Hosting Seminar Speakers: Guidelines and Procedures [Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Binghamton University]

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====== Hosting Seminar Speakers: Guidelines and Procedures ======

If you are hosting a visiting speaker, here are the key procedures to follow regarding arrangements, reimbursements, and departmental support.

=== 1. Initial Arrangements ===
  * **Invitation Confirmation**: As the host, you must forward to <mathoffice@binghamton.edu> the email trail showing the invitation and acceptance correspondence, including the seminar date.
  * **Itinerary**: If the speaker will be staying for more than one day (e.g., arriving the night before the seminar), provide a itinerary outlining the daily schedule, including times and activities.

=== 2. Reimbursement Procedures ===
  * **Expense Submission**: If your speaker will be submitting expenses for reimbursement, they must visit the Department Office **before 4 PM** on the last of day of the visit to complete the necessary reimbursement forms.

=== 3. Logistical Support ===
  * **Hotel Reservations**: Email <mathoffice@binghamton.edu> with the speaker's name and their check-in/check-out dates.
  * **Visitor Office**: If an office is needed for the day, notify the administrative assistants who will arrange an office and key.
  * **Parking Passes**: Speakers can pick up a parking pass from the Department Office. Visitor parking is available in the parking garage or the lot across from Bartle Library.

=== 4. Dining Arrangements ===
  * **BU Dining Services**: 
    * Obtain a CrediDine card from the administrative assistants before dining.
    * Return the card and original itemized receipt the same day.
    * The department covers meals for the speaker, host faculty and one more faculty member.
  * **Dining at a Restaurant**: 
    * Submit the original itemized receipt showing the payment method to the administrative assistants.
    * Alcohol and tax are not reimbursed (a tax-exempt form is available, though not all places accept it).
    * A tip up to 20% is reimbursable.
    * The department covers meals for the speaker, host faculty and one more faculty member.
  * **Maximum allowable expense per person:  Lunch = 25.00 (incl. tip), Dinner = 45.00 (incl. tip).**
 

=== 5. Travel Arrangements ===
  * **Public Transportation (Bus/Uber/Lyft, etc.)**: 
    * Submit the original itemized receipt showing the payment method for reimbursement.
    * Electronic receipts can be emailed to <mathoffice@binghamton.edu>, while paper receipts should be submitted by email, mail or in person. The original paper form or a scanned copy is needed for reimbursement.
  * **Car Travel**:
    * **Rental Car**: NY State reimburses rental car expenses plus gas (with original receipts). The rental must be **compact or standard size**. Visitors must book their own rental; do not offer the NYS/BU account number.  The base rate and damage waiver will be reimbursed (for compact or standard size).  NYS will not reimburse liability insurance.
    * **Personal Car**: Mileage is reimbursed based on the distance from the visitor's address to Binghamton University, following the NYS/IRS standard mileage rate. Gas receipts will not be reimbursed, as fuel costs are included in the mileage rate. New York State will reimburse the lower amount between the mileage costs (calculated using NYS/IRS rates) and the market rate for rental cars. Please ensure your visitor is informed of these reimbursement limits.
  * **Air Travel**: 
    * Please consult with Dianne for the latest guidelines regarding visitor air travel, as these rules frequently change.


/*

** Seminar visiting speakers **

If you are hosting a speaker, here are common questions on what is covered and how to get reimbursed.

As the host for the speaker, you must **provide an email trail to mathoffice@binghamton.edu with invitation and acceptance, including date of seminar**.

If your visiting speaker will be here more than 1 day (night prior to if traveling and day of seminar), you must also provide a detailed itinerary for each day they are here listing day, times, scheduled activities, etc. for the duration of their stay.

**If your speaker will be submitting any expenses for reimbursement, bring them to the Math office to fill out reimbursement forms BEFORE 4PM the day they are speaking to fill out reimbursement form(s).**

**Hotel:**  Email mathoffice@binghamton.edu with speaker name and check-in / check-out date information.

**Visitor office:**  If your speaker needs an office for the day, let the administrative assistants know and they can provide an office and key.

**Parking:**  Your speaker can pick up a parking pass at the Math office window.  Visitor parking is in the parking garage or outdoor lot across from Bartle Library.  They will insert the parking pass when leaving the lot, so no need to have ahead of time.

**BU dining services:**  If you take a speaker to lunch at BU dining services, be sure to pick up the credidine card from the administrative assistants before you dine.  You must return the card and original, itemized receipt to the administrative assistants the same day.  The department will pay for you and the speaker meals only.  No additional attendees will be covered.

**Dining at a restaurant:**  You must submit the original, itemized receipt showing method of payment to the administrative assistants for reimbursement.  No alcohol is reimbursed.  No tax is reimbursed (you can get a tax exempt form from the Math office, but not all places accept tax exempt).  Up to 20% tip will be reimbursed.  The department will pay for you and the speaker meals only.  No additional attendees will be covered.


**Travel by Bus/Uber/Lyft, etc:**  Speaker will need to submit the original, itemized receipt showing method of payment to the administrative assistants for reimbursement.   If the receipt is electronic, they can email to mathoffice@binghamton.edu.  If receipt is paper form, they need to bring the original receipt.

**Travel by Car:**
**Please be sure all visiting speakers who plan on driving (either rental car or their own personal car) are given this information at the time you confirm they will be speaking.**

    * For all visitor car travel (rental or personal car) paid with department funding, <wrap hi>please provide the following information to the visitor **BEFORE** they leave to come here.</wrap>
    * NY State will always reimburse non-employee **rental car** expense plus gas expense (with original receipts).  The visitor must book their own rental car and must be reserved as <wrap hi>**compact or standard size only**</wrap>.  Damage waiver will also be reimbursed.  Non-employees **cannot** use NYS rental contract or rates.  **Do not** offer to book their rental car or provide them with NYS/BU account number.
    * If the visitor chooses to **drive their own car**, mileage will be calculated based on their leaving address to Binghamton University and reimbursed per NYS/IRS standard mileage rate.  The department will reimburse personal car mileage <wrap hi>up to a **maximum of $200**</wrap>.  No gas will be reimbursed (gas is calculated into the mileage rate).  Please be sure your visitor understands this **maximum mileage reimbursement** if they choose to drive their own car.  

*/