West Virginia
University at Parkersburg Board of Governors
POLICY E-04
TRAVEL
1.1 Scope:
1.1.1
This rule implements the rules and
regulations concerning management of in-state, out-of-state and international
travel, hereinafter referred to as "travel," and for reimbursement of
expenses to employees, members of the West Virginia University at Parkersburg Board of Governors,
hereinafter referred to as the "Governing Board," and other
non-employees traveling on behalf of the Governing Board or its institutions.
1.1.2
Consultants and contractors are not
required to use these rules and regulations, at the institution's option. All consultant and contractor travel should
be included as part of the consulting/contractor fee agreement.
1.1.3
Reimbursement of travel expenses
paid from federal, state and private grants shall be governed by the terms and
conditions of the grant if they differ from those contained in this rule;
otherwise, this rule shall govern such reimbursement.
1.2 Authority: West Virginia Code §12-3-11; WVCCTCE Title 135, Series 29
1.3 Effective Date: July 1, 2003
(Transferred from
WVU Board of Governors on July 1, 2008)
1.4 According to the West Virginia Code, it
shall be unlawful for the Auditor to issue a warrant in payment of any claim
for travel expenses incurred by an employee, Board member, or other
non-employee unless such claim meets all the requirements of this rule.
2.1 The Governing Board may authorize payment for the traveling
expenses incurred by any person, and her or his spouse when appropriate, who is
invited to visit the campus, or any other facility under the control of the
Board, to be interviewed concerning her or his possible employment by the Board
or agent thereof. Authorization for such
payment shall be given by the president, and/or other administrative head of the
institution, or their duly authorized designee(s).
2.2 The Governing Board may authorize
payment of: (1) all or part of the reasonable expenses incurred by a person newly
employed by the Board, in moving such employee's household furniture, effects
and immediate family to the employee's place of employment; and (2) all or part
of the reasonable expenses incurred by an employee of the Board in moving her
or his household furniture, effects and immediate family as the result of
reassignment of the employee which is considered desirable, advantageous to and
in the best interest of the Governing Board; provided, that no part of the
moving expenses of any one such employee shall be paid more frequently than
once in twelve months. Authorization for
such payment shall be given by the president, and/or other administrative head
of the institution, or their duly authorized designee(s).
3.1 Authority to manage, approve or
disapprove travel and travel related expenses is delegated exclusively to the President.
Such delegated authority may also be revoked by the Governing Board.
3.2 The President may also delegate authority
to others within the institution to act as her or his designee(s) for
authorizing and approving travel and travel related expenses as may be
required. All such authorizations and approvals shall be made in accordance
with the provisions of this rule.
3.3 Travel may be authorized only for
official business and only if the institution has the financial resources to
reimburse the traveler for travel expenses.
3.4 The President or designee may also develop administrative
policies and procedures, consistent with this rule, to provide additional
guidance to employees and others traveling on behalf of the institution.
3.5 The responsibility to audit a
traveler's expense account settlement lies with the institution. Approval of a
traveler's expense account settlement by the institution means that the expense
settlement meets all criteria established by this rule for reimbursement. The
institution shall audit and submit an accurate expense account settlement for
reimbursement to the State Auditor's Office within a reasonable amount of time
after receiving such settlement from the traveler.
Section 4. Travel Regulations Applicable to All
Employees, Board Members, and Non-Employees
4.1 Employees
4.1.1
Approval to travel shall be secured
in advance by the employee in accordance with this rule and, if applicable, the
administrative policies and procedures of the institution. Under no circumstances should an employee
travel without proper approval of the President or designee(s).
4.1.2
Employees are responsible for
submitting for reimbursement a travel expense account settlement form, with all
required attachments, to her or his institution within a reasonable amount of
time after the last day of the approved travel, as defined by the institution,
in order to qualify for reimbursement of expenses or for payment.
4.2 Members of the Governing Board
4.2.1 This rule shall govern reimbursement of travel expenses to
members of the Governing Board when a Board member requests reimbursement for
such expenses from the Governing Board.
4.3 Non-Employees
4.3.1 When non-employees are eligible to receive
reimbursement of travel expenses, such reimbursement shall be made in
accordance with this rule.
