Policy Number:   120-6       

Last Updated: 1/27/2020

Policy Title:   Team Travel – Meals & Other Expenditures

Administrative Contact & Phone:   Athletic Business Office:   568-3829 or 568-2367

JMU Contact & Phone:  Jayne Sorel, AP Supervisor of Travel:  568-8019

Websites:  JMU Financial Procedures Manual

POLICY:  Athletics provides team meals for sport program team competition as allowed by NCAA and JMU.  Team meals are pre-approved through the annual budget process.

PURPOSE:  The purpose of this policy is to outline which documents are needed and how to process them to ensure meals and other expenses will be processed appropriately and in a timely manner for team travel.  This policy applies to JMU team travel as well as other University teams coming to Harrisonburg for competition. 

DOCUMENTS:

• Chrome River 
• Per Diem Per GSA.gov
• Meal per Diem Trip Summary (SharePoint)
• FBCF
• Meal Money Form (SharePoint)
• ATV
• Team Travel Advance Request Form (SharePoint)

PROCEDURES:

If meals are provided by a hotel and a contract needs to be in place, the sport program will need to contact Procurement. 

Team travel expenses are reimbursed to travelers through Chrome River.  The Traveler must submit original receipts and trip information to the designated preparer of the Chrome River expense reports.  Chrome River is used for all team travel related reimbursements to employees.

Team Travel Meal Per Diems associated with overnight travel are based upon the allowable daily per diem for the area in which the team lodges. Per diems are calculated based upon the number of individuals traveling and the State-established M&IE. The daily per diem calculation spreadsheet needs to be completed for all team travel to demonstrate that it complies with the State-regulated per diem. Athletics views a team as "being within per diem" so long as the total for all meals purchased/provided are equal to or less than the total daily State-regulated per diem. Amounts in excess of the daily per diem may be reimbursed by the Foundation so long as those meals comply with NCAA regulations.

The department of accounts (Richmond) requires original receipts/invoices. JMU accounts payable will accept electronic invoices with the stipulation that they are emailed directly from the vendor to:  acctspayable@jmu.edu.

1. If requesting a Travel Advance: The Sport Program retrieves a Travel Advance Request Number from SharePoint (ABO/Admin Assistants) and completes the Team Travel Advance Request Form, including a summary showing meal breakdown for the trip within per diem allowances.  The Assistant A.D. for Business & Finance approves the form and the Administrative Assistant scans to acctspayable@jmu.edu.

2.  Meal receipts:

a. Verify meal per diem amounts and hotel per diems against the M&IE Rate Guidelines. See per diem rates.  Budgets are based on Travel Day Per Diems for team travel.  If necessary, you can use up to the 100% M&IE Rate Guidelines for non-travel days, but budgets do not include funding to cover these overages.

b. Alcohol expenses cannot be reimbursed and should not appear on receipts.

c. If a buffet does not include the specific meal and drink items, the expense report must contain a typed note saying “No itemized receipt available – I certify no alcohol was included”.

d. Tape receipts to 8x11 sheets of paper and staple them along with the printed expense report from Chrome River.     

e. Prepare a Food and Beverage Certification Form (FBCF) for all meals. The FBCF can be consolidated to contain all meal vendors per trip. Attach list showing vendor, date of meal, and amount of meal. The FBCF must include a team roster and is should be submitted with the bill for payment or with expense report for reimbursement. For further information, please refer to the JMU Financial Procedures Manual under Expenditures, 4205.314.

f. Check tip calculations on meal receipts. Maximum allowed is 15% on the total meal before taxes. When tip amounts exceed 15%, the additional tipped amount can be reimbursed on a foundation voucher, with proper approval. If the restaurant automatically adds on a tip greater than 15% because of the party size, this is viewed as an exception and can be reimbursed on the expense report.

3. Meal money forms if meal money cash was issued:

a. Meal money forms must be itemized per meal, per day.     

b. Meal money recipients must sign full name and write in the amount received. 

4. Complete a Chrome River expense report.  Further information can be found in the Financial Procedures Manual, section 4215.610.     

a. Detail travel itinerary for each day.     

b. If coaches eat separately from team at away games, fill in the per diem amount allowed.  Then do a “Pay Only” for the actual amount to be reimbursed at the end.  A FBCF is only needed if there are non-JMU employees involved or if it is a team meal.     

c. All expense report approvals are handled electronically through Chrome River.

d. Any receipts or required documentation should be scanned and included with your Chrome River expense report.  These documents may include: Food and Beverage Certification Form, itemized food receipts, signed meal money forms, lodging invoices/prior approval forms, per diem calculation sheets, and more.  If the expense report being prepared is being charged to another employee’s budget, print the expense report and attach original receipts, then send originals on to that employee to be filed with their reconciliation.

5.  Team Travel Meals and Per Diem Calculation Procedures:      

• Budgets are based on Travel Day Per Diem Guideline for team travel.  If necessary, you can use up to the 100% M&IE Rate Guidelines, other than on travel days, but budgets will not cover this for all team travel. 
• If actual meals exceed the State per diem amount, the difference can be reimbursed through the Foundation as long as those meals are within NCAA regulations.

      a. Team stays at JMU during university break.  i. During any time period the campus dining facilities are closed, meal per diem at 75% maximum is recommended. ii. Incidental per diem amount is not allocated for days the team does not travel away from JMU.

      b. Away team-travel while school is in session. Per diem is based on the time of departure and the time of return as to whether you use the travel day rate or the full day rate.  Again Travel Day Per Diems are budgeted, but if necessary, you can use the 100% M&IE, except on travel days.  Athletics has an exception to use the full day per diem rate if competition requires the team to depart early and/or return home late on the day of the event.

      c. Home game “pre-game” team meals

Some programs have pre-game team meals to discuss strategy, game plan, etc. prior to a competition.  The per diem for these meals is determined by the time.  You have to go by the individual meal amount for Harrisonburg. Sometimes the team meal is a “Brunch”, which is served on Saturdays and Sundays.  In this case, breakfast and lunch per diems may be combined.

NOTE: The Coach must eat with the team in order to qualify for the pre-game team meal.  If the coach doesn’t eat with the team, the coach’s meal is not reimbursable under most circumstances.

d. 1-day team travel (no overnight accommodations) Each meal is treated individually for per diem purposes and is based on the location where the meal is purchased.

6.  Other Expenditures:

a. Laundry – when team laundry is necessary while in a travel status and there is no receipt available, a request for an exception to the policy limit may be submitted.  Prepare a brief explanation/statement signed by the traveler incurring the expense.  Laundry expense must be deemed reasonable and necessary. (Granted by AP 3/30/2010).

b. Entry Fees – frequently, sports need to pay entry fees upon arrival at competitions. Original receipts need to be submitted with Chrome River expense report.

Meal Money – Semester Breaks

During semester breaks (i.e. Thanksgiving, Winter Break, Spring Break, May Session) while the University and or meal facilities are closed, Sport Programs may choose to allocate meal money to student-athletes who must remain on campus or in Harrisonburg due to competition schedule. The Travel Advance Request Policy may be utilized to cover meal money in these situations.

Sport program will calculate the amount of meal money that is necessary, broken down by the specific days and/or specific meals.  Proposed allocation of meal money must meet University and NCAA requirements.