School of Nursing: Standard on AHEC Travel for Faculty

Unit Standard

Title

School of Nursing: Standard on AHEC Travel for Faculty

Introduction

Purpose

This Standard is intended to assist all UNC School of Nursing faculty and staff who travel to meet the mission of North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (NC AHEC). The policy provides general guidelines on appropriate travel and other services needed when traveling to meet the shared mission of the School of Nursing and NC AHEC.

Scope

This Standard applies to all UNC School of Nursing faculty and staff who travel to meet the mission of NC AHEC.

Standard

AHEC Travel Guidelines and Copyright Guidelines for Presentations by SON AHEC Faculty

Background and Conditions

The NC AHEC provides funding for AHEC-related travel to faculty and staff according to specific AHEC/UNC and North Carolina state guidelines. In general, faculty are reimbursed for travel by AHEC when they are doing one of the following:

  • Traveling to and from clinical sites
  • Traveling to and from AHEC program sites to teach professional development or to provide technical assistance
  • Traveling to and from AHEC meetings or other activities when specifically asked to attend and after pre-approval
  • Travel to and from AHEC statewide conferences when specifically asked to attend and after pre-approval

Travel

Faculty and staff should review these travel policy guidelines and use the most efficient and cost-effective travel options for you and your department. Using a rental vehicle is often less expensive than using a personal vehicle, and insurance is included in all Enterprise reservations.

While faculty and staff members are encouraged to use Enterprise rental vehicles, they may use their own vehicles for travel and be reimbursed at the prevailing state rate. When the trip is greater than 100 miles, faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to use a rental car or be reimbursed at the prevailing state rate.

Please note that regardless of whether you are teaching, providing technical assistance or managing clinical arrangements, the following procedures apply.

Mileage Reimbursement

When driving a personal vehicle for business purposes, mileage reimbursement rates are set by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM). Business standard mileage rates are located on the UNC Finance Travel Allowances website.

Car Rental
  • SON use Enterprise Rent-A-Car contract vehicle service for all car rentals.
  • Reservation are made through Concur.
  • UNC Enterprise Rent-A-Car contract vehicles can be picked up at any rental location, eliminating the need to come to campus first. The reservation requires the address of the Enterprise location preference for vehicle pick-up. Check the hours of the rental agency you will be renting the car from.
  • If you are traveling by Medical Air, be sure to check with the AHEC Nursing Office regarding where you will be picking up your car. Med-Air does not fly into the regular airport terminals.
  • To reduce administrative processing for gasoline reimbursement, the traveler is required to choose the “Post-Pay Gas” option when returning the vehicle.
  • Unless gasoline is needed during the trip, traveler should not fill the gas tank. If you do need to refill during the trip please save your receipt for reimbursement.
  • Enterprise Rent-a-Car guarantees that your rental vehicle will have a minimum of a quarter tank of fuel upon pickup.
  • All car rental receipts may be uploaded in Concur.  
Canceling your Rental Car Reservation
  • If you need to cancel your reservation, please contact Enterprise directly at the number on your reservation and be sure to cancel your reservation through Concur. Be sure to cancel any reservations at least two (2) hours in advance.

Any questions about renting with Enterprise should be directed to NC AHEC (919) 966-0810.

Transportation via Medical Air Operations
  • Faculty who are traveling to one of the distant AHEC regions to teach may be able to travel on one of the Medical Airplanes if a flight is available.
  • Medical Air is for same-day flights.
  • Prior approval is required for overnight Medical Air flights.
  • Speakers who receive an honorarium cannot travel by Medical Air.
  • Medical Air requires a cell phone number for each traveler and may also require your weight.
  • All Medical Air travel must be pre-approved and booked through the AHEC Nursing office at (919) 966-3736 at least one month prior to trip.

Meals

Meals are reimbursed at a set per diem rate which changes regularly and follow specific AHEC Guidelines as follows:

  • No per-diem meal reimbursements for a one-day trip.
  • Lunch is reimbursed only when an overnight stay is required and then only if the supporting AHEC does not provide lunch. If lunch reimbursement is requested, please include a short note explaining why the reimbursement is requested. AHEC does not reimburse lunch for a one-day trips.
  • Breakfast and dinner are only reimbursed when an overnight stay is required. Dinner and/or breakfast will be reimbursed on a per diem basis unless the meal is paid for by someone else. For example: when teaching a workshop, the regional AHEC will provide lunch for a speaker.
  • You do not need to save meal receipts since reimbursement is determined by a per diem rate.
  • To include lunch reimbursement for an overnight trip, it must involve a travel destination located at least 35 miles from the employee’s regularly assigned duty station or home (whichever is closer).
  • More information and per diem rates available on the UNC Finance Travel Allowances website.

