Updated: Sun, 10/06/2024 - 10:30

From Saturday, Oct. 5 through Monday, Oct. 7, the Downtown and Macdonald Campuses will be open only to McGill students, employees and essential visitors. Many classes will be held online. Remote work required where possible. See Campus Public Safety website for details.


Du samedi 5 octobre au lundi 7 octobre, le campus du centre-ville et le campus Macdonald ne seront accessibles qu’aux étudiants et aux membres du personnel de l’Université McGill, ainsi qu’aux visiteurs essentiels. De nombreux cours auront lieu en ligne. Le personnel devra travailler à distance, si possible. Voir le site Web de la Direction de la protection et de la prévention pour plus de détails.

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How To's for Minerva

Minerva Advances and Expense Reports Menu Options & Instructions (Finance, Employee, and Student menus)

Employee collectively refers to academics, researchers, and administrative staff.

Submit a Request for an Advance

This menu option is not available through the Student Menu.

There are three menu options to choose from:

Submit an Advance Request for Yourself

Create an accountable advance where you are the responsible person.
  1. Select the Employee/Finance Menu option in Minerva
  2. Select the Advances and Expense Report menu
  3. Select Submit a Request for an Advance
  4. Select the menu option Submit an Advance Request For Yourself 
    Note: If you have any Outstanding Accountable Advances they will be listed directly underneath the Header Information. if you have an Overdue Advance (past due from 30 days after the trip end date and indicated with a Y in the overdue column, this advance must be reconciled by submitting an expense report before you may request another advance.
  5. Enter the Destination city
  6. Select the appropriate Province/State
  7. Select the appropriate Destination country
  8. Select/Enter the Start and Return dates

    Further explanation

    Start Date

    • Enter the start date of the conference/meeting in the format DD-MON-YYYY or click on the calendar icon to select a date.
    • If requesting an advance for expenses such as participant payments, field advance, or petty cash advance, the Start date must be the current date or “future dated”.

    Return Date

    • Enter the end date of the conference/meeting in the format DD-MON-YYYY or click on the calendar icon to select a date.
    • If requesting an advance for expenses such as participant payments, field advance, or petty cash advance, enter the end date for the expense.

    Note:The start and return dates for travel must reflect the dates of the conference/meeting regardless of whether or not you stayed extra days.

  9. Select the Advance Type
    Further explanation
    Type Explanation
    Out-of-pocket in advance of trip
    • Used to cover payments already made from the Claimant's own pocket. For example, air fare or conference fees were paid by personal credit card before leaving for a trip.
    • Payment may only be issued in Canadian dollars $ and may be requested at any time.
    • Claimants may only be McGill employees or students.
    • An invoice/receipt must be submitted, indicating proof of payment, with the advance.
    • Only the exact out-of-pocket amount in Canadian dollars $ will be advanced.
    Third party pre-payment
    • Used for payments for conference registrations. For example, an invoice is received, and you wish to issue payment directly to that organization for the upcoming trip.
    • Third Party Prepayments may be requested by McGill employees on behalf of students and visitors.
    • Payment may be issued in any currency and may be requested at any time.
    • An invoice must be submitted with the advance.
    Cash advance
    • Used to cover anticipated expenses to be incurred during the trip. Should be limited to field studies, extended trips, and trips which occur in countries where cash is the only mode of payment.
    • Cash Advances may only be requested 30 days prior to the start of the trip.
    • May only be issued to McGill employees or students.
    • Payment may only be made in Canadian dollars $.
  10. Select the Purpose
    Further explanation
    Purpose Explanation
    Travel To attend conferences or meetings.
    Participant Fee in a research/clinical study For research/clinical studies - compensation given to participants for undergoing experimental testing.
    (May not be issued for more than a 6 month period.)
    Field Advance For research being done over an extended period of time, off campus or at a remote location.
    Petty Cash Advance For petty cash fund replenishments.
  11. Enter a detailed Description (Describe purpose) for the advance.
    Further explanation

    Describe the trip/nature of the expenses to be incurred in sufficient detail so that anyone reading the advance request may easily assess the University business or research reason for the incurred expenses.

