Business Policies and Procedures Manual
Chapter 95: Travel

BPPM 95.16

For more information contact:
   Travel Services
   509-335-2034

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Policy

University personnel are responsible for approving, documenting, and accounting for official WSU-related travel supported by third parties.

State Requirements

The University is required to establish and maintain a positive system of control over all WSU-related travel, including travel supported by third parties. (SAAM 10.20.60)

Determination

A third party is an entity or individual other than WSU. Third-party travel for purposes of this policy includes travel that meets the following requirements:

• The traveler is traveling in their official University capacity on official University business.
• The traveler’s supervisor agrees that the travel is official University travel. The supervisor approves a Spend Authorization in Workday that sets forth the travel arrangements indicating the respective portions of the travel supported by the third party and the University (see Approval).

Note: Official travel supported by sponsored accounts managed through the Workday system is not considered third-party travel for purposes of this policy.

Double Payment

A traveler may not receive and keep payments or reimbursement from both the University and a third party for the same travel expense. Likewise, a traveler may not receive and keep reimbursement payment for a travel expense previously paid by the University.

Reimbursement Limits

For travel supported by third parties, travelers are not to be reimbursed for more than the actual expenses of travel except for meals which can be reimbursed on an allowance basis as listed in BPPM 95.19. (SAAM 10.20.60)

Honoraria

Often a third party pays an honorarium in addition to trip expenses. A faculty member may accept an honorarium in accordance with applicable provisions of the Faculty Manual.

Note: This section (95.16) is not intended to govern honoraria. All employees must comply with state law, including RCW 42.52, the Ethics in Public Service Act, regarding honoraria and outside compensation.

Approval

Official University travel paid for in part or in whole by a third party must be approved in advance by the traveler’s supervisor. The approval documentation must be attached to the Spend Authorization in Workday. (See BPPM 95.01 and the Workday Create Spend Authorization reference guide.)

Indicate all travel payment arrangements on the Spend Authorization. Indicate exactly which costs are to be supported by the third party. Indicate the name of the third party.

Accounting for Travel

Whenever a third party pays for all or part of travel expenses, the traveler must complete and submit an Expense Report in Workday to account for all portions of the travel. (See BPPM 95.20 and the Workday Create Expense Report reference guide.) The traveler indicates payment arrangements, (i.e., how paid, name of third party, and the payment amount) in the travel description.

Payment/Reimbursement

When permitted by practices and regulations of the third party, the third party should directly pay the supplier or directly reimburse the University for travel expenses incurred by a University traveler. Direct reimbursement to the traveler is acceptable if the third party’s practices do not provide for direct payment to suppliers or the University.

Payment to Supplier

If the third party pays the supplier directly, the traveler indicates the payment arrangement on the approving Spend Authorization. The payment arrangement is also to be indicated in the travel description on the Expense Report in Workday. (See the Workday Create Expense Report reference guide for instructions and examples.)

If there is no direct reimbursement to the University or the traveler, the traveler submits an Expense Report with minimal information. See the applicable Workday Travel and Expenses reference guides for instructions.

Reimbursement to the University

If the third party reimburses the University for the travel, the traveler submits an Expense Report in Workday to request reimbursement from a University account.

Deposit Check

The department deposits the check from the third party with the Bursar’s Office. See deposit procedures in BPPM 30.53. The department references the payment request number on the Record Cash Sales business process in Workday. The Bursar’s Office deposits the amount as a recovery of the original expenditure.

Honorarium

If a payment to the University includes an honorarium, the department deposits the honorarium portion in a discretionary account. The administrator of the discretionary account may authorize payment of the honorarium to the traveler. An honorarium payment to a faculty member must be consistent with requirements of the Faculty Manual. See also BPPM 70.33.

Reimbursement to the Traveler

If the third party reimburses the traveler directly, the traveler submits a copy of the check or remittance advice from the third party with the Expense Report in Workday.

Overpayments

If the third-party payment exceeds travel expenses, the department deposits the amount of the overpayment into a gift fund or other account established for receiving revenue.

Payment to Traveler and No WSU Support

If the University did not support any travel expenditures and the third party directly pays the traveler for travel expenses and the payment exceeds incurred travel expenses reported on the Expense Report in Workday, the traveler submits a check for the overpayment to the department. The department deposits the overpayment into a gift fund or other account established for receiving revenue. The traveler notes the details of the overpayment deposit as Miscellaneous Payment on the Record Cash Sales business process in Workday and references the applicable Expense Report.

Review

All official University travel supported by third parties is subject to review by appropriate University officials and auditors.

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Revisions:  Jan. 2021 (Rev. 560)Oct. 2004 (Rev. 249); Apr. 2003 (Rev. 228); June 1991 – new policy (Rev. 86).