05:04:01:00 DSCC General Travel Policy | Dyersburg State Community College

Purpose:

The purpose of this policy is to establish processes and procedures regarding the authorization of and reimbursement for travel. Authorization for travel will not be granted and expenses will not be reimbursed unless the travel is made and reimbursement claimed in accordance with this policy and any approved exceptions hereto. Procurement cards may be used for the payment of hotels, registration fees and airlines. Procurement cards may not be used for meals, incidentals incurred during actual travel time except in instances of team/group travel. Procurement cards may not be used for personal expenses.

All travel must be consistent with the educational, research, and professional needs of Dyersburg State Community College (DSCC). Employees must conduct all travel with integrity, in compliance with applicable laws, policies, and procedures, and in a manner that excludes considerations of personal advantage. Employees must exercise good judgment and conduct all aspects of travel in a cost-efficient manner.

Scope:

This policy applies to travel conducted for the educational and professional needs of Dyersburg State Community College in accordance with TBR Policy 4:03:03:00 and its Addendum.

Policy:

I. General Provisions

A. No authorization for travel by any employee shall be granted, and no reimbursement for travel expenses shall be made, except in accordance with the provisions of these policies and procedures. Reimbursement for travel expenses shall be limited to expenses incurred upon travel authorized in advance in accordance with Section 2.
B. Travel which may be authorized, and pursuant to which expenses may be reimbursed, shall be limited to the following:

Travel which is necessary for the proper execution of official College business, or in justifiable pursuit of the institution’s educational objectives; or
Travel to meetings and conferences of a professional nature which will increase the attending employee’s usefulness to the College.

C. Travel shall not include, and no reimbursement for expenses shall be made for, transportation in connection with an employee’s official station of employment. The employee’s “official station” is his or her regular area of employment activity, e.g., office headquarters, campus, or designated location of an employee established in the field.

The official station of an employee shall be designated by the appropriate Vice President or designee.
It is normally expected that the official station is that location at which the employee spends greater than 50% of his or her working time. An official work station will be assigned to one of the college’s locations as his/her official station for a given semester. In the event the same amount of time is spent at two or more locations, then the relevant dean will make a recommendation of the official station for that semester and it will be approved by the appropriate Vice President.
For an employee required to be on call (as determined by his or her job description), either overnight or on weekends, the official station of the employee while on call becomes his or her residence, or the location at which the employee receives the call.
Reimbursable mileage begins at the location at which the employee receives the call.

D. The employee is considered to be on official travel status, and as such, eligible for reimbursement of travel expenses, at the time of departure from the employee’s official station or residence, whichever is applicable, for the purpose of traveling on state business.

Expenses for meals will be allowed when overnight travel is required outside the county of the employee’s official station or residence.
En route lodging will be allowed for only one day each way on trips of long duration.
Expenses for lodging will only be allowed in cases where the approved and most direct or expeditious mode of travel will require more than ten (10) hours of continuous travel for trips of long duration.
The lodging expense will not be considered en route lodging if it does not add an additional day of lodging expense.
a. For example: An employee has a 9:00 a.m. meeting in Atlanta, GA. Assume the employee needs to work a full day prior to the trip. It would be less expensive and more convenient to drive rather than fly. The employee leaves the night before and drives to within two hours of Atlanta. Then the employee spends the night, continues the drive the next morning and arrives for the 9:00 a.m. meeting. This will be reimbursed but is not considered en route lodging as it did not add an additional day of lodging expense to the normal travel expenses.

E. The limitations on travel expenses contained herein are maximum amounts above which reimbursement shall not be made. Employees are expected to be as conservative as possible in incurring travel expenses.
F. Reimbursement for travel expenses shall only be allowed for actual expenses incurred, subject to the maximum limitations shown on the TBR General Travel Policy Addendum.

Receipts must accompany claims for reimbursement for all expenses exceeding the amount cited on the TBR General Travel Policy Addendum.
Receipts are not required for meals, taxi fares, tolls and ferry fees.
Lodging receipts are required and must itemize room charges and taxes. No expenses shall be reimbursed until after travel has been completed.

