CVT and Pharmacy Tech Travel process

Purpose/ Applicability: Veterinary and Pharmacy Technicians employed at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital are provided a specified amount of funding each fiscal year to be used for their own professional development/continuing education. This SOP outlines the process technicians should follow to utilize continuing education funds for conference registration, travel, hotels, online courses, etc. and the process for requesting time off for travel.

Scope: Instructions regarding the entire travel process such as, requesting Time off, utilizing Funds for CE, and reimbursement for all Veterinary and Pharmacy Technicians (full and part-time) employed by the VTH. 

Definition(s):

• VTH – Veterinary Teaching Hospital
• CE – Continuing Education
• BSC – Business Service Center
• VMBSB – Vet Med Basic Science Building
• SAC – Small Animal Clinic
• P-Card – University Purchasing Card
• Per diem – An amount of money allotted to you for daily expenditures while traveling for business
• PSC – Patient Services Coordinator
• FOP/ Actv – University accounting code: F (Fund), O (Operation), P (Program)/ Actv (Activity)

Equipment:

• Computer 

Procedure:

Travel Request

• Fill out a travel request at TravelRequest.Navigation (uillinois.edu) 
  o May also access by going to the VTH Intranet College (illinois.edu) page and selecting Travel Request in the Frequently Used Links on the lower left-hand side.
• o This help article may be helpful if you are having issues: https://answers.uillinois.edu/illinois.vetmed/114221
• Select Travel & Reimbursement Forms
• Select Travel Requests
  o Redirects you to a sign-in page
   Enter your NetID and password
• Under Users, select Start a New Request
  o The form has 5 total tabs to be completed
  o At any point the Save button can be used to save a draft. It will not send the request.

Tab 1 – New Trip Info

• Create a Travel Request Title
  o This will likely be the destination or name of the conference.
• Enter Destination
• f there are additional Final Destinations, select the Final Destinations box
  o Fill out the other Final Destinations
• Select box for International Travel if needed
  o International Insurance is required. Follow the links to apply for insurance.
• Ensure your name has input correctly
• Ensure your email has input correctly
• Enter your Supervisor’s Email
• If you report to the Department Head, Dean or Provost, select box accordingly
• Enter your TRAVEL start date
• Enter your TRAVEL end date
• Travel Extension, select the box if your TRAVEL dates and EVENT dates differ
  o You are allowed 1 day before and after the event for travel.
• Enter your Department: Veterinary Teaching Hospital – Vet Techs Enter your Department Head Email: cvmlists-k2-trv-dept-vthtech
  o This will auto-populate when your Department has been selected
• Choose Funding type
• Enter who is in charge in your absence
• Enter the phone number where you may be reached 
• Select yes or no if travel to be purchased by the BSC
• Select box if Sharing Accommodations or Travel Arrangements with others
  o Enter the other traveler’s names
• Once completed you may select Next to continue filling the request out or Saveto come back to it.

Tab 2 – Purpose of Trip

• Select the Purpose of the Trip
  o You may select more than one reason
  o Each purpose will bring up additional required information, fill out accordingly
• Enter a Brief Description of Trip
• Enter the Conference Name
• Enter the Conference start and end dates
• Copy and paste a link to the Conference website
• Copy and paste a link to Event Hotel
• Once completed you may select Next to continue filling the request out or Save to come back to it.

Tab 3 – Justification Statements

• Select employee type: Technician
• Select all Justification Codes that apply
• Utilize the Other Justification area and enter your own justification if you are unable to use a provided justification.
• Once completed you may select Next to continue filling the request out or Saveto come back to it.

