Guidelines & Procedures

Travel Expense Guidelines

Purpose

To provide administrative assistance to the claimant and approval authorities regarding determination of reimbursable travel expenses for employees, research staff, students and visiting speakers or lecturers.

These guidelines apply to all individuals whose travel is paid for by funds administered by the University including operating, research, trust and restricted accounts. When an external granting agency's regulations are more restrictive than the University's regulations, the granting agency's regulations shall take precedence.  (An overview of Tri-Council (CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC) travel expense requirements are included at the end of this document in Appendix B. For other research, refer to the specific granting agency's policy guide-book and/or the terms of reference of the specific research contract for any allowable variations from this policy.)

As a publicly funded institution, the University will endeavour to use its resources responsibly and effectively. Individuals should exercise care and judgment when incurring expenditures. Under no circumstances are personal expenses, personal travel expenses or personal entertainment expenses to be charged to any funds administered by the University.

Requests to cover travel expenditures not provided for in the guidelines must be made to the Vice-President (Finance & Resources) through the appropriate Vice-President (e.g. Provost and Vice-President Academic - for individuals employed in an academic unit).

Note: For the purpose of this guideline, the use of terminology such as department head, dean and college are considered to also refer to director, head of administrative unit and administrative unit/division.

Guidelines

Key Points for Travelers:

• An Authority To Travel form must be completed in advance of all Out-of-Province travel and In-Province Tri-Council funded travel and attached to the Travel Expense Claim form when it is submitted.
  Note: For In-Province, non Tri-Council-funded travel, an Authority To Travel form is not required.
  Note: Even though there is not a requirement to complete an Authority To Travel form for In-Province travel, departments may, if they so desire, request that travelers complete this form to satisfy their internal financial management processes.
• Expenses related to and incurred in performance of University business, e.g. teaching, research, professional development, administration, etc. can be claimed.
• Travel expenses being claimed, and any limitations regarding those expenses, are described in the guidelines below.
• A copy of the Travel Expense Claim form should be printed to help keep track of individual expenses as they are paid.  Since there is limited space on the Travel Expense Claim form [only enough lines to record about a week's worth of expenses], we recommend printing out the Travel Expense Detail form, if more space/lines are needed to record expenses.  The Expense Detail Total can be transferred to the Travel Expense Claim form.
• Consider printing out a copy of the Vehicle Kilometer Log form to help you keep track of the trips taken and distances traveled while using a personal vehicle for travel on University business.
• Claims must be submitted on the Travel Expense Claim form and only one claim should be submitted for each trip. 
  Note: By using cheque requisitions, approved travel agents (see Appendix A) for booking air fare/travel arrangements, or the corporate travel card (see Corporate Travel Card below) to pay for most expenses requiring prepayment, there should not be a need to be reimbursed for expenses before the one claim for the trip is submitted.
• A separate Travel Expense Claim form is required for each Out-of-Province and Tri-Council funded trip.  This means that more than one Out-of-Province and/or Tri-Council funded trip cannot be included on a Travel Expense Claim form.
• Original receipts must be provided. These receipts must include sufficient information to clearly detail the nature of the expenditure/purchase and applicable taxes.
• Receipts for prepaid expenses must be attached.
• For conferences, a copy of the conference registration form and event schedule/conference outline (see Appendix C for examples) must be attached.  Note: This documentation enables approvers to relate the appropriateness of the expenditure to the terms of the funding.
• Foreign currency amounts must be properly converted to Canadian dollars (CAD).  See Exchange Rate field description on the Completing a Travel Expense Claim Form help document.
• The CFOAPAL (UniFi coding information) must be recorded on the Travel Expense Claim form and the expense claim must be properly approved.
• If you are traveling outside of Canada and planning to take any equipment along, excluding personal computers, contact Purchasing Services at 966-6704 or at purchasing.services@usask.ca for Customs requirements.

Note: This summary of Key Points is provided for your convenience.  Complete information about claim preparation, approvals, processing, allowable expenditures and other travel related items are more fully described below.

