UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH PROCEDURE 05-07-01
CATEGORY: FINANCIAL AFFAIRS
SECTION: Business Expenses
SUBJECT: Travel and Business Expenses
EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 1996 Revised
PAGE(S): 5
I. PURPOSE
To provide the University procedure for reporting reimbursable
business expenses incurred during travel and/or other University
business.
II. SCOPE
This procedure is applicable to faculty and staff, and under
specific conditions, nonemployees who incur reimbursable expenses
while engaged in University business and/or any necessary related
travel.
III. PROCEDURE
A. Requesting Travel Reservations
Traveler 1. Prepare a Business Travel
Request, FORM 0062 (Exhibit
A), in accordance with the
instructions provided in the
attached Form Instruction
Guide.
2. Forward the completed form to
the appropriate head of the
responsibility center for
review and approval signature.
Responsibility
Center Head 3. Review the Business Travel
Request to ensure that all
necessary information is
included, e.g., University
FAIS Account Number,
reservations for hotel/motel,
automobile, etc.
4. Approve the Request form,
forward the original (white),
and the first copy (canary) to
the Certified Travel Agency,
and retain the second copy
(green) for file.
Travel Agency 5. Obtain the requested
reservations, enter the
appropriate information on the
Request form, retain the first
copy (canary), and forward the
original (white) to the
traveler.
B. Requests for Travel Advances
Traveler 1. Prepare a Travel Advance
Request, FORM 0061 (Exhibit
B), in accordance with the
instructions provided in the
attached Form Instruction
Guide.
2. Forward the completed Travel
Advance Request to the
appropriate head of the
responsibility center for
review and approval.
Responsibility
Center Head 3. Review the request to ensure
that all appropriate
information is included.
4. Approve the request, forward
the original (white) to
Accounts Payable for approval,
and retain the first copy
(yellow) for file.
Accounts Payable 5. Process the request and
prepare the check.
6. Forward the check to the
traveler. If cash is desired,
forward the request only.
NOTE: Cash travel advances
are limited to $200. Travel
advances for over $200 are
payable by check only. Cash
advances for $200 or under are
payable by check or may be
received in cash, payable at
the Cashier's Office.
Travel advances paid by check
and picked up in the Accounts
Payable Office will be
released only to University
faculty, staff, or students.
The individual picking up the
check must present a current
validated University
Identification Card. If the
person picking up the check is
not the payee, a memorandum
from the payee or the head of
the responsibility center
authorizing the payment to the
individual must be presented.
The authorization memorandum
should include the name of the
payee, the amount of the
check, the name of the person
picking up the check, and the
signature of either the payee
or the head of the
responsibility center. Checks
will be released only to
University faculty, staff, or
students.
Traveler 7. Present the audit approved
Request for Travel Advance to
the Cashier in the Cashier's
Office to obtain the cash
advance.
C. Advance Payments for Lodging, Food, or Hospitality Expenses
Traveler 1. Use the University of
Pittsburgh Corporate American
Express Card for advance
payments for lodging, food, or
hospitality expenses, or;
2. Prepare a Travel Advance
Request, FORM 0061 (see Policy
05-07-01, Travel and Business
Expenses, for applicability
and limitations), as
previously established and
forward it to the appropriate
head of the responsibility
center for review and
approval.
Responsibility
Center Head 3. Review and approve the
request as previously
described, and forward it to
Accounts Payable for approval.
Accounts Payable 4. Process the request and
prepare the check as
previously described.
5. Forward the check to the
traveler.
D. Advance Payments for Registration Fees
Traveler 1. Prepare a Disbursement
Request, FORM 0014, in
accordance with the Form
Instruction Guide (refer to
Procedure 05-06-03,
Disbursement Requests), for
payment of any advance
registration fees.
2. Forward the request to the
appropriate head of the
responsibility center for
review and approval.
Responsibility
Center Head 3. Review the request to ensure
that all necessary information
is included, e.g., FAIS
Account number, etc.
4. Approve and forward the
request to Accounts Payable
for processing the payment.