5.1 Air
Transportation
5.1.1
Commercial Airlines
5.1.1.1
Allowable reimbursement for
commercial airline travel shall include the actual expense or cost of the least
expensive logical fare via the most direct route, or a reasonable alternative
route if it results in lower fare. Travelers may not specify a particular
airline in order to accumulate mileage or promotional plans, such as frequent
flyer programs, if it results in a higher airfare.
5.1.1.2
Travelers are expected to make
advance bookings through a contracted travel service vendor or as otherwise
approved by the institution to secure the least expensive airfare possible.
Reimbursement may be made to the traveler in advance for airfare purchased up
to 180 days before the trip begins.
5.1.1.3
In order to receive reimbursement,
the traveler must submit the "passenger coupon", E-Ticket Receipts or
certified copy from the commercial airline ticket. If airfare is reimbursed
prior to the trip, it must be referenced on the traveler's final expense account
settlement. Refundable or unused airline tickets shall be returned immediately.
5.1.1.4
Commercial airline tickets may be
direct billed to the institution and paid in advance.
5.1.1.5
If a change in the cost of airfare is
incurred, the charge is reimbursable if the traveler is directed by the
appropriate institutional officer to change her or his travel plans, or if
other extenuating circumstances arise.
Increased or extra charges incurred due to the traveler's negligence
will be considered a personal expense of the traveler and shall not be
reimbursed.
5.1.1.6
Deliberately causing increased costs
or delays for the purpose of obtaining personal gratuities, such as denied
boarding compensation, frequent flier points or mileage, or similar benefits is
prohibited. Conversion of airline
tickets for personal benefit, such as downgrading tickets, returning unused
tickets for cash, credit, or personal airline tickets, or similar actions, is
also prohibited.
5.1.2 Use of Aircraft Owned and Managed by the Department of
Administration and Other State Agencies, Chartered Aircraft Service, and
Privately Owned Aircraft.
5.1.2.1
For use of aircraft owned and managed
by the Department of Administration and other agencies not under the
jurisdiction of the Governing Board, the traveler shall follow the rules and
regulations of such agencies in scheduling, making reservations, utilizing, and
making payment to these agencies for use of their aircraft.
5.1.2.2
If authorized by the President or
designee(s), chartered aircraft service and privately owned aircraft may be
used by the traveler if it will result in the lowest airfare, and if it is
approved in advance by the appropriate institutional officer. Direct billing
may be used to pay for such service and aircraft use. A competitively bid
charter service contract, if available, may be used, as appropriate.
5.2 Ground
Transportation
5.2.1
The traveler may use a state owned
vehicle, privately owned vehicle, commercial rental vehicle or rail service for
ground transportation when traveling on official business of the
institution. Receipts and
documentation are not required unless otherwise indicated below or required by
the institution.
5.2.1.1 State Owned Vehicles: The availability and
use of a state owned vehicle will be determined by the institution’s policies
and procedures.
5.2.1.2 Privately Owned Vehicles/Courtesy Vehicles:
Privately owned and courtesy vehicles may be used when traveling on
institutional business. Reimbursement will be made in accordance with the
institution’s policies and procedures and shall not exceed the prevailing rate
per mile established by the Internal Revenue Service.
5.2.1.3 Commercial
Rental Vehicles: Commercial rental vehicles may be used when traveling on
institutional business. Reimbursement will be made at actual cost for the daily
rental fee for a mid-size or smaller vehicle, plus mileage fees and fuel costs.
For travel of more than a few days in duration, weekly rental rates may be
reimbursed if they will result in a lower total cost than the daily rate.
Reimbursement may be made for full size vehicles if more than three (3) people
are traveling together on institutional business, and for larger vehicles if a
group of five (5) or more is traveling together. Reimbursement may also be made
for a larger or specially equipped vehicle if required to accommodate a
traveler with a disability. Receipts/documentation are required for
reimbursement of car rental and mileage charges or fees. Receipts/documentation are not required for
fuel costs.
5.2.1.3.1 Insurance: Collision damage waivers for
rentals of seven (7) days or less are also reimbursable, and should be taken
unless the rental was made using a State-issued card. The State-issued card
provides collision damage coverage at no cost for rentals up to 60 days.