Procedure Summary and Approvals

1. Preparation

   • Claims must be made on the Travel Expense Claim form - only one claim should be submitted per trip. A separate Travel Expense Claim form is required for each Out-of-Province and Tri-Council funded trip. This means that more than one Out-of-Province and/or Tri-Council funded trip cannot be included on a given Travel Expense Claim form.
   • If there are not enough lines on the Travel Expense Claim form to record your expenses, please use the Travel Expense Detail form along with the Travel Expense Claim form.  The Travel Expense Detail Total can be transferred to the Travel Expense Claim form. 
   • Claims must be submitted as soon as possible, but no later than 2 months, after returning from a trip. Claims submitted after the 2 months require a written explanation for the late submission.
   • Claims for reimbursement must be accompanied by original receipts and/or paid invoices detailing expenses and applicable taxes - photocopies of receipts and cancelled cheques will NOT be accepted.
   • Credit card slips alone are not acceptable as they do not normally provide sufficient detail about the items being claimed.
   • Attach original receipts for prepaid expenses so that the travel expense claim package is complete.
   • Where possible, receipts should be sorted in order of the expenditures as listed on the Travel Expense Claim form. If there are a large number of receipts, please include a summary sheet, or use the Travel Expense Detail form, as this will speed up processing of the claim.
   • If the expenditures were paid in a foreign currency, refer to http://www.oanda.com/converter/classic.
   • Original receipts in a foreign language should be translated.  Note: Payment Services reserves the right to request that such receipts be translated.
   • In certain situations externally funded contracts provide for per diem rates that are different than the University's per diem rates. In these situations, attach a copy of the section of the contract that specifies the rates that can be claimed.
   • The claimant must sign the Travel Expense Claim form. This signature indicates that all expenditures incurred are related to University business, that charges included have not been claimed from other organizations, that expenditures comply with the University or funding agency travel expense guidelines, and that the claimant has personally paid for all expenditures being claimed.
   • When forwarding the travel claim package for approval, attach all required supporting documentation including original invoices, event schedule/conference outline, if applicable (see Appendix C for examples), Authority to Travel form, if applicable, etc.

2. Approvals

   • The claim must be approved by the person having signing authority for the UniFi Fund(s) to which the travel costs are being charged. If the signing authority is the person being reimbursed, their supervisor or designate, must approve the claim. Approval of the Travel Expense Claim form indicates that the expenses are considered to be appropriate and reasonable.
   • In no instance can an individual approve their own claim.

3. Processing

   • After the original receipts (including prepaid receipts), event schedule/conference outline (if applicable) and the Authority To Travel form (if applicable) have been attached to the claim, and the claim has been signed and properly approved, forward the travel claim package to Payment Services, Room E80 Administration Building for processing.
   • Payment Services will only process claims that are complete. Incomplete claims will be returned to the claimant.
   • Payment Services is responsible for ensuring that all expenditures being reimbursed or paid for by the University comply with the applicable travel expense guidelines. Auditors from sponsoring agencies and corporations, Canada Revenue Agency, the Provincial Auditor's Office and the University's Audit Services Division routinely review travel and other transactions for compliance, adequate documentation and proper approval.
   • Please allow 10 working days, from receipt of the travel claim package in Payment Services, for processing.
   • Reimbursement will only be made to the individual who incurred the expenditures.
   • Reimbursement cheques will be mailed to the campus address of the claimant.  Off-campus addresses are only acceptable for students and non-university personnel.

Corporate Travel Card (BMO Travel MasterCard)

To assist in paying travel costs, the University of Saskatchewan has entered into an agreement with the Bank of Montreal to provide a corporate travel card to employees of the University. The cards are issued in the name of the employee and all charges on the card are the personal liability of the employee.

