Financial Procedures

FAQ for Reimbursements, Travel Arrangements, and Honoraria

Q. I’ve just invited someone to come to my colloquium. What do I do next?

A. Fill out the colloquium speaker form.

Q. If my colloquium wants to have dinner following an event, what do I do?

A. Fill out the colloquium dinner form.

NB: colloquia may spend no more than $100pp (incl drinks and gratuity).

Q. I know the speaker is booking their own travel. How does the guest speaker get reimbursed for expenses?

A. If you’ve filled out the colloquium speaker form and indicated that the speaker has booked or will book their travel, Sol will be in touch with the speaker directly.

Q. What do I do if the speaker wants Harvard to book their travel?

A. Instruct the speaker to contact BCD Travel to make arrangements.

Q. What are the benefits of using BCD Travel instead of asking the speaker to make their own arrangements?

A. There are two big advantages to using BCD Travel. (1) Harvard will pay the travel expenses before the travel has already taken place. If the speaker books travel, Harvard cannot reimburse until after the travel has already taken place. (2) It eliminates the need for reimbursement and extra paperwork for the speaker. This method is highly recommended if you have a foreign national speaker who is not receiving an honorarium, as it saves the speaker a lot of tedious paperwork and online forms. The only exception is if your speaker is coming via Amtrak. If you have a foreign national speaker coming via Amtrak, please let the English Department book and pay for the ticket—do not go through BCD Travel.

Q. How does our speaker access BCD Travel?

A. Have the speaker contact BCD directly at (617) 496-8000 or (800) 610-5640. Please instruct the speaker to tell BCD that the ticket will be paid by "web voucher," and make sure the guest knows to have BCD "cc" the confirmation email to Sol.

NB: Sol will not book travel for your speaker. If the speaker does not want to pay out of pocket upfront, they must contact BCD directly. Otherwise the speaker must pay out of pocket and be reimbursed after the colloquium.

Q. If the speaker wants to book their own travel, what information about Harvard travel policy will they need to know?

A. Please let your speaker know the following:

          • Hiring a car service is not a reimbursable expense unless the speaker has a documented medical condition.

          • If flying domestically, first-class or business-class travel is not permitted. Economy plus or preferred economy seating is, however, reimbursable.

          • If traveling by train, Acela is permitted.

          • Cabs are permitted for airport/train station to/from Harvard and to/from the speaker’s home or office (with receipt[s]).

          • We will reimburse for mileage, parking, and tolls if the speaker chooses to drive. If claiming by mileage, the speaker may not ask for gas reimbursement, as that is included in the mileage reimbursement rate.

Q. What should I do about the speaker’s honorarium?

A. If you’ve filled out the visitor information form, Sol will take care of the necessary paperwork.

Q. What about lodging?

A. The English Department has accounts with every hotel in Harvard Square, including Irving House. You may book with the hotel directly and ask them to direct-bill the English Department and ask for the Harvard rate. Specify that you are paying room and tax only, not incidentals. If they need additional confirmation to direct bill, have them contact Sol. Neither you nor the speaker should ever have to use a credit card to secure a hotel reservation. If you are booking a room at Hotel Veritas, please reference account number #26.

Q. How do I get reimbursed for an out-of-pocket colloquium expense?

A. Fill out and sign the Non-Employee Reimbursement Form. The most important fields to fill out are the name/HUID at the top and your signature/check address at the bottom. Give the form and all original receipts to Sol.

Q. Where do I direct any questions that haven't been answered here?

Contact Sol Kim Bentley if your question is regarding a procedural, financial or logistical matter. If you have questions about running an event or inviting a speaker, please get in touch with Andy Koenig, lead coordinator of the graduate colloquia.

Using a Departmental Credit Card

If you would like to charge a colloquium meal or other large colloquium-related expense directly to the Department, we can add our corporate card to any reservation. If you choose to do this, the expense will still be taken from your colloquium funds, but you will not have to submit a reimbursement request.

Please follow these guidelines:

      • Make the restaurant or catering reservation.

      • *Email the Graduate Program Assistant at least two business days in advance with the following information: the name of your colloquium; the name on the reservation (if not yours); the date, time, and number of people on the reservation; the name and phone number of the restaurant; the names of all people attending.

      • The Graduate Program Assistant will contact the restaurant/vendor and provide them with billing information and will email you with confirmation. If you haven't received confirmation of payment within 8-12 hours of your scheduled reservation, email the Grad Program Assistant (or Gwen) directly.

      • After your meal or catering delivery, please make sure that the restaurant did not charge you tax, since we are a tax exempt organization. Be sure to keep the credit card receipt (and also the itemized meal receipt if possible), and write in the tip amount.

      • Provide the receipt(s) to Sol as soon as possible. If you went out to a restaurant, please provide a list of the attendees (students, faculty, and guests). You may write these on the receipt.

Dinner Reservation Form *This form is linked to an expiring g.harvard account. As noted above, please email the Graduate Program Assistant (or Gwen in the interim) directly with the necessary information.