Travel Policy

General Travel Guidelines


Travel Authorization

A Travel Authorization Form must be prepared prior to traveling. The authorization form must be submitted for approval to the traveler’s supervisor. In the case of the President and Vice President’s, they are to submit their authorization form to the Vice President for Finance and Administration or Assistant Vice President for Business and Finance.  Both the traveler and approver should have knowledge of the travel policies and procedures. The approved authorization will terminate in the last office where approvals are required.

Additional guidelines for the funding of Faculty travel for professional and scholarly activity are described in detail in the Faculty Resource Guide provided by the Provost's office.


Only Ithaca College faculty, staff and students who have been approved to drive College vehicles are authorized to operate College-owned or rented vehicles.  Furthermore, anyone who is not an approved College driver must pay for rental car expenses by using their personal credit card, as opposed to the College’s travel card, resulting in their personal automobile insurance being the primary insurance coverage.  If a non-approved College driver pays for a rental car using a College travel card this will be considered misuse of the travel card and subject to loss of card privileges.


Contact the Office of Risk Management at (607) 274-3285, for more information on how to become an approved College driver.


Transportation


It is expected that when traveling on College business travelers will utilize the most economical mode of transportation necessary for their trip.


1.  Air Travel and Class of Service:  Ithaca College covers the cost of coach class tickets.  Any upgrades, enhancements, or additional travel insurance (see the Insurance section for further details) are personal expenditures and will not be paid for by the College.  First Class air travel is not an allowable expense.  Advanced purchase discount tickets should be purchased whenever possible and every effort must be made to obtain the lowest fare possible.


2.  College Fleet Vehicles:  Ithaca College maintains a fleet of over 20 vehicles, ranging in size from mid-size cars (including one hybrid vehicle) to passenger vans (maximum seating capacity of 7), that are available for business travel use. 


3.  Rental Vehicles:  The College has entered into an agreement with Enterprise Rent-A-Car to provide a rental vehicle program for College related travel as a complement to the College’s fleet of vehicles.  This program is also established to provide travelers with access to a rental vehicle in the event that no College fleet vehicle is available.    

** As a general rule, only Ithaca College faculty, staff and students should occupy College-owned or rented vehicles. However, there may be special circumstances when a spouse, member of another college or university community, or other individuals will join the College representative to a common business-purpose destination. These situations should be the exception, not the norm, and when they do occur, the Office of Risk Management should be informed of them in advance.


4.  Use of Personal Vehicles:  The use of personal vehicles for approved college business-related travel is limited to travel within a radius of no more than 90 miles from Ithaca.  This mileage radius was determined in an effort to include the Rochester and Syracuse regional airports.  Note:  It is recommended that if driving to an airport where further travel by airplane is required it would be more cost effective to park a personal vehicle at the airport while traveling than it would be to park a College fleet vehicle or rental vehicle.


**Ithaca College will not reimburse for the use of a personal vehicle for travel greater than a 90 mile radius from Ithaca.


Ithaca College will reimburse approved college-related business use of personal vehicles based upon the current IRS standard mileage reimbursement rate. When mileage reimbursement is claimed, receipts for gasoline will not be reimbursed.  The Ithaca College Travel Card should not be used to pay for gasoline when driving a personal vehicle.

Expenses incurred with personal vehicles for mechanical failure or accidents, including personal automobile insurance deductions, will not be reimbursed. Fines for parking or traffic violations are the responsibility of the traveler and will not be reimbursed.


Important: Ithaca College's insurance does not cover the use of a personal vehicle for approved college-related business, (also see "Insurance"). The vehicle owner's insurance will be considered primary coverage in the event of an accident when using a personal vehicle for college-related business travel (the motor vehicle insurance "follows the vehicle,"). The college's insurance may apply only if personal insurance limits are exceeded due to a catastrophic accident where a fatality and/or extremely serious injuries occur while on approved college business-related travel.


Lodging


Ithaca College will pay for accommodations up to the single room rate. Travelers are encouraged to charge reservations using the Ithaca College Travel Card. Detailed receipts from the motel/hotel are required. Educational or corporate discounts should be requested when reservations are made. Reimbursements will be made for the actual and reasonable expense of lodging for each night that you are traveling away from home.  Travelers are required to obtain sales-tax exemption(s) where applicable.  See the Insurance and Tax section for further details and requirements.


It is the responsibility of the traveler to cancel any room reservation that will not be used.  A record of the cancellation number should be retained, in case of billing disputes.  If an employee fails to cancel a reservation in a timely manner, they will be held responsible for any cancellation fees.


Meals


The College will pay for the reasonable cost of meals while traveling on College business.  Fiscal prudence and common sense should be used.  Expenditures determined to be excessive will not be reimbursed or paid for by the College.  Original detailed receipts are required for reimbursement of meal expenses. See the Documentation and Reimbursement Requirements section for further details.  When entertaining guests while on College business, their names and professional affiliations must be included on the expense report form. Travelers are required to obtain sales-tax exemption(s) where applicable. See the Insurance and Tax section for further details and requirements.


