State Owned Vehicles

GREAT FALLS COLLEGE owns cars for employees to use for official travel. Employees must acknowledge the MUS Vehicle Policy via Banner Web/MyInfo, found under the MyApps tab. All drivers of college owned vehicles must abide by the Administrative Rules of the state of Montana 2.6.2 State Vehicle Use and Montana Board of Regents Policy 1002.2 Vehicle Policy and Procedures.

Requests to use a campus vehicle should be made through the college’s event coordinator. If a campus vehicle is not available, employees are encouraged to reserve a rental car through Enterprise Rental Cars.  State and rental vehicles are to be used for official business only. When using a college-owned vehicle, a gas card is provided.  When using a rental vehicle, the employee can check out a gas card from business services.

Employees are encouraged to use college-owned or rental vehicles while on college business. 

Personal Vehicles 

Great Falls College employees may use their personal vehicle and receive mileage reimbursement at the approved rate if a campus vehicle is not available, rental cars are not available, or if it meets the needs of the college. Great Falls College employees will not be compensated for driving their own vehicle unless it is used for college business.

The request to drive a personally owned vehicle is done on a travel preapproval in Chrome River regardless of in-state or out-of-state travel. 

Mileage 

The guidelines related to travel reimbursement are authorized by Section 2‐18‐503, MCA and are made in conjunction with the official guidelines of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

When a college driver is authorized to travel by motor vehicle and chooses to use a privately owned motor vehicle even though a college‐owned or rental vehicle is available, the officer or employee may be reimbursed only at the rate of 48.15% of the mileage rate allowed by the United States Internal Revenue Service for the current year.

When a privately owned motor vehicle is used because a College‐owned or rental vehicle is not available or because the use is in the best interest of the College, then a rate equal to the mileage allotment allowed by the United States internal revenue service for the current year must be paid for the first 1,000 miles and 3 cents less per mile for all additional miles traveled within a given calendar month.

Chrome River uses a map function to calculate miles driven. It is the responsibility of the traveler to enter the travel destinations on the Chrome River Travel Expense Report. Reimbursement will be from the work location if travel begins or ends during the travel shift and from the home residence if the travel begins or ends outside the travel shift.

Commercial Airfare--State travel policy requires travelers to use the purchasing card for individual employee airfare purchases, unless another method is documented to be in the best interest of the College. This applies to ticket purchases made through a travel agent, purchased directly from an airline, or purchased from an online travel source

IN LIEU OF AIRFARE, an employee may wish to use other than the most economical and expeditious mode of transportation to complete a travel-oriented work assignment. For example, an employee may prefer to drive a vehicle to a particular destination rather than fly. To drive might require more travel time and cost more than airfare. Justification for the alternative method of travel must be provided to your supervisor or, if travel is grant related, to business services.

When other than the least expensive class service is used, a full explanation of the justifying circumstances MUST be included with the claim.  Travel/trip insurance, baggage fees, and seat selection fees are allowable expenses.

It is the responsibility of the traveler to cancel flights and request refunds.

Employees may join frequent flyer programs and any other frequent travel programs offered by airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, or other travel vendors. However, participation in programs must not influence an employee’s flight selection that would result in failing to utilize the most economically available option. 

If an employee is involuntarily bumped by an airline, any expenses related to that are reimbursable, unless the airline pays those expenses, such as a hotel room, or offers the traveler a free airline ticket or cash.