Effective Date:  May 1,2003

BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL AFFAIRS
PROCEDURE
  Cancels:
  See Also:  5320.01 Coffee & Light Refreshments    Approved by:  Terry Ely
 
PRO-5320.02  EVENTS/CONFERENCES PROCEDURE
 
Conferences include, but are not limited to, events attended by guests of the University or by University staff, held on campus or off, where the attendees may or may not stay overnight on campus or in the vicinity, and where meals and/or refreshments are served.  These events may be held for one or more days.  Attendees may or may not be required to pay to attend.  The purpose of the conference can be anything related to the University's educational mission.
 
Different rules apply depending on who the conference attendees are.  If the attendees are employees of WWU, all State travel regulations as found in S.A.A.M Chapter 10, apply as well as the following procedure of the University.
 
If the attendees are clients of the University or students, then University procedures apply.
 
Clients of the University are defined as, "Customers or patrons, who are not employees of the University, but who are availing themselves of services provided by the University.  This includes students of the University.
 
Western Washington University has an official Center for Conference Services, whose primary function is to coordinate conferences, both on and off campus.  There are many State regulations affecting conferences and in general, only the Center for Conference Services is trained to deal with them.
 
All conferences should be administered by the Center for Conference Services.  CCS is the official campus department charged with the responsibility for managing conferences and coordinating the arrangements required to host one.
 
If events/conferences are not administered by CCS, event organizer must be familiar with all rules and regulating conferences prescribed by the State of Washington and Western Washington University.
 
Conferences or events held on Western's campus and attended primarily by Western employees must adhere to all rules and regulations in the State's policy manual, S.A.A.M Chapter 10.  This can be found on the State's website at http://www.ofm.wa.gov/policy/poltoc.htm.
 
  • Briefly, all lodging costs incurred must be at or below the per diem rates specified by the State.
  • All meal costs must be at or below the per diem rates for meals specified by the State.
  • The purpose of the event must be directly related to the University's educational mission.
  • A conference/event authorization form must be completed stating the purpose of the event and listing all attendees by name and organization/department.
Conferences or events held off campus and attended primarily by Western employees must adhere to all rules and regulations in the State's policy manual, S.A.A.M Chapter 10.  This can be found on the State's website at http://www.ofm.wa.gov/policy/poltoc.htm.
 
  • Briefly, all lodging costs incurred must be at or below the per diem rates for the location as specified by the State.
  • All meal costs must be at or below the per diem rates for meals for the locations as specified by the State.
  • The purpose of the event must be directly related to the University's educational mission.
  • A conference/event authorization form must be completed stating the purpose of the event and listing all attendees by name and organization/department.
  • If the event is held at a privately owned facility, the conference organizer must document why the event was not held at a government-owned location.  See the requirements in S.A.A.M Chapter 10.10.55.
Conferences or events held on Western's campus and attended primarily by clients of the University are not required to follow the State's travel policies in S.A.A.M Chapter 10.  Lodging and meal costs are not limited by the State's per diem amounts.  All event costs, however, must be reasonable.  A cost may be considered reasonable if the nature of the item purchased and the amount involved therefore, reflect the action that a prudent person would have taken under the circumstance prevailing at the time the decision to incur the cost was made.
 
Whenever possible, events/conferences should put out for competitive bid.  The University's Purchasing Office will work with the event organizer to draft a request for proposal that will meet requirements and competitive bidding will insure that the lowest possible costs are obtained.
 
  • The purpose of the event must be directly related to the University's or sponsored agreements' educational mission.
  • A conference/event authorization form must be completed stating the purpose of the event and listing all attendees by name and organization/department.