G. Internet travel sites such as Expedia, Travelocity or Kayak can be utilized to purchase single travel services such as an airline ticket. Internet travel sites cannot be used to purchase a package of more than one travel service. Purchases of travel packages that combine services such as lodging, airline, or vehicle rentals are not allowed. These package deals do not usually provide sufficient itemized pricing for each service purchased and therefore do not allow for proper comparison to CONUS or conference rates as required by policy.

II. Authorization of Travel
A. Approving Authorities

The President or his or her designee shall have authority to approve travel by employees of the College.
a. Staff member completes DSCC Travel Authorization Form.
b. The form is forwarded to the supervisor and appropriate Vice President for approval.

c. The Vice President sends the form to the President for approval for out of state travel only.

B. In State Travel

All employees are authorized for in-state travel where overnight travel and conference fees are not involved. No additional written or verbal authorizations is required. The president or chancellor may designate exceptions to the authorization.
Written authorization for in-state travel where expenses associated with overnight travel and/or conference fees will be incurred should be obtained
Employees whose employment requires frequent in state overnight travel may obtain blanket authorization via the travel authorization form for such travel.

C. Out of State Travel

All employees must obtain prior written authorization for out of state travel, which must be approved by the employee’s appropriate approving authority.
The authorization must show the name of the person traveling, purpose of the trip, destinations, date of departure and return, mode of transportation, estimated expenses, and availability of funds.
If, in the normal course of official business, the employee must routinely travel into another state and back in the same day, such travel will be considered in-state travel and shall be subject to the in-state travel provisions.
a. This exception applies for trips which do not exceed 50 miles into another state.
Employees whose employment requires frequent out-of-state travel which requires no overnight stay may obtain blanket authorization via the travel authorization form for such travel.

D. All Other Travel

Authorization for travel by an employee to Alaska, Hawaii, and all out-of-country travel shall be subject to approval by the President (or designee).
Authorization for travel to Alaska, Hawaii, and all out-of-country travel by the President shall be subject to approval by the Chancellor (or designee).

III. Transportation
A. General

All travel must be by the most direct or expeditious route possible and any employee who travels by an indirect route must bear any extra expense occasioned thereby.
When work is performed by an employee in route to or from the official station, reimbursable mileage is computed by deducting the employee’s normal commuting mileage from the actual mileage driven in performing the work in route to or from the official station.
a. For example, if an employee normally commutes 10 miles (20 miles round trip), and performs work on the way home from the official station which results in 12 miles driven, the mileage reimbursement will be for 2 miles only, as that is the amount of mileage in excess of the employee’s normal commute.
b. In no instance shall mileage claimed for reimbursement exceed actual miles traveled.

B. Mode of Transportation

Transportation for employees traveling singly should be by common carrier (air, train, or bus) whenever practical.
The use of air travel is recommended when time is an important factor or when the trip is so long that other methods of travel would increase the subsistence expense.
Automobile transportation may be used to save time when common carrier transportation cannot be satisfactorily scheduled, or to reduce expenses when two or more employees are making the trip.
Reimbursement for personal vehicle use may be claimed at the lesser of the standard mileage rate or comparable cost of commercial transportation including taxi fares and/or limousine charges.

C. Common Carrier Travel

When travel is by common carrier, the fare must not exceed the standard coach fare charged the general public, and advantage must be taken of roundtrip rates when available.
The employee’s copy of the ticket, or an acceptable receipt, must be submitted for reimbursement of common carrier expenses.
Baggage Fees will be allowed when necessary. A receipt is required for reimbursement.
Charges for trip insurance are not reimbursable. The State of Tennessee is self-insured and does not purchase separate insurance, and therefore will not reimburse for insurance purchases made for trips.

