Beginning mid-September 2014, you will be able to use the online Travel and Expense Reimbursement system to submit for reimbursement of non-travel related expenses. This will result in a number of new options in the system, though without making any changes to the interface, how to submit a claim remains much the same!
What does this mean for the paper forms?
As a result of this initiative, Financial Services will be eliminating the paper Professional Expense Reimbursement (PER) form and the use of the cheque requisition form for reimbursement purposes. The last dates for use of these forms are as follows:
Professional Expense Reimbursement Form: Sept.30
Cheque Requisition (for reimbursement): Dec. 24
So, what’s new?
New Report Options
There will be two new report options:
Professional Expense: This option is for faculty members who need to submit a non-travel related claim against their Professional Expense Reimbursement fund (PER). Examples of claims may include membership fees, office equipment, internet costs, etc. Previous submissions of PER claims were done using the paper PER Form which was then submitted to the Dean’s office once annually for review and approval prior to payment. With the new system, eligible claims can be submitted at any time or frequency during the year, and will route straight to Financial Services for approval and payment. Please note, however, that selecting this option does not automatically populate your PER FOAPAL into the funding section of the report and it will be up to you to ensure you make the appropriate changes. If any other FOAPAL type is used within the claim, or if you also include travel related costs, the routing of the request will be altered to follow University guidelines.
Other (non-travel): This option can be used by any individual to submit a non-travel related expense claim. The steps to create the request and the approval path is the same as a travel claim (i.e. Business Office, Supervisor, Signing Authority); however, you will not be required to enter itinerary information.
Note: You may blend expenses types in a report, for example travel related expenses on a PER claim. If you do so, the system will automatically change the approval path in accordance with University policy.
New Expense Types
There are several new expense types to accommodate non-travel related expense items. Each expense type will use its associated default account when posting the general ledger. If you do not want the item to post to the default account, you will need to change it in the Funding link of the expense item. Watch the video “Changing a FOAPAL” to understand the ins and outs of changing the default FOAPALs.
Document Attachments
You will now be able to attach a PDF, TIFF or GIFF of your receipts. This is an optional feature, and the original documentation must still be submitted to the Business Office after submitting your request. You should discuss the use of this feature with your supervisor or signing authority as attaching the receipts will provide them with additional information.
Need Help?
If you have any questions about the changes, please contact financial_systems@carleton.ca. The updated Travel and Expense Users Guide will be available by September 15th. Refresher courses will be offered in November.