Tab 4 – Funding

• Select how the trip will be paid for: 
  o University Funding (FOAPs)
  o Host Funds – paid by the facility hosting the conference/event
  o Personal Funds – employee paid
• If TRAVEL and EVENT dates differed, indicate yes
  o A few steps below you will need to attach a Comparative Travel Expense for the dates that are not included.
• Fill out the Funding Summary
• Enter the FOP and Activity Code associated with your department along with dollar amount to be charged. 
  o If it will be split between different FOPs enter a percentage amount that each FOP should be charged.
  o The FOP is VET TECH 303029-255009-255015 and your service’s 
  Activity Code STFF ____
• Service Activity Codes:
  o 01 SAS
  o 02 Anes
  o 03 EQMS
  o 04 Imaging
  o 05 SAM
  o 06 ER
  o 07 ICU
  o 08 FARMS
  o 09 Pharmacy
  o 10 Derm
  o 11 Onco
  o 12 Cardio
  o 13 Ophtho
  o 14 Dent
  o 15 ZooMed
  o 16 Rehab
  o 17 Prim Care
  o 20 Neuro
  o 21 Shel Med
  o 22 LAC afterhours
  o 23 Linac/Rad tx
  o 24 SA Float Tech
  o 25 UCC
  o 26 IMC
  o 27 Therio
  o 28 VMSC Float Tech
  o 29 Zoo Ambulatory
• Add any special instructions for funds
• Once completed you may select Next to continue filling the request out or Saveto come back to it.

Tab 5 – Approval & Previous Trips

• Enter any additional information that you would like the approver to know regarding the trip.
• Select Save
• Once you’ve selected Save, you will be informed that you have saved a travel request, select ok.
• The submit button should now appear, select Submit.
• The submitted request will be routed to your supervisor and you will receive an email indicating it has been submitted.

Conference Registration

• To have registration paid for, send a ticket to bsc@vetmed.illinois.edu to verify your travel request has been approved and make sure someone is available to pay for the registration by P-Card.
• You will be directed to an open computer in the VTH Business Office where you can go to the conference website and answer any registration questions needed.
  o If the conference offers networking events you would like to attend that include food or drink at an additional cost, these will not be paid at this time. These events will be included as a part of your per diem reimbursement and will need to be paid by you.
  • You may review the per diem information here: Meal Per Diem Reimbursement for Domestic Travel - OBFS (uillinois.edu) 
• Once you get to the billing portion of the registration, BSC staff will enter the payment information
  o You will then email the payment receipt to the individual who used their PCard to pay for the registration and copy bsc@vetmed.illinois.edu

Travel Arrangements

• To have travel arranged, email bsc@vetmed.illinois.edu with the following information
  o You must have your travel request approved before arranging travel
  o For Airfare:
  •  Dates of departure and return
     Dates of conference/meetings
     Times of departure/arrival and return/arrival
     Preferred flight(s)
     The traveler information:
    
    • Title
    • Legal first name
    • Middle name on ID
    • Legal last name 
    • Gender
    • Date of birth
    • Known Traveler number for American Airlines
    • Phone number
    • Email
  • For Lodging:
     The name and address for the hotel you wish to stay at or a link to the hotel website
    • If the hotel is the conference hotel, please provide a link to the conference website
    • If the hotel is not the conference hotel, please select a hotel that follows the approved lodging rates
    • You can view the rates here:Lodging Allowance Rates - OBFS (uillinois.edu)  
    • If you are not able to stay at either the conference hotel or a hotel that fits within the lodging allowance, please provide a justification
      o Ex. No alternative or least cost available
    • The dates of check-in and check-out
    • The number of rooms/beds
    • All guest information 
      • Title
      • Legal first name
      • Legal last name
      • Email
      • Phone number
      • Address
      • Provide the address which appears on your ID

Travel Reimbursement

• You will find the Travel/Expense Reimbursement form at http://vetmed.illinois.edu/intranet/busserv/index.html under the tab “forms”
  o You must submit the form within 7 days of purchase to the College Business Office (room 3234c VMBSB) or as soon as you return
       There is a box in the VTH BCS – SAC240-B you may turn them into
  o Original receipts are required (for everything except per diem meals) and must be attached to the form
        Examples of receipts that may be needed: baggage fees, airport boarding passes, taxi, parking, tolls and lodging
  o Please be sure and include information below where appropriate. This will help speed up the reimbursement process

 What time did you leave and arrive home?
 Why did you arrive early or stay longer?
 How did you get to the airport?
 Report any miles you drove in your car for travel
 Who traveled with you?
 Who did you stay with?
 Was the hotel you stayed at where the conference was held?
 Were any meals provided?