D. Chartered Aircraft

Generally, faculty and staff (including group travel and athletics) whose duties require travel will use commercial ground and air carriers or an institutional automobile.
However, a chartered aircraft may be used if time and/or distance preclude ground travel or if a commercial air service is either unavailable or does not meet the needs of the traveler(s).
The following guidelines apply:
a. The President shall assign the following duties to a responsible official:
a. Reviewing and approving requests for charter air services;
b. Scheduling charter flights; and
c. Informing those who request charter flights of the charter company’s policy on canceling scheduled flights.

Charter services will be obtained only when it can be shown that the charter does not exceed the sum of all traveling costs by commercial carrier (e.g. transportation, meals, and lodging) or that circumstances necessitate travel when no other means is available.
The charter company must provide the institution with an original, itemized invoice showing the beginning and ending dates of the charter, the origin and destination of each flight, and the names of passengers on each flight.

E. Automobile Travel

When travel by automobile is appropriate, employees may use state owned automobiles whenever available and feasible. However, state owned vehicles should be used only on official business.
a. State Owned Automobiles
When transportation is by a state owned automobile, tolls, parking, gasoline and storage expenses are allowable.
When using motor pool automobiles, employees will be furnished with courtesy cards for purchase of gasoline, oil, and other automobile services, and such expenses should not be claimed by employees as travel expenses.
Emergency out-of-pocket expenses, such as towing or emergency repairs, will be reimbursed but must be accompanied by proper receipt identifying the automobile and itemizing the services.
Such expenditures must be of an emergency nature when immediate service is required and access to a state facility is not possible.
Major repairs should be approved by the Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services prior to work being performed. Such expenditures are allowed but should be filed for reimbursement separately.
a. Personally-Owned Automobiles
2. Mileage reimbursement rates are provided on the TBR General Travel Policy Addendum.
3. The authorized mileage allowance includes all operating expenses such as gas, oil, and repairs precluding any separate claim for such items.
4. Employees may use reputable websites to determine point-to-point and/or vicinity mileage.
5. Reimbursable Mileage
a. Procedures for calculating mileage are based on the fact that the State is prohibited from reimbursing employees for normal commuting mileage. The Internal Revenue Service defines the miles you drive from your home to your workplace/official station and from your workplace/official station back home as commuting miles. It is the intention of the State of Tennessee to not allow these miles to be reimbursable. The appropriate Vice President or designee designates the official station of each employee and is responsible for verifying that employee claims submitted for reimbursement do not include commuting miles as defined above. A trip is defined as any travel to attend events such as a professional meeting, seminar, conference or workshop not held at any location owned or leased by DSCC for the purpose of professional development.
b. If an employee begins and ends the travel at his/her official station, reimbursable mileage will be the mileage from the official station to the destination.
c. If work is performed by an employee in route to or from his/her official station, or on his/her normal commuting route, reimbursable mileage is computed by deducting the employee’s normal commuting mileage from the actual mileage driven.
d. If an employee begins or ends his/her trip at his/her residence without stopping at his/her official station, reimbursable mileage will be the lesser of the mileage from the employee’s residence to his/her destination or his/her official station to the destination. On weekends and holidays, the employee may typically be reimbursed for actual mileage from his/her residence to the destination.
e. If an employee travels between destinations without returning to his/her official station or his/her residence, reimbursable mileage is the actual mileage between those destinations.
c. The travel claim must indicate the employee’s itinerary and must show the official business mileage to/from Place Left and Place Arrived.
When traveling to or from a destination listed in the chart below, the mileage in the chart must be used and no mileage printout need be attached to the travel claim. Mileage for locations not listed herein, must be obtained from a reputable website and a printout of such must be attached to the travel claim.

