Faculty & Staff

In the University’s Travel Expense Policy, the traveler may find detailed instructions on what expenses are allowable, what documentation is required, and what exceptions may be considered.

The following is of particular note.

Lodging

The University will reimburse travelers for the cost of their rooms and any applicable taxes and fees when traveling on approved University business. The traveler must submit an original itemized hotel bill. The amount of reimbursement for lodging is either the actual hotel rate per day or the per diem amount (see Per Diem), whichever is less.

When possible, the University’s preferred hotel properties should be utilized.

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Meals

The University reimburses employees for meals during travel on University business. Business meals are reimbursed on an actual basis and should not exceed the thresholds indicated in the Travel Expense Policy. Travelers must submit individual receipts showing the actual cost of each meal.

For information about the use of per diems for meals and incidental expenses, see the Per Diem section.

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Miscellaneous Travel Expenses

In the course of travel, a traveler may incur additional reasonable expenses that are eligible for reimbursement. These include:

• Baggage handling and storage expenses
• Business office expenses (copy services, postage, etc.)
• Business-related phone calls (including cell phone), faxes, Internet connectivity, including those necessary to obtain transportation and hotel reservations
• Up to three personal calls per day of reasonable duration
• Currency conversion, automatic teller machine (ATM), and traveler’s check fees
• Excess baggage fee due to the size or weight of an item being transported at the request of the University
• Reasonable and usual gratuities to porters, bellhops, and other service personnel
• Laundry or cleaning expenses on trips lasting over five days

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Unallowable Travel Expenses

The following miscellaneous expenses are non-reimbursable. University policy considers these expenses to be either personal, unnecessary, or avoidable expenses incurred during travel. As a result, there may be tax consequences to the travelers if reimbursed. These non-reimbursable expenses include:

• Airline or VIP club membership dues or one-day admission fees
• Airphone usage
• Baby-sitting
• Clothing or toiletry items
• Excess baggage costs related to personal property
• Expenses incurred by family members or other non- Mailman School staff
• Expenses related to vacation or personal days taken before, during, or after a business trip
• Helicopter services for local travel/entertainment
• Laundry or cleaning expenses on trips lasting five days or fewer
• Loss or theft of cash advance money or airline tickets
• Loss or theft of personal funds or property
• Lost baggage
• Luggage and briefcases
• Magazines, newspapers, personal reading materials
• Medical expenses while traveling
• Movies
• “No show” charges for hotel or car service
• Personal entertainment
• Personal travel unrelated to project work
• Pet care
• Recreational expenses
• Saunas, massages, spa visits
• Services of barbers and hairdressers
• Shoe shines
• Souvenirs or personal gifts
• Telephone calls in excess of three personal calls each day
• Tourism

If a business reason exists for any of these purchases, a Policy Exception or Adjustment Request must be submitted.

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Prohibited Items

The following items are prohibited; that is, they cannot be charged to the funding agencies, in accordance with U.S. government and Columbia University policies and regulations:

• Alcohol
• Cakes
• Charge card delinquency assessments
• Construction
• Contributions or donations
• Entertainment
• Fines, penalties
• Flowers
• Food or coffee (unless for a valid business meeting)
• Gifts
• Household staff payments
• Laundry
• Lobbying
• Medical expenses for expatriates and non-employees
• Parties (including retirement parties)
• Personal (non-business-related) items
• Personal loans
• Taxes, including VAT
• Travel accident insurance premiums
• Traveler’s checks’ fees

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