As September 2023 closes, the fall semester is well underway and we are seeing record travel case submissions – September had (898) new travel cases opened, the busiest month yet! The RPSU Travel Specialists and Coordinators worked hard over the summer to close the fiscal year strong, and we are happy to report only (55) travel cases remaining from FY2023!
The Reimbursement Processing Support (RPS) unit has seen several staffing changes since our last update, and we are happy to announce that Melinda Miller has accepted a position as the new Manager of the RPS Travel Team! Melinda brings a deep knowledge of travel booking and processing with her (3) years on the Travel Support Team, and vast institutional knowledge with (9) years at NAU. Additional new hires and vacancies include:
New Hires:
- Travel Coordinators:
- Sabrina Goodner
- Travel Specialists:
- Madeline Belling
- Joel Garcia
- Jordan Jackson
- Amanda McNeal
- Student Staff Support: (4) new since January 2023
Vacancies:
- Travel Specialists (2)
- Assistant Manager, Academic Team: (1)
Please review the following updates and reminders for Fiscal Year 2024.
Travel Training continues with expanded content and enhancements in 2024:
- Online Travel Policy training went live in Instructure’s Canvas in June; 200 individuals have completed all modules to date.
- Monthly, in-person Travel Booking training in May, and a web module will be available late fall semester.
- Travel Liaison Meetings are held every-other month providing travelers and department support staff updates on policy and process, and all things travel. The next scheduled meeting is November 16th.
- Travel Optimization Website documents and resources are updated for the new fiscal year.
- Travel cases without prior approval and opened post-travel (17% of all submitted cases), continue to impact reimbursement processing times.
- Expanding metrics, analysis and data collection is the top priority in FY2024.
Recent Employee Service Center (ESC) Enhancements
- Policy and Compliance Review (PCR) new service and reporting now available.
- Group & Individual Travel combined into a single service.
- Cash Advance & Zelle travel form field additions and edits completed.
- ESC Travel Reports expanded to increase self-service.
Coming Soon
- Continued service automation, and service catalog expansion.
- Comptroller’s Office Website resource expansion and redesign.
- Interactive FAQ Knowledge Base for travel policy and process .
- How-To Video Clips providing step-by-step guided instructions on completing various travel related processes.
- Travel Life-Cycle Interactive Graphics outlining full travel life cycle with detailed step-by-step guided instructions on every aspect of the travel life-cycle.
Travel Optimization Website – for a detailed review of Travel Process Updates and the Development Roadmap.