TO: All Employees
FR: Carrie Schmidt, Accounts Payable and Travel Manager
Travel Policy Update
The CSU travel policy has been revised to reflect an increase in the maximum daily lodging rate (not including taxes and fees) from $275 to $333, to adjust for inflation and align with other state public higher education institutions. This change is effective for travel on or after April 18, 2024.
Travelers who attend a conference where the prearranged conference room rate exceeds $333 per night may stay at the conference hotel without requesting an exception for the prearranged conference group rate. Justification to substantiate the conference room rate must be provided in the lodging comments section in both request and expense reports in Concur.
As a reminder, itemized receipts for all travel expenses in excess of $75 are required to be submitted with the travel claim. Please do not include receipts for travel expenses less than $75.
Other Travel Updates
1. New Concur User Guide
The guide provides comprehensive instructions, including creating itineraries for meals per diem and how to exclude per diem for personal days included in the trip
2. Universal Travel Expense Claim pdf form for use of travel 1/1/24-current
Travel expense claim is for candidates, current students, volunteers registered with SSU Human Resources, vendors with travel included on the PO/MOU, and for Business Unit SOASI.
- Vendor travel reimbursement must be included on an issued PO/MOU. The independent contractor/special consultant form has been removed from the website.
- The new form includes location-based per diem rates. It is the traveler and department responsibility to use the links within the sheet to determine the location-based per diem.
- The only required wet signature on the expense claim is now the traveler. Unless tied to a PO/MOU, the travel form is submitted via smartsheet as Direct Pay.
3. Current Student and Candidate Travel
Travel for faculty and staff employees in Business Units SOCMP, SOSSE, and SOFDN are processed through Concur. Concur is an option for current students and candidates through employee proxy. If interested in this option, please see the Concur Non-Employee Travel Guide.
4. Travel Certification Form
The travel certification form is required for all non-employee individual travelers, students, candidates and SOASI employees.
Questions regarding travel procedures may be directed to Accounts Payable at apinvoice@sonoma.edu.