If I am a UW employee, do I need to seek approval to travel from my supervisor?
How do I get approval to travel? Can I use email as an acceptable form of approval?
- 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.
Do I have to get approval to travel in state?
- 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.
Do we need approval to travel before buying plane tickets or registering for a conference?
- 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.
How is my travel handled if I am an emeritus professor? Do I need to seek approval?
How do we process travel for people who are not affiliated with UW? (i.e. members
of related but external boards and non-employees). Do they need to receive permission
to travel?
- Individuals who are not UW employees and are not UW students do not need to follow
the travel procedures.
If I am a UW employee and traveling on business related to my campus function/role
but extend the trip for personal reasons using vacation days, do I need to follow
these 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.
Is there a way to save a copy of the record travel information form?
- If you want a copy of this 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.
When I submit my record travel information form, where is the form sent?
- The form is recorded into our online database.
What does “M&IE” stand for on the Travel Request Form?
- M&IE 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.
Why is the University making these procedure changes now?
- Many of these procedures were already in place, and our recent addition of the website
and other forms are taking many of the old paper processes surrounding travel and
transitioning them to electronic forms that allow for better tracking. This is an
interim measure to better safe guard our travel procedures while we continue to implement
and utilize WyoCloud. We will continue to work to improve travel business processes.
Do I have to record my odometer reading and provide it for every trip for personal
vehicle?
- 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.
Why do students have to fill out UW’s travel information form, as well as the Cowboys Abroad Portal?
- 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.
If my department has its own internal travel form, can we continue to use this form
instead of the University’s Travel Request Form?
- 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.
Do the travel procedures apply to employee who commute to work from a different Wyoming
community, commute from out-of-state, or telecommute?
- No. Commuting and telecommuting are not governed under these procedures.
What is the difference between “International Travel with warnings” and “International
Travel with no warnings?”
- 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.