There are several advantages of using this travel card:

1. Most University travel expenses (including hotel, car rentals, meals, etc.) can be charged to the corporate travel card with eligible expenses then being claimed for reimbursement.
2. The corporate travel card provides approximately 60 days to pay the balance owing.  The balance owing at a given month end must be paid in full within this time period or the card will be deactivated by the bank.
3. The corporate travel card limits the need to use personal funds or personal credit cards on University business.
4. The corporate travel card also provides some insurance coverage, such as baggage delay insurance, car rental insurance and travel accident insurance. Travelers should review the current card agreement to determine the specific coverage provided.

The corporate "Travel Card Application" form is available online on the FSD web site.

Allowable Expenditures

Accommodation

• Accommodation expenses are reimbursable up to a level equivalent to standard, non-luxury hotel rates for a single room in a commercial establishment of reasonable class.
• As hotel rates vary widely throughout the many cities and countries that individuals travel to, it is impractical to provide a definitive and up-to-date list of hotels and rates for all travel destinations. For reference purposes, the CAUBO corporate hotel rates can be accessed at http://www.caubo.ca (National Agreements/Hotels).
• Original receipts (the detailed hotel bill) must be attached to the Travel Expense Claim form. Documents such as credit card slips cannot be used for reimbursement as they do not provide a detailed listing of the charges, including the applicable taxes, being claimed.
• Private Accommodation - When a friend or relative provides accommodation to an individual, a maximum amount of $30/day may be claimed in lieu of hotel accommodation for the portion of the stay that relates to University business.  This amount(s) is normally used to provide the friend or relative with a token of appreciation (e.g. a dinner out, a small gift, etc).

Air Fare

• The actual cost of air travel will be reimbursed up to an amount not exceeding the economy rate when traveling by the most direct route. Exceptions to this policy are allowed where an individual has medical reasons that require other arrangements.
• Airfares usually have to be paid prior to the actual trip. The recommended method of paying for airfare is to have it billed directly to a central University account. This can be done by making travel arrangements through one of the approved travel agents listed in Appendix A. Simply complete an Authority To Travel form, which includes the UniFi coding information (CFOAPAL) that the airfare is to be charged to, and take or send a copy of the Authority To Travel form to the selected travel agent.
• When an approved travel agent is used, the cost of the ticket, travel agent fees, seat selection fees and trip cancellation insurance will be charged to the University's account.
• On a monthly basis, the costs that are charged to the University account are allocated to the CFOAPAL that is recorded on the Authority to Travel form.
• Whenever possible, travelers should take advantage of discounts by booking seat sales and excursion fares. If fares have been arranged at lower than economy rates which necessitate staying over an extra night, the extra accommodation and meal costs may be claimed if overall cost savings are still realized compared to flying on preferred dates at economy rates.
• Amounts in excess of economy airfare, e.g. stopovers and other costs that are not related to university business, are considered to be a personal expense and are not reimbursable.
• Attach airline tickets, prepaid tickets or electronic tickets (e-tickets) to the Travel Expense Claim form. For e-tickets, also include the itinerary, which provides additional verification of travel dates, ticket costs, payment information, etc.
• If the airfare is charged to an employee's corporate travel card or personal credit card, the airfare can be claimed for reimbursement, upon return from the trip, when the Travel Expense Claim form is submitted.
• If for some reason, an individual does not take a scheduled flight, whether it was billed centrally or charged to a credit card, the airline will issue a voucher, in the individual's name, for a future flight.  It is important to use this voucher for authorized University travel within the allowed time period or to reimburse the University if it is not used for authorized University travel.

Child Care and Elder Care

• Whenever individuals are authorized by the University to travel for purposes related to the performance of their duties and they incur child or elder care expenses as a result of such travel, those expenses will be reimbursed, to a maximum of $40.00 per child/elder per day, provided the conditions outlined in the Procedure Summary below are met.
• Procedure Summary:
  • The Department Head or Dean must approve the child or elder care in advance of the trip.
  • Reimbursement for child or elder care expenses must be supported by an appropriate receipt, including a Social Insurance Number (SIN) if the care provider is an individual, attached to the Travel Expense Claim form.
• Amounts paid to a spouse, partner or family member may not be claimed.

