Washington State University
BUSINESS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

---

Travel Authority

Official University travel requires prior approval by an appropriate University administrator. (See 95.01 and "Approving Official" below.)

Written prior approval on a Travel Authority (TA) form is required in the following circumstances:

• When a travel advance is requested.


• When the traveler will be going out of state or out of the country. (SAAM 10.10.50) See also 95.15 for information about foreign travel.


• When conference registration is to be paid in advance by Travel Services.


• When a privately-owned, rented, or chartered aircraft will be used. See 95.30.


• When official WSU travel is partially or entirely supported by funds not administered by the WSU Controller's Office, e.g., from a third party (another educational institution, a private organization) or the traveler's personal funds. See 95.16.


• When requesting exception to policy.


• When seeking authorization for applicant, student, speaker, or other nonemployee travel. See 95.13, 95.14, 95.25. (NOTE: This does not apply to Attorney General's representatives or the Board of Regents.)


• When the administrative unit requires it. An individual unit may require written approval for all travel.

Verbal prior approval by the administrator is acceptable when a Travel Authority is not required. A Travel Authority is required whenever one of the above circumstances applies to the travel plan.

Download or copy the PDF version of the Travel Authority on 95.05.9 to obtain a template that may be completed with a computer and printed for approval and routing.

Complete the Travel Authority in accordance with the following instructions. Form sections without instructions are considered self-explanatory.

The department may enter an identifying number for the Travel Authority. This field is optional.

Complete Section 1 to authorize travel. This section is always completed.

Enter the traveler's working title.

Describe why the traveler is traveling. Indicate the exact purpose of the trip. Describe the program involved.

If an applicant's or speaker's travel includes a speaker fee, describe the proposed program here.

Include the full name of organizations and agencies rather than initials.

Continue descriptions and justifications on an attachment if necessary.

Enter dates of travel. Enter starting points and destinations for each leg of the trip. The itinerary should be complete enough to locate the traveler in case of an emergency and to show the traveler's route.

Check all items authorized by this Travel Authority:

Check to authorize a speaker's or conference participant's travel expenses and/or speaker fee.

Check to authorize use of a rental car (other than Motor Pool). See also 95.12.

Check if the Travel Authority authorizes or requests authorization for exceptions to standard travel policies.

To authorize payment of more than the standard allowable lodging rate in accordance with the procedure in 95.06 indicate the exception rule.

The supervisory administrator evaluates the travel plan and indicates any restrictions or special arrangements, e.g. reimbursement limitations, special allowances speaker fee. See also SPPM S80.68.

A University official who is authorized to approve travel signs Approving Official. See 95.01.

The designated approving official must personally sign the Travel Authority. A subordinate's signature or a facsimile, e.g., rubber-stamped signature, is not acceptable.

When a designated acting official signs the Travel Authority, the acting title must be shown.

When more than one department is supporting the travel, an administrator from each department must sign the TA.

For employees the approving administrator must be the traveler's supervisor and an official who is authorized to approve travel. See 95.01.

For students the approving administrator must be an official who oversees the department or office responsible for the travel activity and an official who is authorized to approve travel. See 95.01.

For applicants or speakers the approving administrator must be the chair or unit administrator who oversees the department or office responsible for the travel activity and an official who is authorized to approve travel. See 95.01.

Administrators and the Controller use this section to approve exceptions to WSU travel policy.

Check this section to request that Travel Services submit prepayment of conference registration.

NOTE: The department may choose to prepay the conference registration by using a departmental purchasing card. See 70.08.

Submit completed registration materials to the Travel Office with an approved Travel Authority at least ten days before the registration is due. Travel Services mails the registration fee directly to the organization.

If time limits prevent this procedure and there is no departmental purchasing card available, the traveler may pay the registration fee and be reimbursed with a claim on the Travel Expense Voucher. Attach a receipt for the expenditure to the Travel Expense Voucher.

If the employee does not have to travel to attend the conference, the approving administrator may authorize payment of conference, convention, or meeting registration fees, including certain meal costs (see 95.06).

If meals are part of the regular registration fee and are not optional, general University funds may be used to pay conference registration costs.

