Approving Reimbursements

Official entertainment, both standard and special, must be approved by someone who has been delegated that authority. Find information on approval authority and guidelines.

Background: Prior to an event, the host is responsible for providing an estimate and details of planned meal/beverage costs and obtaining approval from someone in the Financial Unit with delegated authority to approve the expenses. If the event will be catered, an Event Request may need to be submitted in Concur. After the event concludes, the person with approval authority must approve the expense report.

Who can approve standard entertainment? Department chairs, unit heads, and department business officers have been delegated the authority to approve standard entertainment consistent with UC San Diego policy. Note: Approval authority is contingent upon completion of the Approval Authority for University Sponsored Standard Entertainment form (PDF); route to the EVC Business Office for signature. Units are responsible for submitting updates or cancellations of approval authority.

Who can approve special entertainment expenses? The Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs has delegated approval authority for special entertainment to Academic Affairs division deans and assistant deans, college provosts, AVCs, and similar unit heads. This further delegation of authority is local policy and has been developed specifically for Academic Affairs. Approval authority is contingent upon obtaining the specific delegation letter. Contact Policy and Records Administration for details.

See the table below for specific people with the authority to approve special entertainment within Academic Affairs. Coordinate updates to this list with the EVC Business Office.

Who can approve entertainment exceptions to policy? These exceptions differ from special entertainment. The UC San Diego travel manager reviews and approves all entertainment exceptions to policy, including:

• A missing receipt or no original receipt for:
  • An expense $75 or more
• The reimbursement request is submitted more than 45 days after the event

Approving your own expenses: If you have entertainment approval authority, you cannot approve your own entertainment expenses or reimbursement.

Approving your supervisor's expenses: If you have entertainment approval authority, you cannot approve the entertainment expenses or reimbursement of a person to whom you report, unless the entertainment is a large group event in which the person to whom you report is participating.

When a department chair, administrative unit head, ORU director, or department business officer hosts or is the primary sponsor of an entertainment event, or receives reimbursement for entertainment expenses, follow this approval process:

Additional review: If you question whether a specific entertainment event is allowable, or otherwise desire a third-party review of entertainment, contact the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor.

The following instructions apply to these SMT titles:

• Assistant Vice Chancellor, IT Services
• Assistant Vice Chancellor, Housing, Dining, and Hospitality Services
• Assistant Vice Chancellor, Human Resources
• Controller and Assistant Vice Chancellor, Business & Financial Services

If you have the delegated authority to approve travel or entertainment, you cannot approve your own expenditures or those of your direct supervisor.

Entertainment

1. Entertainment preparer: Reports meeting and entertainment expenses using Concur (login required).
2. Meeting coordinator/host (if required): Receives email notification and certifies expenses.
3. Departmental approver: Receives email notification, reviews claim, and enters a comment(s), if needed, then approves.
4. Travel: Audits claim and enters comment(s).
5. Travel Director: Receives email notification, reviews claim, provides secondary approval, and enters a comment(s).
6. VCBA: Receives email notification and enters a comment(s) to indicate approval.
7. Travel: Receives email notification and approves.

Example approval workflow

Senior Management Team (SMT) travel and entertainment is first reviewed at the departmental approver's level, then forwarded to the UC San Diego Travel director for review, and finally sent for final approval to the vice chancellor – Business Affairs (VCBA) or controller.

If you have the delegated authority to approve travel or entertainment, you cannot approve your own expenditures or those of your direct supervisor.

Travel 

• Travel preparer: Reports travel expenses using Concur (login required). 
• Traveler: Receives e-mail notification and certifies travel expenses.
• UC San Diego Travel Director: Receives e-mail notification, reviews claim, and updates status or enters a question for the departmental approver.

  Note: By virtue of their titles, chancellor and VC, Concur claims are automatically routed for review by the UC San Diego Travel director on behalf of the controller.

Entertainment

• Entertainment preparer: Reports meeting and entertainment expenses using Concur (login required). 
• Meeting coordinator/host (if required): Receives email notification and certifies expenses.
• Departmental approver: Receives email notification, reviews claim, and enters a comment(s), if needed, then approves.
• Travel: Audits claim and enters comment(s).
• Travel Director: Receives email notification, reviews claim, provides secondary approval, and enters a comment(s).
• Chancellor or VC: Receives email notification and enters a comment(s) to indicate approval.
• Travel: Receives email notification and approves.

• Note: MyApprovals retains the history of review details, including comments, for all MyPayments claims.

Example Approval Workflow

Chancellor and VC travel and entertainment is first reviewed at the departmental approver's level, then forwarded to the UC San Diego Travel director for review, and sent for final approval to the vice chancellor – Business Affairs (VCBA) or controller.

Background: Prior to an event, the host is responsible for providing an estimate and details of planned meal/beverage costs and obtaining approval from someone in the Financial Unit with delegated authority to approve the expenses. If the event will be catered, an Event Request may need to be submitted in Concur. After the event concludes, the person with approval authority must approve the expense report.

Who can approve standard entertainment: Department chairs, unit heads, ORU (Organized Research Unit) directors, and department business officers have been delegated the authority to approve standard entertainment and meeting expenses consistent with UC San Diego policy. Note: Approval authority is contingent upon completion of the Approval Authority for University Sponsored Standard Entertainment form (PDF). Units are responsible for submitting updates or cancellations of approval authority.

Approval for special entertainment expenses: The vice chancellor – Health Sciences has delegated approval authority for expenses to Health Sciences' department chairs. See the table below for specific persons who have been delegated the authority to approve special entertainment. Approval authority is contingent upon obtaining the specific delegation letter. Contact Policy and Records Administration for details.

Approving your own expenses: If you have entertainment approval authority, you cannot approve your own entertainment expenses or reimbursement.

Approving your supervisor's expenses: If you have entertainment approval authority, you cannot approve the entertainment expenses or reimbursement of a person to whom you report, unless the entertainment is a large group event in which the person to whom you report is participating.

Department chair/ director's expenses: Vice chancellor approval is required on each reimbursement request that is made payable to a department chair or ORU director. When a payment request is made payable to a vendor, vice chancellor approval is required when a department chair or ORU director is the host or primary sponsor of the entertainment event.

Additional review: If you question whether a specific entertainment event is allowable, or otherwise desire a third-party review of entertainment, contact the vice chancellor's office.