Like many other higher education institutions, UC and UCLA are facing significant financial challenges.
In response to UC President Drake’s directive regarding the implementation of cost-saving measures and in anticipation of additional government funding reductions, UCLA is actively working to reduce discretionary spending while still supporting the University’s academic mission. UCLA has been working diligently with campus senior leaders and the UC Office of the President to continue to advocate for legislation, policies, and programs that reflect our values, support our mission, and benefit all members of our community.
As announced in the May 13 memo, we are asking campus leaders to review all non-essential travel and entertainment activities to determine whether they should be canceled or postponed indefinitely in accordance with the following guidelines.
NOTE: All funding sources are subject to these guidelines, including self-supported programs, campus recharges and federal, gift, and endowment funds. Expenses that are not seeking University payment or reimbursement are excluded.
Overview
The travel and entertainment guidelines outlined in the May 13 memo are primarily intended to reduce non-essential travel and entertainment. Faculty, researcher, and student travel for scholarship remain unaffected (review the Pre-Approval Requirements & Exclusions Matrix for additional information and definitions).
Non-essential travel includes, but is not limited to:
- Retreats and team-building trips;
- Select conferences (see FAQs for specifics); and
- Other travel that can be postponed or for which the results can be achieved virtually.
If non-essential travel has already been booked, please consider canceling the trip – travelers will be reimbursed for nonrefundable costs.
Broadly speaking, departments should reduce entertainment expenditures wherever possible.
- Sponsorships: Units should cease providing sponsorship for events hosted by other organizations.
- Employee Meals: In accordance with BUS-79 Expenditures for Business Meetings, Entertainment, and Other Occasions, the University will not pay for or reimburse costs for meals involving only UCLA employees unless the business purpose cannot be accomplished during working hours. For example, two or more UCLA employees having a breakfast, lunch, or dinner meeting will not be reimbursed.
Departmental meals or other expenditures may be allowable but are limited to once per quarter per group.
Review this page’s Pre-Approval Requirements & Exclusions Matrix and FAQs to better understand which activities are permitted, not permitted, and/or require higher level review.
NOTE: Departments may impose stricter guidelines and practices – check with your department to confirm the allowability of a travel and entertainment expense.
Pre-Approval Requirements & Exclusions Matrix
Every unit / department is responsible for the financial solutions needed to weather this difficult time. UCLA leaders should critically consider all travel and entertainment expenses even if there are no pre-approval requirements.
To ensure thoughtful spending, select travel and entertainment expenses require pre-approval from a unit’s / department’s CAO or CFO and, in some cases, Travel Accounting. Use this matrix to identify pre-approval requirements and exclusions.
This matrix is not exhaustive and will continue to be updated. Contact Senior Director / Tax Director Scott Monatlik if you have any questions.
- For the purposes of these guidelines:
- Scholarship refers to activities that support the University’s academic and research mission – the specific application of this definition may differ by unit / department.
- Researcher includes ladder faculty, non-ladder faculty, post-doctoral scholars, as well as student researchers and may be broadly defined to include other classifications if research is the position's primary role.
- Whenever possible, allowable travel should be booked by contacting the UC Travel Center at (310) 206-2639 (option 2), emailing travel@finance.ucla.edu, or using the UCLA Concur Online Booking Tool. Conference hotels should be booked through the conference / conference partner to ensure attendees receive discounted rates.
- UC’s Travel Policy requires using the most economical mode of transportation. If air travel is essential, employees must fly regular economy unless an exception is permitted under UC G-28 Travel Regulations.
- Departments may impose stricter guidelines and practices – check with your department to confirm the allowability of a travel and entertainment expense.
- Reimbursements: CAO / CFO approval should be attached to the Concur expense report and must note that the CAO / CFO has reviewed the expense and deemed it essential.
- Requisitions: CAO / CFO approval should be attached to the BruinBuy Plus requisition and must note that the CAO / CFO has reviewed the expense and deemed it essential.
Complete and email the UCLA Entertainment Worksheet to Senior Director / Tax Director Scott Monatlik (smonatlik@finance.ucla.edu). Pre-approval requests must be submitted prior to making any event commitments.