Hospitality Expenses

• Public accountability, as well as limited budgets, require faculty and staff to exercise particular care when incurring and/or approving hospitality expenses.
• Hospitality expenses/entertaining while traveling may be claimed provided that the function was necessary and directly related to University business given the nature or purpose of the travel.  Hospitality claims must include the name of the guest(s) of the University and the name of the company or agency the guest(s) represents.
• Any excessive/unreasonable costs for meals and beverages incurred while entertaining are a personal expense of the individual and/or the other persons attending the function and will not be reimbursed.
• Costs are to be clearly identified and charged to the appropriate account code (70607). The reason(s) for the entertainment expense, together with the names of all individuals in attendance, are to be attached to the claim.
• Attach original receipts to the Travel Expense Claim form.
• See Hospitality Policy (Section 4.00).

Meals

• The University will reimburse individuals for the lesser of the actual cost of the meal expenses incurred or the per diem rates.  Note: Receipts do not have to be submitted if you are claiming the per diem or less than the per diem. Exceptions to this policy are allowed where an individual has medical reasons that require specific meal arrangements.
• If the traveler is paying for meals for others accompanying in the travel, no per diems can be claimed for any party of the trip. All original receipts must be submitted with the travel expense claim, and actual meal costs will be reimbursed up to the per diem rate.
• In situations where the actual meal costs for the trip are in excess of the total claimable amount allowed for the trip, based on per diem rates, the actual meal costs will be reimbursed provided such expenses are appropriate and reasonable given the location and purpose of the travel. In these situations, receipts are required for all meals paid for during the trip. Note: The reason(s) for the exception must be adequately documented and attached to the claim.
• Per diem rates are normally adjusted annually on July 1^st to match Government of Saskatchewan rates. See Meals field description on the Completing a Travel Expense Claim Form help document.  Note: Depending on circumstances, interim rate adjustments may be recommended to the Associate Vice-President (Financial Services) for approval.
• There are separate rates for travel within Saskatchewan, in Canada (outside of Saskatchewan) and in the United States.
• If you are traveling to a foreign country, other than the United States, the University uses the foreign per diem rates as published by the National Joint Council of Canada. These rates can be found at: http://www.njc-cnm.gc.ca/directive/travel-voyage/s-td-dv-a4-eng.php (Travel Directive, Appendix D - Allowances - Module 4)

  When you get to this web site, scroll down to "Table Legend" and use the letters below the legend to locate a country and then select the per diem rates for the applicable city. Use lines that begin with "C" which indicates Commercial Accommodation. In some locations a per diem is not specified for one or all meals, rather it indicates an "*". Per the legend, this means you will claim "Reasonable and justifiable expenses. Receipts are required."

  Note: The University's reimbursement guidelines do not include incidentals.

  Example: I for Iceland - Currency; Iceland krona (ISK) - Effective date: January 1, 2010

  		Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	TOTAL
  C	Reykjavik	1700.00	3350.00	5300.00	10350.00
  C	Other	1360.00	2680.00	4240.00	8280.00

• Where meals are provided as part of the cost of the airline tickets or conference registration fees, the portion of the per diem allowance, applicable to the meals provided, cannot be claimed. 
• If a traveler leaves on the trip before breakfast, the traveler is entitled to claim all three meals that day; if a traveler leaves before lunch, the traveler is only entitled to claim lunch and dinner that day; if a traveler leaves after lunch, the traveler is only entitled to claim dinner that day; and if a traveler leaves in the evening, no meals can be claimed that day.  The same logic, in reverse, applies upon return.  If a traveler returns before lunch, only breakfast can be claimed, after lunch, breakfast and lunch can be claimed, in the evening, all three meals can be claimed.
• Meal claims must exclude any charge for alcohol.
• Gratuities are included in the per diem rates.

Laundry

• Reasonable laundry expenses are reimbursable and would normally apply to trips in excess of 4 consecutive days.

Parking

• Hotel, airport and public parking expenses that relate to University business are reimbursable. Original receipts, other than for metered parking, are required.

