This procedure is in compliance with the previously approved
Board Policy #7400, by the Governing Board and is consistent with Education Code
Section 87032. The Governing Board encourages members of the faculty,
administration, classified staff, governing board, and selected student
representatives to participate in off-campus activities for institutional,
professional and educational purposes that will enhance the programs and
services for Taft College.
Control of Travel:
Employees are expected to exercise prudent judgment
when incurring travel expenses for official District business. Excessive
and unnecessary expenses will not be approved or reimbursed.
Occasionally, employees may be required to submit a
trip report along with their "Expense Report."
Approval Required:
A "Request to be Absent" (DB Form #1600) form is to
be prepared by the employee for in-district and out-of-district travel.
All costs in conjunction with official business travel must be included.
The "Request to be Absent" form must be approved by the Vice President
of the employees department and the District Board of Trustees prior to
the date of the trip.
The District Board of Trustees reviews and approves
all "Request to be Absent" forms. Employees must be clear
and concise when stating their "Destination and Purpose" on the form.
The "Destination and Purpose" section assists in justifying an
employees travel or attendance at events when approving or disapproving
travel. Be specific and do not use acronyms when stating the purpose.
Employees may request to use a District vehicle if
they have a current insurance card on file and a valid California
drivers license. If an employee uses their personal vehicle for
District travel, the employees insurance will be primary and the
Districts insurance secondary. A "Request for Transportation" must be
submitted for authorization for use of District or personal vehicle for
District travel for each trip.
Travel must be by the most direct route possible
and any employee traveling by an indirect route must assume any and all
additional expenses incurred.
Travel Prepayments:
Conference Registration: A "Request to
be Absent" (DB Form #1600) form should be prepared far enough in advance
to allow for obtaining the required signatures at the college and to
take advantage of any early bird discounts. Documentation must identify
the event, dates, location, and all fees. Employees may be asked to
submit a trip report along with their "Expense Report" regarding their
conference. Conference fees can be paid by the District in advance by
submitting a check request or source requisition to the Business Office
along with the appropriate backup documentation.
Commercial Air Travel: All air travel
requests must be submitted in advance to the Administrative Assistant of
the President. This will allow sufficient time to make appropriate
arrangements and issue advance payment through the District. However, in
special circumstances with prior approval, if an employee personally
pays for the air travel, an original receipt is required for
reimbursement.
Summary of Reimbursements:
Meals are reimbursed at the rate of $40 per day
including gratuities. This is the maximum allowed regardless whether
receipts are provided or not. Receipts are encouraged as documentation,
but not required.
Lodging is reimbursed at actual cost
and must be supported by an itemized receipt. No reimbursement will be
authorized without an appropriate receipt.
Conference and registration fees will require an
original receipt, along with agendas or programs when available to
support employees attendance and/or participation.
Employees will not be reimbursed for alcoholic
beverages, personal phone calls (exception: safe arrival
and departure phone call not to exceed 5 minutes), entertainment, or any
other expenses that are not necessary to business travel.
Parking, bridge tolls, taxi, and miscellaneous
business expenses shall be an allowable reimbursement when submitted
with an original receipt. Receipts are not required for incidental
expenses up to $5 per day such as taxi fares, bus fares, ferry, tolls,
temporary parking, etc. These expenses must be reasonable and itemized
on employees "Expense Report." However, whenever possible, receipts are
encouraged as documentation.
Mileage reimbursement for use of personal vehicles
will be at the rate established annually by the I.R.S.
Rental of vehicles must be authorized on a "Request
to be Absent" form prior to travel. Reimbursement will be for actual and
necessary costs of the rental when substantiated by an original receipt
and appropriate documentation.
Air travel approved by the Administrative Assistant
of the President in advance.
Each employee is responsible for submitting a
separate travel "Expense Report" for the expenses they incurred as a
result of the travel. Please do not combine expenses for more than one
person on each "Expense Report" form.
Lodging:
Actual lodging costs, not to exceed charges at the
single occupancy rate, are allowed. This cost may be paid directly to
the hotel in advance. Expenses must be verified by hotel billing.
Original itemized hotel receipts are required. Credit card receipts are
not acceptable.
Employees are expected to obtain the best possible
rates for an acceptable standard room. Conference, government, and
convention group rates should be maximized. Hotel rates that may appear
to be abnormal should be explained with a short note, such as seasonal
rates, etc.
If lodging is shared with another employee, one may
pay and be reimbursed for the expenses of the other employee(s).
Appropriate documentation verifying the payment must be included in the
travel claim.
When an employee shares lodging facilities with a
non-district person (e.g., spouse, children, etc.), reimbursement is
limited to the employees room expense only at the single occupancy
rate. All reimbursement claims for such instances must include the
rate for single occupancy in addition to the original hotel receipt.
Under no circumstances will lodging be paid for a
guest or spouse. If an employee stays with friends or relatives while on
official college business, no cost for lodging is allowed, whether or
not any payment is made to the friend or relative.
