Helpful Hints for Search Committees
1. Detailed instructions will be provided by the Provost’s Office to the department and committee chairs when the search
directives are sent out (and those will supercede these hints if ever there is a conflict).
2. Typically you will have a set amount of funding provided by the Provost. Any expenses beyond this provided amount
will need to be covered by your department’s budget or arranged in advance to be covered with assistance from the Dean's budget. This funding is to go toward all expenses of the search: costs of advertising the position, the candidates' expenses (airfare, lodging, meals, and ground transportation), meals with the candidate, and any other related expenses.
3. Generally, the paperwork should be (completed and) signed by the search committee chair (or department chair) and
submitted to Arlene Camporeale in the Dean’s Office (DI-401).
4. For meals with the candidate:
a) The eligible expenses are for only three persons (the candidate, the department chair–or delegate, and the
search committee chair–or delegate). The GSA limitations apply; please note, too, that this is per person, not an
aggregate amount per group. (Other persons may join the meal, but either the department will need to cover their
expenses directly (get a separate receipt!) or the individuals will need to cover their own costs.)
b) You must seek prior approval for the meal if dining off campus. Complete and submit to the Dean’s office in advance
an Entertainment, Receptions, and Events form for all off-campus meals.
c) Afterwards, for reimbursement you should submit a Check Request form.
d) You must submit an itemized receipt indicating the business and location, date, and itemization of food
selections. This is usually the actual check from the wait person.
e) And you must also submit a receipt documenting your payment (typically the credit card receipt – just be sure to
black out the personal card information). Note that you frequently will need two receipts – the itemized receipt and
the payment receipt.
f) Do not include any alcohol on your receipt. Pay for any such purchases separately and ask the restaurant to put
them on a separate receipt entirely.
g) Submit your receipt(s) to Ms. Camporeale, together with the check request form, which should name the
individuals who attended the meal.
h) For lunches with the candidate on campus (in the Student Center lunchroom, for example), you may pick up a card
from Ms. Camporeale to use to pay for the meal directly, so that you don’t have any out of pocket expenses. The
same three person limitation applies, and you must return the receipt for the meal when you return the card.
5. For the candidate’s expenses:
a) The candidate will need to pay for his or her own travel expenses to Montclair (air, train, or car) and then be
reimbursed afterwards. In general, the University will reimburse only for the most economical category of ticket.
Please check the University’s travel policy in this document.
b) For airfare or trainfare, you should in advance advise the candidate to provide an itemized receipt from the airline,
train line, or travel agency. A credit card receipt alone is insufficient. The receipt must explicitly indicate that the
transaction is completed and paid; otherwise, please include the credit card receipt as well (just ask the candidate
to be sure to black out the personal card information). If the candidate is driving, then a Google map or Mapquest
print out should be provided as documentation of the mileage. (Please note that we do not need a print out of the full
directions, only the short version confirming mileage.)
c) You should arrange local transportation but in advance advise the candidate that he or she will need to pay
directly and then submit the receipt for reimbursement.
d) You should similarly make the lodging arrangements for the candidate at one of the hotels with which the
University has pre-arranged billing. Have the hotel charge you directly rather than have the candidate pay. But
advise the candidate that he or she will not be paying the bill, just so that doesn’t in fact happen. Also advise the
candidate to set up a separate billing with the hotel at check-in for any incidentals (which the University will not
reimburse).
e) For reimbursement of an candidate's expenses, complete and submit to the Dean’s office a
Non-Employee Travel Expense Report with original receipts (Please note that this form cannot be copied; it must be
a new print out for each submission). A W-9 form signed by the individual also needs to be attached. Please plan to
have the candidate complete this while visiting campus. The final paperwork must also now include a
Vendor Create Form for anyone not already in the MSU Financial System (which presumably would apply for your
candidates). This Vendor Form should be completed by the department.
6. See Ms. Camporeale for any specific questions you may have. Please note these helpful hints are not intended to be comprehensive but merely to touch on a few important points that committees will find beneficial to have at hand. Additional information on policies and procedures as well as downloadable forms are available on the
MSU Finance page.
CHSS rev 9/9/11