Sociology | College of Liberal Arts
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Travel

The Sociology Department works with Liberal Arts Centralized Business Services Group 1 (CBS 1). All forms and up-to-date information can be found on the CBS website.

When using DocuSign PowerForms, be sure to use your EID email address so you can find your form later, e.g., abc123@eid.utexas.edu. Completed and signed Purchasing Exception Request forms, Travel Reimbursement Exception Request forms and late TAR memos should be forwarded to CBS for processing.

For the latest travel updates, see the University travel guidelines and COLA travel policies.

Travel Authorization Requests

An electronic Travel Authorization Request (TAR) must be submitted by traveler at least two weeks prior to travel. This includes business travel and personal travel during business. All faculty travel require prior Chair approval, as part of the TAR routing (that is, TARs will route to the Chair). Full faculty travel policies are here.

To request a travel authorization, please complete the University's TAR form. In recognition of this policy, if authorization has not been requested prior to travel, traveler will be asked to complete a signed memo acknowledging that s/he did not previously know that a TAR was necessary and submit this with any reimbursement request. One exception will be allowed per traveler in perpetuum.

  • The application process requires an EID.
  • TARs are required for all travel-related absences from campus for periods of half a day or more during the normal working period, whether or not there is a cost to the University.
  • Faculty who will miss a class must specify on the form the name of the faculty who will be handling their classes while they are away, as well as the days and times of the classes. TA/AI/GRAs are not authorized to cover classes. For trips beyond one week while teaching, in addition to Chair approval, faculty must seek, by way of the Chair, approval from the COLA Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
  • For travel during the first and last week of classes and finals periods, prior approval from the Chair is also required. The Chair must review travel dates, missed classes, name of faculty member who will oversee missed classes, final exam dates, how exams will be administered, a plan for on-time grade submission, and a method of contact for student queries. (Chair travel during these periods requires prior COLA Dean approval.)
  • Staff will ensure that approvals are stated in the TAR document Request Notes section, and preferably uploaded and attached directly to the TAR as PDFs.
  • Completing the form:
    • Click "Create" next to Travel Authorization Request.
    • Complete at least all required (*) fields. If a UT Account will be used, enter this information. Check with staff if you do not know your account number. If funded by or expecting funding by a Faculty Travel Grant, please 1) indicate either "Faculty Travel Grant (awarded)" or "Faculty Travel Grant (expected)" here, 2) list a back-up account to use (required), and 3) either attach the FTG award letter as a PDF (at the top of the form) or email it to CBS 1 (cbs1@austin.utexas.edu), cc'ing Sociology travel staff, referencing the TAR Request ID, as soon as you receive the letter. CBS will then add the FTG account number. Faculty must apply for Faculty Travel Grants separately. See Faculty Travel Grants section below. Please leave the "Need assistance" box unchecked.
    • At this point users may choose to save their progress and route the form at a later date by clicking "Save for Later," or if they are sure all information is accurate they may route the form by clicking "Continue." (Do NOT click "Save and Finalize.")
    • On the next page next to "Assign to," choose or enter "Sociology Travel (00018)" directly. Alternatively, choose "Group" and enter "Sociology Travel (00018)" immediately below. Provide any further information you wish to provide In the Assignment Note section.
    • Finally, click "Assign." This finishes the request and routes it to Sociology staff, Chair, and then CBS for processing. Users will receive an RTA/TAR number once processing is complete. An RTA/TAR number is necessary for booking business-related air travel.

A TAR is not required if the person is:

  • Traveling for personal reasons while they are on leave.
  • Traveling for personal reasons if travel occurs during the summer and they are not teaching.
  • Traveling during the fall or spring sessions for personal or business purposes, but travel only takes place on the weekend or after the final exam period or during the intersession.

If the faculty member is teaching, but traveling for personal reasons during the days/times they teach, again, a TAR is required by COLA. Please remember to include the name of the faculty member who will teach the classes or supervise the TA, as well as the days and times the classes are in session. The University does not require TARs for personal travel, but COLA requires them if classes are in session or impacted to any extent. Finally, if traveler expects to conduct research while on personal travel, the specific work dates should also be indicated in the notes of the TAR.

For further information, consult the Travel Policies in the Handbook of Business Procedures.

International Travel and Travel to Restricted Regions

In addition to all travel policies and procedures, all employees are required by the UT System International Travel Policy (UTS 190) to register their university-related international travel (for research, teaching, conferences, meetings, lectures, etc), regardless of destination, in the International Travel Registry (ITR), in order for the trip to be registered with On Call International.

Travelers cannot be reimbursed for travel to a Restricted Region unless they have received advance approval from COLA, as well as the International Oversight Committee (IOC) in the Texas Global office, for such travel. Procedures for COLA approval can be found here. IOC policy and procedural information related to Travel to Restricted Regions is available on the Texas Global website: global.utexas.edu/risk.

  • Requests for Travel to Restricted Regions must be completed and approved in advance of the begin date of travel (see the Texas Global website for specific deadlines). This policy applies to all Restricted Regions travel, regardless of funding. The only exception is travel that is 100% personal vacation. It is suggested travelers submit requests at least five weeks in advance.
  • Again, Chair and, if applicable, other approvals for travel must have been obtained beforehand, and be noted in appropriate fields in the Restricted Regions request. If a faculty is on leave during travel, this must also be noted in Traveler's Additional Comments on the request.
  • In compliance with IOC policy, COLA cannot accept late requests for travel to Restricted Regions. Corresponding requests for travel reimbursements will not be accepted.
  • State (14- and 20-) accounts cannot be used for foreign travel, unless faculty seeks, justifies and receives prior approval for an exception through a Foreign Travel on State Fund request form. Again, please see full faculty travel policies for details and link. A TAR should be submitted first.
  • Travel to Canada, Mexico and US possessions is considered domestic and out of state.

