Travel Expenses

Before you make domestic or international travel arrangements, please review the university and RBS travel policies.

Travel Responsibilities

Business units, individuals and authorized approvers each have important travel responsibilities.

Business Units

It is the Business Unit’s responsibility to ensure that employees traveling on behalf of the University are aware of and will abide by the Travel, Travel Incidentals and Meal Expense Policy 40.4.1.

The business units should:

  • ensure compliance with the University travel policies;
  • exercise prudent judgment in approving travel-related expenses;
  • ensure that any travel expenses incurred are:
    • directly work-related and
    • obtained by the most economical means

Individuals

Employees traveling on University business are responsible for:

  • being familiar with and complying with the University travel policies
  • securing prior authorization for travel
  • verifying that all travel arrangements are confirmed prior to departure
  • selecting travel options that are the most economical to the University
  • spending the University’s funds prudently
  • ensuring that expenses are reasonable, appropriately documented, properly authorized and within the guidelines of the Travel, Travel Incidentals and Meal Expense Policy 40.4.1 
  • exercising the same care in incurring expenses and accomplishing the purposes of the travel that a prudent individual would exercise if traveling on personal business
  • paying any excess costs and any additional expenses incurred for personal preference or convenience (luxury accommodations, etc.)
  • ensuring that expense reports are prepared and submitted in a timely manner, with appropriate receipts and required documentation

Authorized Approvers

All University travel requires pre-trip approval. An employee cannot approve his or her own travel.

The authorized approver:

  • should have authorization over the account being charged
  • cannot be the individual seeking reimbursement
  • should be the traveler’s direct supervisor, if possible
  • should not be asked to approve the travel or entertainment expenses for an individual to whom they report
  • can only approve those expense reports within their authority

The authorized approver must verify that expenses and expense reports meet the following criteria:

  • Travel and entertainment expenses are incurred while conducting University business
  • The expenses are necessary and consistent with University policies and the Travel, Travel Incidentals and Meal Expense Policy 40.4.1
  • The information contained on the expense report and in the attached documentation is accurate
  • Expenses meet any and all sponsor guidelines, if applicable, and are charged to the proper account(s)

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