Henry Ford College

Travel and Conference Reimbursement Procedures

Effective Date: January 1, 2015

PURPOSE

The purpose of these procedures is to set forth processes for receiving approval, incurring expenses, and requesting reimbursement for travel and conference attendance which enhance professional development. If you are uncertain about a particular expense or procedure, contact the Vice President of Financial Services prior to the expenditure.

  1. AUTHORIZATION TO TRAVEL

All travel within the United States and Canadamust be authorized by your Director/Manager and your Vice Presidenttwo months prior to the travel, using the “Travel and Conference Expense Report” form and a copy of the conference agenda highlighting the sessions that relate to professional development. All other travel must be approved by the President. Contact the Vice President of Financial Services to obtain the Travel Form.Attach a copy of the Conference agenda to the Travel Form. If you will be presenting at a conference, indicate this on the form, as other funding sources may be available and take precedence.

  1. USE OF PERSONAL AUTOMOBILE OR AUTOMOBILE RENTAL

The College has an agreement with Enterprise Rental Car to provide automobilesas well as collision and personal injury insurance at a discounted rate to the College. In no event shall any cost deriving from use of the rented vehicle accrue to the employee(e.g. insurance coverages, insurance deductibles, gasoline,tire repair, etc.).

All conference related travel by automobile should be calculated using the “Enterprise Car Rental Calculator” (see attached) to determine if it is less expensive to use one’s own vehicle (cost per mile using the IRS allowable rate) or to rent a vehicle. Travel by automobile will be reimbursed at the lower cost to the College.Those who choose to use the more expensive option for travel will be reimbursed at the lower cost of the two options.When renting a vehicle from Enterprise travelers will secure a vehicle from the mid-size/intermediate option category. If a larger vehicle is required, please include your request and explanation with your initial travel documents.

Should a reliable personal automobile not be available to anemployee for travel purposes (e.g. a family owns only one automobile, the personal automobile is leased and thereby subject to mileage limitations, the only personal automobile is in excess of three years in age, etc.), the rental car shall be fully reimbursed. A statement stating that the rental car was required due to a reason noted above should be provided.

  1. AIR FARE

Airline tickets should be booked in advance in order to take advantage of any discounts. Please keep in mind that once tickets arepurchased, ticketchanges cannot be made for discount fares. Therefore, you must be able to make a commitment to the travel dates and change them only under extraordinary circumstances with your Director/Manager’s approval. Employees should attempt to make every effort to use the lowest possible air fare available between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

If a traveler can provide documented proof that arriving a day earlier or leaving a day later will save more money on the airfare than what an additional day costs, then the additional day will be reimbursed, including hotel charges and added per diem for meals.

If the conference starts before noon, you may arrive the day before. Most conferences end at a time that allows for return travel that day.

When a private automobile is used as transportation, reimbursement will be made at the lower of the mileage or the air fare cost. Documentation of the lowest available air farebetween the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. for the day(s) of travel must be provided. Reimbursement will not be made for overnight lodging or meals en route, on the assumption that the traveler can reach the destination by air in one day. Exceptions may be made when it can be documented that group travel by automobile results in a lower total cost to the College.

If a conference is within a three hour drive of the College, travel by car should be the mode of transportation, unless the cost of airfare or alternate method (rail) is lower and the traveler wishes to travel by air or alternate method. (When traveling by car, consider parking costs at the conference. When traveling by air, consider cost of transportation from the airport to the conference.)Should the travel require over three hours of driving time one way or require an additional day(s) of absence from professional responsibilities at the College, travel by air shall be fully reimbursed.

Flight insurance is not reimbursable. Luggage fees will be reimbursed for one bag only. One additional bag to transport conference materials will be covered, provided that there is a demonstrated necessity to do so. Additional luggage fees to accommodate travelers requiring special medical equipmentshall be reimbursable, if approved in advance.

Anyone who chooses to use their airline miles (e.g. Sky Miles) for payment when securing a flight will not receive reimbursement for those miles by the College. Itemized receipts are required.

  1. TAXI OR OTHER TRANSPORTATION

Use of a shuttle/hotel bus, where provided, is required. When traveling in groups, if a taxi is more economical, it shall be reimbursed. Itemized receipts are required.

