5.0 University Travel
5.1 Faculty, Staff, & Student Travel
To request travel funding from the School of Music, fill out a Travel Funds Request form. The information will be submitted electronically to the Director. If approved, the request will be sent to the Business Officer who will then generate a travel purchase order (PO) number for you. Any funds authorized become available after travel has been completed. The process for student travel can be found in the Student Travel section of the School of Music student handbook.
The University's Travel Policy is available at https://memphis.policytech.com/dotNet/documents/?docid=712&public=true. It contains links to most of the travel- related forms, the official mileage between cities chart, per diem meal rates, and allowable hotel rates. A travel Purchase Order (PO) number is required before the start of any travel that will be reimbursed with University funds (including grants and funds in the UofM Foundation). The Business Officer generates this number on the University's Banner Finance system.
5.2 International Travel (Including Hawaii & Alaska)
Requests for International Travel (including travel to Hawaii and Alaska) require Provost and Presidential approval so requests must be submitted to the Director via the Request for Travel Funds form at least 30 business days before you leave for your trip. All international travel requests must include a breakdown of expected expenses (i.e., airfare, lodging, registrations, and food). Any item not listed with an estimate will not be reimbursed.
5.3 Travel Reimbursement
All travel reimbursements submitted to accounting for payment must include a letter of invitation, a conference brochure, or both. Travel claims that do not have one of these supporting documents will not be signed or submitted for payment. Travel claims are due in the Accounting Office no later than 30 days after the end of a trip. In order to allow processing time in the School of Music, please submit claims to the Business Officer within ten (10) days of your return. Reimbursement can only be made in accordance with University policies and procedures; including limits on hotel and per diem rates (CONUS rates apply except within Tennessee; for in-state travel, see the Travel Rate Schedule).
Hotels: All travel claims require an itemized hotel bill showing it paid in full. Reimbursement for conference hotels are at the conference rate if accompanied by a conference brochure or registration form showing hotel rates. If a conference brochure or registration form showing the conference rate is not submitted with the receipts, the maximum amount reimbursable will be the CONUS rate. If there are multiple conference rates, only the lowest rate is allowed. For non-conference travel, hotel rates must be within the CONUS limits. Always ask if the hotel has a government rate when book hotel rooms.
Meals: Reimbursement for meals is at the per diem rates and do not require receipts. Per diem rates vary by city.
Airlines: Tickets can be charged directly to the Travel PO number (available from the Business Officer) when booked through the University's travel agent- Travelennium (678-3204 or 678-3321). If charged through Travelennium, you must submit a copy of the itinerary with the claim. Reimbursement for all other airline tickets occurs after completion of travel and must include an official receipt showing the method of payment.
Websites: Internet travel sites such as Expedia, Travelocity or Kayak can be utilized to purchase single travel services such as an airline ticket. Internet travel sites cannot be used to purchase a package of more than one travel service.Purchases of travel packages that combine services such as lodging, airline, or vehicle rentals are not allowed. These package deals do not usually provide sufficient itemized pricing for each service purchased and therefore do not allow for proper comparison to CONUS or conference rates as required by policy. https://memphis.policytech.com/dotNet/documents/?docid=712&public=true.
Mileage: The official mileage between Memphis and the destination at the prevailing mileage rate is the basis for reimbursement for use of a personal automobile. The Accounting Office has a list of city distances; if the location is not specifically listed, you will need to provide a Google Map or MapQuest printout to show the actual distance.
Car Rental: Reimbursement for car rental and related fuel charges requires official receipts. Whenever possible, refuel the car before return. The State's self-insurance covers damage to a rental car, so separate charges for insurance for the car rental are not reimbursable.
Conference Fees: With enough advance notice (minimum 30 days before the check needs to be mailed), the Business Officer can request the issuance of a University check against the Travel Purchase Order to pay for conference fees. Otherwise, you must pay the conference fee yourself and submit it with the travel claim for reimbursement. An official receipt from the conference is required for reimbursement.