Allowed and Non-Allowed Expenses

Miscellaneous Allowed Expenses

Individuals will be allowed to purchase, or be reimbursed for, the following miscellaneous expenses incurred while on College business:

• Business-related office expenses (copy services, scans, faxes, etc.)
• Business phone calls (credit card, international cell phone, or hotel/motel charge)
• Conference and registration fees (include registration form with Travel and Reimbursement Report)
• Currency conversion fees
• Fuel purchased for rental vehicle (but NOT fuel purchased for a personal vehicle used for business purposes; that cost is incorporated in the mileage reimbursement rate)
• Public transportation (taxi, bus, subway, etc.)
• Laundry/dry cleaning/suit pressing for trips exceeding five days
• Mileage allowance (incorporates fuel costs)
• Parking and tolls
• Rental car (see section below)
• Shipping costs (for items sent back to the College)
• Tips up to 20% (see section on Meals and Entertainment)
• Visa/passport consulate fees

Miscellaneous Non-Allowed Expenses

Individuals will NOT be allowed to purchase, or be reimbursed for, the following miscellaneous expenses. Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and includes anything not otherwise mentioned that might be considered a personal or non-business-related expense rather than a business expense. It also includes anything that could be considered lavish, imprudent, unnecessary, or otherwise a misuse of College funds, as well as anything that violates other campus policies, including the drug and alcohol policies found in the Employee Policy Manual. When in doubt, please see the Travel and Expense Reimbursement Policy and ask the Purchasing Office ahead of time.

• Airline club membership dues
• Alcohol purchases that have not been pre-authorized for certain designated purposes, such as a donor cultivation event
• Annual fees for personal credit cards
• Auto repairs
• Baby-sitting or dependent care
• Baggage fees in excess of one checked bag and one personal item for a trip of 5 days or less. Baggage fees for complex/extended trips, such a leading a study abroad program, must be discussed ahead of time.
• Baggage insurance
• Barbers and hairdressers
• Car wash
• Clothing or toiletry items
• Communication costs (other than work-related)
• Contracted professional services
• Costs incurred by unreasonable failure to cancel reservations
• Decorative furnishings for personal office spaces
• Donations to charities, foundations, or not-for-profit organizations
• Entertainment under federal grants and contracts
• Expenses related to vacation or personal days taken before, during, or after a business trip
• Expenses that have been or will be paid or reimbursed by an outside source
• Expenses pertaining to guests or travel companions who are not directly involved in the business matter for which the travel is required (e.g. spouses, children, friends, etc.)
• Frequent flyer tickets
• Gifts, gift certificates, or gift cards to employees or others (see below)
• Golf fees
• Health club fees or exercise charges
• Helicopter services for airport transfers
• In-flight headsets, movie rental, alcohol purchases, air phone use, or other optional expenses
• Laundry or valet services for travel of fewer than five days
• Lavish or unnecessary spending, as determined by the department head or the VP of Finance
• Lawn care
• Loss or theft of cash advance money, airline tickets, passports, or other valuables
• Loss or theft of personal funds or property
• Lost baggage
• Luggage or briefcases
• Magazines, books, newspapers, personal reading materials
• Maid service
• Medical expenses while traveling
• Mini-bar refreshments (alcoholic or otherwise)
• Movies (including in-flight and hotel in-house movies)
• Parking tickets, fines, or traffic violations
• Personal accident insurance
• Personal alcohol purchases
• Personal automobile routine maintenance/tune-ups
• Personal computer rentals and internet connection charges
• Personal entertainment, including sports events
• Personal items or personal expenses
• Personal property insurance
• Pet care, including kennel or pet-sitting fees
• Pharmaceuticals; health and beauty aids
• Saunas, massages, facials, or spa services
• Shipping costs on purchases where free shipping options are available
• Shoe shines
• Souvenirs, personal gifts, or purchases made at duty free shops
• Tanning services
• Tax on purchases where the College would be considered exempt
• Tips of more than 20%
• Upgrades to airplane seats, hotel rooms, rental cars, transportation service, etc.
• U.S. traveler's check fees
• Other miscellaneous personal expenses

Gifts

Gifts of any type, including gift certificates and gift cards for employees, their relatives, students, friends, or vendors for any purpose, are not allowed.