Collision damage waivers for rentals of more than seven (7) days are not
reimbursable and should not be taken. The State of West Virginia insurance
program automatically covers collision insurance for vehicle rentals in excess
of seven (7) days. No other insurance or insurance-like product is reimbursable
for rentals used in the United States, unless required by law. Full coverage
insurance is an allowable expense for any approved rental vehicle used outside
the United States.
5.2.1.4 Rail Service: May be used for ground
transportation in accordance with the institution’s policies and
procedures. Travelers are expected to
make advanced bookings through a contracted travel service vendor and use the
least expensive logical fare via the most direct route, or other reasonable
route that results in a lower fare.
Receipts/documentation are required for reimbursement.
5.2.1.5 Miscellaneous Ground Transportation:
Miscellaneous ground transportation may be reimbursed in accordance with the
institution’s policies and procedures.
5.2.2
The operator (traveler) of a vehicle
must possess a valid operator's license. The operator is personally responsible
for any fines and/or penalties resulting from citations, charges, or warrants
attributable to operator negligence. Such fines and/or penalties shall not be a
reimbursable expense.
5.2.3
In cases where a traveler chooses to
drive rather than fly while on business, reimbursement will be based on actual
in-transit expenses (mileage, hotel, meals, etc.), not to exceed the lowest
available commercial airfare plus local transportation to and from the airport.
5.2.4
Roadside assistance services for
fleet, rental and personal vehicles, if needed, may be reimbursed at actual
cost if deemed appropriate and reasonable by an institutional officer
authorized to approve travel expenses.
6.1 Reimbursement for lodging shall include
actual expenses for overnight accommodations, use of a room during daytime and
all applicable taxes and surcharges. Reservations
for lodging shall be made according to the institution’s policies and
procedures. Lodging receipts are
required for reimbursement.
6.2
Lodging
may be direct billed; however, the traveler must attach a copy of the lodging
invoice or other proof of lodging to the traveler’s final expense account
settlement.
7.1 Meal expense reimbursement is limited
to actual expenses for food, service and gratuities, not to exceed the
Authorized Daily Rates (ADR) as established by the General Services
Administration (GSA). Specifically
excluded are alcoholic beverages and entertainment expenses. Meal reimbursement is allowed when lodging
is listed as "gratis" or "no charge." Receipts are not
required for meal reimbursement unless traveler is engaged in guardian travel.
7.2 When meals are provided for a traveler,
the traveler's maximum daily rate shall be reduced by an appropriate amount in
accordance with the institution’s policies and procedures.
7.3 Meal expense reimbursement for single
day travel (when there is not an overnight stay) is not allowed.
7.4 The following qualifications for
extraordinary meal expense reimbursement require the exercise of good judgement
in determining what is a "reasonable" expense to incur for the
situation.
7.4.1
Guardian Travel: Travelers transporting or accompanying
clients, patients, students or others entrusted to an institution for their
care, education or placement, shall be reimbursed the actual cost of meals up
to the maximum daily rate for each person.
Receipts are required; or in lieu of receipts for students, a student
signature form, in accordance with the Auditor's current guidelines, may be
provided.
7.5.2
Board Members: For a single day travel (where there is not
an overnight stay), in conjunction with the performance of their official
duties, Board members may be reimbursed the actual meal expenses incurred not
to exceed the maximum daily rate. Receipts are not required.
8.1 Fees or charges for attendance at
conferences, meetings, seminars, and/or workshops, as well as event related
materials, are reimbursable expenses to the traveler. Registration fees may also be direct billed
to the institution when feasible. Advance payment of registration fees is
permitted if required or if doing so results in a savings to the institution.
8.2 Receipts are required for
reimbursement. The receipt/documentation
provided by the event sponsor shall be sufficient for reimbursement. E-mailed receipt/documentation is acceptable.
8.3 The traveler will not receive an
allowance or reimbursement for lodging or food that is included in registration
fees.
8.4 If a cancellation charge is incurred,
the charge is reimbursable if the traveler is directed by the appropriate
institutional officer to change her or his travel plans, or if other
extenuating circumstances arise. Charges
incurred due to the failure of the traveler or the traveler's representative to
notify the event sponsor will be considered a personal expense to the traveler.
