G-31-8.6.1 Reimbursement

Reimbursement for approved travel is listed below. Because these rates are periodically adjusted, employees may receive up-to-date information on personal car mileage and meal allowances from the Office of Fiscal Services.

1. Reimbursement for Personal Car Mileage
   
   Individuals will be reimbursed for personal car mileage for destinations both within and outside the State at the established mileage rates. The Board of Directors will be notified of the mileage rates annually.
2. In-town Mileage
   
   

   Institutional policy does not, as a general rule, provide for the payment of mileage for travel within the City where the campus is located.

   Occasionally, the unique nature of an individual's assignment will require a substantial amount of in-town travel. When an assigned project of this kind is anticipated, the individual involved, and his/her immediate supervisor, shall determine the dollar amount that will be reimbursed. The agreement shall be submitted in writing to the responsible Vice President/Dean for approval. All such reimbursement shall be within budgeted travel funds.

3. Reimbursement for Meals
   
   Reimbursement for the cost of employee meals shall be at the per-diem rates established by the Board of Directors. If attendance at a conference requires meals that exceed the approved per-diem rates, the meals shall be itemized and a written explanation of the cost over per-diem rates shall be included with the reimbursement request. When meals for groups of College employees meeting on College business are claimed or charged to the College, the expense must be approved in writing by the appropriate Vice President/Dean. The Chief Human Resources Officer may approve reimbursement requests for candidate interviews.
   
   Whenever reimbursement is requested for meals for other than the claimant, names of the individuals shall be listed and a brief explanation provided.
   
   If an employee is required, by nature of his/her duties to host an off-campus guest in Bend, or other assigned locale, and partakes of that meal, which may exceed the approved per-diem, the request for reimbursement shall include such an explanation and require approval of the appropriate Vice President/Dean.
4. Reimbursement for Lodging
   
   Reimbursement will be for the actual amount. These charges shall be supported by a detailed receipt. College employees planning to utilize motel/hotel accommodations will attempt to find reasonably priced lodging. If no receipt is presented, or if employee stays with their family or friend, for a valid overnight stay, reimbursement will be made at a rate of $25 per night.
5. Reimbursement for Family Member(s)
   
   The College does not pay meals, lodging, or other costs for family member(s) who may accompany the employee or Board member. In instances when family members share a room, the employee/Board member shall obtain the cost of a single accommodation and request reimbursement for only that amount.
   
   College employees and Board members, on occasion, must represent the College at locations removed from the Central Oregon area. Spouses of College employees/Board members, and children over the age of fifteen years, are allowed to travel in College vehicles at no cost for transportation on such necessary trips so long as neither COCC students nor other COCC employees are forced to seek alternate forms of transportation because of the participation of a spouse or a child.
6. Reimbursement of Other Expenses
   
   Many unforeseen expenses may arise during approved College travel, i.e., convention registration fee, airport shuttles, repairs to College owned vehicles, etc. Reimbursement for such items must be supported with a receipt.
7. Travel Advances
   
   It is recognized that some trips might impose an economic hardship on the individual, thus a minimum travel advance of $100 may be obtained up to a maximum of two weeks in advance of the approved trip. Payment of those expenses necessary prior to that time period (airplane, conference registration, etc.) can be processed through Fiscal Services or reimbursed with a receipt. In addition, travel advances are construed as a loan to the employee until a final accounting of the trip is achieved, within ten days after the end of the trip. Travel advances not accounted for in a timely manner will be considered a payroll draw and deducted from the next scheduled payroll. In addition, if the final accounting of said advance is not achieved, no new travel advance will be issued; i.e., no employee will be permitted to have more than one travel advance outstanding at one time.
8. Approval of Travel Expenses
   
   All travel and entertainment expenses shall be approved by the employee's immediate cost center supervisor. Out of state travel requires prior written approval from the appropriate Vice President/Dean if the expected cost of travel is $1,500.00 or greater. The President of Central Oregon Community College will submit travel and entertainment expense reports to the Chief Financial Officer for review.
9. Transportation in College-Owned Vehicles
   
   Central Oregon Community College attempts to provide College-owned vehicles to transport staff on general College business and to provide transportation for staff and students on instructional field trips. The purpose of this effort has been to provide reliable, safe, transportation.
   
   College vehicles are not to be used for personal use except that use which is incidental to the purpose of the trip. The College is to be reimbursed at the current mileage rate by the employee for such incidental use.
   1. All College-sponsored trips involving students should include provision for staff to accompany the group unless a College certified student driver is available and the trip, or trips, has the approval of the appropriate Vice President/Dean.
   2. Any drivers for such groups must be approved in advance by the Director of Campus Services. This approval will include checking the proposed driver's record with the Department of Motor Vehicles.
   3. The vans owned by the College have been purchased for the purpose of transporting numbers of people. It is not an economical use of vans to use them for fewer than six persons.
   4. College vehicles should always be operated in a safe manner on roads designed and maintained for two-wheel drive, passenger vehicles.
   5. It is the policy of the College that safety belts will be utilized whenever the vehicle is moving.
   6. In case of an accident involving damage to either a College owned vehicle or property of a third party, the driver, or the College staff member accompanying on the trip, is responsible for gathering data to make an accurate report of the accident. Such reports should be made to the appropriate police agency and to the College's Director of Campus Services immediately upon return. If the College vehicle is safely drivable, it may be driven back to the College. If it is not, the driver should contact the Director of Campus Services for instructions. If this is impossible, the driver should take such action as necessary to safeguard College property (arrange to have the disabled vehicle towed to a safe storage area, etc.), and to secure adequate and safe transportation for COCC passengers.
   7. In general, the judgment of a staff or certified driver will be respected when he/she has taken prudent action in handling unusual or emergency situations, keeping in mind the safety of the passengers in the vehicle, original objectives of the trip, and the necessity to minimize the financial and legal liability of the College.
   8. Smoking is not permitted in any College-owned vehicles.
   9. Upon return, all trash should be removed from College vehicles. If not removed, a service charge will be assessed the Department
10. Frequent Flyer Mileage and Credit Card Reward Programs
    
    All COCC employees traveling on College business are required to use routes, schedules and airlines that provide the lowest rates and most efficient travel. Because the cost of record-keeping outweighs any monetary benefit, COCC will not recapture airline bonuses or other credit card reward programs awarded to employees who use personal credit cards for conducting College business. Such frequent flyer mileage plans and other reward programs are deemed de minimus and may be used by employees as they choose unless the terms of a grant or contract require otherwise.