2364 Travel and Entertainment

This policy applies to all faculty, staff, students and postdocs traveling and entertaining on behalf of the University.   

It is the responsibility of the traveler to be familiar with which items are considered reimbursable and which are considered personal expenses.  

Full responsibilities of the employee, student or postdoc can be found in Policy #2352.   

Approvers perform a critical control function for the University.  Collectively, approvers ensure that expense reports processed for payment are complete, appropriately funded, compliant with policy, and are associated with activities that have a valid and necessary business purpose. Designated approvers should assist the employee or student as necessary with understanding applicable policies and compliance requirements.   

It is the responsibility of the approvers to review expense reports in the Concur-TEM system and ensure that any non-reimbursable items are correctly marked as non-reimbursable in the system.  Full responsibilities of approvers can be found in Policy #2352.  

Non-reimbursable items include, but are not limited to the following:  

• Airline club membership dues and TSA Pre-Check Program enrollment fees 
• Airline paid preferred seating or any other options that require an additional fee
• Air phone and in-air internet usage unless reasonable, required for business purposes, and authorized by the traveler’s School/Center 
• Alcoholic beverages if purchased in a non-business capacity 
• Annual fees for personal credit cards 
• Auto repairs
• Baby-sitting/day care*  
• Barbers and hair salons 
• Personal cell phone monthly fees 
• Clothing or toiletry items 
• Corporate card delinquency fees or finance charges
• Conference activities that are optional and social in nature (i.e. fun runs/walks, city tours) 
• Club memberships for business, pleasure or recreation
• Expenses related to vacation or personal days taken before, during or after a business trip unless they resulted in the reduction of the total cost of the trip 
• Gifts, gift cards, or gift certificates (Please refer to the University’s gift policy)  
• Golf fees/ski lift tickets, etc. 
• Health club or exercise room fees 
• Hotel early check-in and late check-out fees unless required for business purposes, and authorized by the traveler’s School/Center 
• Hotel in-room video rentals/Internet TV/streaming membership fees
• Items confiscated by airport security 
• Frequent flyer upgrades 
• Spa charges 
• Laundry charges on trips less than five (5) days 
• Limousine/sedan services except where such means are the most reasonably economical 
• Loss or theft of airline tickets 
• Loss or theft of personal funds or property 
• Medical expenses while traveling 
• Mini-bar alcoholic refreshments 
• Movies (in-flight or in-room movies) 
• “No-show” charges for hotel or car services 
• Optional traveler baggage insurance 
• Parking tickets or traffic violations 
• Personal entertainment, i.e., sporting events, theatre, etc. 
• Personal telephone calls in excess of reasonable calls home 
• Personal reading materials, i.e., magazines, newspapers 
• Pet care fees 
• Rental car optional add-ons (i.e. GPS, Sirius XM, Personal Effects Coverage)
• Rental car upgrades to premium or luxury class 
• Repairs to personal vehicles 
• Saunas, massages 
• Shoe shines 
• Souvenirs or personal gifts 
• Trip or Travel Insurance 
• Tuxedo/evening gown rentals  

Certain exceptions may be considered; however, such reimbursements must be in accordance with accountable plan and must include supplemental approval.       

*Dependent Care Reimbursement for Faculty:  This limitation permits voluntary payments by the schools or Provost’s Office of travel-related childcare expenses incurred by members of the faculty or postdoctoral fellows traveling for scholarly research, professional meetings, conferences or lectures.  Payment of these expenses as an “additional pay” is a taxable event.