International Professional Travel - Approval Process

For questions related to this policy, please contact Accounts Payable, 909/537-5155

In accordance with ICSUAM 03601.01 “CSU Travel and Business Expense Reimbursement Policy, Employees planning to travel to foreign destinations must request approval from their campus President prior to making any travel arrangements and should contact their campus Risk Management Office for guidance. Travel to countries on the US Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs Current Travel Warning List or those deemed high hazard risk requires approval from the Chancellor’s Office. Effective January 1, 2015, Chancellor White delegated additional authority to campus presidents, or their designee, for approval of foreign travel. To achieve compliance with these directives, individuals wishing to travel internationally must follow the process outlined below:

Approval Process and Guidelines

International travel that is funded by State or Auxiliary funds, requires additional information to be included in the Concur Travel Request and proper authorization is required. The Travel Request should be submitted at least 30-45 days before the trip start date, so that the required international travel insurance can be issued in a timely manner.  Listed below are guidelines when submitting an international travel request in Concur, and the approval workflow, for both Stateside and Auxiliary.

An international travel request should include the following information in addition to the fields on the Concur request header.

• Clearly state the business purpose of your international travel in the “benefit to the university” field or in the comment box.  If there is not sufficient space, please attach the business purpose/benefit to the university to the request.
• If your trip includes students, please attach a list of student travelers to the request.  The list should include the following:
  • The student contact information that includes an email address, a phone number,
  • Additionally, please include the student’s emergency contact name, email and phone number.
• If your trip is high hazard, please attach a document that specifies the safety measures you will be taking when traveling in a high hazard country.  Also, please specify if you will be visiting any tourist locations or if you are planning to attend local events such as concerts, sporting events, etc.
• If your trip includes personal travel, please attach a document that outlines specific dates of the personal travel and the business travel.  Please note: insurance coverage is provided for up to 14 days of personal travel IF the personal travel is included in the itinerary that is submitted on the Concur travel request.
• An estimate of airfare and departure and arrival locations must be included in the request, please attach a detailed itinerary (even if the itinerary may change) that includes any layovers or excursions to the request.  If the itinerary information does change after your request has been submitted and approved, please update the itinerary in the request by attaching the updated version to the approved request.
• For international lodging, please include specific information about where you are staying while in another country.  Provide the name and address for each location in the International Lodging Allowance comment field in the Concur travel request.  Feel free to attach a document with multiple locations if needed.  Simply put in the comment box “please see attachment”.

Stateside Approval Workflow International travel funded by the Stateside, should be approved by the below approvers:

• Travel Approval: Supervisor/Reports To from Absent Management
• Budget Approval: Approver in DACS for that Division or Department
• Exception Approval: The area VP/Dean
• International Trip Approver: Chief of Staff/Provost/Area VP
• Risk Manager Approval: Risk Management Analyst/ Executive Director
• Request Administrator Approval: Accounts Payable

Screenshot From Concur

1. The form pre-populates with your travel approver
2. Enter an * to search OR click the red X if your area does not have a Budget Approver
3. For Academic Affairs, enter the Dean, and for other divisions enter the area VP
4. If your trip is to a high hazard country, please add Julie Lappin, or else add the Provost or area VP
5. The Risk Manager Approval box will pre-populate with the approver name
6. The Request Administrator Approval box is for Accounts Payable approval, and can be left blank

Auxiliary Approval Workflow International Travel funded by Auxiliary, should be approved by the below approvers:

• Supervisor/Project Director Approval: The Project approver from DACS
• Dean or Chair Approval: The area VP or Dean
• International Trip Approver: Julie Lappin/Provost/Area VP
• Risk Manager Approval: Susan Mendoza
• Request Administrator Approval: Accounts Payable

Screenshot from Concur

1. Enter an * and select  the Project Director or Supervisor
2. For Academic Affairs, enter the Dean, and for divisions, enter the area VP
3. If your trip is to a high hazard country, please add Julie Lappin, or else add the Provost or area VP
4. The Risk Manager Approval box will pre-populate with the approver name
5. The Request Administrator Approval box is for Accounts Payable approval, and can be left blank

Foreign Travel Insurance

• The College Dean will submit the approved form to the Assistant Vice President for Human Resources/Risk Management normally thirty (30) days prior to date of travel.
• The cost of foreign travel insurance is to be paid as a cost of business travel and will be billed to the department.

Additional information regarding CSUSB international professional travel requirements is available from the Human Resources Department.