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I. POLICY: Travel plays an important role in advancing the University's
mission. When engaging in University Approved Travel on behalf of the
University, employees are expected to use good judgment, engage in ethical
behavior, and comply with this policy to manage purchases related to
University travel.
II. PURPOSE: To specify the requirements and procedures related to making
travel arrangements for University Approved Travel to ensure safe and cost -
effective travel.
III. SCOPE: All John Carroll University employees
IV. DEFINITION:
Authorized Driver: University employees who register with the Office of
Regulatory Affairs and Risk Management or students who register with the
Office of Student Engagement and meet the requirements below:
• Have a valid U.S. driver’s license;
• Motor vehicle record meets the University’s criteria for
authorized drivers;
• Successfully passes written (or online) test provided by the
University (students only); and
• Successfully passes “behind the wheel” evaluation (students
only).
University Approved Travel: Transportation on University business in
excess of one's normal commute. University Approved Travel includes
movement on official university business from home or the primary work
location to another work-related destination, and return to home or the
primary work location. University Approved Travel does not include the
commute between the employee's home and the primary work location.
Policy: Travel Procedures
Policy Number: II-5
Policy Owner(s): Human Resources
Original Date: 11/22/2018
Last Revised Date: 08/01/2022
Approved Effective Date:
08/01/2022
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V. PROCEDURES:
A. Approval. All travel must be pre-approved by the employee’s supervisor.
Approval should be secured in advance of booking, with exceptions only
permitted in extenuating circumstances. Discretion regarding whether to
grant exceptions rests with the employee’s supervisor. As a matter of
budgetary control, department heads may develop internal procedures for
the approval of travel requests before travel commences and for the
allocation of financial resources to be used.
B. Approved Forms of Payment. Employees should utilize a University-
issued P-Card as the form of payment for all travel-related purchases,
except when payment by P-Card is not possible due to extenuating
circumstances (i.e. cash tips, tolls, etc.).
C. Air travel. Travelers should choose air travel over driving a personal or
rental vehicle when a one-way trip would require over 6 hours of driving
time (unless otherwise approved in writing by the traveler’s supervisor).
University travelers are normally required to take advantage of the lowest
coach airfare available and to plan travel as far as possible in
advance. Travelers should book airline tickets fourteen (14) days or more
prior to the flight, whenever possible.
a. The lowest applicable airfare includes:
i. Flights with routing/connections that do not increase the
one-way total elapsed trip time by more than two hours,
ii. The use of secondary airports that do not increase the one-
way total elapsed trip time, including additional drive time,
by more than two hours,
iii. Flights with departure/arrival times that are no more than
two hours before/after requested time.
D. Ground Transportation. Travelers are to use the most cost-effective mode
of ground transportation and parking while on University Approved
Travel.
a. Transportation to and from the airport: Approved methods of
ground transportation to and from the airport include: personal
vehicle, public transportation, shuttle service, taxi, car service,
Uber and Lyft. Mileage reimbursement for travel to and from the
Cleveland Hopkins airport may only be submitted for travel miles
that exceed the employee’s normal round trip commute to campus.
b. Airport Parking: Travelers should utilize the University’s preferred
parking companies when departing from Cleveland Hopkins
Airport:
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i. Airport Fast Park 18899 Snow Road
*
ii. Park Place 18951 Snow Road
*
c. The University reserves the right not to reimburse overnight
parking fees that exceed the cost of a taxi, or use of Uber or Lyft
ride sharing services.
E. Car rental. Rental cars are authorized if their use is as economical as any
other type of transportation.
a. When driving over 200 round-trip miles on a single business trip,
Authorized Drivers should rent a vehicle rather than driving
personal vehicles and submitting mileage.
b. University guidelines do not provide for the reimbursement of
luxury vehicles. The University standard is an intermediate size
car or comparable vehicle. Prior approval from traveler’s
supervisor must be obtained prior to renting vehicles larger than
intermediate size.
c. Only University Authorized Drivers are permitted to drive rental
vehicles on University Approved Travel.
d. Authorized Drivers must utilize preferred rental car vendors when
possible. They can be found at:
https://elink.enterprise.com/en/22/02/john-carroll-university.html
F. Personal vehicle. The use of a privately owned vehicle will be reimbursed
at the current IRS standard mileage rate but for no greater than 200
round-trip miles on a single University business trip. The mileage rate is
to cover all expenses incurred for using the privately owned vehicle
except parking fees and tolls. An Authorized Driver using a personal
vehicle rather than a rental vehicle for round trip mileage above 200 but
less than 600 miles will be reimbursed at the rate of $0.20 per mile. The
University will not reimburse the Authorized Driver for mileage expenses
over 600 miles except in extenuating circumstances with the prior written
authorization of the Authorized Driver’s supervisor. An individual who
uses a privately owned vehicle on University business must maintain
automobile insurance for that vehicle that meets or exceeds the liability
insurance requirements of the motor vehicle financial responsibility laws
of the State of Ohio (see
https://www.insurance.ohio.gov/Newsroom/Tips/Documents/MinRequirements.p
df for current requirements).
