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ROWAN UNIVERSITY POLICY

Title: Travel Policy
Subject: Accounts Payable
Policy No: Fin: 2015:05
Applies: University-Wide
Issuing Authority: President
Responsible Officer: Senior Vice President for Finance and CFO
Adopted: 12/12/2016
Last Revision: 

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10/

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15/

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2021
Last Reviewed: 

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10/

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15/

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2021

I.     PURPOSE

This policy sets forth expenses that are reimbursable by the University for transportation, meals, lodging, registration fees, and miscellaneous items while traveling on official University business.

II.    ACCOUNTABILITY

Under the direction of the President, the Senior Vice President for Finance and CFO shall implement this policy and Vice Presidents, Deans, Department Managers and Supervisors shall ensure compliance with this policy.

III.   APPLICABILITY

This policy applies to all administrative employees, faculty, staff, and others authorized to travel on behalf of Rowan University. Rowan employees are expected to use the Concur Travel and Expense software. Students traveling as official representatives of the University travel by sanctioned student organizations will be subject to the same policies and procedures as other University travelers.

IV.  REFERENCES

1. State of New Jersey Uniform Ethics Code
2. State Ethics Commission
3. Office of Sponsored Programs
4. Fly America Act
5. Office of Research Compliance-Export Controls
6. Direct Travel
7. International Travel Policy & Guidelines
8. Oanda - Currency Converter
9. Department of State - Foreign Per Diem
10. United States General Service Administration (GSA) - Domestic Per Diem
11. Office of Risk Management
12. Office of Contracting and Procurement

