Where do I start? - Procedures for Funding Approval Requests

BEFORE

All funding requests for travel or professional development activities must be pre-approved by your supervisor, unit head, and AUL/Director (and the SDC Committee, if you are an eligible represented employee requesting SDC funding) before you leave on your trip or begin your activity. Professional development activities include workshops, conferences, classes, webinars, memberships, etc.

If you are not requesting direct bill registration/membership/airfare:

Method #1: Approvals completed in Google Drive:

  1. Make a copy of the pre-approval form in Google Drive.
  2. Complete the form.
  3. Under “File” click “Approvals” and add your supervisor, Head, and AUL for approvals. Make sure to click the box “Allow approvers to edit this file”. Add a message requesting approval and click “Send Request.”
  4. Once all approvals have been received it will record the approvals on the pre-approval form.

Method #2: Download and obtain approvals:

  1. Make a copy of the pre-approval form in Google Drive.
  2. Complete the form, download as a pdf, and email the pdf to your supervisor to sign electronically.
  3. Supervisor forwards to the next level approver(s).
  4. Once all approvals are received, it is returned to the employee.
  5. The form with signatures is retained.

Method #3: Pre-approval form is not used:

  1. The employee emails the supervisor, including all relevant information, copies Head and/or AUL with the details and the supervisor responds to the email with their approval.
  2. Supervisor forwards email to the next level approver(s).
  3. Once all approvers have responded, the employee creates and retains a pdf of the email.

Consider these UCB Library Travel pre-paid services to help reduce your out-of-pocket expenses:

If you would like to request direct bill registration, membership, and/or airfare:

  1. Request approval from your supervisor, Head, and/or AUL (and SDC, if applicable) using any of the three pre-approval methods.
  2. Send an email to lbs@berkeley.edu to create a JIRA ticket to request direct bill registration, membership, and/or airfare, using one of the following methods:
    1. Share the link to the Google form with approvals
    2. Attached the downloaded form with signatures
    3. Forward the email with approvals to LBS directly to create the JIRA ticket

If you are not requesting funding from the University, either by direct bill or reimbursement, you are not required to complete this process. Please handle leave requests with your supervisor via email.

Prior to any travel out-of-state or to a foreign country, UC travelers must register for travel insurance to ensure for each business trip.

DURING

During your trip or activity, remember to collect receipts for airfare, rental car expenses, registration, membership, lodging, and any expense of $75 or more. For more details, review LBS's receipt requirements.

AFTER

Please submit your expenses for reimbursement within 30 days of returning from your trip or completing your activity. Review the information below to determine your next steps. If the report is submitted to Campus after 60 days, the reimbursement will be reported as taxable income per IRS regulations.

Here is a step-by-step guide to the Campus Reimbursement System. 

If you have any questions regarding Travel policy or how to submit a request, please email our LBS travel staff at lbs@berkeley.edu. 

If... Then...
You are requesting reimbursement for travel expenses

If you used Method #1:

  1. Create a report in the campus reimbursement system up to the section requiring a COA to be entered. Upload receipts directly in the system using the button on the ‘Submit’ page. Retain the TRV# generated. (LBS will submit the report upon review.)
  2. Share the pre-approval form with the following and change their access from view to edit. Keep the general access to “Restricted”:
    • Heidi Hallett
    • Danielle Truppi
    • Annie Somthida
    • Lynn Tran
  3. Copy the link to the form
  4. Send an email to LBS to create a JIRA ticket with the report ID (TRV#) and the link to the Google pre-approval form. This will notify LBS the report is ready for review.

If you used Method #2:

  1. Create a report in the campus reimbursement system up to the section requiring a COA to be entered. Upload receipts and the pdf of your signed pre-approval form directly in the system. Retain the TRV# generated. (LBS will submit the report upon review.)
  2. Send an email to LBS to create a JIRA ticket with the report ID (TRV#) and your completed pre-approval form with approvals. This will notify LBS the report is ready for review.

If you used Method #3:

  1. Create a report in the campus reimbursement system up to the section requiring a COA to be entered. Upload receipts and the pdf of the approval email directly in the system. Retain the TRV# generated. (LBS will submit the report upon review.)
  2. Send an email to LBS to create a JIRA ticket with the report ID (TRV#) and the pdf of approval emails. This will notify LBS the report is ready for review.
You are requesting reimbursement for recurrent local travel expenses
  1. Create monthly reports in the Campus Reimbursement System, leave the chart string section blank, upload receipts, and save the report. (A Recurrent Local Travel Log is available to you as a tool to document your expenses as they accumulate.)
  2. To request reimbursement, use the appropriate steps above based on your chosen pre-approval method.
You are requesting reimbursement for travel expenses and you have direct billed expenses:

AIRFARE is direct billed

  1. Create a report in the campus reimbursement system up to the section requiring a COA to be entered. Include your airfare and direct bill ID. Upload receipts and flight itinerary directly in the system using the button on the ‘Submit’ page. Retain the TRV# generated. (LBS will submit the report upon review.)
  2. Reply to the original JIRA ticket if registration fees or direct bill was requested, with the report ID (TRV#) and the link to the Google pre-approval form (if Google Approvals was used) to notify LBS the report is ready for review.

REGISTRATION/MEMBERSHIP is direct billed

  1. Create a report in the campus reimbursement system up to the section requiring a COA to be entered. Do not include your direct-billed registration/membership expenses. Upload receipts for reimbursable expenses directly in the system using the button on the ‘Submit’ page. Retain the TRV# generated. (LBS will submit the report upon review.)
  2. Reply to the original JIRA ticket if registration fees or direct bill was requested, with the report ID (TRV#) and the link to the Google pre-approval form (if Google Approvals was used) to notify LBS the report is ready for review.

RENTAL CAR is direct billed

Submit your actual expenses using your Jira ticket. Please create a Google folder for your receipts and include the sharing link in your ticket. An LBS Analyst will process your reimbursable travel expenses in the Campus System.

RENTAL CAR is direct billed during recurrent local travel

If your recurrent local travel includes direct billed Fleet Services/Fuel Card expenses, report your monthly expenses in a Recurrent Local Travel Log provided by LBS and upload this log to your Jira ticket. Please create a Google folder for your receipts and include the sharing link in your ticket. An LBS Analyst will process your reimbursable travel expenses in the Campus System.
You are requesting reimbursement, but your request does not involve travel expenses

If you used Method #1:

  1. Share the pre-approval form with the following and change their access from view to edit. Keep the general access to “Restricted”:
    • Heidi Hallett
    • Danielle Truppi
    • Annie Somthida
    • Lynn Tran
  2. Create a Google folder for your receipts.
  3. Send an email to LBS to create a JIRA ticket with the sharing link to the Google folder and the link to the Google pre-approval form. LBS will prepare a report for your reimbursement.

If you used Method #2:

  1. Create a Google folder for your receipts.
  2. Send an email to LBS to create a JIRA ticket with with the sharing link to the Google folder and the pdf of your signed pre-approval form. LBS will prepare a report for your reimbursement.

If you used Method #3:

  1. Create a Google folder for your receipts.
  2. Send an email to LBS to create a JIRA ticket with the report ID (TRV#) and the pdf of approval emails. LBS will prepare a report for your reimbursement.