Travel Processes and Resources

In an effort to streamline and simplify the bureaucratic aspects of state-funded travel for professional development, our college is developing an infrastructure to make completing forms much easier for the traveler. It is important that everyone understand that completing and submitting the necessary paperwork is now the sole responsibility of the traveler. The following how-to page outlines the process of what to do before, during and after traveling, and provides instructions according to types of travel. Our CHSS travel coordinator, Christine Hintermann, is available to assist during open office hours. Department chairs will now serve as travel delegates for their departments and should reach out to Christine for funding information and if they have any questions or concerns.

Use these travel tips to get started:

In-State Travel

Submit 2 weeks prior to travel or sooner:

Concur Travel Request

  • Must be completed prior to making any arrangements
  • Approved by Reports To and Budget Approver
  • Agenda with date and location (CHSS)
  • Ask Dept Chair for funding information

Travel Insurance

  • Not allowable

Hotel

  • $275/day maximum, excluding taxes
  • Itemized receipts required

Personal Vehicle

  • Must be authorized to drive by completing STD 261 and Defensive Driving Test

Rental Vehicle

  • Must rent from authorized vendors via Concur (Enterprise or National) Do not purchase additional insurance
  • Must be authorized to drive by completing STD 261 and Defensive Driving Test

Baggage Fees

  • Refer to CSU Travel and Business Reimbursements policy. The University will pay the cost for checked baggage that is considered reasonable and necessary for the business purpose and length of the trip. The approving authority is responsible for determining if the fees are appropriate.

Other 

  • Travel Registration can be paid by P-card after Travel Request is Approved.

Exceptions

  • Exception Form for hotel > $275
  • Anything that violates the travel policy will need a One-Time Exception in order for it to be reimbursed.

Meals

Actual expenses up to $55/day 

Incidentals

$7/day after 24 hours 

Receipts

Required for $75 or more 

Tips

No more than 20%

All travel expenses are due within 30 days upon return.

  1. Complete Expense Report in Concur
  2. Attach all receipts $75 or more
  3. Attach receipts and proof of payment for Airfare, Registration and Transportation*

*Transportation includes Uber, Lyft, taxi, train and car rental.

Out-of-State Travel

Submit 3 weeks prior to travel or sooner:

Concur Travel Request

  • Must be completed prior to making any arrangements
  • Approved by Reports To and Budget Approver
  • Agenda with date and location (CHSS)
  • Ask Dept Chair for funding information

Travel Insurance

  • Not allowable

Hotel

  • $275/day maximum, excluding taxes
  • Itemized receipts required

Personal Vehicle

  • Must be authorized to drive by completing STD 261 and Defensive Driving Test

Rental Vehicle

  • Must rent from authorized vendors via Concur (Enterprise or National). Do not purchase additional insurance
  • Must be authorized to drive by completing STD 261 and Defensive Driving Test

Baggage Fees

  • Refer to CSU Travel and Business Reimbursements policy. The University will pay the cost for checked baggage that is considered reasonable and necessary for the business purpose and length of the trip. The approving authority is responsible for determining if the fees are appropriate.

Other

  • Travel Registration can be paid by P-card after Travel Request is Approved.

Exceptions

  • Exception Form for hotel > $275
  • Anything that violates the travel policy will need a One-Time Exception in order for it to be reimbursed.

Meals

Actual expenses up to $55/day (except Alaska, Hawaii & US Possessions)

Incidentals

$7/day after 24 hours

Receipts

Required for $75 or more

Tips

No more than 20%

All travel expenses are due within 30 days upon return.

  1. Complete Expense Report in Concur
  2. Attach all receipts $75 or more
  3. Attach receipts and proof of payment for Airfare, Registration and Transportation*

*Transportation includes Uber, Lyft, taxi, train and car rental.

