Travel & Expense Policy

Mu Beta Psi is committed to providing its officers and Brothers with the resources they need to travel and conduct business on behalf of the Fraternity. This policy outlines the procedures for requesting and approving travel expenses, as well as the types of expenses that are eligible for reimbursement.

The following individuals are eligible to travel on behalf of the Fraternity:

• Members of the Fraternity's Board of Trustees
• Officers of the Fraternity
• National committee chairs
• Other members who have been authorized by the National President or Board of Trustees to travel on behalf of the Fraternity

The following expenses are eligible for reimbursement:

• Transportation costs, such as airfare, train fare, bus fare, gas, and tolls
• Accommodation costs, such as hotel rooms, rental cars, and parking
• Meals and incidental expenses
• Fraternal activities such as meals or outings with the Brotherhood
• Registration fees for conferences and workshops
• Other expenses that are directly related to the purpose of the travel

The following expenses are NOT eligible for reimbursement:

• Airline club memberships or upgrades
• Child care, babysitting, house-sitting, or pet-sitting/kennel charges.
• Costs incurred by failure to cancel travel reservations in a timely fashion.
• Clothing, haircuts, personal grooming, laundry, and dry cleaning.
• Personal entertainment expenses, including in-flight movies, headsets, health club facilities, and hotel pay-per-view movies.
• Travel accident insurance premiums or additional travel insurance.
• Additional costs for travel, lodging, meal or other travel expenses for spouses or other travel companions.
• Other expenses not directly related to the Fraternity travel.

Guidelines for reimbursable expenses:

• Individuals seeking reimbursement should incur the lowest reasonable travel expenses and exercise care to avoid impropriety or the appearance of impropriety.
• Travelers are encouraged to book flights at least 6 weeks in advance to avoid premium airfare pricing.
• The Fraternity will only reimburse coach class or economy tickets for flights with flight time totaling less than six consecutive hours excluding layovers.
• The Fraternity encourages travelers renting vehicles to purchase collision damage waiver (CDW) and loss damage waiver (LDW) coverage which will be reimbursed. All other insurance reimbursements will be denied.
• Travelers driving a car may opt to request reimbursement for actual gasoline expenses or the IRS-issued mileage rate for each mile driven (as of 2023, the rate is $0.14 per mile)
• Overnight lodging and per diem meals will only be reimbursed if the authorized travel is 45 miles or more from the traveler’s home.
• Travelers should review reimbursement guidelines before spending personal funds for business travel to determine if such expenses are reimbursable.
• In cases in which personal travel time is added to a Fraternity trip, any cost variance in airfare, car rental or lodging must be clearly identified on the travel request. The Fraternity will not reimburse any personal expenses.

All travel requests must be approved by a designated approver before the travel can take place.

The National President shall approve all officer and national committee travel. The Chair of the Board of Trustees shall approve National President and other Board members’ travel.

The approver will consider the following factors when approving travel requests:

• The purpose of the travel
• The cost of the travel
• The availability of funds
• The impact of the travel on the fraternity's operations

Approvers are required to review expenditures and withhold reimbursement if there is reason to believe that the expenditures are inappropriate or extravagant.

Approvers should review and respond to approval requests within five business days.

In some cases, Mu Beta Psi may issue prepayments before the travel to avoid undue financial burden on those planning in advance.

The following items may be prepaid by the National Office provided they have gone through appropriate approvals and are submitted to the National Treasurer with appropriate documentation:

• Airfare & rail transportation
• Rental vehicles
• Conference Registration fees

Upon receipt of the approval and documentation requesting prepayment, the National Treasurer may pay for these expenditures directly.

Expenses associated with the travel must be reconciled and substantiated within 30 days of the return date. The traveler must repay Mu Beta Psi for any advances in excess of the approved reimbursable expenses.

To request reimbursement for travel expenses, please submit a travel expense report and supporting documentation to the National Treasurer within 30 days of completion of a trip.

The travel expense report should include the following information:

• The purpose of the travel
• The dates of the travel
• The destination of the travel
• The type of transportation used
• The cost of transportation
• The cost of accommodation
• The cost of meals and incidental expenses
• Any other expenses that are eligible for reimbursement
• All itemized receipts and supporting documentation

The National Treasurer will review the travel expense report and approve or deny the request for reimbursement. If the request is approved, the Treasurer will issue a check to the individual who incurred the expenses.

If the requested reimbursement exceeds 20 percent of the total pre-trip estimate, the travel reimbursement form must be signed by the National President or the Chair of the Board of Trustees, respectively.

All individuals who travel on behalf of the fraternity must submit a travel expense report within 30 days of returning from the trip. The travel expense report must include all of the information listed above.

Occasionally it may be necessary for travelers to request exceptions to this travel policy. Requests for exceptions to the policy must be made in writing and approved by the National President and by the Chair of the Board of Trustees.

Any individual who violates this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of their role.

If you have any questions about this policy, contact the National Treasurer or National President. The CFO shall be the final arbiter of all financial disputes.

This policy is owned by the National Executive Committee.

Approved August 9, 2023
Jason Ackerman
National Secretary