You must first request and attain permission to travel by completing a Travel Authorization via CUNYfirst. Authorization for both out-of-town travel and local travel must be completed and submitted, via CUNYfirst, for approval to the individual’s chairperson/designee and thereafter to the Provost/Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs at least six (6) weeks prior to the date of departure.
You will find the Travel Authorization form in the CUNYfirst Travel and Expense Center. Login to the CUNYfirst Financial Supply Chain and follow this path: Employee Self-Service > Travel and Expense Center > Travel Authorization > Create.
To obtain access to the Financial Supply Chain and Travel and Expense Center, please complete the access request form. Your department chairperson/designee should sign the Managerial Request section on Page 3. After you have completed and signed the form, and your department chairperson/designee has signed the form, bring it to the Office of Accounts Payable, room S712. While you are visiting the Office of Accounts Payable, please be sure to verify your home address, or elect direct deposit.
Learn how to complete a Travel Authorization by viewing the online lesson “Create Travel Authorization” – select “Launch” to begin. This online lesson is a voice guided step-by-step tutorial designed to help you complete your Travel Authorization.
Written instructions are available in the Travel and Expense Reference Guide
PSC CUNY = up to $1,000
Support for First-time Presenters = up to $500.00
Support for Professional Leadership Activities = up to $750.00
Per diem rates for travel are based on the location traveled to. Please visit http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/100120
Per diem rates for meals are based on the location traveled to. Please visit
https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates/mie-breakdown
Note that the first and last day of travel are paid at a lower rate — see link for more details.
The first and last days of travel per diem meal rates are reduced but if the traveler leaves home at 6:00 p.m., he or she can be reimbursed for dinner only.
When the beginning of the trip necessitates leaving home or primary work station before the following hours:
Breakfast: 7:00 am
Lunch: 11:00 am
Dinner: 6:00 pm
When the end of the trip necessitates arrival home or primary work station after the following hours:
Breakfast: 8:00 am
Lunch: 2:00 pm
Dinner: 7:00 pm
Meal allowances are determined by city of lodging. Receipts are not required for tax levy reimbursement
Meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) provided by the conference organizers or that are included in the conference registration fees are not reimbursed.
An appropriate brochure and/or conference announcement should be attached when submitting the Travel Authorization form.
You cannot submit a link or URL in lieu of the conference brochure, but you can create a pdf of the conference webpage.
A copy of the final program must be submitted as a scanned attachment to the Expense Report. The agenda / schedule and presentation page (if required) must be included in the attachment.
The conference hotel, other hotels recommended by conference organizers, AIRBNBs are lodgings that can be reimbursed with the submission of the original overnight lodging receipt.
Payment for overnight lodging is generally allowed for the evening of any day that business is conducted. To limit lodging costs to the greatest degree practicable, it is expected that the employee will arrive on the day the official business starts and will return immediately on the day the official business concludes.
- The completed form for supplemental Leadership Activity Funds must be submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs, with the supporting documentation of the leadership position, for review and approval by the Provost & Senior Vice President.
- Reimbursement, up to $750, for the approved Leadership Activity is processed through the Research Foundation by Ena Jordan, Office of Academic Affairs. All original receipts, boarding passes, and the final conference program must be submitted for reimbursement.
- Funds are limited and are allocated on a first come, first served basis.
The maximum amount for the standard PSC reimbursement is $1000.
The supplemental funds for Leadership Activities are to be used with the standard PSC $1,000 for one trip per academic year.
The PSC allocation of $1,000 is processed through CUNYFirst.
The Leadership Activity allocation, up to $750, is processed through the Research Foundation by the Office of Academic Affairs.
If the travel reimbursement is being funded through a grant, the allocated amount should be noted on the form.
Support for Professional Leadership Activities
In addition to the current $1,000 reimbursement to conference attendees, the college supports up to $750 ($1,750 maximum) for travel to professional meetings and conferences that result from a full-time faculty member’s election and/or appointment to a professional board or committee (national or regional). Full-time faculty members must seek and obtain prior approval from the Provost/Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs.
Please note the following:
- Funds are limited and are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Documentation of professional leadership activities is required for reimbursement.
- Support for First-time Presenters and Support for Professional Leadership Activities cannot be used for the same trip.
- Standard travel regulations and policies must be followed.