Passports

• Passport fees are a reimbursable expenditure if the passport had to be obtained to facilitate travel on University business to an international destination.
• Passport fees and immigration fees are not eligible expenses under Tri-Council travel expense guidelines.

Registration Fees

• Individuals are often required to prepay registration fees. It is recommended that one of the following methods be used to prepay registration fees:
  • Fees can be charged on a Procurement Card (PCard) as long as the fee is within the daily PCard limits.
  • The registration fee can be processed on a cheque requisition. The original and one copy of the registration form are to be attached to the cheque requisition (the copy will remain attached to the Cheque Requisition form as support and the original will be mailed with the cheque). The completed cheque requisition form should be forwarded to Payments Services - E80 Administration Building for processing.
• Alternatively, if the registration fee is charged to an individual's corporate travel card or personal credit card, the fee can be claimed for reimbursement, upon return from the trip, when the Travel Expense Claim is submitted.
• If the money has to be sent by wire transfer, a fee to cover bank and processing fees will be charged to the applicable CFOAPAL.
• Only registration fees that pertain to the University business can be claimed. If there are any personal fees (leisure events, special activities, golf, etc.) or spousal or guest fees, they must be paid personally by the individual.
  Reminder: For conferences/seminars/workshops, etc., a copy of the conference registration form and/or event schedule/conference outline (see Appendix C for examples) must be attached to the Travel Expense Claim form.

Taxis

• Only taxi costs that relate to University business will be reimbursed.
• Original receipts are required. In cases where receipts are not available, a schedule needs to be included stating the purpose of the taxi trip, the date, pick up and drop off locations, as well as the amount.

Telephone

• Business telephone calls are reimbursable.
• Personal long distance calls, allowing an individual to stay in reasonable contact with their immediate family, are reimbursable. This would generally mean making one or two calls for a trip of up to 4 days in duration. 
  Reminder: The most economical means of calling should be used - calls from hotel rooms and collect calls are very expensive.
• Additional calls may be eligible given consideration to the length of travel, family situation, etc. In these situations an explanation needs to be attached to the Travel Expense Claim.

Vehicle, Personal Use of:

• Occasionally, individuals use their personal vehicle for travel on University business. In these situations, travel costs are reimbursed on a per kilometer basis. The kilometric rate includes prorated costs such as insurance, vehicle depreciation, regular maintenance costs, gas, etc.  
  Reminder:  In many situations, it is actually less expensive to rent a vehicle than to use your personal vehicle (see Vehicle, Rental of below).
• Use is reimbursed based upon the number of kilometers driven multiplied by the current kilometric rate. Kilometric rates are normally adjusted annually on July 1^st to match Government of Saskatchewan rates. For current rates see Personal Vehicle field description on the Completing a Travel Expense Claim Form help document.  Note: Depending on circumstances, interim rate adjustments may be recommended to the Associate Vice-President (Financial Services) for approval.
• Costs for car washes, towing charges, oil changes, etc. are the responsibility of the individual and are not reimbursable by the University.  Parking costs (see Parking above) associated with the authorized use of a private vehicle are reimbursable.
• Costs for long-distance trips are not to exceed full economy airfare unless there is more than one individual traveling or stops are required for business purposes.  Full economy airfare is further defined as being equivalent to booking an economy airline ticket two weeks in advance.
• Individuals must complete and attach a Vehicle Kilometer Log form if more than one trip or more than one location is being claimed on a Travel Expense Claim form.  For an example of a completed Vehicle Kilometer Log click here.
• To obtain the distance between locations you can use the following website, http://www.expedia.ca/pub/ agent.dll?qscr=mrfn. Note: When searching for distances for Canadian locations, you must use the "Search for a place" option. The route option of "Quickest" should be used.
• Individuals, traveling in a private vehicle as passengers, may not claim for kilometers traveled or the cost of equivalent public transportation.
• All costs incurred by an individual as the result of a collision or other physical damage to their personal vehicle is the responsibility of the individual and are not reimbursable by the University. Such costs include increases to premiums on driver's license, insurance costs, deductibles, etc.