International Travel

Submit 7 weeks prior to travel or sooner:

Concur Travel Request

  • Must be completed 45 days prior to making any arrangements 
  • Approved by Provost
  • Agenda with date and location 
  • Attach completed FTIP (Travel Insurance)
  • Ask Dept Chair for funding information

Travel Insurance ( FTIP REQUIRED)

  • Required - Complete FTIP Form
  • Contact SFSU Risk Management for questions

Hotel

  • Check Federal Per Diem Rate
  • Proof of Payment required

Personal Vehicle

  • Must be authorized to drive by completing STD 261 and Defensive Driving Test

Rental Vehicle

  • Must rent from authorized vendors via Concur (Enterprise or National)
  • Must be authorized to drive by completing STD 261 and Defensive Driving Test

Baggage Fees

  • Refer to CSU Travel and Business Reimbursements policy. The University will pay the cost for checked baggage that is considered reasonable and necessary for the business purpose and length of the trip. The approving authority is responsible for determining if the fees are appropriate.

Other

  • High-Risk country form if applicable
  • Travel Registration can be paid by P-card after Travel Request is Approved.

Exceptions

  • Anything that violates the travel policy will need a One-Time Exception in order for it to be reimbursed.

Meals/Hotel

Stay within Federal Per Diem Rate

Incidentals

Stay within Federal per diem rate

Receipts

Required for $75 or more (for transportation, e.g. Uber, Taxi, Train)

Tips

No more than 20%

All travel expenses are due within 30 days upon return.

  1. Complete Expense Report in Concur
  2. Attach receipts $75 or more for transportation*
  3. Attach receipts and proof of payment for Airfare, Registration and Transportation
  4. For Hotel only proof of payment is needed
  5. For Meals no proof of payment is needed, but must be within the federal per diem.

*Transportation includes Uber, Lyft, taxi, train and car rental.

All Travel

  1. Subsistence expenses for travel within 25 miles of an employee's headquarters or residence will not be reimbursed.
  2. Transportation expenses will be reimbursed based on the most economical mode of transportation and the most commonly traveled route consistent with the purpose of the trip.
  3. Mileage reimbursement will be for between home and the assignment location or between the normal work location and the assignment location, whichever is less.
  4. Meal reimbursement associated with trips without an overnights stay must be reported to the IRS as taxable income. The amount will be reported to Payroll and included in box 1 of the employee's W-2 dorm. Under no circumstances will expenses for lunch be reimbursed for travel of less than 24 hours.
  5. Flight Comparison is required when you are taking personal days within the business trip.

MUST COMPLETE EXPENSE REPORT WITHIN 60 DAYS OF END TRAVEL DATE, OR ELSE YOU NEED A ONE-TIME EXCEPTION.

The following will not be approved for reimbursement:

  • Cash advances
  • Baggage insurance
  • Travel insurance (except for international travel FTIP through At Risk Management)
  • Seat upgrades
  • Frequent traveler program participation and points, e.g., hotels, airlines, etc. Travelers will not be reimbursed for airline travel certificates/vouchers or frequent flyer miles that are used for the purchase of transportation tickets.
  • Driving a vehicle without DDT
  • Driving a rental car from non-Enterprise vendor for campus state business

These step-by-step guides will help you prepare your travel request:

Instructions According to Type of Travel

Blanket Travel via Concur

Blanket Travel is acceptable for local one‐day travel with no overnight stays less than 24 hours.

Log in to Concur using your SF State Credentials at the Travel Homepage or using the button below.

*In order to Expense Personal Car Mileage, you must complete the Defensive Driving Fundamentals Course and add your license plate information under your User Profile at Profile > Profile Settings > Personal Car.

Request

A Travel Request is required to obtain preapproval of your travel prior to making any travel reservations and submitting an Expense Report. The Blanket Travel Request can be submitted on a fiscal year basis and expense monthly when there is travel.

Step 1:

Click on Requests Tab > Start a New Request.

Step 2:

Fill out all required fields on the Request Header Tab.

Request/Trip Name: Blanket Travel Example: July 1, 20XX-June 30, 20XX (Based on Fiscal Year), Travel Start Date and Travel End Date, Trip Purpose: Mileage/Parking Only, Destination City/State: Multiple Locations. Click Save.

