[Plantsci] FW: Review Policy Updates: PCard Violations and Commercial Airfare for Business Travel

Fri Jan 16 08:36:03 MST 2026

Happy Friday, Everyone,
I hope you all had a nice week;  I wanted to share the email below that was sent out on several listservs yesterday.  Please take a few minutes to read through the email as well as clicking into the links below.  FSO is implementing several policy changes, and I want to make sure you are all aware of these changes.

The Business office is working with CALES Administration to get clarification on a few points mentioned below.  We will discuss these changes in more detail at the upcoming faculty/staff meetings.  However please feel free to reach out to the business office at dbs-team2 at arizona.edu<mailto:dbs-team2 at arizona.edu> with any questions or concerns you may have, and we will do our best to assist you.

Thank you for patience.
Jen

From: Garth Perry, Chief Budget and Fiscal Management Officer <cbfmo at comms.arizona.edu>
Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2026 2:48 PM
To: Rascon, Jennifer R - (jrascon1) <jrascon1 at arizona.edu>
Subject: Review Policy Updates: PCard Violations and Commercial Airfare for Business Travel

Both updated policies are effective now and reinforce responsible stewardship of university resources.

To view this email as a web page, go here.<https://view.comms.arizona.edu/?qs=7a5d5d1da4905603e0f65cc9e2bc015419524fd797b94f7efb647776d1ebd3c4e548647480759407ca9f319ef968736446f9989580300147d127be2b3660fd160f9db612bdbfe52e9fb1997be38dcec7>
[THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA]<https://click.comms.arizona.edu/?qs=60dcbcfc0a68936682ab0dc84bcb47125b298f2eaa0380da1b9b3e94e27decf8350a15f21b5eb3d97c2810fe3ba1097e6319d3363aa433b2>
[Finance & Budget Block A Logo]<https://click.comms.arizona.edu/?qs=60dcbcfc0a68936626c7943864952ed364d68b9a93cd004fa83913cb23f36797e29d7850ec868bedd5ecf46cb2b22763959123cb5f143cd7>

Dear colleagues,

I am sharing with you recent updates to two Financial Services Manual policies<https://click.comms.arizona.edu/?qs=60dcbcfc0a68936699f8b8f550a3d4fe44fbfa9b5abaeb25d19f71f1a19894da1c66227c6190dadb4634b3e3cc0daca1228044d33b9fba71> that will reinforce responsible stewardship of university resources. John Arnold shared these changes with leaders across colleges and divisions earlier this week.

Updates to the PCard Violations policy

Our Supply Chain Services team has updated the PCard violations policy<https://click.comms.arizona.edu/?qs=60dcbcfc0a68936619d2fef3a33c0a3923401528e335bb104b1f5fd226e06a95451e6cb33433ad149ed6b62867d48d4a4f2467183d82e11b> to clarify the responsibilities of cardholders and responsible users and align practices across the university. We will share these changes with cardholders and liaisons in an email message today.

 Below is a summary of what is changing:

  *   If Financial Compliance identifies a PCard violation through internal review and no self-report violation has been submitted, the card will be suspended for three months. Cardholders or responsible users will receive an email notice listing corrective actions and must respond within five business days to avoid additional penalties.
     *   Self-report violations<https://click.comms.arizona.edu/?qs=60dcbcfc0a6893668b2656940d29d362d84d5f38acbd0e8bbe52c2dc9f1a148fe17321733124512dbcc5d78a27cbd272c04c266d7d2c36ee> will not automatically lead to a suspension, depending on the severity.
  *   Cardholders or responsible users must reimburse the university for any unallowable purchases within five business days of the violation, unless they choose payroll deduction for reimbursement.
     *   This applies to both a self-report violation and a violation notice.
     *   Refer to the policy<https://click.comms.arizona.edu/?qs=60dcbcfc0a68936650231a4b44d01a59afc8fea717d5717efd793cd9fba3ce33178e003a43a4e9708da35563faf1f785fb3d7080714ddeb9> for all reimbursement options.
  *   PCard violations are tracked using the employee number and NetID and are kept on record by Financial Compliance.
  *   A PCard will be closed after three violations, and cardholders or responsible users will not be able to apply for a new card.

For assistance with these changes, you can request in-person and virtual training for your unit by contacting the Financial Compliance team<mailto:FNSV-Compliance at arizona.edu?subject=PCard%20In-Person%20or%20Virtual%20Training>.

Updates to the Transportation Policy for Commercial Airfare
The university has revised the Transportation policy<https://click.comms.arizona.edu/?qs=60dcbcfc0a689366c3f74ed2d3cd46958f4d179ccb3c9ce8cf101312cec320988b2860cbc105c73ec2d86aa4bec08d04d4aa6cc85ef6d393> as it applies to commercial flights and will approve airfare as follows:

  *   For a single flight under six hours, employees may only select the economy class or main cabin category that allows for a seat selection without upgrades (most direct and economical option).
  *   For a single flight between six and 10 hours, employees may upgrade to economy plus or equivalent categories (e.g., extra legroom, preferred seating).
  *   For single flights over 10 hours, employees may upgrade to business class with written approval from their college dean or division senior leader. The written approval must document the business purpose for the upgrade. Senior leaders must receive approval from their immediate supervisor.
In addition, please note:

  *   Additional travel logistics may be required, such as booking individual segments at different class categories, when requesting an upgrade on six-hour or longer flights.
  *   If desired, employees may pay for their preferred travel arrangements with personal funds or airline frequent flyer miles. The university will reimburse for airfare based on the revised policy upon completion of travel.
  *   These requirements apply to all funding sources except foundation funds, which require economy-class travel.
  *   Use of federal or sponsored funds must always comply with both university and sponsor specific policy.
  *   Employees with a medical accommodation need on file with the Disability Resource Center<https://click.comms.arizona.edu/?qs=60dcbcfc0a68936665f5ce0f2b502c0241407d2f09c2243724460fff30fdec601929070747afb1eec5a84468e3cc3a334f271d4a1824647e> may continue to select airfare upgrades.
If you have questions about these policy changes, please contact our team<mailto:fnab at arizona.edu?subject=Review%20Policy%20Updates%3A%20PCard%20Violations%20and%20Commercial%20Airfare%20for%20Business%20Travel%20>.

As always, I appreciate your continued support and partnership.

Garth Perry
Chief Budget and Fiscal Management Officer
________________________________
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