Once a request or expense report has been submitted, the approval path is visible from within the request or expense report, from Request/Report Details > Request/Report Timeline. It shows all the stops for the request or report and the name of the person who did or will approve the item. In addition, it gives the date each approval was made. This allows travelers and their delegates to determine the approval status of a submission.
Request Approval Flows
Authorization to Travel
The request travel approval path is determined by the Trip Type and Destination. All requests are routed to the Cost Object Approver. International trips require approval from the Campus International Office and the Campus Business Officer. If the international destination is an export-controlled country, the Campus Export Control Office approval is also required.
Once submitted, the request tile and the request itself indicate the current approval stop. To view the entire approval path, click on Request Details > Request Timeline. Once the request has been submitted, the approval path for that specific request is listed with all the required stops.
Requests containing a cash advance require final approval from the Request Processor. If the cash advance is $10,000 or greater, Campus Business Officer approval is required.
To view the approval path for a request, click on Request Details > Request Timeline.
The Timeline shows the current approval stop for the request. Once the request has been submitted, the approval path for that specific report is listed. Only the stops required for that specific request will be present.
After an approval is made, the circle to the left of the approver will be marked with a green check. This allows the user to see where the request is at that time. To see the dates and times on which the request was approved at a stop, view the Audit Trail for that report.
NOTE: If there is more than one fund charged (allocated to), the green circle to the left of that stop will stay grey until all approvals at that level have been completed. The multiple approvers at that stop will not be listed. Contact a travel processor to determine the approvers and approval status at that stop.
Travel Card Requests
Travel card requests follow a pre-defined path. A new card request will automatically route to the Cost Object Approver, Campus Card Coordinator and System Card Administrator. The prospective cardholder can track the approval process on the Approval Flow tab of the submitted request. Requests to adjust an issued card’s credit limit are routed to the Cost Object Approver, Campus Business Officer, and System Card Administrator.
Expense Report Approval Flows
Beyond the initial Cost Object Approver stop, the expense report approval flow is primarily determined by expense items that are an exception to policy. However, reports submitted 90 days past the trip end date will be routed to the traveler’s direct manager. Also, if the traveler is the Cost Object Approver the report will be routed to their direct manager. Individuals traveling for athletic recruiting or team travel purposes may require Athletics Compliance approval. If the report is allocated across multiple accounts, the report will be routed to each of those account approvers.
The approval path for an expense report can be displayed in the same way as the request. Click Report Details > Report Timeline. Once the expense report has been submitted, the approval path for that specific report is listed. Only the stops required for that specific report will be present.
If you have questions or need additional assistance utilizing the University’s travel system, please contact travel@tennessee.edu.