Step 3:

Skip Segments Tab. Click on Expense Tab.

Step 4:

Enter all expenses (as estimates) that you may incur during the fiscal year. For instance, Ground Transportation, Parking/Toll, Personal Car Mileage (estimate miles driven for fiscal year), etc. You can add a comment on the header or within an Expense Type indicating the locations of the travel/site visits.

Step 5:

Approve memo from Chair stating purpose for blanket travel. Add an attachment (check with department) by clicking Attachments > Attach Documents on the top right hand side. You can attach Approval form of Teaching School Sites. Any attachments added will not roll over to Expense Report.

Step 6:

Submit the Request by clicking the orange Submit Request Button. Request will then go through the Approval Workflow. Once fully approved, you will receive an email notification of approval.

Expense

An Expense Report must be submitted within 60 days of the Travel End Date. For Blanket Travel, please submit 1 report at the end of every month when there is travel.

Step 1:

Click on Requests Tab. Find your approved Blanket Request. Once approved, after 90 days, your Request will move to Approved Requests. If moved, click View and then Approved Requests.

Step 2:

Click on Action: Expense on the right hand side of the Request.

Step 3:

Change Report name to include the month you are reporting, as well as change the dates of the Travel Start and Travel End Date to just that month you are reporting.

Step 4:

Click on each Expense Type that you are expensing on the right hand side and fill out all required fields. Add expenses for each date of travel. For Personal Car Mileage, click Personal Car Mileage, and enter waypoints on the mileage calculator. Then Calculate Route > Add Mileage to Expense > Save. Lastly, enter Transaction Date and Save. Continue adding expenses for the month. You can also add expense such as Parking/Toll by selecting that expense type and the transaction date.

Within each Expense Type, you can Attach a Receipt or Allocate to a different chartfield if needed. If the transaction total is $75 or more, please make sure to attach a receipt.

Step 5:

Click Submit Report when ready! Report will go through Approval workflow and once fully approved, you will

receive an email notification from Concur when Travel Desk has approved and reimbursement has been sent for

payment. Reimbursement is either check by mail to “Home” Address or Direct Deposit (Employee Reimbursement).

Contact Susan Cuong at scuong@sfsu.edu for the process and funding. 

A profiled Concur user (employee) can prepare and submit requests and expense reports on behalf of a non-profiled user (non-employee/guest/student).

Step 1 for Non-Employee/Guest:

Non-employee, guest needs to have Vendor 204 form on file. Once completed, an employee needs to email Amanda Tobias – amandag@sfsu.edu or concur@sfsu.edu with the individual’s name, email address and supplier ID (if you have it) and request they be added with a CTE indicator. An email will be sent to the Vendor Coordinator who will add them. Once added, they will be in Concur the following day.

Step 1 for Student:

Send an email to Amanda Tobias at amandag@sfsu.edu or concur@sfsu.edu with the individual’s name, email address and SFSU ID Number and request they be added with a CTE indicator. An email will be sent to the Vendor Coordinator who will add them. Once added, they will be in Concur the following day.

Please note: If the student is a student assistant, they may be profiled in Concur already. You can email Amanda first to see if the student can access Concur themselves.

Step 2:

Employee logs in to Concur.

Step 3:

Hover over +New and click Start a Request.

Step 4:

Change the Request Policy to *CSU Non-Employee Request Policy. Under Non-Employee Name field, type * and then the individual’s last name to filter your selection. Then select the correct individual. Under Request/trip Name: add the individual’s name as part of the trip name. Continue filling out Request Header information. (See Concur Travel Request for details.) Enter correct chartfield information. Save.

Step 5:

Under Segments tab, add airfare, car rental, lodging by selecting the appropriate icons and entering required field information, if applicable. Save. Then move to Expenses tab.

Step 6:

Select additional expenses the individual may have for their travel such as meals, ground transportation, Registration Fees, etc. Enter estimates for each and save.

Step 7:

Attach any documentation needed under the Attachments box in the upper right-hand corner. If International Travel, completed FTIP (and high hazard form if applicable) is required to be attached prior to submission.