9.1 Travelers may incur other business related expenses for
which reimbursement may be made if appropriate. Receipts are not required
unless reimbursement is in excess of current Internal Revenue Service limits
for miscellaneous expenses, or unless otherwise required by the institution.
Such expenses and reimbursement may include, but are not limited to:
a. Baggage
handling and gratuities when using public transportation or conveniences (i.e.,
taxi, limousine, air porter services, or airport/rail curbside check-in), or
when using a lodging facility that has porterage (i.e., "bell
person") services rather than a facility where the traveler is expected to
carry her or his own luggage;
b. Baggage storage between appointments, and
between hotels and meeting places;
c. Tolls, garage and parking fees, including
gratuities;
d. Communication expenses such as: (1) local
calls which may include a surcharge; (2) long distance calls which may include
toll charges and surcharges; (3) surcharges for long distance calls when the
toll charges are direct billed; (4) cellular telephone charges; and (5)
facsimiles, cablegrams, or telegrams which may include toll charges,
surcharges, or delivery charges.
e. Currency conversion;
f. Guides, interpreters, and visa fees; and
g. Trips involving multiple days of travel or
for single day travel where the traveler is unexpectedly delayed for business
reasons, the traveler may make one personal telephone call home per day.
Reimbursement shall be made at actual cost, not to exceed the maximum amount established
by the institution’s policies and procedures, provided the call is not charged
to the telecommunications card issued by the state or the institution.
9.2 Non-reimbursable travel related
expenses include the cost of passports (not as a travel expense, but may be
considered as a direct charge to the institution), interest on late payment of
individually held credit cards, laundry fees, and personal flight or baggage
insurance. Exceptions may be approved by
the President or designee.
9.3 Persons traveling in foreign countries
should report their expenditures in United States dollars. The total
expenditure in foreign currency must be converted into United States dollars at
the rate or rates at which the foreign money was obtained. The rates of
conversion and the commissions charged must be shown. Travelers are encouraged to use the corporate
travel card to receive the best conversion rates and avoid high currency
conversion fees.
10.1 Corporate Travel Charge Card or Credit
Card: Travelers may use the corporate
travel charge card issued by the State of West Virginia for business related
travel expenses, a higher education corporate charge card if available, or the
State Procurement Card.
10.2 Cash
Advances from the State Auditor's Office:
Cash advances
may be requested from the State Auditor’s Office according to the procedures
established by the Auditor for employee and student travel, and for group
travel such as bands, athletic teams and organized student groups. The
institution shall establish policies and procedures for requesting and settling
cash advances with the Auditor.
10.3 Cash Advances from an Automatic Teller
Machine (ATM) using the State Corporate Travel Credit Card
10.3.1
Employees may secure a cash advance
for business travel expenses only. Cash advances are not permitted for personal
purposes.
10.3.2
A cash advance for either in-state or
out-of-state travel is permissible when an employee travels a minimum of two
(2) consecutive days on official business. The preferred method of obtaining a
cash advance is to use the state corporate travel credit card at an ATM. Cash
advances and ATM transaction fee reimbursements are limited to the amount and
number authorized by the institution’s policies and procedures. Receipt(s) from
the ATM are required for reimbursement of the ATM transaction fee.
10.3.3
For employees ineligible to receive a
state corporate credit card or those who have applied and have not yet received
their cards, the cash advance procedure in 10.2.1 applies.
10.3.4 West Virginia
University at Parkersburg shall adopt and actively pursue policies and procedures
to manage and minimize credit losses by employees using the corporate travel
charge card.
10.4 Direct Billing: Direct billing may be authorized by the
appropriate institutional representative in accordance with the institution's
policies and procedures. The traveler is responsible for attaching to her/his
final expense account settlement copies of receipts, invoices, documentation,
etc. for any direct billed fee.
11.1 The
form(s) used for reimbursement of travel expenses shall be consistent with
those authorized by the WV Department of Administration
Travel Management Office and the WV State Auditor’s Office.
12.1 According to the West Virginia Ethics Commission, frequent flier
miles, hotel bonus points or other travel incentives resulting from official
business travel may be used only for future official travel.