Vehicle, Rental of:

• Normally, vehicle rentals are reimbursed for intermediate, compact or economy sized vehicles.
• Original rental agreements are to be attached to the Travel Expense Claim form along with related fuel receipts. 
  Reminder: Refuel the rental vehicle prior to returning it to the rental agency as refueling rates charged by the agencies are expensive.
• The cost of insuring the rental vehicle while on University business is a reimbursable expense.  
  Reminder: If you are using your corporate travel card to rent a vehicle, you should check the details of insurance provided by the card to ensure you are not duplicating any insurance coverage.
• Additional personal accident insurance is not reimbursable.
• The PCard can be used when renting vehicles.
• For reference purposes:
  • for vehicle rentals in Saskatoon, the University vehicle rental rates (including a complementary pickup and delivery service) can be accessed under Buying Goods & Services.
  • for vehicle rentals in other locations, the CAUBO corporate vehicle rental rates can be accessed at http://www.caubo.ca (National Agreements/Car Rentals).

Non-Allowable Expenses

Examples of personal, non-allowable expenses, include:

• Interest charged on outstanding credit card balances.
• Traffic and parking fines.
• Pay-per-view movies, mini bar charges, etc. billed to a hotel room.
• Costs associated with failing to cancel transportation or hotel reservations.
• Excess baggage fees associated with normal travel.
• Expenditures such as entertainment, tickets to shows or sporting events, etc.
• Lost or stolen tickets, cash or personal property. Note: Travelers need to make sure that their personal insurance provides adequate coverage for personal property.
• Any other personal (e.g. clothing) or excessive expenditures.

Expenses for a spouse are not reimbursable unless it can be demonstrated that their presence provides a specific benefit to the University. These situations require the approval of a Vice-President.

Other Items

Business/First Class Air Fare

• Business/First Class airfare is permitted for the President and Vice-Presidents on flights over 5 hours, and for other individuals, if approved by the applicable Vice-President on the recommendation of the Dean.
• For clarification, a flight is defined by a unique flight number (e.g. Flight #103 from Saskatoon to Toronto, with a stop in Winnipeg, is one flight; whereas a trip from Saskatoon to Toronto consisting of flight #204 from Saskatoon to Winnipeg and flight #305 from Winnipeg to Toronto is two flights).
• Notwithstanding the foregoing, travel expenses must comply with granting agency requirements. Tri-Council's standard for air travel is economy class.
• Where possible, individuals permitted to fly Business/First Class should use upgrades based on air miles/points earned while traveling on behalf of the University of Saskatchewan.

Insurance Coverage

• Out-of-country medical insurance premiums, if required, are reimbursable expenses. University employees who are covered by an extended health care plan (Human Resources - Benefit Plans) should review the benefits provided by that plan to determine what items are covered, whether there are any exclusions, and to ensure that duplicate insurance is not being purchased.
• Additional life insurance is considered a personal expense of the claimant and is not reimbursable.
• The University maintains insurance coverage for University property that is taken on trips.
• It is recommended that an Authority to Travel form must be completed by all individuals who travel on University business to ensure that insurance claims can be documented and processed as quickly as possible.

