1. Can UCSC employees who travel for work share a room or rental space?
No. All UCSC employees who travel for work must have their own private hotel room that is not shared with other UCSC employees, and employees may not share a rental space, such as an Airbnb or Vrbo, even if there are separate rooms in the Airbnb or Vrbo.
Shared lodging accommodations for UCSC employees for work travel are prohibited and will not be reimbursed.
If an exception is needed, questions should be directed to the employee’s Principal Officer.
2. Does this travel guidance apply to students?
No, this guidance does not apply to students traveling in their capacity as students. UCSC employees should not share rooms/accommodations with students.
3. Does this travel guidance apply to graduate students who are traveling to a conference or presenting research off campus?
If a graduate student is traveling in their capacity as a student then this guidance does not apply.
Determination of whether an individual is traveling in their capacity as a student or as an employee is made by the Principal Investigator, faculty mentor, or departmental graduate director.
4. Are there any exceptional circumstances where sharing a room would be permitted for work travel?
Exceptions may be made in some limited circumstances on a case-by-case, such as for ADA accommodations, spousal-related travel considerations, or as needed for unique field research scenarios.
Any requests for exceptions to this policy should be directed to the employee’s Principal Officer.
5. I am planning to attend a conference or event and share a room with a non-UCSC employee to reduce costs. Is this acceptable?
We understand that some employees, particularly faculty members attending conferences, share accommodations with colleagues from other institutions who are not UCSC employees.
This practice is not impacted by the new travel guidance.
Note, however, that no UCSC employees can be required to share accommodations with a non-UCSC colleague or anyone else.
6. Why has this guidance been implemented?
Ensuring employees have private accommodations while traveling on university business supports the safety of our employees and helps prevent adverse or harmful issues from occurring.