V.   POLICY

1. General Requirements:
   1. Rowan University will reimburse employees, students, prospective employees and other qualified vendors, for all reasonable travel expenses, as defined in this policy. Requests must be authorized in advance by the traveler's supervisor. Employees must be authorized to commit the University's funds, and are subject to disciplinary action up to and including the termination of employment if proper authorization is not obtained.
   2. The procedures apply to all travel expenses for which reimbursement from the University is requested; however, where reimbursement for travel is from a sponsored program, the Request must also receive prior approval from the Office of Sponsored Programs in order to establish that all anticipated travel costs will be allowable for reimbursement in accordance with the terms of the sponsored program.
   3. Compliance with this policy and these procedures is the responsibility of the employees, students, prospective employees and other qualified vendors traveling or authorizing another to travel on University business. And, if applicable, the policy of their particular program, school, department, or division.
   4. Employees traveling on official University business are expected to exercise care when planning travel and incurring expenses, considering that they are spending public funds and the use of public funds on behalf of the University is a matter of public trust. Travel arrangements should be planned in the best interests of the University to minimize travel expenses. Only the actual and necessary expenses incidental to the performance of official duties shall be reimbursed. Appropriate original itemized receipts/e-receipts must be submitted for individual expense items over $25. The University will reimburse approved expenses for transportation, meals, lodging, registration fees, and miscellaneous items while traveling on official University business. Reimbursements to employees will be made via direct deposit.
   5. For situations that are not specifically authorized by this policy, or are special requests for exceptions to this policy, require advanced approval by one of the following: President, Provost, Sr. Vice President and CFO, Sr. Vice President or appropriate Divisional Vice President in advance. For SOM campus the Dean may authorize/approve special requests and exceptions. Such exceptions should be kept to a minimum.
   6. Any traveler who deliberately falsifies an Expense Report is subject to disciplinary action including: termination of employment, personal liability for reimbursement (including withholding from other payments due to the person), and possible filing of civil or criminal charges.
2. Advanced Approval to Travel
   1. The President, Executive Vice President, Provost, Senior Vice Presidents, Deans or their designees, will approve travel for official University business in advance. Approved Requests (Domestic / International) along with Request for Approval for Attendance at Events form will be submitted to the following departments: Ethics officer as per N.J.A.C. 19:61-6.1(c), Office of Sponsored Programs if grant related and Accounts Payable to ensure compliance with University policies.
   2. Rowan employees and students planning an international trip must follow the University's International Travel and Export Control Guidelines before making plans. The following policy and guidelines aim to ensure the safety and security of Rowan employees and students who engage in Rowan affiliated international travel. Please review the steps provided by the International Center. https://sites.rowan.edu/international/international-travel/index.html
   3. Request for Approval for Attendance at Events for non-university funded travel:
      1. Employees must receive prior approval from their supervisor and Ethics Liaison Officer (ELO) before attending events to which they are invited in their official capacity that takes place away from the work location and are sponsored or co-sponsored by a non-State government source.
      2. Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 19:61-6.8, approval from the supervisor and Ethics Liaison Officer is required to attend such events by completing the "Request for Approval for Attendance at Events" form four (4) weeks in advance.
      3. The ELO will review the form to determine whether the outside activities are permissible in accordance with the Conflicts of Interest Law, the Uniform Ethics Code and other applicable agency supplemental code or authority.
      4. There are situations where employees are notified of attendance obligations at the last minute, or have simply neglected to file the required form. Even if the form is not completed, employees should be aware of the protective nature of the attendance form and that if they attend an event that has not been approved and accept benefits at that event that are not permitted, that they will be required to reimburse the event sponsor and may be subject to an ethics violation.
   4. Exceptions to the Request may be granted for those situations specifically authorized by one of the following: President, Provost, Sr. Vice President, or appropriate Divisional Vice President. For SOM campus the Dean may authorize/approve exceptions to the Request.
   5. Requests (Domestic / International) must be submitted and approved 4 weeks prior to departure except for those situations specifically authorized by the President or Divisional Vice Presidents.
   6. Requests (Domestic / International) should be submitted for each overnight trip and employee.
   7. Day Travel expenses (registration, mileage, parking and tolls, etc.) do not require the submission of a Request/Encumbrance number (E#).
3. Prepayment of Travel Expenses
   1. Prepayment of travel expenses, such as conference, registration and airline tickets, should be submitted via an Expense Report/Travel Prepayment form once an approved travel encumbrance number has been assigned. If the Prepayment is for a Day Travel related expense, it can also be submitted via an Expense Report/Travel Prepayment.
   2. University does not prepay for hotels except for Team or Group Travel.
   3. Cash advances for general travel will not be authorized. In certain circumstances, one of the following: President, Provost, Sr. Vice President, or appropriate Divisional Vice President may authorize advances to cover meals, such as Team and Group Travel. For SOM campus the Dean may authorize/approve requests for cash advances.
   4. Cash advance must be in compliance with this policy. Contact the Accounts Payable Department, asktravel@rowan.edu, to request a cash advance. The cash advance will be processed after the required documents have been approved.
   5. Cash advances will be issued no more than 10 days prior to the start date of travel.
   6. If a cash advance was obtained, the traveler should return any unused funds to the University within 3 business days after travel was completed. Failure to properly account for actual expenses within the time period may disqualify the person from receiving any advances thereafter.
4. Concur
   1. Concur is a comprehensive web-based service that provides employees, faculty and staff with all the tools needed to create a travel request, book travel and submit expense reports. Concur will provide an integrated and centralized approach that will replace the use of paper forms and create a seamless experience in a single system to streamline the travel process. Concur is Rowan University’s preferred method of processing all requests, bookings and expenses.
   2. Concur includes four modules:
      1. Request - This module is used to automate the overnight travel request and approval process for domestic and international travel before incurring any travel expenses.
      2. Travel - This module can be used to obtain travel estimates and make travel reservations for: airfare, hotel, car rental etc. Reservations will be made through the University’s contracted travel management company (TMC) Direct Travel. It is preferred that employees utilize the Concur Booking Tool to book airline tickets, hotels, and car rentals for official University travel. Travelers with international or multi-leg itineraries are encouraged to contact Direct Travel for assistance.
