Guidance Notes for Taught Programme External Examiner Expenses Claims

GUIDANCE NOTES FOR TAUGHT PROGRAMME EXTERNAL EXAMINER EXPENSES CLAIMS Departments/Divisions should wherever possible book and pay for External Examiners travel arrangements including accommodation well in advance of the date of travel, submit an interdepartmental transfer to the Examinations Section and retain receipts locally. Examiners should claim subsistence expenses using the expenses claim form sent to them upon their appointment. The total claim (including travel and accommodation) should fall within the maximum amount of £400 (for one night), £550 (for two nights) and £700 (for three nights) per visit. The excess for any claims exceeding these amounts will be covered by the Department/Division. All claims should be supported by full receipts. UCL is unable to reimburse claims which are not supported by receipts (with the exception of inexpensive journeys by London Transport). If expenses which fall outside the categories below are likely to be incurred, Assessment and Student Records (ASR), Student and Registry Services, should be contacted to check that they will be met by UCL.

TRAVEL BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT

 UCL encourages examiners to take forms of transport which have a low carbon footprint and a reduced impact on the environment.  UCL will reimburse examiners’ rail fares for return journeys at STANDARD CLASS RATES to and from their normal place of work or residence to London. Tickets should be enclosed when expenses are claimed.  For inexpensive journeys undertaken by London Transport in connection with examining duties (e.g. bus and Tube trips within one or two zones) receipts should be provided but are not essential.  Taxi fares for short journeys in London, supported by receipts, will be reimbursed. Examiners are kindly requested to use taxis only where convenient bus and Tube travel is impractical or unavailable. Please note that we are unable to reimburse fares above standard class except where unusual or exceptional circumstances make this unavoidable. Examiners who wish to use First Class rail travel should contact ASR, Student and Registry Services, before booking any tickets. Unauthorised First Class fares will only be reimbursed up to the cost of the equivalent open Standard Class ticket.

AIR TRAVEL  UCL will reimburse reasonably priced, Standard Class air fares (and carbon offset credits purchased for the journey) for examiners whose normal place of work/residence is Northern Ireland, Scotland, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and abroad.  UCL will meet claims for reimbursement of air fares from examiners normally resident in England and Wales, but only where this would be a less expensive option than travelling by other means. Please note that UCL will not meet claims for Business and First Class air fares. UCL also reserves the right not to reimburse, fully or in part, any air fares it deems to be excessive or unnecessary.

PRIVATE TRANSPORT  Examiners travelling by private car or motorcycle will be reimbursed at the mileage rate stated on the claim form for direct journeys to and from the examiner’s normal place of residence to UCL. Where possible, receipts for fuel should be included in the claim. UCL will not reimburse car hire costs.  Car parking charges will also be paid but receipts should be provided.

HOTEL AND SUBSISTENCE ALLOWANCES  Subsistence expenses may only be claimed by an examiner when an examiner must be absent from his or her normal place of residence. We recommend a maximum of: for part of a day including lunch: £5.00; for part of a day including dinner: £15.00; for part of a day including lunch and dinner: £20.00.

 A maximum of £130 will be reimbursed for each night’s accommodation. Multiple night stays will be reimbursed only where this is necessary for the examiner to perform their examining duties. It is essential that copies of hotel invoices are enclosed with the claim form. Please note that UCL is only able to reimburse up to £130 per night on any hotel tariff.

 Telephone and postage charges incurred in connection with examination duties will be reimbursed. EXPENSES CLAIM FORM FOR EXTERNAL EXAMINERS

Taught Programmes

Examiner’s Name:______Programme Examined:______

Address (for reimbursement):

For each occasion when an External Examiner is required to travel from his/her usual place of residence or work to attend examination sessions or meetings in connection with duties necessitated by examining work, UCL will reimburse expenses incurred and pay subsistence allowances as detailed below. £ p Return Standard Class Railway/Economy Air Fare (please specify) to London

From...... on (date)...... return on (date)...... From...... on (date)...... return on (date)...... From...... on (date)...... return on (date)...... In the event of travel from a vacation address, travelling expenses claimed may not exceed those from usual residence unless attendance is requested by UCL at short notice

Cost of Travel by Underground/Public Road Transport From...... on (date)...... return on (date)...... From...... on (date)...... return on (date)...... From...... on (date)...... return on (date)......

Private Transport Mileage allowance: 40 pence per mile by private car; 24 pence per mile by motorcycle ...... journeys of...... miles, total miles at...... per mile

Car Parking Charges at airport or station: ...... hours/days at......

Subsistence Receipts must be included for claims over £5.00. Recommended maximum of: for part of a day including lunch: £5.00; for part of a day including dinner: £15.00; for part of a day including lunch and dinner: £20.00.

Hotel Allowance1 [receipts must be included] A tariff of up to £130 per night can be claimed: ...... nights at...... per night2

Postage and/or Telephone Expenses incurred in connection with examining duties - please give details ...... Total Claimed:

I have read and acknowledge the terms detailed in the notes accompanying this form.

Signature of External Examiner______Date______This form should be completed and returned to the Academic Policy and Quality Assurance team, Academic Services, Students and Registry Services, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT. Alternatively, scanned copies of receipts with the completed form can be emailed to [email protected].

1 Hotel accommodation should be booked and paid for by Departments/Divisions. However, when Examiners do pay for their hotel accommodation they should enter the sum claimed on this form. 2 At times it may not be possible to secure accommodation for this sum and in such cases Departments/Divisions should try to locate accommodation reasonably priced for central London bearing in mind the upper limit of £400 (for one night), £550 (for two nights) and £700 (for three nights) per visit for travel, subsistence and accommodation.