05.192 Conferences, Training Sessions, Retreats, & Informal Guests Of The Chancellor

 Vice Chancellor of Business Affairs

 Effective July 1, 2024

Internal Revenue Code, Office of State Budget & Management Budget Manual

• Internal Revenue Code
• 05.001 Discretionary Trust Funds Spending Policy
• 05.107 Business-Related Entertainment Expenditures

 Controller

Policy Details:

1. Purpose

   To provide guidelines that comply with the Office of State Budget and Management’s State Budget Manual for hosting a conference, training session, management retreats, and informal meetings with guests of the Chancellor or their designee.

2. Scope

   This policy applies to all university departments and employees and defines the type of business expenditure, approval and documentation requirements, and the allowable funding sources for this type of expenditure.

3. Definitions

   External Conferences – Involves primarily the attendance of individuals from outside the university in addition to University employees.

   Internal Conferences – Involves the attendance of individuals from inside the university (employees and students) only. A routine staff meeting is not an internal conference.

   Training Session – Involves the dissemination of information to further develop an employee’s knowledge, skill, and ability to perform the duties of their current job. This type of training generally is of a short duration and is not part of a curriculum that would lead to an educational degree.

   Management Retreats – Involves a meeting or a series of meetings consisting of the Chancellor, a vice chancellor, or dean and their top assistants and coworkers. Retreats may be held off campus, but on campus facilities are highly encouraged. If the retreat location is greater than 35 miles from UNCW main campus, refer to University Policy 05.191 University Business Travel for eligible travel related expenses. Retreats are held no more frequently than once per year.

   Informal Meetings with Guests of the Chancellor – Involves the Chancellor, or their designee, and non-state employees where official state business is discussed for the majority of the meeting. Informal meetings are one-time occurrences and are not held on a recurring or routine basis.

4. Policy

   1. External Conferences

      Payments for external conferences sponsored or co-sponsored by UNCW utilizing trust funds are authorized when they meet all the limitations and requirements listed below:

      1. The conference is planned in detail in advance, with a formal agenda or curriculum.
      2. There is a conference webpage announcement and/or written invitation to participants which sets forth the calendar of events, the social activities, if any, and the detailed schedule of costs.
      3. No payment for meals is allowable unless overnight travel criteria are met. 
      4. The assembly are held in state facilities; however, non-state facilities can be rented, and the cost charged to UNCW without allocation to participants' daily subsistence allowances. 
      5. UNCW may charge registration fees to participants for the costs of external conferences. 

      Lump-sum payments to a conference center or organization may be made for UNCW-sponsored conferences when funding for all participants is budgeted. 

      It is the responsibility of the participants to ensure that reimbursement for meals included in the lump-sum payment is not also included in per diem reimbursement payments made to university employees who are conference participants.

   2. Internal Conferences

      Payments for internal conferences sponsored or co-sponsored by UNCW utilizing trust funds are authorized when they meet all the limitations and requirements listed below:

      1. The conference is planned in detail in advance, with a formal agenda or curriculum.
      2. There is a conference webpage announcement and/or written invitation to participants, setting forth the calendar of events and the detailed schedule of costs.
      3. No payment for meals is allowable unless overnight travel criteria are met.
      4. No excess travel subsistence may be granted for internal meetings, conferences, seminars, etc., and such meetings must be held in state facilities when available.
      5. No registration fee may be charged.
      6. Low-cost conference items that are intended to promote employee recognition, improve morale or appreciation, or communicate UNCW contact information are permissible as long as they are infrequent, prudent, and reasonable in their scope.
      7. UNCW cannot support or underwrite a meeting, assembly, conference, seminar, or similar function by whatever name called that promotes any cause or purpose other than the mission and objective of the university.

   3. Training Sessions

      Payments for training sessions utilizing trust funds are authorized when they meet the limitations and requirements listed below:

      1. May have a set fee charged as employee training under other services.
      2. UNCW may reimburse employees for training books and materials related to training sessions, provided those books are required to participate in the training sessions.

   4. Management Retreats

      All management retreats’ expenditures are to be treated as though they are an internal conference.

   5. Informal Meetings with Guests of the Chancellor

      The cost of meals for the Chancellor, or their designee, and their non-state employee guests are authorized when they meet all the limitations and requirements listed below:

      1. If the meeting is held on campus, the meal is catered by the contracted campus food service provider and billed to the appropriate non-general fund for actual costs of meals for the Chancellor, or their designee, and their non-state employee guests in conducting official state business (see University Policy 05.107 Business-Related Entertainment Expenditures).
      2. If the meeting is held off campus, the meal may be reimbursed from the appropriate non-general fund for actual costs of meals for the Chancellor, or their designee, and their non-state employee guests in conducting official state business (see University Policy 05.107 Business-Related Entertainment Expenditures).
      3. The cost of meals for the spouse/partner of the Chancellor, or their designee, or their non-state employee guests may only be authorized if they are included in the meeting where official state business is discussed for the majority of the meeting and agency funds, such as foundation funds, are used.