| Expense | Unit / Department Oversight & Discretion | CAO / CFO Pre-Approval | Travel Accounting Pre-Approval | Not Permitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential travel not listed with a * |
| X |
| |
| Faculty, researcher, or student travel for scholarship* | X |
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| |
| Study abroad programs* | X | |||
| Faculty, researcher, or student travel to conduct necessary research* | X |
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| |
Sponsored research travel* (generally refers to research activities that are specifically outlined in a grant provided by an external agency including a government agency, private company, or foundation) | X |
|
| |
| Faculty, researcher, or student travel to attend a conference for scholarship* | X |
| ||
| Staff conferences (see FAQs for details) |
| X |
| |
| Local conferences that do not require lodging or daily meals and incidentals | X |
|
| |
| Meeting or training participation required by a grant or required to maintain grant funding | X |
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| Employee entertainment activities |
| X |
| |
| Employee morale activities (do not require lodging or airfare; limited to once per quarter) |
| X | X | |
| Employee retreats or team building trips that require lodging and/or airfare |
|
|
| X |
| Commencement activities within BUS-79 policy | X |
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| |
| Student / alumni entertainment activities within BUS-79 limits | X |
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| Student athlete activities (Athletics) | X |
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| Sponsorship for events hosted by other organizations |
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| X |
| Recruiting meals or trips | X |
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| Fundraising trips and activities | X |
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| Mileage in excess of an employee's regular commute (not related to remote work) | X |
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| Activities required under a collective bargaining agreement | X |
FAQs
The following FAQs are designed to answer specific questions; however, every unit / department is responsible for the financial solutions needed to weather this difficult time. UCLA leaders should critically consider all travel and entertainment expenses even if there are no pre-approval requirements.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is this a mandate or request? | The campus has been asked to review travel and entertainment expenditures as indicated in UC President Drake’s message. Ultimately, travelers and hosts of events are responsible for:
|
| Are the travel guidelines intended to apply to faculty, researcher, or student travel? | The travel guidelines outlined in the May 13 memo are primarily intended to reduce non-essential travel. Faculty, researcher*, and student travel for scholarship** remain unaffected. NOTE: Departments may impose stricter guidelines and practices – check with your department to confirm the allowability of a travel and entertainment expense. *“Researcher” includes ladder faculty, non-ladder faculty, post-doctoral scholars, as well as student researchers and may be broadly defined to include other classifications if research is the position’s primary role. **For the purposes of these guidelines, “Scholarship” refers to activities that support the University’s academic and research mission – the specific application of this definition may differ by unit / department. |
| Are all funding sources subject to these guidelines? | Yes, all funding sources are subject to these guidelines, including campus recharges and federal, gift, and endowment funds. Self-supported programs are also subject. |
| When will these guidelines be lifted? | The guidelines will be in place for the foreseeable future. |
| How is “researcher” defined? | “Researcher” includes ladder faculty, non-ladder faculty, post-doctoral scholars, as well as student researchers and may be broadly defined to include other classifications if research is the position’s primary role. If a population outside of this group (e.g., staff) needs to travel to conduct necessary research or attend a conference for necessary training, CAO or CFO pre-approval is required. |
| How is “scholarship” defined? | For the purposes of these guidelines, “Scholarship” refers to activities that support the University’s academic and research mission – the specific application of this definition may differ by unit / department. |
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Can CAOs and CFOs delegate their approval authority to another unit / department representative? | If pre-approval is required, it must come from the unit’s / department’s CAO or CFO. A dean or vice chancellor’s approval is also acceptable. Approval must be in writing. |
| If a department’s CAO or CFO is requesting the expense, where does pre-approval come from? | Pre-approval will need to come from the CAO’s or CFO's supervisor. |
| Does CAO / CFO approval need to be attached to the Concur expense report? What if the CAO / CFO is already part of the expense report workflow? | Yes, CAO / CFO approval should be attached to the Concur expense report and must note that the CAO / CFO has reviewed the expense and deemed it essential. Review the Concur hub for how-to instructions. |
| How do we provide CAO / CFO pre-approval for BruinBuy Plus requisitions? | Attach the CAO / CFO approval to the requisition and ensure it notes that the CAO / CFO has reviewed the expense and deemed it essential. |
| If travel has been approved by the CAO / CFO, is it possible that Travel Accounting will overrule their decision? | If the CAO / CFO approves the expense in writing and it is attached to the Concur expense report, Travel Accounting will not reject the reimbursement unless there are policy violations (e.g., lodging / meal overages, business-class airfare, etc.). |
| How do we obtain Travel Accounting pre-approval for employee team-building events? | Complete and email the UCLA Entertainment Worksheet to Senior Director / Tax Director Scott Monatlik (smonatlik@finance.ucla.edu). Pre-approval requests must be submitted prior to making any event commitments. |
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| If a trip is canceled per the May 13 memo, how are non-refundable fees reimbursed to the traveler? | Submit the non-refundable fees / expenses through Concur. Complete instructions can be found in the Creating a New Expense Report guide. It is imperative that the situation is clearly explained in the expense report. NOTE: The reimbursement should be charged to the department FAU(s) that had originally been planned for the trip expenses. |
| If an event is canceled or postponed per the May 13 memo, how can the department be reimbursed for non-refundable fees? | The May 13 memo states: “If non-essential travel has already been booked, please consider canceling the trip – travelers will be reimbursed for nonrefundable costs.” This note was intended to reimburse travelers or hosts who have paid out of pocket for a flight, airfare, or other items and have been unsuccessful in obtaining a vendor refund. The University will reimburse the traveler or host for these costs. If a cost is nonrefundable, we may not be able to get the funds back from the vendor, but the employee will be reimbursed by the University for any out-of-pocket costs. If canceling an event will cause the University to lose nearly all or the entire cost of the event, canceling may not be the appropriate course of action. This determination is at the discretion of the department’s CAO / CFO. |
