Impact23

A Traveler (UCR Employee) is a person who incurs expenses while traveling on behalf of UC Riverside. If the Traveler has access to the Concur Travel module, they can book airfare, hotels, and rental cars through Concur using their Corporate T&E card or a personal credit card.  Alternatively, Travelers can place the arrangements on hold, and have their assigned Travel Arranger complete the booking and charging the University directly; an approved travel request ID is required.

Note: If more than one Financial Approver is designated in travel routing, the traveler (or their arranger) can specify the Financial Approver in the trip routing.  

• Can prepare/submit Pre-Trip Travel Request and Expense Reports directly to designated approver
• Can Book Travel in Concur
• Can upload receipts
• Can request Corporate T&E Card and/or PCard (subject to department approval)

Travel Arranger
(Similar to Travel 
Coordinator in EACS/iTravel)

A Travel Arranger serves as a delegate to book travel on behalf of students, designated employees, and the university's guest travelers. Only identified Travel Arrangers may book and charge the university directly for employee and Group Travel through Anthony Travel. 

Note: Trips will not automatically route to designated travel arrangers.  Department leadership will need to establish procedures that best meet their Travelers needs while maintaining appropriate internal controls (e.g. will Travelers be required to use an Arranger, will Travelers be instructed on which Financial Approver to select for routing, etc.)

Travel Arrangers should possess strong knowledge regarding UC Travel and Entertainment policies and procedures.

• Can arrange Travel on behalf of an Employee or Guest Traveler (to book travel on behalf of an Employee or Guest Traveler, Travel Arrangers must also be assigned a "Traveler" role under the department's accountability structure).
• Can request non-employee travelers, can associated non-employee travelers to an Accountability Structure, and can remove non-employee travelers from an Accountability Structure (SAA will be notified of removals to adjust Concur Routing
• Can prepare/submit Pre-Trip Travel Requests
• Can prepare and upload receipt but not submit Expense Reports; all expense reports must be approved by the Traveler
• May be designated as an Arranger for up to 250 Travelers across ALL Accountability Structures

• Review expense reports, receipts, supporting documentation electronically
• Reviews Request and Expense Reports (can reject/but not approve)

Note: Previewers are delegates attached to individual Financial Approvers based on the EACS Concur Routing established, but not individual travelers or Accountability Structures

This role should be assigned to individuals in a management role, have good working knowledge of G-28 and C&G terms and conditions to ensure compliance and allowability as well as department FAUs.

The Financial Approver reviews request and expense reports for appropriateness and compliance with university and unit procedures. The Financial Approver is the final approver for the Traveler’s requests and expense reports, unless the report requires exceptional or executive approval.

• Ensures the expenditure is appropriate, both in general terms and with regard to the specific fund source used
• Review expense reports, receipts, supporting documentation electronically
• Add comment(s) to an expense report  
• Return expense report to Employee for correction and resubmission
• Approves (or rejects) Request and Expense Reports
• Approve or Deny Cash Advance requests
• Can assign “back-up” approver(s) to approve expense reports on their behalf for a specified period

Note: Financial Approver cannot make changes directly to the expense report except for adding comments and/or attaching support documentation.

Supervisor*

*Note: This role is not assigned in EACS but is derived from the UCPath payroll data and utilized in Concur workflow 

Supervisors are the first department-level review for card requests from their direct reports. The Supervisor can endorse a card request to move forward to the Card Approver or reject the request the Corporate T&E or Procurement Card.

• Reviews Card Requests to ensure completion of appropriate training and cardholder application
• Reviews Card Requests (can forward request to approver or reject requests)
• Responsible for ensuring employee only uses card for intended purposes for university business.
• Ensure employee reconciles all transactions timely through the appropriate expense reporting system

The Department Head is the official authorized to approve cardholder requests. Department Head can approve or reject an employee's Travel & Entertainment Card or PCard requests in Concur.

• Reviews Card Requests (can approve/reject card requests) for appropriateness
• Ensures University Cards are only used for official university business
• Confirms appropriateness of default FAU and modifies as necessary. Outstanding transactions will be charged to the department's default chart string, and when necessary, the Business Unit is responsible for performing the collection process.

• Reviews Request and Expense Reports (can forward for approval or reject)

• Reviews Request and Expense Reports (can forward for approval or reject)

Exception Approver

Exception Approvers are required to approve Card Requests in Concur when the Department Head is requesting a Travel & Entertainment Card. Self-approvals are not allowable. Exception Approvers reject or approve travel and entertainment expenses on reports that are exceptions to policy per business rules that have been easily defined in Concur (e.g., early-bird check-in, seat upgrades within the economy class, etc.); other exceptional approvals will need to be obtained off-line and attached to the request.

• Reviews exceptions to policy (can approve/reject expense reports)
• Reviews Card Requests in Concur when the designated Department Head requests a Travel & Entertainment or PCard. Self-approvals are not allowable.

Executive Pre-Approver

Reviews Org Head travel and entertainment expenses in advance of routing to leadership (Chancellor, Provost or their designees).

• Reviews Expense Reports and forwards for approval or rejects

• Approves (or rejects) Expense Reports

Department SAA

Guest Traveler
(Non-Employee Traveler or Vendor)

A guest traveler is a non-employee that incurs travel expenses while on UCR business.  A non-employee traveler is setup in UCR’s Vendor Request System by a designated Travel Arranger. The Travel Arranger must associated the non-employee with an Accountability Structure, and if required, coordinate with the Department SAA to set up specific routing in EACS.

A Guest Traveler does not have access to Concur; the pre-trip request, travel booking, and expense report is coordinated on their behalf by a Travel Arranger.

• Coordinates with Travel Arranger for pre-trip planning
• Provide travel-related receipts
• Verify expense reports (outside of Concur)

Note: An expense report must be downloaded, emailed, and signed (verified) by the Guest Traveler, and then uploaded as supporting documentation for the Financial Approver