Traveling on University Business

Traveling to conferences and other project related meetings is generally reimbursable but it is critical that you follow the following procedures. Please note that there are steps that need to happen before you travel so plan accordingly and make sure you follow all the steps in order to be reimbursed.

If it’s your first time traveling with UA you will need to first activate your account in the university travel system (see The first time you travel).

For all trips you need to do the following:

  1. Get approval from Laura for the travel you are planning on doing.
  2. Create a travel authorization and travel request using the University travel system. This needs to be done before you do any booking or make travel arrangements (see Before you travel).
  3. Once approved, make all your travel arrangements: flights, hotels etc (make sure to check per diem rates before booking so you know what you can be reimbursed for)
  4. Follow the reimbursement procedures outlined (see After you travel). Please do this as soon as possible but no later than 2 weeks after you return. You can submit up to two reimbursement requests per trip so if you would like to be reimbursed for some large expenses like airfare before you go this is possible.
  5. Add the information about your presentation to the group Zotero (note that we will not approve your expenses unless this is done)

Some general guidelines to keep in mind:

  1. Travel is a privilege. All travel is supported by grant money and it is the expectation that you manage expenses in a reasonable way.
  2. The maximum reimbursement you can receive is determined by the per diem rates you can find here.
  3. For food expenses you should only request reimbursement for the amount you actually spent and you should note when meals were provided for you (i.e. lunch provided at a meeting) and not request reimbursement for this.
  4. It is okay to have personal travel at the start or end of your trip but you will need to document things and you can’t be reimbursed for any personal travel. Please refer to the guidelines here.
  5. We cannot provide cash advances for travel. To manage out of pocket expenses you can use the PCARD to make bookings (see guidelines here) and submit for reimbursement for some expenses before you go.

The First time you travel

Setting up your account in the University travel system

  1. Visit https://travel.financialservices.arizona.edu/
  2. Once logged in, click on the profile button (blue circle in the upper right corner)
  3. Click on Profile Settings
  4. On this page, click on Personal Information, follow the prompts and fill in all the required info, in red. The information added here must match exactly with the information in UAccess and ID
  5. Remember to click Save.
  6. Make Cynthia Barnett (barnettc@arizona.edu) a delegate:
  7. Back on the Profile Options page on the left menu click Request Delegates
  8. On this page click Add. Click everything except for Temporary, click Save.
  9. Make Garry Forger (gforger@arizona.edu) a travel assistant:
    • on travel settings, click Assistants/Arrangers
    • Search for Garry and give him access for booking. Set as the primary assistant

Before you travel

Submit a authorization and travel request

Travel authorizations must be completed before you travel in order to get reimbursed. If you are traveling internationally there are additional steps so please start this process early. Please see the steps below and reach out to Garry if you have any questions.

Step 1: Create a Travel Authorization

  1. A Travel Authorization is required when a University of Arizona Employee, Student, or Designated Campus Colleague will be on travel status (at least 35 miles outside of their duty post) and travels on behalf of University business, regardless of expenses incurred by the University.
  2. The form must be filled in the online system. https://travel.financialservices.arizona.edu/. Remember you must be registered in the system.

Step 2: Create a Travel Request

  1. To create a request from the homepage click Create (top left) and choose Start a Request and fill in all the required fields.
  2. Add the Business Travel dates with the maximum extension you think the conference would last. Example, if your conference runs from May 3 to the 6th, you would have May 2 and May 7 as travel days. If you are staying for non-work related business, indicate those dates before or after the conference/meeting. .
  3. Each time the conference has lodging options you should add this to the form. You can use another later explaining the reasons.
  4. Explain the reasons for the conference, academic development, paper presentation, University representation, etc.
  5. The organization must be (0469) Hydrology and Atmospheric Sci.
  6. For Account, indicate the account you are paid from. If you do not know this account number, check with Garry.
  7. If you are traveling internationally, you must get an International Travel Registry number to include with the request. At this site Forms click on Travel Forms, then on Travel Authorization, This has to be done at least 30 days before the travel takes place.
  8. When you click Create a Request, if you missed a required field you will get an error message and can go back and add the info. Of course get at Garry with any questions gforger@arizona.edu
  9. You will receive a notification when your request is approved.

