Travel Services (TRA)

POLICY 12

Effective Date: 12/01/2000

Last Modified Date: 08/22/2003

External Conferences

External conferences are those that involve the attendance of persons other than employees of the University.

Conferences sponsored or co-sponsored by the University are authorized when they meet the following limitations/requirements.

• The conference is planned in detail in advance, with a formal agenda or curriculum.
• There is a written invitation to participants, setting forth the calendar of events, the social activities, if any, and the detailed schedule of costs.
• Whenever feasible, assemblies should be held in state facilities. When necessary, non- state facilities may be rented and the cost charged to "Rental of Conference Rooms" without allocation to participants' daily subsistence allowances.
• Registration fees may be charged by the sponsors to participants. Approval of the department head is required for excess registration. Registration fees may not include cost of entertainment, alcoholic beverages, setups, or flowers.
• Sponsors may provide refreshments for "coffee breaks" provided that there are twenty (20) or more participants and costs do not exceed four dollars ($4.00) per participant per day.
• When assemblies are to be held under the sponsorship of the University in which the funding for all participants is budgeted, lump-sum payments to a conference center or an organization may be made upon written authorization from the department head. The authorization must provide:
  • The purpose and duration of the conference
  • The number of persons expected to attend
  • The specific meals to be served at the conference (law prohibits lunches being provided to state employees unless registration fees are charged to all attendees)
  • The approximate daily subsistence cost per person
  • The name of the conference center, hotel, caterer, or other organization providing the service
• It is the responsibility of the departments to ensure that reimbursement for meals included in the lump-sum payment is not also included in reimbursement payments made to employees who are conference participants.

Internal Conference

Internal conferences are those that involve the attendance of employees within that particular department. No payment for meals is allowable unless overnight travel criteria are met. A routine staff meeting is not an internal conference.

Requirements/Limitations

• The conference is planned in detail in advance, with a formal agenda or curriculum.
• There is a written invitation to participants, setting forth the calendar of events and the detailed schedule of costs.
• No excess travel subsistence may be granted for internal departmental meetings, conferences, seminars, etc., and such meetings must be held in state facilities when available. No registration fee may be charged.
• Sponsors may provide refreshments for "coffee breaks" provided there are twenty (20) or more participants and costs do not exceed four dollars ($4.00) per participant per day.

Safety

Certain safety standards must be observed when the University is involved with public gatherings, in particular when University facilities are used for gatherings of 75 or more persons. Consult the University Fire Marshall and the Department of Public Safety.

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