Thank you gifts to donors must be coordinated with the Advancement Office.

Memberships

Individual dues/fees for membership for pleasure, recreation, or any other personal purpose are not allowed. If an exception is approved, the reimbursement must be treated as taxable income to the employee and reported to the IRS. 

Memberships in professional societies, organizations, or institutions that are a requirement of the employee's job and approved by the departmental budget manager are reimbursable and not taxable.

Travel Companions

Unless pre-approved due to medical necessity or a similar reason, the travel expenses of an employee's spouse, family, friends, or other guests are not allowed. The President may make exceptions, in writing, for specific College events such as board of trustee meetings. Such authorization must be attached to the Travel and Reimbursement Form.

When one or more guests, for personal reasons, accompany a traveler, the College will only reimburse the traveler for the cost of a single room.

Employee Recruitment

Hampshire College employees are expected to use reasonable and prudent judgment when entertaining prospective employees.

Authorized travel expenses (e.g. airfare, hotel, and meals) incurred during the recruitment process are not taxable to the prospective employee but must be authorized by the school or department in order to be reimbursed. Personal mileage to campus for interviews is not reimbursable.

Travel reimbursement is only made for candidates for senior administrator or faculty positions. Immediately after the candidate's visit to the College, a requisition should be processed by the departmental representative. All expenses must be itemized on a Travel and Reimbursement Report, accompanied by itemized receipts. The following information must be included with the request:

• Legal name and address of candidate
• Date of interview
• Title of position applied for
• Itemization of expenses
• Account number to be charged
• Signature of budget manager
• All necessary itemized receipts

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, travel expenses necessary to conclude the hiring process that incurred by the prospective employees and their families are considered taxable. Incentives negotiated during the recruitment process may not be considered "necessary or ordinary" and may therefore be reportable and taxable, whether directly reimbursed to the employee or to a third party.

Moving Expenses

Hampshire College will meet the costs of moving household furniture and effects (excluding such items as boats, power tools, building materials, trailers, and pets) to the Pioneer Valley as described below. This benefit is available to newly appointed full-time, regular members of the faculty, and to certain members of the administration, director-level and above, for their initial move to the Pioneer Valley. Visiting faculty may receive a moving expense reimbursement at the discretion of the dean of faculty. Moving and related expenses may not be charged directly to the College. The newly hired employee will pay all moving expenses and any other related expenses out-of-pocket.

All requests for reimbursement under this benefit must be submitted to human resources within 60 days of the physical move of the items or December 15 of the calendar year, whichever comes first. Please note, amounts reimbursed under this benefit are taxable to the employee and will be reported on the employee's Form W-2.

Hampshire College will reimburse newly hired employees who qualify for this benefit under the following options, up to a maximum of $2000.

1. One half of the cost of a commercial mover for the packing and transporting of household furniture and effects. This option does not include any per diem expenses that the employee may incur under this option.
2. The full cost of a rental truck or trailer, plus the related costs of packing the household furniture and effects. Per diem expenses (meals, lodging), which are determined based on the distance between the employee's former home and the Pioneer Valley as follows:
   • For moves of less than 400 miles: $30/one day.
   • For moves of over 400 miles: $75.00 per day/one day for each 400 miles or fraction thereof.
3. The calculated mileage reimbursement if the move is conducted by personal vehicle. The reimbursement will be calculated using the current College mileage reimbursement rate times the number of miles from the former to the new household. No per diem expenses are included in this option.

If it is necessary to store items at a public storage facility once the items arrive in the Pioneer Valley, reimbursement for up to 30 days of insurance and storage may be included for reimbursement. Any storage costs are considered when determining the $2000 reimbursement maximum.