RTA/VE5 (Request for Travel Authorization)

RTAs/VE5s are required in order for faculty and staff to be reimbursed for travel expenses. They also ensure faculty accountability for missed classes and academic responsibilities. RTAs/VE5s should be processed before travel begins. Once travel is complete and receipts have been turned in, use a Travel Payment Voucher (VP5) in order to reimburse the traveler.

This document encumbers funds.

College Travel Reimbursement Policy

How It Works

Create and Review the RTA: Log on to *DEFINE to create the RTA/VE5 and use the following guidelines. These can also be used by Department Chairs for reviewing documents for approval:
- Date:
  - If the first date of travel has already passed, you need to include a note in the notes section indicating why the RTA is being processed late.
  - If the date of travel is during the first or last week of classes, or during the final exam period and the traveler is faculty, a request (with explanation of how exam will be administered if travel is during finals), needs to be submitted to Dean Richard Flores for approval.
  - If the date of travel is over 60 days late, a request needs to be submitted to Dean Richard Flores for approval. A justification for the lateness needs to be included.
- Destination: Click here for special guidelines for Foreign Travel on State Funds. Foreign travel = any country except US, Mexico, Canada, and US possessions. State accounts = all 20-accounts and some 14-accounts. (Use “CA3” command in *DEFINE to see travel rule 01.)
- Purpose/Benefit of Travel: Under Section 2, you need to provide an explanation for the purpose of travel and the benefit of travel. You add this information by using the moreable. Check to ensure adequate information is provided. Moreable should include title of conference or paper, if applicable, plus names of other attendees in department.
- Disposition of Duties: If the traveler is a faculty member and is missing classes, you need to provide the name of another faculty member who will be responsible for the missed classes. If the traveler is a chair or director, you need to provide the name of a faculty member who will oversee administrative duties in their absence. Some of the smaller programs or centers may say that the traveler “will handle duties via e-mail and cell phone.” This is at the discretion of the Dean’s Office.
- Traveler Type: When you are bringing in prospective hires and paying for their travel, be sure to label these folks as “P” for “prospective employee” (and not “N” for “non-employee”). An incorrect code may delay payment.
Routing: Department chairs have responsibility for approving RTAs/VE5s for faculty and staff travel. Route RTAs/VE5s to the Dean's Office for review only if: the traveler is faculty and the travel occurs the first week of classes or during dead week and finals; the traveler is the department chair or director; and/or the travel is being paid for with an endowment account (in the last two cases the document will route to the Dean’s Office automatically).
Amending the RTA/VE5: If you need to change anything at all on the RTA/VE5 once it has been approved (date, destination, etc.), you must fill out an RTA Amendment/VE6.

Links

Note: PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.

Contact

Jesse Damon, 512-471-9209.

Please direct comments on the Procedures Guide to cola_comments@utlists.utexas.edu.

Tips or FAQs

You will need the RTA/VE5 document ID in order to book travel via the UT travel agency.
When entering the amount for travel, it is appropriate to enter $1 in order not to encumber unnecessary funds.
If you are reimbursing the traveler for additional expenses, and they are not a UT employee, then you should use a RTA/VE5.

Last Modified: 5 August 2009