Step 8:

Submit Request. An automated email notification will be sent to the employee once the request is approved.

Step 9:

The employee can then start booking travel for the individual if needed. If booking airfare in Concur, please send a request to Amanda Tobias to grant you booking for a guest permission. Or, a departmental travel card can be used or the individual can pay out of pocket and request reimbursement.

Step 10:

Once the individual returns from their trip, the employee can prepare the Expense Report. Employee logs in to Concur and goes to Request Tab at the top. One the right-hand side of the approved request, click Expense.

Step 11:

Under Business Unit for Supplier, select either SFSTD for Student or SFCMP for Non-Employee/Guest. Then under Non-Employee Name select the name of the individual you are submitting travel for. You may then need to reselect the choice for: If Student, did they travel with Employee and then click Next.

Step 12:

Complete the Expense report by filling in all expenses the individual incurred out of pocket. Include any expenses paid by Dept. Travel/P-Card and indicate payment type: University Paid and any airfare booked via Concur by clicking Import Expenses and dragging over the airfare transactions.

Step 13:

Send an email with the list of expenses or a screenshot in Concur of the expenses and request the individual confirm that these were their expenses are a true and accurate accounting of expenses incurred to accomplish official business for CSU and there are no expenses claimed as reimbursable which relate to personal or unallowable expenses and will not be requesting reimbursement from another source. Attach their approval email to the Expense Report which will act as their wet signature and Employee will submit the Expense Report on behalf of the individual.

Step 14:

Expense Report will route to Employee’s Reports to Approver and the Budget Approver of the chartfield indicated on the Expense Report. If the Reports to Approver needs to be changed, please email Amanda Tobias prior to submitting the Expense Report.

Step 15:

Once AP receives Expense Report and is fully audited, an email will be sent to Employee indicating Expense Report has been Sent for Payment. The individual will receive the reimbursement by check in the mail to the address indicated in the SFSU Gateway if Student, or address indicated on Vendor 204 form if Non-Employee/Guest. If address needs to be updated, please contact Amanda Tobias to request Vendor Coordinator update address.

For assistance or if you have questions, please email: concur@sfsu.edu.

Liability/Unfunded Travel is when a traveler is requesting approval to travel on university business but will not be using any University funds for the travel and not requesting any reimbursement. This would be for liability purposes only.

Step 1:

Login to Concur.

Step 2:

Hover over +New and click Start a Request.

Step 3:

Fill out Request Header information. (See Concur Travel Request for details.) You can enter the chartfield information (Fund, Dept.) you normally would for travel or leave it as is (default). Save.

Step 4:

Skip Segments tab and move to Expenses tab.

Step 5:

Select Liability/Unfunded Only Expense Type. Leave it $0. Save.

Step 6:

Attach Conference Agenda or memo stating purpose/location/date(s) of travel under the Attachments box in the upper right-hand corner. If International Travel, completed FTIP (and high hazard form if applicable) is required to be attached prior to submission.

Step 7:

Submit Request. An automated email notification will be sent once the request is approved.

Step 8:

The request can then be closed to stop email reminders from generating to alert you that it is time to expense your travel. To close your request, click on the Request Tab at the top, check the box to the left of the request and click Close Request on the top right-hand corner. Otherwise, the request will auto close on the 61st day of your travel end date.

For assistance or if you have questions, please email: concur@sfsu.edu.

Group Travel is when a group of individuals are travelling together. Usually Employee (trip leader) traveling with students. All travelers regardless if they are requesting reimbursement or not, must have an approved Travel Request to travel. All SF State Employees are profiled users* in Concur and can submit their own Concur Request/Expense Reports.

*Profiled user: Active Employee or Student Assistant profiled in Concur. Any student/non-employee not profiled in Concur will not have Concur access and a profiled user must complete and submit the request/expense report on behalf of the non-profiled traveler. Please refer to the Non­-Employee Travel document for reference.

