Expenses

Please note: The university will cover certain expenses for eligible candidates who are traveling out of town/state. Please contact the Recruitment Coordinator for eligibility information.

Travel, Lodging, and Meal Expenses:

Expenses are organized in three categories: Travel, Lodging, and Meals.

Any anticipated recruitment-related expense not covered under these guidelines should be brought to the attention of the Recruitment Coordinator for approval before the expense is incurred.

Travel:

• Air or Train Travel: The department's admin should book airfare for candidates. Please be cognizant of the costs of travel and suggest to candidates travel times that are both time and cost conscious. Although it is appropriate to work with candidates to find routes and airlines that the candidate prefers, the flight that is booked should generally be the most affordable flight that is available. Candidates should travel coach and should not be asked to travel red-eye or very inconvenient routes. Please contact the Recruitment Coordinator if the cost of the ticket exceeds $800.
• Car Travel: Candidates who drive to campus will be reimbursed for mileage at the standard rate. Please keep in mind that even for a candidate who drives from Portland, Oregon, the mileage costs are more than $150--while this may be less than an airline ticket, it's important to note that there is no such thing as a "free" candidate. MapQuest/Google Maps documentation for mileage must be included with the request for mileage reimbursement.

Candidates can be reimbursed for items such as reasonable ground transportation (public transport or shuttle) from their home to the airport and back, a meal in transit (such as at an airport while changing planes), etc. Candidates should minimize extra luggage fees and must provide a receipt in the event that extra luggage fees are incurred. The university does not reimburse for airline seat upgrades, phone calls, or incidentals.

If at all possible, candidates should be picked up and/or dropped off at the airport by a faculty member in order to allow Puget Sound and the department/program to be hospitable and professional. Alternatively, arrangements can be made for the candidate to use shuttle services for ground transportation to and/or from the airport. Procurement Services provides shuttle and reservation information on the Web. The arrangements should be the same for all candidates; if one candidate is using a shuttle service, all candidates should use a shuttle service.

P-cards should be used for reservations where available. If the charges are not prepaid when reservations are made, the university will reimburse the candidate for those charges. Please advise candidates to keep their original receipts and submit them to the hiring department for reimbursement. Taxi, town car service, or rental car reimbursement requires pre-approval by the Recruitment Coordinator and is not a routine practice for staff searches.

All search costs must have a receipt in order to be reimbursed. All receipts for reimbursement by the university's recruitment budget should be submitted no more than 30 days after the final on-campus candidate.

Lodging:

Puget Sound's Trimble Hall has a guest room suitable for candidate lodging at the rate of $50/night, and departments are encouraged to book this space for candidates due to the increasing cost of hotels in Tacoma. To make reservations for use of this facility, email the facilities contact listed on the webpage. Procurement Services provides lodging information on the Web for candidate visits at off-campus sites, which often have a Puget Sound discount. Candidates from out of the area are housed by the university for one or two nights. Departments that believe their candidate must stay overnight more than two nights must receive approval from the Recruitment Coordinator prior to the purchase of the airline ticket.

Be aware of the impact which changing time zones may have on the candidate's energy level and sleeping patterns. The hiring manager or a member of the department or search committee should plan to transport the candidate to and from the hotel or the bed and breakfast. If the candidate expresses a preference to walk to the campus from one of the North End bed and breakfasts, provide them with clear directions to the campus and with a campus map highlighting the location of the first meeting of the day.

Meals:

• Advance arrangements for meals, including dinner reservations, are appropriate when candidates are brought to campus from out of the area or when the campus visit is scheduled for an entire day. Regional and national search candidates may have lunch and one dinner with university representatives.
• Dining: If the Wheelock Diner is operating in a limited capacity, up to three committee members should be invited to lunch off campus, at an average expenditure of $15 per person. Dinner expenses average $40 per person. Up to three other persons should be invited to have dinner with the candidate.
• If meal expenses exceed these guidelines, the overage will be charged to the hiring department's budget.
• If, because of transportation schedules, additional meal periods are included in the candidate's itinerary, only one search committee member should accompany the candidate. (See Candidate Recruiting Meal Guidelines below.)
• Be sensitive to the fact that meals are part of the extended interview process and that many individuals do not drink beer, wine, or liquor. Please ask candidates if they have dietary restrictions. University funds (whether from the recruitment budget or the department) will reimburse no more than one alcoholic beverage per person.
• Spouses and partners are not to be included at meals unless circumstances warrant it, in which case, spouse or partner meal costs are borne by the spouse or partner. These limits are not only to control costs but also to facilitate conversation among the candidate and other meal participants.

The university's recruitment budget covers eligible interview expenses. Once your search begins, the department's admin and hiring manager should request that the recruitment budget be added to their p-card. This way, expenses like airfare, lodging, and transportation that the admin books can be charged directly to recruitment. Requests to be reimbursed for search expenses should be submitted to Human Resources. To facilitate reimbursement, expenses should be consolidated and submitted along with a Reimbursement for Interview Expenses (PDF) form for each person requesting reimbursement. Original receipts, on which the names of meal guests are listed, must be attached.

All receipts for reimbursement by the university's recruitment budget must be submitted no more than 30 days after the final on-campus candidate.