How to: Travel Guidelines for MCDB Employees

MCDB Travel Guidelines

Primary contact: Daryl Kohlerschmidt

PDF of this Document
Requesting Approval For International Travel with Concure Request

General Guidelines

Please read through the following when looking to travel. Please reach out with any questions as our travel guidelines are meant so that proper reimbursement can be completed. Failure to follow the guidelines or provide the proper documentation may lead to personal charges and no reimbursements.

  1. Obtain prior approval. All MCDB travel must be processed through a Travel Approval (TA) form. Obtain the TA Form, fill out the trip information including justification, then submit the TA without signatures to Daryl Kohlerschmidt (kohlersc@colorado.edu) for review and routing.
    1. We need to see where you are going, why you are going there, why it is applicable to the funding being used, and sufficient approved budget to cover your expected costs.
    2. Per Diem can be requested in lieu of receipts for food. Per Diem can only be given for meals during business travel that aren’t already included (by the conference, hotel, etc.)
  2. Book travel arrangements in Concur or directly through an agent at Christopherson Business Travel, CU’s designated Travel Agency (cutravel@cbtravel.com or 303-694-3322). All airline tickets must be purchased through Concur or Christopherson to be reimbursable.
    1. All travel that includes vacation or personal time around the business travel, must also have a comparison quote. We need a quote for business travel only, and one with your desired days of travel. Without the comparison documentation you will be on the hook for the airfare cost.
    2. NO UPGRADES. Airfare upgrades are not allowed for any CU travel. That includes fully reimbursable tickets, first class seats, early boarding, etc. Adding an upgrade could cause you to be on the hook for the full cost of the airfare.
  3. Upon return from your trip contact Sinourn Sourn (Sinourn.sourn@colorado.edu) to begin the reimbursement process (See Travel Expense Reports below)
    1. Make sure to keep your receipts for anything you want reimbursed.
    2. Receipts need to show you paid, how much, and when.
    3. Unless otherwise noted, no receipt, no reimbursement.

Additional steps and rules for all International travel:

  1. All university-related international travel must also be approved using the Concur Request module prior to booking the trip to ensure regulatory compliance, export controls, and traveler safety.
  2. If your travel is supported by federal funds, you will need to comply with the Fly America Act. Please also see: /ocg/sponsored-projects-travel/travel-faqs
  3. When traveling to or from another country with laptops, mobile devices, or other technology, please keep in mind that they may be subject to export control regulations.
    NOTE: ALWAYS use Concur or an agent at Christoperson Business Travel. Under no circumstances are you allowed to book international travel on your personal card. Failure to properly document leads to an inability to reimburse charges.

Travel Expense Reports

Your Expense Delegate will create your travel expense report for you. Please do not try to create or submit this yourself. Turn in all your receipts and a completed Travel Reimbursement Request form.

  • Your receipts should be marked as paid in full. Include proof that the expenses for which you are requesting reimbursement were paid by you personally.
  • Explain anything unusual that may have happened.
  • When the report is ready, you will be notified via email. Log on to Concur to review your report.
    If everything looks accurate you can submit your report in Concur. It will automatically be routed to your approver.

Travel Card

Using a Travel Card is not mandatory, but if you wish to apply for one you may contact Jaime Birren (birren@colorado.edu or 303-492-4108) to obtain a Corporate Liability Cardholder Application form. You will need to pass the following online courses in Skillsoft before submitting the application:

  • Travel and Travel Card Training
  • Fiscal Code of Ethics

The travel card should not be used to purchase airfare or meals if you are claiming per diem. Cardholders who will be traveling overseas should notify US Bank to ensure that the card will not be declined.

Car Rental

For business trips all car rentals need to be booked through Concur as of September 1 2023.  You may still use the below information for discounts on personal travel car rentals, but you must rent through Concur for business travel.

The least expensive compact car available MUST be used unless an exception for another class of vehicle has been justified. Exceptions include, but are not limited to, when there are multiple travelers in the same vehicle, to accommodate a medical disability, the amount of equipment and/or materials to be carried will not fit into a smaller vehicle, etc.

For more car rental information please check CCO Travel Expenditures site and the PSC site at https://www.cu.edu/psc/travel/rent-a-car

Phone numbers and CU discount codes are available for the following companies:

  • Avis
    • (800)633-3469
    • A514100
  • Budget
    • (800)218-7992
    • T143828
  • Enterprise
    • (855)266-9289
    • XZ12405
  • National
    • (877)222-9058
    • XZ12405
  • Hertz
    • (800)654-3131
    • 38725

Reserve a car online via Concur, or call the desired agency and indicate you are using the University discount code.

Parking at DIA

Discounts on parking near Denver International Airport are offered to all University of Colorado employees. Vendors provide baggage assistance and shuttle service from their lot to the airport, and operate 24/7/365. Advance reservations are available but not required.

Visit https://www.cu.edu/psc/travel/DIA-parking for more information on where to park, and how to receive the discounts from the vendor of your choice.

Mileage

Allowable miles are those driven in excess of the normal round-trip commute to primary work location– regardless of type of transportation used for normal commute; see Calculating Reimbursable Miles for examples.

Cancelling your Trip

Contact Christopherson Business Travel to cancel. When cancelling try to in this order:

  1. Get the ticket nullified so that no charges occur (can do this if ticket hasn’t officially been issued yet).
  2. Get a full refund on the ticket.
  3. Get a credit that can be used for future travel (credit usage timeframe is dependent on carrier)

Helpful Links:

Sponsored Project Travel

Sponsored Project Travel FAQ

Campus Controller’s Office

Christopherson Business Travel

Denver Office:
8450 East Crescent Parkway, Suite 410
Greenwood Village, CO 80111

Phone: 303-694-3322
Toll Free: 855-462-8885
Fax: 303-741-6329
Agent General Email: cutravel@cbtravel.com

Emergency After-Hours Assistance: 1-800-954-0023 (reference service code VP-JOO)
International After-Hours Assistance: 1-682-233-0916 (reference service code VP-JOO)

CU Travel Manager:
Shannon Miller (shannon.miller@cu.edu)