Travel Expectations & Frequently Asked Questions
DELTA travel priorities, in order of priority:
(1) Travel required to perform essential job duties (e.g. travel to a student recruitment activity,
travel to a required meeting, travel related to field production for courses, etc.).
(2) Travel required for training needed in order to increase knowledge/skills/abilities to perform
essential job duties (e.g. new software training, training required in order to perform a process
better, training required to increase managerial skills, etc.)
(3) Travel required for DELTA representation at a conference, event, partnership or vendor
meeting where we are members of a community/consortium or professional field in order to stay
involved with the current issues/trends in our fields when physical presence is required, and with
the understanding that there will be limits on the overall number of attendees (e.g. Educause,
Educause Learning Initiative, SLOAN-C, Moodle Moot, UNLEASH, UPCEA, etc.). To the extent
possible, we will encourage virtual participation at these events, though we recognize some
physical presence is needed.
(4) Local travel and/or online webinars where DELTA staff have opportunities to stay current on
trends/issues in our fields where the per person cost is very low.
(5) Travel where conference papers/presentations have been accepted. Prior to submitting a
conference paper/presentation, you should discuss with a supervisor to consider if the proposed
submission could be feasibly funded if the paper/presentation is accepted, and with the
understanding that if the paper/presentation is accepted at multiple venues, that one should be
selected.
(6) Travel for professional development purposes not tied to an immediate job requirement, but
geared toward professional growth and/or a potential future requirement.
(7) Travel outside of these guidelines and/or that needs more discussion will be addressed at the
level of the SMT. It will be possible to request additional travel if there is an opportunity that
clearly meets a strategic DELTA need.
Planning your trip:
•
Don’t assume you will get to travel, even if you have a paper or presentation accepted, or
an invitation to meet with a vendor. All travel must be pre-approved by your supervisor
and your SMT member. If you book your tickets/make reservations/etc. prior to approval
and your travel is not approved, then you are responsible for any costs incurred.
•
To begin the travel process, submit your travel authorization through the Travel Center.
This should be done by the traveler.
DELTA Business Office
•
Only once the travel authorization has been approved in MyPackPortal, can purchasing
begin (flights, registration, etc.) unless otherwise specified by the account owner.
•
Be sure to upload your conference schedule/itinerary to your travel authorization in the
Travel Center.
Hotels
•
Sometimes a conference is located within a hotel, and in most of those cases, the
proximity of the event, the opportunities for networking, and the saved parking and
additional transportation costs (e.g. bus/cab fare) mean that the conference hotel is the
optimal hotel (and sometimes the only hotel) that will meet the business needs of travel.
Other times, conferences list a number of hotels that are possible; and this is especially
true when the conference is in a convention center and/or when there are a cluster of
hotels around a conference. In this case, the traveler is responsible for selecting the
most fiscally responsible hotel that still meets the business needs of travel (for example,
hotels that provide internet in rooms, and proximity to the conference location are
considerations). The traveler must select the best priced, available hotel that meets
required business needs and is within reasonable walking proximity. If a traveler selects
a more expensive hotel, they must justify the business needs this meets to their
supervisor. Travelers who do not follow this protocol will not be reimbursed for their hotel.
•
Hotels should be booked and purchased by the traveler with his or her personal credit
card. Reimbursement will occur after the traveler returns and submits their travel
reimbursement paperwork. In the circumstance that a traveler does not have a credit
card and with advance approval, it might be possible for DELTA to hold a reservation with
a pcard. However, the cost of the hotel cannot be put on our pcard and the traveler will
be personally responsible for payment at the time of the service rendered. No one except
the pcard holder is allowed to sign for the use of that card.
•
Tips can be reimbursed provided they are not excessive. You will need to list the amount
of tip as well as who received it (baggage handler, etc.)
Air/Car Travel
•
When traveling by air, the most mileage one can submit is 30 miles (when also claiming
airport parking). 60 miles can be claimed if no parking is submitted. This is the distance
NCSU has calculated for a round trip from station of work (NCSU campus) to the airport
and back.
•
When purchasing a flight, a pcard holder cannot apply your frequent flyer number to the
purchase. Technically, if the frequent flyer number is attached to the purchase by the
NCSU pcard, NCSU owns those points - and those points should be used toward the
next work flight.
•
NCSU cannot pay to upgrade seats (i.e. - Business Class, First Class, Preferred Seats,
Exit Row seats, or any other seats that are associated with a charge), so please don’t
ask!
•
Shuttle is the preferred method of ground transportation to and from the hotel and airport
- and will be expected to be everyone’s first choice of transportation unless a valid
business case (NOT PERSONAL CASE) can be made for the use of a cab. For
example, a valid business case may be that the shuttle pickup time conflicts with a
session at a conference you are needed at, or no shuttle is available when you arrive or
depart at your point of destination, either way. Shuttle tickets can be pre-purchased in
most cases with a NCSU pcard. If you personally book your shuttle, or pay for the shuttle
while on your trip, you can submit for reimbursement with the original receipt once travel
is completed.
•
The university can reimburse for the baggage charges that airlines often charge to check
one bag. Please save the checked baggage original receipts and upload with your travel
reimbursement paperwork.
Food
•
Meals are calculated at a per diem rate for breakfast, lunch and dinner. No need to save
receipts.
•
If the conference provides breakfast, lunch, or dinner (e.g. where a sit-down meal and/or
boxed lunch is provided for you, whether you like it or not), you
must exclude these meals
on the Travel Reimbursement. Continental breakfasts and receptions (e.g. food provided
where you are “standing around”) do not have to be excluded.
•
Lunches are not reimbursable for day trips.
Jan 2016