Lodging costs only for the appropriate and
reasonable amount of time to conduct official business will be
reimbursed. All additional expenses will be the responsibility of the
employee.
Meals:
Reimbursement for meals is at the daily rate of $40
per day including gratuities. Receipts are not required. This is not a
blanket stipend of $40 per day; in the event meal expenses are less than
the $40 per day, the actual amount should be claimed.
Alcoholic beverages are not reimbursable.
Transportation:
A "Request for Transportation" must be submitted
for authorization for use of District or personal vehicle during travel.
A copy of the employees current insurance card must be on file
with Taft College.
District vehicles are the preferred method of travel when available.
Mileage reimbursement for personal vehicles will be
at the standard I.R.S. rate established annually.
Rental of vehicles must be authorized on employees
"Request to be Absent" form prior to travel. Reimbursement will be for
actual and necessary costs of the rental when substantiated by an
original receipt and appropriate documentation.
All air travel requests must be submitted and
processed by the Administrative Assistant of the President in advance.
Miscellaneous Expense:
Miscellaneous travel
expenses essential to the transaction of official college business are
reimbursable to the employee, when reasonably incurred. Such expenses include:
A safe arrival and departure phone call home not to
exceed 5 minutes each.
Telephone, fax, and network charges incurred while
conducting college/district business.
Minor supplies such as reproduction costs when
necessary.
Bus fares, taxi, tolls, and temporary parking when
necessary.
Non-Reimbursable Expenses:
Alcoholic beverages.
Entertainment expenses, movie rentals, and other
luxury items similar in nature.
Personal telephone calls, other than the safe
arrival and departure phone call not to exceed 5 minutes each.
Traffic or parking citations while using a private or
college vehicle.
Lodging in excess of the reasonable time to travel
to and from the meeting destination to conduct official business.
Lodging for unauthorized personnel.
Transportation to or from places of entertainment and
similar facilities.
Receipts:
Receipts are required for lodging, conference
registration/fees, airfare, car rental, business phone calls, parking,
tolls, and all other miscellaneous expenses.
Receipts are not required for meals.
Receipts are not required for incidental expenses
up to $5 per day such as taxi fares, bus fares, ferry, tolls, temporary
parking, etc. These expenses must be reasonable and itemized on
employees "Expense Report." However, whenever possible, receipts are
encouraged as documentation.
Group Travel:
A group Travel Reimbursement may be claimed under the
following circumstances:
They must travel together to the same destination as a group.
Air travel is not involved.
All expenses being claimed must be incurred as a group and the
other members of the group are not claiming any expense reimbursements.
A separate sheet must be attached to the Travel Claim indicating
the name and title of all members of the group.
Hosting Official Guests:
Expenses of luncheon or dinner
meetings held in connection with Taft College business or with the entertaining
of guests visiting Taft College on official business are allowable with prior
approval. Expenditures should be limited to the cost of food only. The District
does not pay for alcoholic beverages. Meal expenses of staff members are usually
a personal responsibility; however, reimbursement for meals of employees may be
allowed when:
A member of a search committee hosts a candidate for
a position; or
A departmental employee hosts a visiting lecturer,
potential donor, or other official guest to the college. In this case,
the following requirements apply:
The reimbursable amount of meal expenses shall be limited to $30 per person.
Expenses for alcoholic beverages will not be reimbursed.
Prior to hosting a luncheon or dinner, the employee must first obtain a signed authorization
from the department head (VP or above). The authorization must be attached to the
"Reimbursement" or "Expense Report" form. The meal expense will
not be reimbursed unless all required documentation is attached to the form.
Exceptions: Vice Presidents and the
President/Superintendent have an open approved authorization for hosting
official guests on official business without the required signed authorization
from the department head. However, documentation as to the reason for the
expense must be provided.
Executive and Board of Trustee Travel:
Meal expenses of approved travel by the Superintendent/President and members of the Board of
Trustees will be reimbursed at actual costs with receipts. All other District
travel reimbursement allowances and regulations apply.
Claiming Reimbursement:
Employees must submit an "Expense Report" and provide the following:
List all expenses and submit appropriate receipts
for expenses authorized. (Examples: hotel receipts, airfare, car rental,
conference fees, etc)
Proper signatures for authorization of reimbursement.
Submit Expense Report/Travel Claim to the Business
Office for reimbursement.
Claims should be submitted within two weeks after
travel has been completed, and no more than 30 days. Any travel
claims not submitted during the fiscal year in which the travel occurred
will not be processed and will be at the expense of the employee.
Claims May Be Disallowed:
If an employee does not provide proper itemization of an expense;
If an employee does not provide receipt or other
documentation required to support their claim; and
If an employee claims an expense which is not authorized.
Reconsideration for Disallowance of Claim:
When a claim is disallowed, a notice will be issued
to the employee, and the remainder of the employees claim for those
items, which are not disallowed, will be processed.
An employee may request reconsideration of their
claim by the Business Office if they have additional facts or
documentation to support their request for reconsideration.