Accounts Payable 5. Process the request, and
prepare and forward the check
to the appropriate advance
payment recipient.
E. Travel and Business Expense Reporting
Traveler 1. Prepare a Travel and Business
Expense Report (T&B), FORM
0060 (Exhibit C), in
accordance with the
instructions provided in the
attached Form Instruction
Guide.
NOTE: Travel and Business
Expense Reports prepared for
foreign travel must be
accompanied by a covering
memorandum, and should include
a listing of each expense item
in foreign currency, the
applicable currency exchange
rate, and the U.S. dollar
equivalent. The conversion
from foreign currency to U.S.
dollars may be calculated with
the rate in effect on the day
that the expenditure was
incurred, or an average rate
for the travel period.
2. Forward the T&B, together with
the original receipts, to the
head of the responsibility
center designated to review
and approve expense reports.
Refer to Policy 05-07-01,
Travel and Business Expenses,
for the specific requirements
for approval signatures.
3. Return unexpended travel
advance funds by personal
check or money order, together
with the T&B.
Responsibility
Center Head 4. Review the T&B to ensure that
all required information is
included, e.g., receipts,
bills, original invoices, etc.
5. Approve the T&B and forward it
to Accounts Payable for
processing. Retain a
photocopy for file.
NOTE: The approval signature
is an acknowledgment that the
expenditures are in accordance
with University policy, and
are reasonable and
appropriate. Facsimile
signatures are not acceptable.
Accounts Payable 6. Audit the T&B and process
an expense payment check, if
required.
7. Process the returned
unexpended travel advance
funds, together with the T&B.
Service and Records 8. Retain original receipts,
bills, invoices, and the like
in accordance with the
established record retention
policies.
F. Use of Personal Vehicles for University Business
Traveler 1. Refer to Policy 05-07-01,
Travel and Business Expenses,
for the University policies on
the use of personal vehicles
for University business.
2. Compute the mileage for
personal vehicle use from the
normal place of business to
the destination and return,
multiplied by the current rate
per mile allowed by the IRS.
See Procedure 05-07-01, Travel
and Business Expenses, Exhibit
H for the current mileage
allowance rate.
G. Obtaining AT&T Calling Cards for University Travel or
Business Use
Responsibility
Center Head 1. Request an AT&T Calling
Card for departmental use by
submitting a request to the
Office of Telecommunications
by memorandum, and include the
FAIS Account Number for
charging the calling card
telephone calls.
H. Obtaining Discount Airline Rates Under the Federal Contract
Airline Service
Traveler 1. Travelers who are in one
city and plan to continue a
trip to another city should
inquire about this service
from the specific airline.
I. Use of Rental Cars
Traveler 1. The University has corporate
discount rates with various
car rental companies. A car
rental discount may be
available by providing the
University's Program Number.
See Procedure 05-07-01, Travel
and Business Expenses, Exhibit
G.
J. Use of the University Motor Pool (Department of Parking and
Transportation)
Traveler 1. Contact the University Motor
Pool for the reservation and
use of a motor pool vehicle.
2. Use of motor pool vehicles is
covered by rules and
regulations provided by the
University Motor Pool.
K. Corporate Rate Agreements With Selected Hotels and Motels
Traveler 1. See Procedure 05-07-01, Travel
and Business Expenses, Exhibit
E for a listing of hotel and
motel chains offering special
rates to the University.
2. Request a faculty discount for
hotel/motel accommodations,
where available.
IV. EXHIBITS
Exhibit A - FORM 0062, Business Travel Request
FORM 0062 Form Instruction Guide
Exhibit B - FORM 0061, Travel Advance Request
FORM 0061 Form Instruction Guide
Exhibit C - FORM 0060, Travel and Business Expense Report
FORM 0060 Form Instruction Guide
Exhibit D - Certified Travel Agents
Exhibit E - Certified Local Hotels
Exhibit F - U.S. Meal Per Diem
Exhibit G - Discount Car Rental Programs
Exhibit H - Standard Mileage Allowance Rate
V. REFERENCES
Policy 05-06-03, Disbursement Requests
Policy 05-07-01, Travel and Business Expense