  • If the student/non-employee travelling is not requesting ANY reimbursement, nor will their airfare be booked via Concur, Manual Request, (non-ORSP related), Manual Request (ORSP related) can be completed and uploaded in DocuSign (for approvals) in lieu of Concur.
  • All approved Manual Requests must be attached to the Employee's (trip leader) Concur Expense Report.
  • Students/non-employees must complete Release of Liability Forms that should be retained within the Department.
  • Please consult with Risk Management, riskmgmt@sfsu.edu with any questions or concerns related to student/group travel.
  • Cash Advance (if needed) is allowable for international and group travel only and can be set up under the employees Concur request. Please reach out to Concur Administrator for more information.

Step 1:

Login to Concur.

Step 2:

Hover over +New and click Start a Request.

Step 3:

Fill out Request Header information. Select yes to the field that states Are you traveling with students? Select the appropriate Fund and Dept. ID that is funding the travel. Save. (See Concur Travel Request for details). In the comments box, you can indicate the other traveler's names who will be traveling with you.

Step 4:

Continue to add Segments and Expenses (estimates) for the travel and save. Please note: it is department preference to put the amounts and expenses under each traveler's request OR under the traveler who is paying for the travel. Select one or the other, to not duplicate the budgeted expenses.

Please use Expense Types: Team/Group Meals for estimated meal total for all, and Other Accommodation for lodging for group.

Step 5:

Attach any documentation needed under the Attachments box in the upper right-hand corner. If International Travel, completed FTIP (and high hazard form if applicable) is required to be attached prior to submission. If Faculty is traveling the same dates as the student/s, the Faculty can fill out the FTIP and include the student's names and the students can use that FTIP to attach to their request. Otherwise, each traveler will need to complete their own FTIP.

Step 6:

Submit Request. An automated email notification will be sent once the request is approved.

Step 7:

Travel can then be booked for the group or each individual traveling.

Airfare - group booking is not an option via Concur under the Trip Search. Each profiled user will need to book their own flight if using Concur to book their airfare. If wanting to book for a non-profiled user, the employee will need to request access to book for a guest by contacting the Concur Administrator. All flights booked in Concur will be automatically  charged to  the university ghost card and must be expensed post travel.

Step 8:

Once the trip has concluded, the employee (trip leader) needs to complete the Expense Report for the group travel of all expenses they are requesting reimbursement for, including anything paid on a Dept. travel card, or P-Card. Those expenses should be entered using payment type: University Paid.

Expense Types Other Accommodation and Team/Group Meals can be used for group travel lodging and meals. Please attach receipts and# of participants. Meals cannot exceed $55 per person/per day.

Mock Claims need to be completed for each individual part of the group that the trip leader paid for. The mock claims are to be filled out with the traveler information and their expenses and a note indicating that their expenses were paid for by (trip leader's name) and that they will not requesting reimbursement for those expenses. Mock claims must be signed by traveler and approved (via DocuSign) and then uploaded (like a receipt) with the approved requests to the trip leader's expense report.

Any student/non-employee requesting reimbursement, should be done in Concur by a profiled user. They must already have anapproved request in Concur. An email from the student/non-employee must be attached to their expense report stating their expensesand amounts they are to be reimbursed for as this will act as their wet signature.

For assistance or if you have questions, please email: concur@sfsu.edu .

Contact Kate Hamel at khamel@sfsu.edu for the process and funding.

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Access UCORP forms on the UCORP website. Contact Christine Hintermann at hinterma@sfsu.edu for DocuSign, Concur recipient flow as necessary.

Contact the Grant Administrator (GA). Contact Christine Hintermann at hinterma@sfsu.edu for the DocuSign or Concur recipient flow as necessary.

Training Videos

Review of Concur

Concur Demo

Contacts

CHSS

Christine Hintermann, CHSS Travel Coordinator
Email: hinterma@sfsu.edu

Open hours via Zoom or Teams:
Fridays 9-10 a.m. and 2-3 p.m.  

Contact Christine Hintermann for Exceptions for Travel

Concur

Amanda Tobias, Concur Coordinator
Email: concur@sfsu.edu
Phone: (415) 338-2808