Business Mileage Chart

To/From	DSCC Dyersburg	DSCC JNC Covington	DSCC GCC Trenton
DSCC Dyersburg	–	43	30
DSCC JNC Covington	43	–	69
DSCC GCC Trenton	30	69	–
NWTN Correctional, Tiptonville	28	69	58
Brighton High School	47	5	67
Covington High School	39	3	60
Crockett County High School	25	44	19
Dyer County High School	8	50	28
Dyersburg High School	2	43	30
Gibson County High School	27	66	6
Halls High School	15	30	35
Lake County High School	25	66	55
Milan High School	42	65	14
Munford High School	51	10	72
Obion County High School	28	70	35
Peabody High School	30	64	–
Ripley High School	25	18	47
South Fulton High School	48	91	44
South Gibson County High School	45	59	15
Tipton-Rosemark High School	57	15	72
Union City High School	37	79	37
TCAT – Covington	40	2	50
TCAT – Newbern	10	57	25
TCAT – Ripley	22	20	46
TBR Nashville	181	186	152

Vicinity mileage must be reported on a separate line and not included with point-to-point mileage. Only mileage on official business may be claimed.

d. Necessary charges for hotel and airport parking will be allowed.

F. Limousine and Taxi Service

When travel is by common carrier, reasonable limousine and taxi fares will be allowed for necessary transportation.
Bus or limousine service to and from airports will be used when available and practical.
After arrival at destination, necessary taxi fares for traveling between hotels or lodging and meeting or conference will be allowed.
No receipt is required for reimbursement of reasonable taxi fares.

G. Car Rentals at Destination

Charges for automobile rental shall be allowed whenever it is more economical than alternative methods of transportation or it is the only practical means of transportation.
Charges for insurance for rented automobiles are not reimbursable. The State of Tennessee is self-insured and does not purchase separate insurance, and therefore will not reimburse for insurance purchases made for rental vehicles.
Whenever possible, employees should refuel before returning vehicles.

H. Tolls and Ferry Fees

Reasonable tolls and ferry fees will be allowed when necessary.
No receipt is required for reimbursement of tolls and ferry fees.

I. Daily Parking Fees

If an employee is required to leave his office on official business and later returns the same day, the actual additional charge required to park will be reimbursed up to the maximum indicated (see TBR General Travel Policy Addendum).
Also, those employees required to utilize commercial parking facilities in the daily performance of duties, or while on travel status, will be allowed reimbursement for actual costs.
Receipt is required if the fee exceeds the maximum indicated per day (see TBR General Travel Policy Addendum).

J. Unnecessary meals and lodging expenses which are occasioned by the use of an automobile for reasons of the employee’s personal convenience, or which are due to travel by an indirect route, will not be allowed.
K. If travel is by common carrier, the employee will be reimbursed for expenses in traveling to and from the common carrier including related parking expenses.

Receipts must be furnished on airport and hotel parking exceeding maximum parking allowance in TBR General Travel Policy Addendum.

IV. Lodging
A. In State Lodging

Lodging expenses incurred within the state while on authorized travel will be reimbursable to the maximum shown on the TBR General Travel Policy Addendum.

B. Out of State Lodging

Lodging expenses incurred out of the state while on authorized travel will be reimbursable to the maximum shown on the TBR General Travel Policy Addendum.
The maximum reimbursement rates for out-of-state travel are the same as those maintained by the U. S. General Services Administration for federal employees within the continental United States (CONUS).
The CONUS list, available on the General Services Administration web site, contains a standard reimbursement rate for lodging and meals and incidentals, and several pages of exceptions.
Most destinations for out-of-state travel fall within the list of exceptions.
En route lodging will be allowed for only one day each way on trips of long duration.
En route lodging will only be allowed in cases when the approved and most direct or expeditious mode of travel will require more than ten (10) hours of continuous travel. (Refer to Section I.D.2-4 for explanation of en route lodging expenses.)

C. Out of Country Lodging

Lodging expenses incurred while out of the country will be reimbursed at actual expenses with receipts.

