In short, yes, all employees need approval to travel from their supervisor. Additional details on approval for travel are divided out into four categories:
An email will suffice as formal written documentation approving your travel. Remember, formal written approval is only required for out of state/international travel. Written approval for instate travel is only required if your department requires it as part of its internal procedures.
No. There is no University procedure requiring written approval to travel in-state, unless your department requires it as part of its internal procedures. More information can be found on the in-state travel page on the UW travel website.
Yes. You need approval to travel before making any non-refundable purchases. In the rare event a plane ticket or conference registration is fully refundable, you are able to make these purchases before having formal approval. You are not allowed to use state funds for travel unless it has been approved by your supervisor.
Individuals who are not UW employees and are not UW students do not need to follow the travel procedures.
You will need to follow these procedures for the work portion of the trip and you may want to make not when you request approval clearly distinguishing when your work travel (for which you need approval using these procedures) starts and stops and when your vacation (for which you do not need approval) starts and stops. You do not need to follow these procedures for a trip that is solely vacation.
If you want a copy of the Record Travel Form, you can print a copy of this form before clicking “Submit.” If you want to save this form electronically, you can use the print to PDF feature in your web browser and save the PDF electronically. If you forget this step before hitting submit, your supervisor receives a copy of this form, and you can ask your supervisor to share with you.
The form is recorded into our online database.
M&IE on the Travel Request Form stands for “Meals and Incidental Expenses,” and is the allowance for lodging (excluding taxes), meals and incidental expenses that is set based on location by the federal government per diem rates.
The General Services Administration (GSA) establishes per diem rates for destinations within the lower 48 Continental United States (CONUS). The State Department establishes the foreign rates (for example, Canada, Spain, Japan). The Department of Defense (DOD) establishes non-foreign rates which includes Alaska, Hawaii, and all U.S. Territories.
You do not need to take a beginning and ending odometer reading for each trip in a personal vehicle. The travel request form has been updated to remove this information. When you enter your expense report in WyoCloud Financial Management for mileage, you will need to enter the total mileage for the trip, as well as the license plate number. Entering the license plate number ensures that users are not submitting for mileage when using a UW owned vehicle.
The safety of our UW students is our top priority both on campus and abroad. We understand that students who are receiving academic credit for their time abroad are being ask to submit relevant travel information in two places- the Cowboys Abroad Portal through the Education Abroad Office and the UW travel information form. In order for the institution to function effectively in the case of emergencies abroad and respond with the appropriate resources, UW needs to know where each faculty member, employee and student is traveling on the university’s behalf.
Therefore, by completing both sources of information the university will be able to access within a single source of information relevant details for all travelers. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we are continuing to work to improve this process. However, in the interim for safety precautions, it is necessary to have all students input their information into both systems.
Yes, you are still able to use your internal form. The Travel Request Form is only provided for convenience and for departments who choose to use it.
No. Commuting and telecommuting are not governed under these procedures.
On January 10, 2018, the US Department of State (DOS) changed how it issues travel warnings. Previously, countries had either no warning, a travel warning, or a travel alert. Now, each country is assigned a travel advisory level ranging from 1 to 4, depending on the level of risk DOS perceives to the safety and security of travelers. Level 1 is considered low risk for security and safety and DOS recommends travelers exercise normal precautions. Travel to countries listed as Level 1 is considered “international travel with no warnings” and requires no additional travel review by the UW International Travel Review Committee or Provost. Level 2 is considered heightened risk to safety and security and DOS recommends travelers exercise increased caution. If a country is Level 2 you must review the advisory to determine if there are any areas within the country identified as “do not travel” or “reconsider travel”.
If these additional advisories exist then you must go through the travel review process to address those additional concerns. If the advisory does not contain “do not travel” or “reconsider travel” within the country, you can proceed without the travel review process.
Level 3 is considered serious risk to safety and security and DOS recommends travelers reconsider travel to those countries. Level 4 is the highest advisory level due to the likelihood of life-threatening risks and DOS recommends no travel to those countries. If you are traveling to a Level 3 or Level 4 country and students are accompanying you, you will need to fill out a Heightened Risk Travel Request Form to the International Travel Review Committee and receive approval from the Provost to proceed with the proposed travel. DOS Travel Advisories can be found on the DOS website.
