha. *15 Passenger Rental Vans are not permitted due to the increased driving hazard and liability. If a rental for 15 or more passengers is needed the Purchasing Department will reserve an appropriate vehicle with a driver. Non-Employee Travel Expenditures to pay for spouse or personal guest travel are not permitted. If the spouse or guest is a participant on a conference panel or program, expense reimbursement should be sought from the sponsoring organization, or personal funds must be used. With the president's approval or that of her/his designee, students on college-related business may be allowed to incur travel expenses. Trustee travel must be approved by the chairman of the College s Board of Trustees. In all cases, the activities and expenses must be clearly related to the mission of the institution. For such individuals, travel authorization and expense documentation should conform to the documentation required for employee expenses. In addition, the listing of unallowable expenses noted for employees also applies to individuals who are not employees. Foreign Travel All currency rates shall be reported in United States dollars at the exchange rate of the time of travel. Revision Date: April 23,