D. Additional Lodging Expenses

Sales taxes on lodging costs will be reimbursable.
Higher rates for lodging at the location of a convention or conference will be allowed, without special approval, up to the amount indicated in the convention or conference brochure or conference website.
Miscellaneous lodging expenses, such as required resort fees and energy or utility surcharges are fully reimbursable and should be added to the lodging costs, in a manner similar to local hotel or sales taxes.
Additional lodging for presidents/directors will be approved on the same basis as approval is granted for other employees. Any exceptions must be approved by the Chancellor.
The convention or conference brochure which indicates the lodging rates must be included with the travel claim. Otherwise, reimbursement will be limited to the applicable lodging rate as provided in these regulations.

E. Shared Lodging

In the event of double occupancy for state employees on official travel, both employees should attach an explanation to his/her travel claim detailing dates and other employees with whom the room was shared.
The lodging cost may be claimed by the employee who incurred the cost, or one half the double occupancy charge may be allowable for each employee.
If a room is shared with other than a state employee, actual cost subject to the maximum in the TBR General Travel Policy Addendum will be allowed.
The receipt for the entire amount should be submitted with the expense account.

V. Meals
A. In State and Out of State Meals

Meals while on authorized travel will be reimbursed, subject to the meal allowance provided on the TBR General Travel Policy Addendum.
The maximum per diem rates includes a fixed allowance for meals and for incidental expenses (M&I).
The M&I rate, or fraction thereof, is payable to the traveler without itemization of expenses or receipts.
Incidentals are intended to include miscellaneous costs associated with travel such as tips for baggage handling, phone calls home, etc.
The M&I rates for out-of-state travels are the same as those for federal employees, and are available on the General Services Administration’s web site.
As with lodging, there is a standard rate for the continental United States (CONUS), and a list of exceptions.
Reimbursement for meals and incidentals for the day of departure shall be three-fourths of the appropriate M&I rate (either the in-state rate or CONUS rate for out-of-state travel) at the rate prescribed for the lodging location.
Reimbursement for M&I for the day of return shall be three-fourths of the M&I rate applicable to the preceding calendar day.

B. Out of Country Meals

Out of Country meals are reimbursed at actual expense with receipts. If no receipts are provided, the maximum rate will be the maximum CONUS rate of Out-of-State travel.

C. Official Banquets

When the expenses for an official banquet of a meeting or conference are in excess of the meal allowance, the excess will be allowed provided a receipt or proper explanation of the charge is submitted
D. Business Meals – refer to the TBR General Travel Policy for details on reimbursing for business meals.

VI. Miscellaneous Expenses
A. Personal Expenses

Expenses for entertainment (employee or others), laundry, tips and gratuities, etc., are personal expenses and will not be reimbursed in excess of the incidental portion of the M&I rate.

B. Telephone, Internet and Fax Expenses

Charges for long distance telephone calls, internet, and/or fax on official business will be allowed.
Charges for necessary local calls on official business will be allowed.

C. Registration Fees

Registration fees for approved conferences, conventions, seminars, meetings, etc., will be allowed including cost of official banquets and/or luncheons, if authorized in advance by the appropriate Vice President or designee, and provided receipts are submitted with the travel claim.

D. Handling Fees

Fees for the handling of equipment or promotional materials will be allowed up to the maximum indicated (see TBR General Travel Policy Addendum).

VII. Claims
A. The Claim for Traveling Expenses form shall be used for reimbursement of expenses.

The form must show movement and detail of expenses on a daily basis, be signed in ink by the employee, and be approved by the appropriate Vice President or designee prior to reimbursement.
Signatures on travel claims must be original or electronic in accordance with DSCC policy. Receipts for appropriate expenses must be submitted with the claim for reimbursement.
Expenses for books, supplies, postage, and other items that do not constitute actual traveling expenses should not be included in the claim form.
Claims for reimbursement for travel expenses should be submitted no later than forty-five (45) days after completion of the travel.

B. Honorariums

For those employees who receive honorariums for appearing at meetings while on official state business, the employee may, at his/her option, accept the honorarium as full payment for travel expenses including airfare, or choose to surrender the honorarium to the State, and be reimbursed in accordance with established travel policy.