Faculty Travel Grants

Faculty may request travel funds through the University's Faculty Travel Grant application program.

  • A TAR form must also be completed. See Travel Authorization Request section above.
  • The FTG application must be submitted at least two weeks prior to travel.
  • See both UT FTG website and COLA FTG website for policy, procedure and process.
  • The purpose of the travel grant is to support presentation of the applicant's original research or creative effort. Attending a meeting or chairing a session does not qualify, nor does accepting an invitation to present a seminar or giving a colloquium at another university.
  • Before beginning the application, be sure to gather the following:
    • An abstract (not exceeding one page in length) of the paper or presentation to be given;
    • Either a copy of the meeting program showing applicant's name, paper, or presentation topic, and date or a letter from the meeting organizer accepting the paper or presentation and confirming their part in the program.
  • FTGs cannot be used for direct bill for flights or hotel.
  • Reimbursements on FTGs should be submitted within 30 days.
  • Emeriti faculty are ineligible for FTGs.

Travel Arrangements

Airlines Reservations

  • A Travel Authorization Request (TAR) must be completed prior to booking.
  • Faculty, staff and students may use any online travel reservation system for travel arrangements in addition to the University's online tool, Concur. If using an online reservation tool other than Concur, the purchase receipt and form submitted for reimbursement (see Travel Reimbursements section below) must include the traveler's statement: "Online selection is best value as consistent with institutional priorities."
  • Agent-assisted reservations should continue to be made through the University's contracted travel agencies, Anthony Travel or Corporate Travel Planners. An RTA/TAR number is still necessary for booking business-related air travel through Concur, Anthony Travel, or Corporate Travel Planners. If using Concur, travelers must register for an account and confirm the registration within 24 hours (remember to save the password).
  • Exceptions to the agent-assisted reservation rule include: study abroad, group travel reservations, students who receive a travel scholarship award, and travelers mixing business with personal trip where included personal destination is a different city from the business destination (must include a copy of a cost comparison for the business round-trip airfare in reimbursement request - see Travel Management guidelines).
  • State of Texas contract airfares remain available only through Concur or one of the contract travel agencies.
  • Please refer to the University's Travel Management website and guidelines for more details.

Car Rentals

  • All business-related car rentals must be reserved through any of five contracted companies: Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz or National.
  • Travelers may book rentals through one of the travel agencies and, for a fee, through the online booking tool. No reservation fee will be assessed when booking directly with their chosen rental car company.
  • Exceptions: None of the vendors noted above are able to provide the vehicle type necessary at the location and date required, or traveler obtained a rental rate lower than that offered by any of the five contracted vendors, including collision and liability coverage.

Travel Reimbursements

To process travel reimbursements, traveler must complete the COLA Travel Reimbursement Request form and email it along with receipts to cbs1@austin.utexas.edu. Alternatively, they may submit the form and receipts directly online and assign to "CBS Group 1 (00001)." These items will be processed by CBS.

  • Travel reimbursement requests must be submitted no later than 45 days (30 days on FTGs) after the last approved travel date. An approved TAR prior to travel must be on file. Again, in recognition of this policy, if authorization has not been requested prior to travel, traveler will be asked to complete a signed memo acknowledging that s/he did not previously know that a TAR was necessary and submit this with any reimbursement request. One exception will be allowed per traveler in perpetuum.
  • Personal travel cannot be reimbursed. If traveler expects to conduct research while on personal travel, the specific work dates have to be indicated in the notes of the TAR.
  • The travel itinerary must be included with the request.
  • A list of items for which receipts are required is available here.
  • All University employees are EXEMPT from Texas State hotel occupancy taxes when traveling for University business. The University cannot reimburse any Texas State occupancy taxes unless the hotel refuses to honor the exemption certificate.
  • More information about reimbursement limits can be found here. For instance, if traveling overnight in Texas on local (ie, non-state) funds, the combined actual lodging and meal expenses cannot exceed $260 ($51 for meals) per day. Meals are normally paid by meal allowance (per diem), which is $51 on local funds. Meal receipts are not required to receive meal allowance.
  • State (14- and 20-) accounts cannot be used for foreign travel, unless faculty seeks, justifies and receives prior approval for an exception through a Foreign Travel on State Fund request form. Again, please see full faculty travel policies for details and link. A TAR should be submitted first.
  • The University cannot reimburse a split bill (such as hotel) that does not have the UT Austin payee's name, and will not accept private invoices for split bills - it is up to individual travelers to reconcile any private agreement.

Expenses that can be reimbursed include, but are not limited to:

  • Airfare - original receipt clearly showing that payment was made. (If using an online reservation tool other than Concur, the purchase receipt and form submitted for reimbursement must include the traveler's statement: "Online selection is best value as consistent with institutional priorities.")
  • Lodging - original hotel bills are required showing itemized room rate and taxes, and showing a zero balance. Non-commercial lodging cannot be reimbursed without prior authorization.
  • Meals - at current per diem. If traveler will be out of town for more than 30 days and wishes to be paid for a meal allowance beyond the 30 days, approval is needed from the department.
  • Registration fees
  • Parking fees
  • Cab/Bus/Train fares - receipts are not required, but recommended, if travel within the city, receipts are required for travel between cities.
  • University business telephone calls and internet service - reimbursed via the hotel bill.
  • Hotel occupancy taxes - reimbursed via the hotel bill.
  • Gasoline for personal car - if not claiming mileage reimbursement.
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