Travel and Entertainment

If you are new to handling travel and entertainment for your department, please review information about Travel & Entertainment at UC San Diego as well as the Getting Started page on Blink.

Concur is UC San Diego's online travel and expense management system and is used to process all meeting/entertainment (event) expenses, travel expenses, non-PO employee reimbursements, gift card requests as well as card request and expense reconciliation for both the T&E Card and Procurement Card (PCard). Refer to this Blink page for more information about roles and access in Concur and learn more available training for Concur and other related systems here.

For questions regarding a specific transaction, AABO procedures, or the approval process, submit a Business Office Request. For general travel or entertainment related questions, find articles in the Knowledge Base (KBAs) for Travel or Entertainment or get help by submitting a Services & Support ticket (login required).

Refer to the Procure-to-Pay Decision Matrix to determine the appropriate method(s) of payment for routine purchases.

Approval Routing for EVC Direct Reports

To process travel or entertainment claims for individuals who report directly to the EVC, please refer to this document (PDF) for guidance on approval routing and applicable procedures in Concur (effective July 2020, updated August 2023).

EVC Signature Routing

PLEASE DO NOT SEND SIGNATURE REQUESTS DIRECTLY TO THE EVC.

Authority Approval for University Entertainment (Dept Head) forms

Authority Approval for University Entertainment forms to grant Department Chairs and DBOs the Department Head role, and which require Vice Chancellor signature approval, should be sent to aabo-fiscal@ucsd.edu for review and routing. AVC Marie Carter-Dubois is the EVC’s delegate for such requests; please include her name on the form prior to sending your request.

Travel Policy Exception Requests for Faculty Recruitment Candidates

Faculty recruitment candidate spouse/partner and/or dependent travel exception requests that require Vice Chancellor approval should be addressed to the EVC’s delegate, AVC Marie Carter-Dubois, and emailed to aabo-fiscal@ucsd.edu for review and routing for signature approval.

Exception requests should come from the Department Chair (endorsed by the Assistant Dean or Dean) and should be submitted prior to travel taking place.

Travel exception requests should ideally include the following information:

• Recruitment candidate name, spouse/partner name and planned travel dates (travel spanning longer than 5 days should include a strong justification)
• For recruitment-related travel, indication that it is a final visit (and for what position)
• A cost estimate for travel expenses, or a cost "will not exceed" amount and what is included (airfare, meals, etc.)
• Confirmation that the fund source is allowable for such expenses (expenses generally cannot be charged to federal or state funds)
• Indication that the prospective employee has been advised and understands that these travel expenses are reportable as taxable income
• A brief explanation of how the recruitment candidate and their spouse/partner will spend their time in San Diego, i.e., meeting with faculty/administrators/graduate students, touring lab space/facilities, etc.
• If the dependent is a child, it may be helpful to note their age (particularly if it is an infant) – review the criteria for eligibility for more information
• For requests that include travel expenses for dependent children and/or caregivers, additional justification should be included. For example, traveling parents may have no other options for child care.

It may be helpful to note additional details or acknowledgements (if applicable) – examples:

• The potential employee is a top candidate and/or there are competing employment offers
• A very competitive or challenging recruitment environment
• The importance of a candidate' spouse/partner to be able to jointly evaluate housing options in San Diego and to begin exploring potential employment prospects in securing a successful recruitment
• The importance of including a spouse/partner/dependent in conveying UC San Diego’s family-friendly commitment to recruitment candidates by recognizing that we support our faculty not only academically, but also personally