11:59 a.m., March 10, 2009----As part of its continuing initiative to offer the University of Delaware community innovative alternatives for the acquisition of goods and services, Procurement Services will introduce new travel Visa card functionality in April.

The improved process is in response to the campus community's request for alternatives to the existing reimbursement procedure, known as the BER.

Along with the travel card, Procurement Services has announced Egencia, an Expedia company, as the preferred UD travel management company. Their assistance and tools will be handy in booking University business travel.

Another piece of the initiative is the incorporation of Works, a web-based application that will be used as the review and approval process of all credit card expenditures.

This easy solution will automate and streamline the authorization process, both for a user's card charges and as a place to settle reimbursables, such as mileage.

Workshops on the changes undertaken by Procurement Services will be held in numerous locations throughout campus, including the Trabant University Center, Pearson Hall, the Bob Carpenter Center, specifically for the athletics department, and in Georgetown, for the Kent and Sussex county users.

The workshops will highlight recent updates in travel policy as well as instruct those who travel on University of Delaware business.

To obtain a travel Visa card or to upgrade existing procurement cards with travel functionality, both travelers (cardholders) and card administrators will need to attend training and fill out an online cardholder enrollment and agreement form.

Cards will be available beginning the week of April 6. Classes will begin the end of March for those identified as heavy users, with enrollment for the balance of campus users having several options in April.

One of the April classes in Pearson Hall will be filmed, allowing Procurement Services to offer a podcast version on the office's Web site for future training opportunities.

To register, click on a link below:

March 31, 9-11 a.m., Newark, Trabant University Center, Multipurpose Room A

April 1, 9-11 a.m., Newark, Trabant University Center, Multipurpose Room A

April 2, 9-11 a.m. - Newark, Trabant University Center, Multipurpose Room A

April 7, 9-11 a.m., Newark, Trabant University Center, Multipurpose Room A

April 9, 9-11 a.m., Newark, Trabant University Center, Multipurpose Room A

April 14, 9-11 a.m., Newark, Trabant University Center, Multipurpose Room A

April 15, 9-11 a.m., Newark, Trabant University Center, Multipurpose Room A

April 16, 1-3 p.m., Georgetown, Carvel Center, Room 3