Operating Policy and Procedure
HSC OP: 79.02, Travel Approvals and Notifications
PURPOSE: The purpose of this Health Sciences Center Operating Policy and Procedure (HSC OP) is to establish the procedure for approval of official travel by TTUHSC employees.
REVIEW: This HSC OP will be reviewed on December 1 of each odd-numbered year (ONY) by the Managing Director of Procurement Services, with recommendations for revisions forwarded to the Executive Vice President of Finance and Operations (EVPFO).
POLICY/PROCEDURE:
1. Official Travel.
Official travel is any approved travel off campus by faculty and staff which contributes to the mission of TTUHSC and involves official state business. Travel by faculty and staff may not interfere with the primary academic or administrative responsibilities of the traveler.
The detailed purpose/explanation of the trip entered on the travel report must include the date and the full name of the conference or meeting (no acronyms).
2. Travel Approval.
The traveler must always obtain prior approval from their superior and the fund manager of the funds that will be charged before traveling. Each department is responsible for ensuring that approval has been obtained prior to the trip. See OP 79.04 for required approvals for foreign travel.
With the submission of a pre-approval report through the Chrome River System, the traveler, the individual’s travel supervisor, and the fund manager(s) will receive an e-mail notifying them of the trip and provide them with a copy of trip’s purpose and a summary of the cost information.
Electronic approvals on a pre-approval report are not required by the travel office. The travel expense report is the only document that must have the electronic approval of the traveler and the traveler’s superior. A department’s internal policies may require additional approvals outside of the Chrome River System. However, other than foreign travel, additional approval documentation is not required by the Travel Office.
3. Travel Application and Encumbrance.
The pre-approval process through the Chrome River System is used to encumber funds. Upon approval of a travel expense report by the travel office, notification by email will inform the traveler of the amount paid. The original encumbrance will be automatically released with the processing of a travel expense report. Unused pre-approval encumbrances will automatically expire and the release encumbrance 75 days after the last date of travel.