  1. HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS

Hotel accommodations at the hotel associated with the conference or at a hotel with charges not exceeding the conference hotel are required. Itemized receipts are required. Provide an itemized invoice from the hotel showing a zero balance due. If the receipt does not show a zero balance, provide a canceled check or credit card statement showing proof of payment.

If it is determined that one couldarrive home by 7 p.m. on the last day of the conference, then reimbursement for an added overnight stay will not be made.

**Please see the added day language under “Airfare” as an exception.

  1. PER DIEM MEAL REIMBURSEMENT

Meals will be reimbursed on a daily rate of $60 per day. The per diem reimbursement rate reflects an average per diem rate for high cost and average cost cities and may be applied to one or more meals per day for each full day spent at the conference.

Should a partial day of travel be used, or if meals are provided at the conference, individual meal rates are as follows:

  • Breakfast 25% of the per diem ($15)
  • Lunch 25% of the per diem ($15)
  • Dinner 50% of the per diem ($30)

The above per diem applies to all full travel days associated with an overnight stay. Partial travel day per diems are as follows:

Leave By / Return By / Per Diem
8:00 a.m. / Breakfast, lunch, and dinner: 100% of the per diem
11:00 a.m. / Lunch and dinner: 75% of the per diem
4:00 p.m. / Dinner: 50% of the per diem
11:00 a.m. / Breakfast: 25% of the per diem
4:00 p.m. / Breakfast and lunch: 50% of the per diem
5:00 p.m. / Breakfast, lunch, and dinner: 100% of the per diem

Meal expenditures over the per diem rate shall not be reimbursed. The per diem rate includes taxes and tips. Meal receipts are not required for per diem meal expenditures. Reimbursement for alcohol is not permitted.

If a meal is provided as part of a conference registration fee, the per diem amount for that meal shall not be reimbursed.

Tips for housekeeping services are included in the per diem for meals. There will not be a separate reimbursement for these tips.

7.SALES TAX

As a governmental entity, Henry Ford College is exempt from paying sales tax within Michigan. When makinga hotel reservation in Michigan, inform the hotel that the purchase is exempt from Michigan sales tax and provide the Sales Tax Exemption Letter. Contact the Vice President of Financial Services for a copy of the letter. If you do not wish to request a Michigan sales tax exemption for the hotel accommodation, you shall pay the sales tax yourself, as an alternative.

8. TRAVEL FUND ALLOCATION

Travel advances are not permitted. However, the College will pay for the conference registration when incurred.

9. OFF-CAMPUS TRAVEL

If an employee is driving to a conference or attending a local conference, the authorized mileage will be calculated by determining the actual distance between the College and the off campus location or calculated from the employee’s home and the off-campus location if the employee drives directly to the event conference, whichever is less, during the normal work contractual week of Monday through Friday. If the travel takes place on a contractual non-workday, the mileage will be calculated from home to the destination.

The College does not reimburse for mileage from home to workor from work to home.

If an employee has responsibilities at more than one campus or work-site during the course of the day,actual mileage will be paid between campuses (i.e. Dearborn Main Campus, East Campus, clinical site).

10.REIMBURSEMENT PROCEDURES

To receive reimbursement for travel, complete the “Travel and Conference Expense Report” form with the actual travel costs and obtain approvals from your Director/Manager and your Vice President for travel within the United States and Canada -- and from the President for all other travel. As noted, receipts for meals are not required due to the per diem allowance that is used for reimbursement. Reimbursement requests must be submitted no more than 30 days following the travel.

Attach all required itemized receipts. The receipt must be an original itemized receipt or itemized invoice. Include all conference costs on the form, including the conference registration fee, even if the College has already paid for the expense via a purchase order or purchasing card. If a cost was paid by the College in advance or was paid by purchasing card, indicate this on the form.

To receive reimbursement for travel, a signed copy of the Travel and Conference Procedures must be on file with the Office of Vice President of Financial Services, which will review the receipts to assure compliance with the Travel and Conference Procedures.

I confirm that I have read and understand the Travel and Conference Procedures. I understand that any request for reimbursement which is not in compliance with these procedures will not be paid.

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Employee SignatureDate

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Employee Name - Printed

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