      3. Expense - This module is used to automate, manage and approve your overnight and or day travel expenses.
      4. App Center - This module will help Rowan University and their travelers find apps that drive smarter spend, easier travel, and effortless expensing. The App Center provides quick access to your favorite apps and services, which can be linked to Concur. This allows an open door between the two services so the data that needs to be shared can flow securely and automatically.
   3. Requesting International Travel Approval
      Concur Request should be used to obtain approval for international travel from designated University personnel. Concur will also be used to notify other appropriate University parties of international travel. For more information regarding international travel requests, please see the Concur website.
   4. Booking Travel
      Airfare, rental cars, and hotels should be booked using the Concur Booking Tool or through the University’s travel management company (TMC). For more information, please see the Concur website.. It is preferred that employees utilize the Concur Booking Tool to book airline tickets, hotels, and car rentals for official University travel. Travelers with international or complex itineraries are encouraged to contact the TMC for assistance. While the Concur Booking Tool is preferred, travelers can also utilize Concur for self-booked travel in order to receive reimbursement.
5. New Jersey Sales Tax
   1. Rowan University is exempt from New Jersey Sales Tax. The Sales Tax Exemption certificate is to be used only for University business. Misuse of this form for personal business is in violation of the laws of the State of New Jersey.
      1. Sales tax included in all meals is reimbursable as long as the total cost does not exceed the daily per diem rate.
      2. Sales tax for lodging in the state of New Jersey is not reimbursable.
      3. Sales tax included in all out of state lodging, airfare and all automobile rentals are reimbursable.
6. Authorized Transportation Modes
   1. The method of transportation used by individuals will be the most practical and economical, with due consideration given to the time involved, extra meals, lodging costs and the mission to be accomplished. First Class, Business Class or travel on Acela trains is not permitted except under special circumstances that must be approved in advance by one of the following: President, Provost, Sr. Vice President, Divisional Vice President or Dean. For SOM campus the Department Head may authorize/approve exceptions to the modes of transportation.
   2. For more information on modes of transportation, see Attachment 9.
7. Per Diem Rates
   1. The University applies GSA Rates for domestic travel and Department of State Rates for International travel.
   2. Gratuity and/or tips are included within the Meals and Incidental Expenses (M&IE) per diem. Incidental Expenses (IE) are fees and tips given to porters, baggage carriers, hotel staff, and staff on ships.
   3. Actual cost per meal may be submitted for reimbursement however, the University will use the approved per diem rates if no receipts are submitted. You will not be reimbursed for more than the approved per diem rate per meal even with a receipt unless pre-approved. The guidelines are included in Attachment 10.
8. Foreign Currency
   1. The University requires that all expenses incurred in a foreign country be converted to U.S dollars when submitting an Expense Report. The University will not reimburse funds in foreign currencies. It is recommended to use Oanda.com for currency conversion and include the converter report for all foreign expenses.
9. Miscellaneous Expenses
   1. Charges for telephone calls on official business are allowed. Long distance calls must be itemized on the Expense Report indicating the date and cost of the call. One personal telephone call of moderate duration, not to exceed 15 minutes, to immediate family for each out of town travel day is reimbursable.
   2. Reasonable internet charges are reimbursable if required for University Business.
   3. Registration fees required for attendance at conventions, conferences, and official meetings are allowable expenses.
   4. Certain miscellaneous expenses are non-reimbursable except with prior approval. University policy considers these expenses to be either personal, unnecessary or avoidable expenses incurred during travel. As a result, there may be tax consequences to the travelers if reimbursed. (See Attachment 12)
   5. Patient-Escorted outings are an allowable expense. 
   6. Expense Reports exceeding the original requested amount by more than $50 require additional approval. A letter explaining the overage must be signed by the appropriate expense approver and submitted with the expense report. If submitting the Expense Report in Concur, complete the field, Provide Explanation for Over Requested Amount.
   7. The Office of Management and Budget Circular (No.: 06-14-OMB III.E) states, "entertainment expenditures related to State employees are allowable only to the extent that such employees are essential to the conduct of the activity, event or function".
10. Non-Reimbursable Travel Expenses
    1. Non-reimbursable expenses are included in Attachment 12. The President, Provost, Sr. Vice President and CFO, Sr. Vice President or Divisional Vice President may approve payment for certain expenses in special circumstances. For SOM campus the Dean may authorize/approve non-reimbursable expenses in special circumstances.
    2. If an employee, while traveling for business purposes, decided to take a vacation either before or after the business trip or brings along family members, the cost of the trip must be split appropriately between business and personal expenses. Only business expenses will be reimbursed.
11. Candidate Travel
    1. Candidates who are authorized to receive travel reimbursement, shall submit a fully completed Day Travel Expense Form. Original itemized receipts that substantiate the expenditures for which reimbursement is requested must be attached. The Dean and/or Provost/Divisional Vice President are responsible for the review and approval. Upon completion, all approved documents and original itemized receipts must be forwarded to the Accounts Payable Office for reimbursement. For additional requirements, please contact the department conducting the search.
    2. The Provost Office will cover expenses for (3) candidates (per faculty line) for full time faculty only. The limit of reimbursement is $200.00 per candidate, per search, for meals (this includes candidate during travel). If the total (including tip) exceeds this amount, the difference will not be reimbursed.
    3. This policy does not apply to private funds donated to the Rowan University Foundation or other separately incorporated affiliates of the University.

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Scenario 5: Miles between University Campuses

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Please note - To avoid delays in reimbursement, Students/Non-Employees must include directions from Google Maps so mileage calculations can be verified using the shortest route. The Google Mileage Summary provided by Google Maps is the ONLY supporting document accepted by Accounts Payable. To remain in compliance, always submit the Google Mileage Summary with the following forms: Day Travel Expense, Domestic / International Travel Request and Travel Expense.

 Google  Google Mileage Summary Example:

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Please note - To avoid delays in reimbursement, Students/Non-Employees must include directions from Google Maps so mileage calculations can be verified using the shortest route. The Google Mileage Summary provided by Google Maps is the ONLY supporting document accepted by Accounts Payable. To remain in compliance, always submit the Google Mileage Summary with the following forms: Day Travel Expense, Domestic / International Travel Request and Travel Expense.Image Added