Your department chairperson/designee will review your Travel Authorization and approve it, deny it, or send it back to you for revision. After approval by the chairperson/designee, it then goes to the Office of Academic Affairs for review and approval. If the Travel Authorization needs modification it will be sent back to you with instructions in the “comments” field indicating what changes need to be made.
Look for email status updates – you will receive email notices from CUNYfirst advising you that your report has been approved, sent back for revision, or denied.
Login to the CUNYfirst Financial Supply Chain and follow this path to view your Travel Authorization: Employee Self-Service > Travel and Expense Center > Travel Authorization > View. Scroll to the bottom of the form to view the approval path listing your name, the date and time of submission; the name of your chairperson/designee, the date and time they approved it or sent it back to you; and the name of your Office of Academic Affairs approver, and the date and time they approved it or sent it back to you. If you see no action date/time stamp next to the name of your approvers, your Travel Authorization is still pending.
Travel Expense Reports must be submitted within 30 days after the date of completion of travel. Failure to comply will be subject to denial of funding. If travel has taken place in the month of June, the Travel Expense Report must be submitted immediately upon return from the trip, so that it can be charged against the correct fiscal year.
You must complete a Travel Expense Report in CUNYfirst. All expenses must be itemized and original receipts and/or copies of canceled checks must be scanned and attached to the Travel Expense Report (credit card receipts and statements alone are not acceptable); an original conference program must also be scanned and attached to the expense report. Reimbursable expenses, subject to maximum allowances, include transportation costs (rental cars are not covered), meals, lodging, and registration fees for conventions and seminars (individual membership fees are not covered).
You will find the Travel Expense Report form in the CUNYfirst Travel and Expense Center.
Login to the CUNYfirst Financial Supply Chain and follow this path: Employee Self-Service > Travel and Expense Center > Expense Report > Create.
Learn how to complete an Expense Report by viewing the online lesson “Create Expense Report” – select “Launch” to begin. This online lesson is a voice guided step-by-step tutorial designed to help you complete your Expense Report.
Original receipts and conference program should be scanned and attached to the Travel Expense form.
Items to be submitted for reimbursement
- E-ticket receipt (Must show that payment was made with credit card information)
- Regular ticket stubs/receipt (Must contain the $ amount of the ticket)
- Boarding passes
- Original taxi receipts
- Original bus/shuttle receipts
- Hotel receipt (Please note that there is a maximum per diem rate for each city)
- Receipt for conference registration (Individual membership fees are not reimbursed)
- Parking and toll receipts (Parking and tolls are reimbursed if you use your personal car to drive to the conference/seminar)
- Original conference program
Original receipts and conference program must be submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs, room S715D, after completing and submitting the CUNYfirst Travel Expense Report for approval.
Your department chairperson/designee will review your Expense Report and approve it, deny it, or send it back to you for revision. After approval by the chairperson/designee, it then goes to the Office of Academic Affairs for review and approval. If the Expense Report needs modification it will be sent back to you with instructions in the “comments” field indicating what changes need to be made.
Travel Expense Reports must be submitted within 30 days after the date of completion of travel. Failure to comply will be subject to denial of funding. If travel has taken place in the month of June, the Travel Expense Report must be submitted immediately upon return from the trip, so that it can be charged against the correct fiscal year.
Look for email status updates – you will receive email notices from CUNYfirst advising you that your report has been approved, sent back for revision, or denied.
Login to the CUNYfirst Financial Supply Chain and follow this path to view your Expense Report: Employee Self-Service > Travel and Expense Center > Expense Report > View. Scroll to the bottom of the form to view the approval path listing your name, the date and time of submission; the name of your chairperson/designee, the date and time they approved it or sent it back to you; and the name of your Office of Academic Affairs approver, and the date and time they approved it or sent it back to you. If you see no action date/time stamp next to the name of your approvers, your Expense Report is still pending.
24. I forgot to complete a Travel Expense Report after I returned from traveling. What can I do now?
Travel Expense Reports must be submitted within 30 days after the date of completion of travel. Failure to comply will be subject to denial of funding. If travel has taken place in the month of June, the Travel Expense Report must be submitted immediately upon return from the trip, so that it can be charged against the correct fiscal year.
All payments are processed by the City of New York and checks are issued by the Office of the Comptroller’s Department of Finance. Checks are mailed to your home address of record. Your home address of record must be updated in the Accounts Payable Office. If you have elected direct deposit for travel reimbursements, your reimbursement will be deposited to your bank account. Please note that the reimbursement process could take several weeks.