VIII. Travel Advances
A. General

Normally travel expenses should be paid when incurred by an employee, with reimbursement made to the employee for actual expenses upon proper submission of a claim for travel expenses.
Advances to employees for anticipated travel expenses may be made under the circumstances hereinafter described as
a. Permanent travel advances; and
b. Temporary travel advances except as provided in Section IX.C.
All travel advances must be approved by the ~~President~~ appropriate Vice President or his or her designee.

B. Permanent Travel Advances

When an employee has blanket travel authorization, and is expected to travel the major portion of each month, the employee may be placed upon permanent travel status.
Upon determination of the employee’s estimated monthly expenses, if such expenses exceed$100, the employee may be provided with a single advance in an amount sufficient to cover such expenses for one month, provided such amount may not exceed the semimonthly salary of the employee.
Subsequent to the initial advance, the employee shall submit appropriate claims and be reimbursed as heretofore provided, with any unused portion of the advance to be returned upon termination of the employee’s permanent travel status.

C. Temporary Travel Advances

When temporary travel is authorized for an employee, the employee may receive an advance, provided a request for the advance, including estimated expenses, is submitted to the appropriate Vice President or designee with the request for written authorization for the travel, and is approved.
An amount equal to 80% of the estimated out of pocket expenditures will be allowed as an advance, however, no advance less than $100 will be made.
Students traveling under individual authorizations or an employee traveling with a student or students who is responsible for disbursing all funds for the trip may be advanced 100% of the amount of the authorization.

D. Payroll Deduction Authorization

Each employee receiving a permanent or temporary travel advance for the first time must sign a payroll deduction authorization form which will allow the State to recover the advance from any salary owed the employee in the event of termination of employment or failure to submit a travel claim.
This deduction from payroll should be used as a last resort only in the event all other efforts to collect the advance have failed.

E. Expense Claim

Upon return, the employee should submit an expense claim detailing his or her actual expenditures. This claim should show the total expenses incurred.
The advanced amount should be subtracted from this total.
A voucher should then be prepared requesting the additional amount due the employee.
No advance should exceed actual expenses. If this does happen, however, the excess should be returned by the employee to the business office for deposit as a credit against the original advance with proper distribution being made of the actual expenses incurred.
In the latter instance, the expense account claim should be forwarded to the business office with notification to file it with the advance request.

F. Non-business Expenses

You are eligible for reimbursement of travel expenses if your trip was entirely business related.
If your trip was primarily for business and, while at your business destination, you extended your stay, made a personal side trip, or had other personal activities, you can obtain reimbursement for only your business-related travel expenses.
These expenses include the travel costs of getting to and from your business destination but do not include additional lodging, parking, and per diem for the days not required for the business travel.
Additional days are not considered business related unless they are necessary to provide rest or sleep required for you to properly perform your duties.

IX. Exceptions
A. General

The Chancellor delegates to the presidents the authority to grant exceptions to any part or all of the provisions of this policy in individual instances when deemed appropriate and necessary; however, any exception directly affecting presidents or directors must be approved by the Chancellor.

Compliance:

The policy applies to the travel of all employees of Dyersburg State Community College in the performance of their official duties. Provisions of this policy also may apply to individuals other than employees who are authorized to travel at institutional expense.

Definitions:

Trip: Travel to attend events such as a professional meeting, seminar, conference or workshop not held at any location owned or leased by DSCC for the purpose of professional development. This includes, but is not limited to, NISOD, TBR Subcouncil and Board meetings, and other state, regional, or national meetings.
Commuting Mileage: Miles driven from your home to your workplace/official station and from your workplace/official station back home.

Revision History:

Policy approved by Administrative Council on 10/31/2014. Revision approval by Admin council on May 19, 2016. Revision approved by Admin Council on 3/26/2018. Revision approved by Admin Council on 8/31/2018. Revision approved by Admin Council on 4/26/2019. Revision approved by Admin Council on 10/27/2022.