Franklin College Travel Guidelines

Travel policies, rules, and regulations of the University of Georgia are available at the following web address:

Travel at UGA Information

In addition, the following are Franklin College of Arts and Sciences policies on faculty travel:

Travel while teaching:

When classes are in session, faculty should avoid scheduling travel that will cause them to miss assigned classes. Faculty who feel they must travel for legitimate work-related reasons that will result in missed classes should seek the approval of their department heads who will, if they support the request, seek approval from the Dean's Office, observing the deadlines for travel authorization submittal found below. Prior to their departure and with the approval of department heads, faculty who intend to travel must see that their classes are covered by qualified faculty substitutes.

Under "Trip Justification/Business Purpose" on the TA Request Form, faculty should include the name and phone number of another faculty member who will serve as contact person and ensure that classes and other work assignments are covered. Graduate students and staff members should not be listed as contact persons.

Department heads may discuss exceptions to these policies with the appropriate associate dean.

Travel Authorization ahead of Travel:

Out-of-state business travel beginning after 11/15/2024 MUST have a fully approved travel authorization (TA) on file in order to receive reimbursement per Franklin policy. 

In-state travel authorities are suggested but not required. To allow for adequate processing time, employees planning out-of-state, domestic travel should submit TA requests to the College no later than two weeks prior to the intended date of departure. Travel authorization requests for international travel must be submitted to the College no later than four weeks prior to the intended date of departure, as they must be approved by the Office of Global Engagement after passing through our office.

“No Cost” TAs can be submitted for travel when the traveler is not expecting reimbursement from UGA or the funding source is unknown at the time of submission. This guarantees an approved TA is already on file if reimbursement from UGA later becomes necessary. 

The Business Services Center (BSC) processes TAs on behalf of employee travelers. Please visit the Forms & Resources page for the Travel Authorization Request Form and Travel Tips & Tricks. 

Reimbursement Deadline:

Travel reimbursements must be submitted and approved within 60 days of the travel return date. Travel expenditures submitted after this time period will no longer be reimbursed per Franklin Policy. The reason for the change is twofold: (1) IRS regulations require that all reimbursements made after 60 days be treated as taxable income. The new policy will guarantee that travelers are compensated in full for any expenses paid out of pocket. (2) The change will also ensure that the college budget remains balanced between the two categories on which we are required to report. 

The Business Services Center (BSC) formats expense reports for employee reimbursements; to give BSC time to complete your expense report and have it approved before that deadline, please submit receipts from travel within 30 days of return. Visit the Forms & Resources page for Travel Tips & Tricks.  

Exceptions to the travel authorization and reimbursement deadline policies are only allowed in the case of emergency. Emergency exceptions must be approved by the Senior Director for Finance and Administration.