Lodging

  • If overnight lodging arrangements are required, the traveler must inform the AHEC SON office a minimum of one (1) month in advance and be pre-approved by your supervisor for any overnight travel.
  • Travelers are required to fill in a travel authorization form through the School of Nursing portal and receive approval. You must also create a travel request in Concur. This is required whether you are traveling for teaching, consultation, or clinical supervision. Please be sure to submit well in advance of travel dates.
  • Regional AHECs should not pay for a hotel room for UNC-faculty if it is within AHEC/UNC and NC state guidelines. The UNC-faculty speaker must charge the hotel room to their T&E card or their own personal credit card and the SON AHEC office will provide reimbursement. Hotel rooms need to be booked as early as possible but no later than one (1) month prior to travel.
  • Travelers are encouraged to ask if “State Employee hotel rates” are available.
  • If travel is for clinical supervision or other special circumstances, the regional AHEC may make suggestions for local hotels, but the traveler is required to make the reservation and secure the room using their university issued T&E card or a personal credit card. Book early and plan accordingly.
  • Faculty and staff may be reimbursed for one night per one day-long program as long as the destination is a minimum of 35 miles away from home or UNC-Chapel Hill (whichever is closer), and if they must leave before 6 a.m. to arrive at program destination or if their normal work hours are extended by three hours or more on the day of their program.

Travel Reimbursement Requests

  • Faculty members must submit their travel reimbursement requests to designated faculty travel secretary (according to which division you are in).
  • Requests must be submitted through Concur monthly and by the first of the month following the travel; reimbursement will not be made if a request is submitted past the one-month deadline. All multiple travel trips are counted from the last date of travel within a month. The AHEC Program Office prefers all travel reimbursement requests to be submitted by the first of the month.
  • The Travel Team may assist you with your travel in Concur but it is the traveler’s responsibility to create both their initial travel requests, follow up with their expense report in Concur, and submit it themselves when it is complete.
  • Faculty reimbursement is made via electronic deposit. Please allow up to three weeks from the time of submission for reimbursement payment. Most payments are through ACH and will be directly deposited in your checking account.

Copyright Information for SON AHEC Speakers

Amended from a SRAHEC document

All SON AHEC Speakers must comply with laws governing copyright practices. As a result:

  1. The regional AHECs will not make copies of handouts of copyrighted material, including journal articles and PowerPoint slides, unless you have obtained written permission from the publisher to duplicate those materials.
  2. As the speaker, you are responsible for obtaining all necessary permission to use copyrighted material. If you have questions on how to obtain the necessary permission or if what you are submitting violates copyright and/or disclosure standards, you may:
    • Go to the UNC University Libraries website and complete the copyright tutorial. There are additional useful copyright resources on the site.
    • Call your nursing contact person at the hosting AHEC.
    • You may also contact the AHEC Nursing Office (919) 966-3736.

The Fair Use Doctrine

In some instances, you may use materials without permission under the Fair Use Doctrine. However, if there is any doubt that the Doctrine applies, you must get permission to use materials. In general, it is best to refer program attendees to the source of the article or resource, or to the AHEC library to obtain access to such materials. Please be aware that the Regional AHECs will remove any graphic or information from handouts and PowerPoint slides that may be deemed an infringement of copyright laws.

FAQs on Copyright

How much of someone else's work can I use without getting permission?

Under the Fair Use Doctrine of the U.S. copyright statute, it is permissible to use limited portions of a work, including quotes, for purposes such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, and scholarly reports. There are no legal rules permitting the use of a specific number of words, a certain number of musical notes or percentage of a work. Whether a particular use qualifies as fair use depends on all the circumstances.

What is the Fair Use Doctrine?

The Fair Use Doctrine describes when the non-owner of the copyright may use copyrighted material in a reasonable manner without the owner’s consent. The reasonableness of a use is determined on a case-by-case basis applying an equitable rule of reason analysis.

There are four factors in determining whether the use was a "fair use":

  1. The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for non-profit educational purposes;
  2. the nature of the copyrighted work;
  3. the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
  4. the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work. The copyright tutorial is very helpful in determining whether your use of specific materials requires the owner’s consent.

Could I be sued for using somebody else's work? How about quotes or samples?

If you use a copyrighted work without authorization, the owner may be entitled to bring an infringement action against you. There are circumstances under the Fair Use Doctrine where a quote or a sample may be used without permission. However, in cases of doubt, the Copyright Office recommends that permission be obtained.

Does work have to be published to be protected?

Publication is not necessary for copyright protection. Under the 1976 Copyright Act, which became effective January 1, 1978, a work is automatically protected by copyright when it is created. A work is created when it is "fixed" in a copy or phono-record for the first time. Neither registration in the Copyright Office nor publication is required for copyright protection under the present law.

If it's posted on the Internet, or Public Domain, can I use it? For example, may I use pictures/graphics or other information?

Not without determining if the material is “free.” Just because information or a picture is on the Internet does not mean it is “free” for the taking. You must have copyright permission to use any graphic or information taken from the Internet. Nothing modern is in the public domain anymore unless the owner explicitly puts it in the public domain. Explicitly means that you have clear indication from the author/owner saying that this material is in the public domain.

Exceptions

N/A

Related Requirements

External Regulations and Consequences

Unit Policies, Standards, and Procedures

None.

Contact Information

Primary Contact

Felicia Mosley-Williams, AHEC Liaison

Important Dates

  • Effective Date and title of Approver: 12/2003
  • Revised: 4/2008
  • Revised: 3/2010
  • Revised: 2/2012
  • Revised: 7/2013
  • Revised: 6/2016
  • Revised: 9/2016
  • Revised: 6/2017
  • Revised: 1/2018
  • Revised: 6/2024
  • Approved by the Faculty Executive Committee (FEC): March 2025
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