| If a conference was booked prior to the May 13 memo and is 100% non-refundable, can the traveler still attend? | Every effort should be made to obtain a refund. If that is unsuccessful, the traveler can still attend the conference. When submitting the Concur expense report, ensure the situation is clearly explained and note that the expense was planned well before the May 13 memo's distribution. |
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How do you determine if a conference is essential vs. non-essential? | The travel and entertainment guidelines are designed to reduce discretionary spend while still supporting the University’s academic mission. Given this,
NOTE: Departments may impose stricter guidelines and practices – check with your department to confirm the allowability of a travel and entertainment expense. *“Researcher” includes ladder faculty, non-ladder faculty, post-doctoral scholars, as well as student researchers and may be broadly defined to include other classifications if research is the position’s primary role. **For the purposes of these guidelines, “Scholarship” refers to activities that support the University’s academic and research mission – the specific application of this definition may differ by unit / department. |
| If a conference was booked prior to the May 13 memo and is 100% non-refundable, can the traveler still attend? | Every effort should be made to obtain a refund. If that is unsuccessful, the traveler can still attend the conference. When submitting the Concur expense report, ensure the situation is clearly explained and note that the expense was planned well before the May 13 memo's distribution. |
| If a staff member is attending a conference with the primary focus to meet donors, does that qualify as a fundraising event? | Yes, if conference attendance is primarily related to fundraising, it is considered a fundraising trip / activity and does not require CAO/ CFO pre-approval. |
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How is the quarterly team-building event limit calculated? Is it per unique group within a department? | Employee team-building events are limited to once per quarter per group. For example, if Department ABC hosts an employee team-building event for staff members in July, they can host another team-building event for faculty that same quarter. |
| If a team-building event was held prior to the May 13 memo, does that still count towards the quarterly limit? | Yes. If a unit already held a meal event this quarter, then no additional meal events should be held until next quarter. NOTE: Departments may impose stricter guidelines and practices – check with your department to confirm the allowability of a travel and entertainment expense. |
| What type of employee team-building activities are allowed to be paid for by the University? | Per BUS-79, meals within per person limits are allowed. In addition to meals, the policy allows the University to pay for sporting, theatrical, or musical events. All meal costs should be within limits. The total cost of meals and other activities should not exceed $100/person. NOTE: Departments may impose stricter guidelines and practices – check with your department to confirm the allowability of a travel and entertainment expense. |
| Are retreats and team-building trips allowed? | Retreats or team-building trips requiring lodging or airfare are not allowable and should be done locally. |
| For allowable meeting meals, is there a preference to leverage UCLA resources (e.g., Faculty Center, ASUCLA, UCLA Catering, Luskin Conference Center)? | Yes, please use UCLA-affiliated entities for meals whenever possible. |
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Are graduation / end-of-year / commencement events subject to these guidelines? | 2025 commencement activities can move forward if within BUS-79 policy. NOTE: Departments may impose stricter guidelines and practices – check with your department to confirm the allowability of a travel and entertainment expense. |
| Do entertainment events for students or alumni require CAO / CFO pre-approval? | Modestly priced meals for students or alumni within BUS-79 meal limits do not require pre-approval but must go through the normal procurement process. Faculty and staff supporting these events can also receive the modestly priced meals. NOTE: Departments may impose stricter guidelines and practices – check with your department to confirm the allowability of a travel and entertainment expense. |
| Are there guidelines on student travel? | Generally, undergraduate and graduate student travel for scholarship* or research may be allowable if approved by the department through its normal approval process. NOTE: Departments may impose stricter guidelines and practices – check with your department to confirm the allowability of a travel and entertainment expense. *For the purposes of these guidelines, “Scholarship” refers to activities that support the University’s academic and research mission – the specific application of this definition may differ by unit / department. |
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Should departments stop co-sponsoring events for other departments and UC campuses? | The May 13 memo’s sponsorship guidelines apply to third-party (non-UC) events; however, entertainment and travel should be scaled back wherever possible. |
| Are programmatic activities that are held monthly / weekly subject to entertainment guidelines? | UC policy BUS-79 limits meals to once per month for the same group of people. The May 13 memo indicates meals should be limited to once per quarter. If each event is for a different group of people, the frequency limit is per group. For example, if Department ABC hosts an employee event for staff members in July, they can also host an event for faculty during that same quarter. See “Is it allowable to take a presenter / guest speaker to dinner after they present their research?” FAQ for additional information. NOTE: Departments may impose stricter guidelines and practices – check with your department to confirm the allowability of a travel and entertainment expense. |
| Is it allowable to take a presenter / guest speaker to dinner after they present their research? | This is allowable if the meal is within BUS-79 policy. CAO / CFO pre-approval is not required. NOTE: Departments may impose stricter guidelines and practices – check with your department to confirm the allowability of a travel and entertainment expense. |
| Do the guidelines include reimbursement for mileage incurred in excess of an employee’s regular commute? Or is this still up to the department’s discretion? | Mileage guidelines are not included in the May 13 memo. Mileage in excess of an employee’s normal commute is still reimbursable at the department’s discretion. Remote worker travel to LA is not reimbursable. |