Liquor
 

Federal regulations prohibit the College from reimbursing any expenditure for alcoholic beverages with federal funds. Reimbursements for alcoholic beverages from non-federal funds must be considered reasonable and prudent and should be submitted on an approved Expense Report Form with supporting documentation.  Expenditures determined to be excessive will not be reimbursed or paid for by the College.  Alcohol will not be paid for with College funds if consumed other than with a meal.


Registration Fees

Conference registration fees should be paid by using the Ithaca College Travel Card. If the organization does not accept the MasterCard credit card, complete a Voucher Authorization Form (VAF) and send it to the Travel Services Office for processing with the original registration form and one copy. When submitting the final Expense Report Form list the advance payment in the paid by Ithaca College section. Registration fees will be processed as an expense on your departmental budget when processing is complete.

Ithaca College will not pay for any pre- or post- conference/workshop expenses unless they are directly related to the conference’s agenda or program content, and continue to further the mission of Ithaca College.


Cancellations and Refunds

The traveler is responsible for obtaining a refund of any available advance payment if there is a cancellation. All charges, cancellations, and refunds associated with Ithaca College approved travel are the responsibility of the traveler. Ithaca College does not carry insurance for expenses associated with trip cancellations.

Note:  Trip cancellation insurance is not to be paid for with College funds and is not a reimbursable expense.


Grants and Contracts

Travel that is funded by a Federal or State grant or contract, must adhere to all Ithaca College policies and procedures as well as any additional restrictions required by the grant or contract authority. Questions regarding allowable expenditures should be directed to the Financial Services Office at 607-274-5795.

Federal and State Grants may be audited and are subject to external and internal controls. It will be the responsibility of the Department Coordinator and or Program Administrator to see that all travel card transactions for Federal and State Grants are signed by the Principal Investigator, have appropriate documentation and approvals, and are in compliance with the College policies and procedures outlined in this document. It is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator to review and sign all travel card receipts and documentation for Federal or State Grant expenditures. By signing the receipts the Principal Investigator has ensured that the costs charged to the grants are allowable, allocable, and reasonable and meet the requirements of the grant or contract authority.

Foreign or International Travel (See International Travel Procedures)
 
When traveling outside of the United States on Ithaca College business, employees are advised to obtain information about foreign car rentals, travel advisories and other insurance liability issues before departing for their trip. Contact the Office of Risk Management at (607) 274-3285, or the Office of International Programs at (607)-274-3306 for more information.

Miscellaneous Travel Guidelines 

  • If traveling with property owned by Ithaca College, contact the Office of Risk Management to determine whether additional insurance is needed.  If traveling with a College owned laptop, or other College owned equipment, and damage or theft occurs to the equipment the travelers’ department will be responsible for the insurance deductible.  See the Insurance and Tax section for further details and requirements.
  • Non-employees traveling to Ithaca College for employment interviews, visiting lecturers and other official visitors, fall under the category of "special travel." Funds to support special travel are commonly limited by departmental budgets and/or the terms of grants and contracts. No commitment for reimbursing such expenses should be made without first consulting the appropriate department head to determine whether or not such reimbursement is authorized.
  • Thoughtful consideration regarding expenditures for hospitality while traveling should be used. On those occasions when hospitality expenditures are beneficial to Ithaca College's educational mission, reimbursement may be requested. The relationship of the expenditure to the educational or research mission of the trip must be clearly indicated on the Expense Report Form. Original detailed receipts are required for reimbursement.
  • Consultants must supply an itemized invoice and their Social Security or Federal ID number and address for IRS form 1099. Reimbursements are made with EZ-pay if the invoice is under $500 or with a Purchase Order if the amount exceeds $500.  Refer to the Accounts Payable Office for more information about making payments to independent contractors.
  • Authorized prospective employees may be reimbursed for travel expenses incurred in connection with an employment interview at Ithaca College in accordance with the normal travel policy for employees. Reimbursement requests should be made as outlined in the Reimbursement Reference Guide located on the Financial Services website.
  • Departments may authorize reimbursements to visiting lecturers or other official visitors for expenses incurred in connection with their travel to Ithaca College. The reimbursement policies and procedures in effect for regular travel should be followed.  Reimbursement requests should be made as outlined in the Reimbursement Reference Guide located on the Financial Services website.
  • New employees seeking reimbursement for approved moving expenses must complete an Ithaca College Summary of Moving Expenses Form and submit it along with complete receipt documentation to the appropriate dean, director, or vice president. A copy of the letter of appointment, or contract, which states the maximum level of reimbursement approved, must be included and forwarded to the Payroll Office at the Garden Level of the Peggy R. Williams Center. Payroll will include qualified moving expenses on the employee's W-2 at year end. Reimbursements will be handled through Accounts Payable.  For further information see http://www.ithaca.edu/procurement/moving.htm.