Insurance - Travel Accident

• The University maintains travel accident insurance (accidental death and dismemberment) coverage, for employees traveling on authorized University business, including those on sabbatical leave, and university students traveling in pursuit of academic requirements.
  • Employees on educational and other leaves of absence, and individuals 70 years of age or older, are not covered.
  • Insurance coverage is subject to the terms, conditions, exclusions, and limitations contained in the actual policy contract. For matters of interpretation, the insurance policy contract or, in some cases the insurers, should be consulted through Risk Management & Insurance Services. The following summary of policy coverage is stated in general terms:
    • Covered types of injuries include loss of life, sight, speech, hearing, quadriplegia, paraplegia, hemiplegia, dismemberment, loss or loss of use of hands, feet, arms and legs.
    • The principal indemnity amounts paid for loss of life and catastrophic injuries specified in the insurance policy are:
      • $100,000 for employees working in excess of 75% of full-time hours.
      • $50,000 for part-time employees working 75% or less of full-time hours.
      • $50,000 for part-time instructors and students.
      • The principal indemnity amount is doubled in the event of quadriplegia, paraplegia, or hemiplegia.
      • Less severe losses of limbs and functions specified in the insurance policy are eligible for a reduced indemnity amount.
• Part-time employees and students are advised to contact Risk Management & Insurance Services (see below) prior to the trip, to ensure that the trip is insurable. If so, employees and students will be asked to provide, in writing, the name of the traveler, destination(s), mode of transportation, purpose and dates of the trip.
  • The insurance policy requires the University to notify the insurer within 30 days after the date of the accident. Any accident involving bodily injury while traveling on University business should immediately be reported to Risk Management & Insurance Services (see below).
  • The indemnity is paid to the estate in the event of loss of life. All other indemnities are paid to the individual.
• It is recommended that each faculty/administrative department reduce its exposure to a catastrophic loss by limiting the number of individuals traveling on the same flight or in the same automobile.
• Clarification on any of these points or other insurance inquires should be directed to Risk Management & Insurance Services (Merv Dahl 966-8753 or Nowell Seaman 966-8788)

Original Supporting Documentation Lost

• If an original piece of supporting documentation (e.g. receipt(s), etc.) is not available, a declaration signed by the claimant must be completed and attached to the Travel Expense Claim form. Complete the Declaration re: Lost/Misplaced Supporting Documentation form and record the date the expense was incurred, the amount and a description of the expense. For other lost/misplaced supporting documentation, provide particulars.

Other travel related links

• Hospitality Policy (Policy Section 4.00)
• Travel Advisory Memo (Information Bulletins - Travel)

Partial payment of travel expenses by another organization

• Where travel expenses are to be partially paid for by another organization, and the traveler requires the original receipt for submission to that organization, upon request, receipts will be "site stamped" by Payment Services indicating the amount reimbursed by the University. A photocopy of the site-stamped receipt is filed in the Travel Expense Claim package to support the reimbursement. The original receipt will then be returned to the traveler so a claim for the balance may be made from the other organization. Photocopies will not otherwise be accepted as substitutes for original receipts.

Personal Travel

• Combining business travel with personal travel

  The University does not provide reimbursement for personal expenses incurred while on official University business. If, for other than University business, a traveler takes an indirect route or interrupts travel on a direct route, reimbursement for transportation will be the lesser of the actual charge or the charge that would have been incurred by traveling the direct route. In these situations, a breakdown of costs needs to be obtained from a Travel Agent. The personal portion of the trip costs will not be reimbursed.

• Travel expenses of spouse/partner and families

  Expenses for an individual's spouse/partner and family are not reimbursable nor subject to advance payment. When family travel results in a reduced airfare, such as a family plan or charter flight, the University will pay the lesser of the actual expense incurred for the individual's portion of the flight or the economy fare for the individual's travel. Additional accommodation costs that may result from a spouse/partner or child occupying a room are not reimbursable.

Travel Advances

• Travel advances are not normally provided. One of the purposes of implementing of the corporate travel card was to remove the need to provide travel advances.
• If there are unusual circumstances surrounding your travel, please email payment_inquiries@usask.ca to make application for a travel advance.
• A travel advance may be provided for Undergraduate or Graduate Students who are required to travel, as they are not eligible for a corporate travel card.

Forms

Versions		Document Name	Help
		Authority to Travel
		Travel Expense Claim
		Travel Expense Detail
		Vehicle Kilometer Log
		Travel Card Application
		Declaration of Missing or Lost Documentation
		BMO (Travel Card) Certificate of Insurance
		Cheque Requisition/Reimbursement Form

Contacts

For additional assistance please email payment_inquiries@usask.ca or phone 966-8323.

Appendix A

Approved Travel Agents

This is a list of Travel Agents that have been authorized to charge to the centrally billed University corporate travel card.