After you travel

Reimbursement for Travel

Please keep the following in mind for reimbursements to make the process as smooth as possible.

  • You always need an approved travel authorization before you submit a travel reimbursement.
  • Make sure you save receipts for everything in order to get reimbursed (see note below on food. Electronic or email receipts are best, if you have paper receipts scan them or take a picture of them with your phone.
  • You can be reimbursed for any expenses associated with your travel to a conference or work related meeting (airplane tickets, ground transportation, airport parking, hotels, and food). For transportation like Uber or Lyfts, we need a detailed receipt that shows how much everything was charged and it includes the map. Remember ANY tips are approved up to 20% only.
  • You can't be reimbursed for alcohol or expenses associated with any entertainment or outings that are not related to the conference/meeting.
  • Students are expected to share a room unless it is not feasible or would put you in a position you would not feel comfortable (you should get permission from Laura in advance if this is the case).
  • This also means that you should not request the full per diem allotment for food every day. Rather please add up all your food expenses at the end and request the correct number of lunches/dinners/breakfasts to make sure that you are compensated for what you spend but not making a profit. (The alternative is you submit receipts for every meal. I find this to be very challenging though especially when eating with other people and sharing checks so I think the best option is just to keep track of your spending and then request per diem to match)
  • General Per Diem Information for UA.

Steps for getting reimbursed:

Note: You can submit up to two reimbursement requests for a single trip. If you want to be paid back sooner for big expenses you can submit one reimbursement for expenses before you go (e.g. airfare and registration) and then submit another reimbursement after you get back.

  1. Add the information about your presentation to the group zotero and email Garry a summary of where you went and why.
  2. Submit a reimbursement form to Cindy Barnett barnettc@arizona.edu with all your receipts. The form must be downloaded always from https://financialservices.arizona.edu/form/travel-expense-report
  3. The travel authorization on the top right must match the approved travel authorization.
  4. The form should sum automatically but it almost never works so be prepared to fill and sign it manually. It should calculate if you are using chrome, not Edge.
  5. Be aware that reimbursements generally take 1-2 months.

Helpful Links:

Guidelines for combining personal and business travel

You can combine personal travel with traveling to a conference or work meeting but should keep the following in mind.

  • Be sure to report your planned personal travel when creating your travel request. For example if your conference is May 2 to May 6, you can indicate that May 7, 8 and 9 will be personal days.
  • If you are incorporating personal travel into travel for a conference or meeting, then the Pcard cannot be used to pay for your flights.
  • You will need to provide cost comparisons showing the price of your tickets with and without the personal travel. You should do this at the time of booking. Please reach out to Garry or Cindy to make sure you have the needed documentation at the time of booking to make the reimbursement process smoother.
  • Make sure to report any personal travel days as vacation on your timesheet if you are someone who fills out a timesheet.

FAQ

Please refer to the Travel FAQ page for the university here.

  • Should I use Concur to book my travel?
    • You can if you want but not if it is more expensive. We have generally found it to be cheaper not to use concur.
  • Do I need to fill out a TA if I’m driving to Phoenix?
    • Yes TA’s are needed anytime you travel more than 35 miles from the University for business reasons.
  • Is it okay if I drive instead of fly?
    • It depends on the location. If traveling using your own vehicle to a conference or meeting, you will be reimbursed for mileage at the rate of 65.5 cents per mile and you must show that driving your own vehicle is less expensive than other forms of transportation.
  • Can I get a cash advance for my travel?
    • No unfortunately you cannot. You can manage expenses by using the PCARD to book instead of your personal credit card and you can also request for one reimbursement before you go on your trip and one after.
  • Can I book a hotel that costs more than per diem?
    • Yes you can but you will have to pay the difference between your booking rate and what is allowed through Per Diem unless you can show that the hotel was the designated lodging for a conference.
  • Can I upgrade my plane ticket?
    • You will only be reimbursed for an economy flight. However, if you want to upgrade your flight at your own expense you can do that. First make your flight reservations for an economy class seat. Once you have the receipt for this saved. Then go back and upgrade your seat at your own expense. Make sure that this upgrade price is not shown on the receipt you submit for reimbursement.
  • Do I need to do anything different for International tavel?
    • Yes! This will require additional approval so please make sure to fill out all of the international travel forms as soon as you know that you have international travel planned.