Meals are considered optional if the conference registration fee is adjusted for meals purchased.

When conference meals are optional, general University operating funds may support meal costs up to the maximum allowable amounts shown in 95.19. If meal costs exceed these maximums, the excess costs may be supported by one or both of the following:

• The personal funds of the traveler. The traveler attaches a personal check made out to the conference .


• A discretionary (program 17A) account designated in Section 5-Account Information. (See 30.75 and 70.33 for more about discretionary accounts.)

NOTE: Departments may not use purchasing cards to pay for optional conference meals.

If the conference is sponsored by a WSU department, use an IRI to pay registration fees. See 70.05 for IRI instructions.

A travel advance allows a traveler to receive cash to use to defray reimbursable lodging and meal expenses while performing official duties.

A travel advance may not be considered to be a loan to an employee. Any unauthorized disbursement of a travel advance is considered a misappropriation of state monies. (SAAM 10.80.60.b)

A traveler may not receive a travel advance more than 10 days before the start of travel.

WSU travelers may obtain University travel charge cards to use in lieu of travel advances. See 95.03.

Appointed WSU employees with at least two months of remaining employment are eligible for travel advances. An eligible employee may request a travel advance if the travel period exceeds 15 days (see 95.03).

Students, student groups, faculty/staff traveling with student groups, and employees with less than two months left on appointment may apply for travel advances on an exception basis.

A departmental administrator may include a request for an exception to advance policies on the Travel Authority form.

A traveler must be current in accounting for previous advances in order to receive another advance.

The traveler's mailing address should be a home address. This address should correspond to the home address entered in the University's computer Central Address File (see 90.70). Verify addresses by referring to PAPR, an online administrative application. See 85.37 for more information about administrative applications.

Travelers are encouraged to direct the check to a home address.

Reserve the "pick up" or hold privilege for emergencies. Preparing checks for pick up results in several extra steps for the Controller's Office.

Estimate meal and lodging expenses. See 95.19 for meal and lodging rates.

The minimum dollar limit for a travel advance is $85.00.

The maximum dollar limit for a travel advance is 90 days authorized allowance at the maximum allowable rates for the travel locations.

If travel status extends beyond 90 days, an additional advance may be requested after the previous advance is cleared by submitting a TEV. NOTE: A TEV must be submitted at least every 30 days during extended travel supported by a travel advance.

Read the Employee Travel Advance Agreement statement carefully.

A Travel Expense Voucher which justifies the expenditure of the advance is to be submitted to the Controller's Office on or before the tenth day of the month after the authorized travel period. (SAAM 10.80.60.d) See also 95.20.

When a travel advance is unaccounted for by the above deadline, the Travel Office initiates payroll deduction or collection procedures.

Any unexpended portion of a travel advance is to be returned to WSU Travel Services at the conclusion of the authorized travel period. (SAAM 10.80.60.d) The traveler is to make payment to the University by personal check, cashier's check,or money order payable to WSU. Travel Services does not accept cash payments.

The signature must be the traveler's own signature. Substitute signatures or signature stamps are not acceptable.

Indicate the account coding for supporting WSU account(s). If thetravel expense is to be paid by the traveler or another source, enter details above the approving administrator's signature and leave the Account Information section blank.

Enter amount in the following circumstances:

• When limiting the traveler to a specified amount for the trip.


• When the trip will be financed by one or more WSU-administered budgets. Include all coding and designate the amount estimated from each budget.



• To authorize an applicant or speaker fee paid in exchange for a service, e.g., lecture or seminar. See 95.14.

The TA is routed differently for different travel situations.

The originating unit retains the original and any back up documentation. This constitutes the official University record of approval for the travel.

A copy is routed to the traveler.

Prepare an additional copy for the college if required by the responsible dean/director.

Submit the original and a copy to Travel Services at least ten days before anticipated departure.

If the traveler does not wish to use his or her state charge card to obtain a rental car, he or she may present a signed copy of the TA to Travel Services to obtain a WSU rental car credit card.

Submit the original TA to Purchasing at least 10 days before anticipated departure.

Submit the original and a copy of the TA and the registration form to Travel Services at least 10 days before the fee is due.

See 95.15.