Section III - Business & Financial Matters

III G

Travel

To state policies and procedures regarding travel for institutional purposes.

When traveling on official business, authorized travelers are encouraged to use college vehicles in order to maximize travel budgets. A vehicle reservation log is maintained at the Welcome Center for reserving vehicles. Vehicles may also be reserved through 25 Live. The mileage log (located in the vehicle) should be completed for each use of a college vehicle. Authorized travelers may “bump” the reservations of others when traveling greater distances.

If fuel is required, authorized travelers should use the school’s gas card and must turn in all charge receipts to Purchasing. Gas cards are issued with the vehicle keys.

All travel authorizations should be submitted electronically through Chrome River. Requests for travel should be submitted 2 weeks prior to traveling and approved prior to the trip. Additionally, certain excess amounts may be paid when approved by the President or his/her designee. Reimbursement of actual costs of overnight lodging must be documented by a receipt of actual lodging expenses from a commercial establishment in the authorized traveler’s name.

Lodging and meals are reimbursable at State mandated rates. The current rates are as follows and will be updated as the state rates change:

  • Lodging-actual cost up to:
    • In-State: $89.10/night
    • Out-of-State: $105.20/night
  • Breakfast:
    • In-State: $10.10
    • Out-of-State: $10.10
  • Lunch:
    • In-State: $13.30
    • Out-of-State: $13.30
  • Dinner:
    • In-State: $23.10
    • Out-of-State: $26.30

The following limitations apply to the reimbursement of meals. When an overnight stay is required, the authorized traveler may receive allowance for meals for partial days of travel when the partial day is the day of departure or the day of return. To be eligible, the authorized traveler must:

  1. Breakfast - depart duty station prior to 6:00 a.m.
  2. Lunch - depart duty station prior to noon (day of departure) and return to duty station after 2:00 p.m. (day of return)
  3. Dinner – depart duty station prior to 5:00 p.m. (day of departure) or return to duty station after 8:00 p.m. (day of return).

When an overnight stay is not required, allowances shall not be paid to authorized travelers for meals except as follows:

  1. Breakfast - depart duty station prior to 6:00 a.m. and extend the normal workday by two (2) hours
  2. Dinner - return to duty station after 8:00 p.m. and extend the normal workday by three (3) hours
  3. To be eligible for both meal allowances the employee must have worked five (5) hours longer than the normal workday.
  4. The travel must involve a travel destination located at least 35 miles from the employee's regularly assigned duty station.

Lunch will not be reimbursed to authorized travelers unless it involves an overnight stay and will be subject to the above limitations.

Please use college vehicles for business travel whenever possible. However, when a personal vehicle is used for business travel, mileage will be reimbursed at the current rate as set annually by the IRS.

In all cases, mileage for business travel will only be paid for the most direct route of travel. Reimbursable travel will be based on mileage from home or duty station, whichever is less.

Mileage for only one vehicle will be reimbursed when traveling from duty station to assignment when four or fewer authorized travelers are traveling. Any exceptions must have approval from the President or designee.

For authorized travelers who elect not to use a personal vehicle when a college vehicle is not available have the option to rent a car using the State term contract with Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental, or Hertz. This option is available no matter the mileage of the trip.

The College is not responsible for any traffic violations incurred while operating a college or personal vehicle.

In order to check-out a college vehicle, the authorized traveler driving must show a valid driver’s license and record the expiration date in the vehicle check-out log. College vehicles are for business use only and should never be taken home. Under no circumstances, shall anyone operate a College vehicle while consuming alcohol or if alcohol remains in his/her body from previous consumption.

No reimbursement of travel will be made unless the trip has been approved prior to the travel. As with authorization all travel reimbursement requests should be submitted through Chrome River.

For authorized travelers who are paid travel as part of their contract and authorized travelers who frequently travel, all necessary forms and backup documents should be submitted via Chrome River immediately after month end. Any delay in submission could result in delays in reimbursement. For authorized travelers who only travel occasionally, travel forms and supporting documentation should be submitted immediately. Reimbursement will be made soon thereafter.

In order to be in compliance with the North Carolina Community College System, all reimbursement requests shall be filed for approval and payment within thirty (30) days after the travel period has ended. Travel period is defined as the calendar month during which the travel occurred.

When traveling to a conference or training, an agenda, brochure, or schedule must be provided for travel reimbursement.

 

Adopted: 04/15/1999

Revised: 02/01/2000, 07/27/2000, 10/25/2001, 10/16/2003, 01/15/2004, 10/21/2004, 10/13/2005, 09/07/2006, 11/16/2006, 07/20/2007, 05/15/2008, 07/17/2008, 09/18/2008, 07/16/2009, 11/18/2010, 08/02/2011, 03/12/2012, 07/19/2012, 07/01/2013, 03/02/2016, 07/10/2017, 03/15/2018, 07/08/2019, 11/18/2021, 06/20/2024