*
Requires Parking Card from Vendor (Dual facility card). Prior to arrival, employees must apply for
a Parking Card through the website (https://www.thefastpark.com/airport-parking/cleveland-
hopkins-cle-afp?partnerid=cb397399-028d-4b5a-8175-3034ab25fba9#viewEnrollDetails). The
Frequent Parker Card now works at both Airport Fast Park and Park Place. Current members do
not need to re-apply because their card has been automatically updated. (University code
0550207)
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G. Parking, Tolls and Other Vehicle Expenses.
a. Transportation costs for parking fees and tolls are reimbursable on
an actual cost basis in addition to the standard mileage rate.
b. Services that are personal in nature such as car washing,
detailing, oil changes, etc. are not reimbursable.
H. Meals. Reasonable personal meal expenses are reimbursed at actual
cost including gratuities. Fiscal prudence and common sense should be
used. Expenditures determined to be “lavish” will not be reimbursed.
Expenses for meals in addition to those covered within a registration fee,
seminar cost, etc. will not be reimbursed without extenuating
circumstances. Geographic location may be a consideration in
determining the reasonableness of meal expenses.
Travelers should select restaurants that are reasonably priced. The
University meal allowance is not a per diem; it assumes actual expenses
per meal have been incurred. The individual meal guidelines below
should be followed whenever possible. Meal expenses that exceed these
guidelines may require written justification:
a. Breakfast up to twenty dollars ($20.00) will be reimbursed
whenever the traveler is out of town the previous night or incurred
travel begins earlier than a normal breakfast.
b. Lunch up to twenty-five dollars ($25.00) will be reimbursed on all
out-of-town travel that occurs during lunch time.
c. Dinner up to thirty-five dollars ($35.00) reimbursement will be
made when a traveler is away from home for the evening meal and
does not return home until after the normal dinner hour.
d. Individual meal limits are applied when a person is away for less
than a whole day and does not incur a cost for three meals as a
result of the travel’s brevity.
e. When away for a full day, meal expense should adhere to the
above guidelines to the extent possible. Actual meal expenses for
an individual employee when away for a full day should not exceed
eighty dollars ($80.00) per day.
Fraudulent, deceptive, or inappropriate meal expenses that are
inconsistent with this policy may result in corrective action or
reimbursement of inappropriate expenses by the employee to the
University.
I. Lodging. Lodging expenses are reimbursed on an actual cost basis.
Individuals traveling on University business are expected to use
reasonably priced lodging. It is the traveler’s responsibility to cancel any
guaranteed hotel reservations in a timely manner. Any cancellation
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charges arising from the avoidable failure by the employee to cancel
reservations will be reviewed and may require justification. Repeated
failure to cancel reservations may result in corrective action and/or
reimbursement of cancellation charges by the employee to the University.
Employees should ask for a cancellation number and the hotel
employee’s name when canceling reservations.
J. Spousal, Dependent or Companion Accompaniment. No additional travel-
related expenses for spouses, dependents, or other persons
accompanying employees on University travel will be reimbursed, unless
the spouse, dependent or other person is performing University-related
business and the travel for that individual is approved by the Vice
President of Finance and Administration or designee.
K. Combined Business-Personal Travel. Whenever an employee, for his or
her convenience and not for a business-related purpose, travels by an
indirect route and/or interrupts or extends University travel for personal
reasons, additional expenses incurred (i.e. mileage, additional air travel
expenses, damage to rental car, etc.) are the responsibility of the
employee.
L. Receipts for expenses must be submitted with your P-card statement and
transaction report to your supervisor. “Missing Document Form” must be
submitted for any missing receipts.
M. This Policy will be reviewed annually for necessary and appropriate
updates.
N. Travel that is reimbursed from any sponsored research program (such as
a federally funded grant or other sponsored award) is governed by the
Travel on Sponsored Program Policy. Because of requirements of
federal law and travel provisions mandated by program sponsors,
provisions of travel expense reimbursement under the Travel on
Sponsored Program Policy differ in some ways from the provisions of this
Policy in terms of meal expenses, air travel carriers, and other travel
expense requirements. Questions about expense reimbursement for
travel reimbursed by a sponsored program should be directed to the
Office of Sponsored Research (OSR).
O. CROSS REFERENCE:
Trip Planning Chart
P-Card Policy
Business Expense Reporting
