While You Travel

While You Travel - Concur

Western is in the process of transitioning from TEM to Concur for Employee Travel and Expense Management. Please see our Concur Updates page for more information.

While traveling on behalf of Western Washington University, you’re on the clock. That means your time is reportable based on your itinerary and the official times you are working during that travel.

  1. Pro Tip:  Generate your Travel Reimbursement before you go.  You can take pictures of receipts with a camera phone and email them to yourself. You can attach receipts in the travel system from a laptop while you travel and adjust your expenses while you are gone.
  2. A recommended best practice for long international travels is to save all receipts in individual envelopes for each date of the trip. Unnecessary receipts can be sorted out later.
  3. If you are claiming per diem for other travelers, obtain a signature from them.  For example: “Victor Viking received $27.25 on Jul-15-2015 and Will not request reimbursement.”  This may be done as a spreadsheet.
  4. Ensure your lodging receipt reflects your payment.
  5. Obtain translations for receipts in foreign languages.

Emergency Information Traveling Abroad

If you are traveling on a Western faculty‐led study abroad program, please consult the Faculty Director's Emergency Guide at Global Learning Programs Safety Toolkit

If you are traveling on a study abroad program or a student exchange program, please consult with your host organization and follow their emergency response protocols.

If you are traveling on your own (faculty, staff, or student doing independent study abroad, including internships), you can follow the guidance outlined below, but we encourage you to create your own personalized plan:

Step 1: Care for the Injured Party

Always attend to the immediate needs of the affected individual(s) first.  Having current CPR/First Aid training would be useful.

Step 2: Know & Contact Your Local Emergency Services  

Know how to contact law enforcement agencies and emergency medical services having jurisdiction over your travel location. Determine your host country’s 911 equivalent.

Step 3: Notify Your Unit Leadership

Depending on the severity of the emergency, a response team may be assembled or the President may decide to declare an emergency under the University’s Emergency Management Plan.

Step 4: Contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate

If you registered online with the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), they should have your information.  Or you may call Overseas Citizens Services while abroad at 1.202.501.4444 (from the U.S. at 1.888.407.4747).

Step 5: Contact the Individual's Health Plan Provider

Contact the affected individual’s health plan provider for instructions for evaluation and treatment.  Have the individual’s insurance ID card ready when you contact them.  Many study or travel abroad health plans provide additional benefits such as emergency assistance, medical expense, repatriation, medical evacuation, and security/disaster evacuation.

If you are an injured employee or volunteer, you will need to contact the University’s Workers Compensation Claims Manager at 360-650-2947.

Media Enquiries

If contacted by members of the media, please refer them to the Office of University Communications, 360-650-3350.

Keep a Written Log

Keep a written log of events concerning the emergency, including who was contacted and the response received.