In Saskatoon:

• CAA Travel Agency Saskatchewan
• Carlson Wagonlit Travel (22^nd Street)
• Carlson Wagonlit Travel - All World Travel
• Discovery Travel Inc
• Jubilee Travel
• Marlin Travel
• Saskatoon Co-operative
• Sinfonia Travel Group
• Time Travellers
• Travel Cuts
• Uniglobe (Access, Carefree, Preferred) Travel
• Vacations Away Inc.

In Regina:

• CAA Travel Agency Saskatchewan, (2510 E. Quance Street)

Note: The recommended method of paying for airfare is to have it billed directly to a central University account. This can be done by making travel arrangements through one of the travel agents listed above. Simply complete an Authority To Travel form, which includes the UniFi coding information (CFOAPAL) that the airfare is to be charged to, and take or send a copy of the Authority To Travel form to the selected travel agent.

The cost of the ticket, travel agent fees, seat selection fees and trip cancellation insurance will be charged to the University's account.  Thereafter, on a monthly basis, the costs that are charged to the University account are allocated to the CFOAPAL that is recorded on the Authority to Travel form.

Appendix B

Overview of Tri-Council (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) Travel Requirements

(extracted from http://www.nserc.ca/professors_e.asp?nav=profnav&lbi=f3 "Use of Grant Funds" and http://www.nserc.ca/ professors_e.asp?nav=profnav&lbi=f4 "Reporting")

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) have the following specific requirements relating to travel reimbursements, approvals and documentation:

• The Grantee must approve all expense claims for those other than themselves. For such individuals, the affiliation with the Grantee's research group must be specified. If the traveller is a student, the travel claim must be signed by the Grantee. This authority cannot be delegated.
• All expense claims for the Grantee and any visiting researchers must be approved by the Grantee's department head or dean. If a department head is submitting a claim as a Grantee, then the Dean must approve the claim.
• For travel reimbursement, the purpose of the trip must be stated clearly and in detail. Single word explanations such as "research" or "conference" are not sufficient. Descriptors such as conference name, date and location, field trip to (location), meeting with research collaborator (with collaborator's name and institution, etc.) should be included. (Note: Provision to document this information has been provided on the Authority To Travel form.)
• The event schedule or materials with details and dates of the event or conference must be submitted to the approver of the claim (see Appendix C for examples).
• All receipts, including meal receipts greater than the University's per-diem allowances, must be substantiated with original itemized receipts that show all items purchased. Credit card slips by themselves are not acceptable, because they do not provide a detailed listing of charges.
• Air travel is not to exceed full economy fare. The lowest available airfares appropriate to particular itineraries shall be sought and bookings shall be made as far in advance as possible.  Original air travel ticket receipts and boarding passes must be submitted (airline boarding passes will not be accepted in lieu of ticket receipts except in the case of electronic tickets).
• Reimbursement for any kind of alcoholic beverage is not permitted.
• The number of travel days reimbursed within any 12-month period shall not exceed 125 days per person. It is the Grantee's responsibility to ensure that this maximum is not exceeded.

Note: At the June 2008 CAUBO Conference, the Manager of Awards Administration and Financial Monitoring, NSERC-SSHRC, indicated that regarding Supporting Documentation that NSERC is going to loosen the requirement to provide boarding passes but universities must document why they don't think boarding passes provide any control feature. Subsequently, at a meeting on July 9, 2008 the University of Saskatchewan decided to eliminate the requirement for travelers to submit airline boarding passes, as supporting documentation for air travel, as part of the travel claim package.

Appendix C

Examples of Event Schedules & Conference Outlines

(This appendix includes four examples of the 1 or 2 page documentation that must be attached to the Travel Expense Claim form regarding attendance at conferences/seminars/ workshops, etc.)

1. "Pre-Conference Workshop" information re: Immunoregulation In Chronic Inflamatory Disorders - March 2008.
2. "Conference at a Glance" information re: SunGard Higher Education Summit 2008 conference program book - April 2008.
3. "International Work shop" information re: Lymphocyte kinetics in health and disease - May 2008.
4. "Schedule of Events" information re: Toll2008 Meeting - September 2008.