14.70 Definitions

Purpose:	To provide guidelines and procedures for travel for The University of Arizona employees, students, and affiliates.
Policy Owner:	Operations - Travel

1. Acceptable Means of Travel: Air, rail, motor vehicle.

   Private vehicle mileage reimbursement, when approved, is allowed for in-state/out-of-state travel by way of the most direct regularly traveled route computed by online mileage calculators (such as MapQuest) or odometer readings. If by plane, most direct air mileage route listed by CAB.

   Out-of-state mileage reimbursement is the lesser of rate set by DOA or air coach fare to the same destination.

2. Affiliated Personnel: Volunteers and nonsalaried employees.

3. Conference Designated Lodging: The hotel where the conference is being held or the hotel(s) specified in the conference brochure. Accommodations at alternate hotels in the immediate vicinity of the conference may be considered as conference designated lodging when no vacancies exist at the recommended hotel(s) and an explanation is attached. 

4. Duty Post: Location at which the majority of normal working hours are spent, or the place to which one returns on completion of a special assignment. An employee who has more than one place of work on a regular basis is deemed to have multiple duty posts. A duty post may also be a geographical area, such as a patrol area or beat, different campuses or teaching locations or where the same routes are traveled frequently on one day trips. The duty post for members of boards, commissions, authorities, councils and committees who are not full time employees of the agency served by the board, commission, authority, council or committee shall be deemed to be their place of residence. 

5. Employee: Any individual who is compensated through the university payroll system.

6. Governing Authority: This is defined as the individual or individuals authorized to approve out of state travel. For university employees, the governing authority is the president as delegated by the Governor.

7. Foreign Travel: Travel to any destination outside the US or US territories but does not include Canada when traveling on federal and sub federal accounts. When sponsored project accounts are used, all segments of the trip between the permanent duty post and the foreign destination are considered foreign.

8. Incidental Allowances: Travel related expenses such as laundry, dry cleaning, magazines, newspapers, personal telephone calls, and tips for food service, maid service or room service. 

9. Instate Travel: Travel within Arizona and into adjoining states (except Mexico) no farther than 100 miles from the Arizona state line. The governing authority may authorize lodging and per diem allowances at rates provided for travel outside the State, if the travel requires out of state overnight accommodations. 

10. Long-Term Travel Status: Temporary assignment to one duty locale in excess of 35 miles from the traveler's regular post of duty for a period greater than 30 consecutive calendar days. Regular per diem rates do not apply when a traveler is on long-term travel status.

11. Operational Advance: An operational advance is money loaned to a UA employee for operational expenses (other than travel) to be spent at a location away from the University, where it is not practical to use the University's purchasing/payables system. For example, an operational advance could be used for the rental of a backhoe used in an archeological dig. The amount of the advance is encumbered in the University's accounting system until settlement is made.

12. Ordinary Travel Expenses: Cost of transportation, lodging, per diem and conference fees.

13. Out of state Domestic: Travel outside of 100 miles of the Arizona state line, but within the US, or US territories, including Canada when traveling on federal and sub federal accounts.

14. Per Diem: The allowance for meals and incidental travel related expenses. 

15. Residence: The actual dwelling place of the individual without regard to any other legal or mailing address. An individual required to reside away from their primary residence due to official travel away from their duty post may continue to claim such domicile as their residence if said residence is either inhabited by their dependents, or is held vacant at tangible expense.

    No reimbursement for lodging or other expenses shall be allowed on the premises of an individual's residence. In event an individual is on field assignment away from his designated duty post in a location in which he maintains a second residence, the agency head may, for the period of the assignment, designate such residence as the primary dwelling place.

16. Transportation Expenses: Costs associated with commercial or rental airplanes, trains, buses, taxis, cars and airport limousines.

17. Traveler: Every public officer, deputy or employee of the State, or any department, institution or agency of the State who is in travel status and receives remuneration from the state payroll. 

18. Travel Status: When an individual is conducting necessary State Business away from the designated duty post with supervisory approval. 

    An individual conducting necessary state business is eligible for:

    1. meals and lodging reimbursement when the traveler's destination is outside a 35-mile radius from the designated duty post.

    2. mileage reimbursement upon leaving the designated duty post.

19. Travel Advance (individual): Money loaned to a traveler who is traveling on an approved Travel Authorization. The traveler is responsible for clearing the advance by completing and submitting a Travel Expense Report to Financial Services - Operations within ten working days of the trip's completion.

20. Travel at "no expense" to the University: Official University travel funded and directly paid or reimbursed by sources other than University of Arizona funds (state, local or sponsored projects).

21. Travel Authorization: This form is used to request official travel status and travel advances. Travel Authorization encumbrances are based on the amounts estimated on the Travel Authorization and are reflected on the monthly departmental financial reports

22. Travel Expense Report: This form is used by the traveler to report actual expenses incurred while on official travel status and to record these expenses within the University's accounting system. A Travel Expense Report must be filed to receive reimbursement, to remove an encumbrance, or to clear an advance.