Guiding Principles
- Faculty, staff, and student travel is necessary to support and enhance the university's mission
- Travelers are expected to be, and believed to be, reasonable and prudent utilizing university resources for travel
- Budget Authorities are accountable and responsible for appropriate use of university resources. Departments are free to create policies/limits that are more restrictive (but not less restrictive) than university-wide policies/limits
- University processes related to travel reimbursements should not be overly onerous so as to negatively affect travelers (including guests, visitors, recruits, etc.)
- Travel reimbursement processes should be clear, consistent, transparent, convenient, efficient, and compliant
- Travel reimbursements are for business-related expenses only, not for personal expenses of the traveler or any traveling companions
Procedure - Guiding Principles:
Procedure - Grant and Sponsored Travel
Approval
APPROVAL
Travel expenses will be reimbursed provided the trip and reimbursement request are approved by authorized campus personnel (generally the traveler's supervisor or designee). Travel authorizations may be oral or written. Blanket authorization for a series of trips may be approved. Employees whose duties require frequent or continuous travel are considered to have approval when travel is within the usual limits of their duties.
Procedure - Approval:
Travel-expense Reimbursement Eligibility
PERSONS ELIGIBLE FOR TRAVEL-EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT
[1] Employees
University of Oregon employees may be reimbursed for expenses incurred in connection with official travel.
Procedure - Employee Reimbursement:
[2] Employees on Leave
Travel expenses incurred during sabbatical leave may be paid/reimbursed when the travel was approved by Academic Affairs as part of the application for sabbatical leave. Payment/reimbursement for travel expenses while on other types of leave is warranted only in exceptional circumstances.
Procedure - Reimbursement for Employees on Leave:
[3] University of Oregon Board of Trustees Members and Unpaid Members of university Advisory Committees
University of Oregon Board of Trustees members and unpaid members (non-university personnel) of university advisory committees may be reimbursed for actual and reasonable expenses, including mileage and gratuity.
Procedure - Reimbursement for UO Board of Trustees Members and Unpaid Members of UO Advisory Committees:
[4] Prospective Employees
Travel expenses incurred in connection with prospective university employee interviews and recruitment are reimbursable when properly authorized.
Procedure - Reimbursement for Prospective Employees:
[5] New Employees
New employees may be reimbursed for travel and moving expenses as approved by the hiring authority and in accordance with Fiscal Policy Manual 66.200, Moving Expenses Policy.
Procedure - Reimbursement for New Employees:
[6] Students
Students who travel as employees or officially-designated representatives of the university may be reimbursed for travel expenses.
Procedure - Reimbursement for Students:
[7] Non-Employees/Volunteer Workers/Independent Contractors
Individuals not listed above may only be reimbursed for travel expenses incurred in conjunction with providing a service to campus through a formal or informal contractual relationship.
Procedure - Reimbursement for Non-Employee/Volunteer Workers/Independent Contractors:
Procedure - Reimbursement for International Visitors:
Travel-expense Payment
TRAVEL-EXPENSE PAYMENT
Travel expenses may be paid either by reimbursement to the traveler or direct payment to a provider/merchant (e.g., airline ticket through a contract agency, direct billing from hotel).
Requests to reimburse travel expenses must be made via the campus travel reimbursement process. Requests for reimbursement must be accompanied by receipts, when required. Direct payments/reimbursements from the University of Oregon Foundation are subject to that organization's policies and processes.
Cash advance funds may be requested from and approved by Business Affairs.
When employees travel together, it may be expedient for one employee to pay and claim reimbursement for certain expenses of other employees. Reimbursement for multiple employees is only allowed when actual expenses are being reimbursed and are supported by receipts. Deductions are made from the per diem amounts for employees involved.
Procedure - How to Make a Payment - A/P Set Up, Employees Traveling Together, Paying Vendors and Independent Contractors,
Procedure - Conferences/Meetings:
Procedure - Receipts:
Procedure - Overpayment:
Procedure - Options for Travel Funds - One Card Corporate Travel Visa Card
Procedure - Options for Travel Funds - Cash Advance
Tax Treatment
TAX TREATMENT
The university reimburses for travel expenses under an IRS Accountable Plan and in accordance with IRS Publication 463 (Travel, Entertainment, Gift, and Car Expenses) and IRS Publication 519 (U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens). This includes the provision that expenses be accounted for within a reasonable period of time.
Reimbursement of travel expenses for temporary assignments (less than one year in duration) is generally not taxable to the employee. If the assignment is indefinite, the employee is considered to have moved to the new work location. Reimbursement of expenses for indefinite travel is generally taxable to the employee.
Procedure - IRS Accountable Plan
Procedure - Business Purpose:
Students, Student Groups, And Teams
STUDENTS, STUDENT GROUPS, AND TEAMS
[1] Student Travel
University policy on Traffic, Parking and Vehicle Safety (former OAR 580-40-0030) provides guidelines regarding transportation of students in a state owned, leased or controlled vehicle.
[2] Travel Expenses of Others
A university employee, such as a coach, athletic director, or group leader, may pay for the travel expenses of the team or group members.
Procedure - Travel Expenses for Team or Group Members:
[3] One-Day Trips
Meal expenses for an athletic team or student group on a one-day trip may be reimbursed at actual cost (as opposed to per diem). An itemized receipt is required. University employees such as coaches, trainers, or group leaders who accompany and are responsible for the care, custody, or control of the team or group are also eligible for meal-expense reimbursement. The request for reimbursement must state that the expenses result from a trip by an athletic team or student group.
Procedure - One Day Group Meal Expenses:
Travel Paid By Outside Source
TRAVEL PAID BY OUTSIDE SOURCE
Outside entities may reimburse the campus, pay a service provider directly, or reimburse a university employee for travel expenses related to university business. The university will not pay or reimburse for any travel expenses that are also being paid by an outside source directly to the university employee.
Procedure - How to Process an Outside Source Payment
Miscellaneous Expenses
MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES
Necessary business-related travel expenses are normally reimbursed. Personal expenses are not reimbursed. The university establishes the definition of miscellaneous expenses. All miscellaneous expenses must be itemized.
Necessary miscellaneous business-related expenses are not reimbursed using a per diem; rather, if the traveler has incurred a miscellaneous business expense as outlined below, that expense is reimbursable at the actual cost.
Procedure - Miscellaneous Expense receipts:
[1] Checked Baggage
Up to two (2) standard-weight bags (standard weight as defined by the airline used)
Charges for the following may be reimbursed only when necessary for the business purpose and approved by authorized institution personnel (receipts required):
- additional baggage (more than 2 bags)
- overweight/oversize baggage
[2] Other Business Related Expenses Normally Reimbursed
- Telephone
- Fax
- Internet
- Postage
- ATM cash advance fees
- Materials and supplies purchased to meet an immediate business need
- Visa and passport expenses
- Parking
- Tolls
- Energy surcharge
Procedure - Additional miscellaneous expenses and non-reimbursable miscellaneous expenses
Exceptions
EXCEPTIONS
Upon consideration of documented extenuating circumstances, exceptions to these policy provisions may be granted by the Vice President for Finance and Administration (VPFA) or designee.