COVID19 Travel Updates

Stay Abreast


April 23, 2020 - Suspension of all international travel; VP-approval of Domestic Travel

Tennessee State University has suspended all international travel and only allows domestic travel on a limited basis in order to minimize exposure to the coronavirus.   Until further notice all future requisitions will require the VP approval prior to processing.

Due to our current travel restrictions, TSU is making the following changes related to travel reimbursements:

Travel Reimbursements

Please complete all outstanding travel reimbursement claims by 4:30 PM on Friday, April 24, 2020, including reimbursement requests for cancelled airline tickets that were not refunded by the respective airline.  Further information on cancelled airline tickets is detailed below:

Cancelled Airline Tickets

Your cancelled airline ticket will fall within one of the following three categories.  Please read through the descriptions to determine which option applies to your individual situation:

  1. Paid on University Card through Concur Portal – individual received travel credit:
    Credits can be used for future University travel.  It will be up to the traveler to cancel the flight, keep track of when the travel credit expires and the amount of credit issued. Credits may be found on the first page of the traveler’s profile under ALERTS.  To use the credit, the traveler must call 1-800-935-3454 and speak to a travel agent.

  2. Personally paid – received travel credit – seeking reimbursement
    If you received a credit, you must use the credit for future business travel. If not able to use for future TSU business, you may use these credits as personal travel as you have accepted this cost as a personal expense.  If you have personally paid for flights for a group and a travel credit was issued and the names on the flight cannot be changed, submit a travel claim accompanied with a screenshot of the cancelled travel that shows the travel credit applied to your account as well as the expiration date of the travel credit. 

    Be aware that this travel credit applied will be treated like a travel advance and will be used toward future University travel.  This travel credit should be tracked by your supervisor and the travel office.  When completing a future travel claim for University travel, this amount will be reduced from future travel reimbursements when travel is re-instituted.

  3. Personally paid – received travel credit – not seeking reimbursement:
    Unlike the situations above, should you choose not to seek reimbursement for cancelled airline tickets, you may use these credits for travel (personal or work) at your discretion.  You have accepted this cost as a personal expense. 

Please remember to call Direct Travel at 1-800-935-3454 to cancel any flights related to conferences that have been cancelled for any reason.

Conference Registration Fees

  1. Registration paid by University check
    If your conference was cancelled due to Covid-19 and the conference is issuing refunds, please notify the Bursar’s Office that a refund is coming with the name of the Conference and departmental contact for crediting purposes.

  2. Registration paid by traveler
    If your conference was cancelled due to Covid-19 and you personally paid for registration you must seek reimbursement from the conference.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Please contact the TSU Travel Office at lgoodman2@tnstate.edu with questions or concerns.