    • If requesting a cash advance greater than $5,000, a breakdown of estimated costs is required
    • Include research details and/or the full conference name (no acronyms) if applicable.
    • If you are paying expenses for someone else who will be traveling, indicate their full name.
  12. Enter the Canadian amount being requested - if requesting a Third Party Payment, leave this field blank
    Further explanation
    Payment may only be issued in Canadian dollars. If payment was made in a foreign currency, use the exchange rate on your credit card statement or the rate derived from the Bank of Canada website.
  13. Enter the Fund code to charge
  14. If needed, complete the Third Party payments section
    Instructions
    1. In the Is the Claimant a resident outside of Canada? Field, select Yes or No from the drop down menu depending upon whether or not the Third Party is a resident of Canada.
    2. Enter the Last Name/Vendor Name of the Third Party. This name must match the “payable to” information as indicated on the invoice.
    3. If the Third Party is an individual, complete the First name field. If the Third Party is a Vendor/Organization, leave this field blank.
    4. Enter Payment Details. Examples of information to enter:
      • Conference registration details
      • Invoice numbers
      • Note: Only the first 30 characters of entered text will be printed on the cheque stub.
    5. Select the Cheque Currency Type from the drop down menu. If “Other” is chosen, specify the currency in the “Describe Purpose” field used in Step 8 above.
    6. In the Amount $ field, enter the face value of the invoice. There is no need to enter the $ sign.
    7. In the Street line 1 field, enter the address of the Third Party.
    8. If needed, use the fields for Street line 2 and Street line 3. Otherwise, leave these fields blank.
    9. Enter the City which corresponds to the Third Party’s address.
    10. Select the appropriate Province/State
    11. Select the appropriate Destination country
    12. Enter the Postal/Zip code
    13. If the Phone number and E-mail address are provided on the invoice, enter the information in the respective fields. Otherwise leave these fields blank.

     

  15. Click on Continue to proceed to the next screen
  16. Verify FOAPAL information and if needed, split FOAPALs
    Making changes to the displayed FOAPAL

    TAB through the FOAPAL fields and make changes as needed:

    • Fund defaults in with the fund code entered on the previous screen. You may type over it to enter a new fund.
      Be sure to TAB to the next field.
    • Orgn (Organization) and Prog (Program) codes are auto-populated based on the entered fund code. These fields may not be overridden.
    • Acct (Account) code 700405 defaults in when submitting an advance request.  This field may not be overridden.
    • Actv (Activity) and Locn (Location) codes default in as 000000. You may override these fields.

    Transaction amount displays the amount entered in the Canadian Amount $ field on the previous screen. You may override this field if you wish to charge only a portion of the advance request to this FOAPAL (splitting FOAPALs).

    Instructions to split FOAPALs
    1. Modify the transaction amount to be charged to the first FOAPAL sequence
    2. Click the Add New FOAPAL button
      Another FOAPAL sequence will be created and the balance to be charged to this fund will be automatically displayed in the Transaction amount field for this sequence.
    3. Enter the new Fund code
    4. TAB through the Organization, Account, and Program code fields (these fields may not be overridden)
    5. Override the Activity/Location codes if required
    6. Modify the transaction amount if more FOAPAL sequences will be added and
      repeat steps 2-6
    7. When all FOAPALs have been added, proceed to the next step below

     

  17. Click on Save and View to verify the request
    Explanations of other options
    Option Explanation
    Back to Header Brings you to the previous screen (beginning) of the advance request.
    Add New FOAPAL Creates a new sequence. Use this option if you wish to split the advance request amongst multiple FOAPALs. See instructions above on Splitting FOAPALs.
    Save and View Saves the advance request and displays the request on the next screen for you to verify. Select this option to continue submitting this advance request.
    Cancel FOAPAL Deletes the FOAPAL information on this screen and brings you back to the previous screen (beginning) of the advance request. The Fund Code field will be blank and you will need to enter a new fund in order to continue submitting the advance request.

    If you clicked on Save and View, a summary of the entered advance request is displayed.

    Fund Information section explained

    Fund Information displays information for all funds charged on this advance request and the approvers associated to each fund.

    • If your Unit has a local Financial Service Team (FST) in place, the FST Manager who will be electronically approving your request will be displayed. You will be sending all completed documents (paper copy and supporting documentation/receipt(s) for this request) to this person and you may contact them should you have any questions about this request.
    • If your Unit has no FST in place, then the Fund Administrator (in Financial Services) of the Fund being charged will be electronically approving your request. You will be sending all completed documents (paper copy and supporting documentation/receipt(s) for this request) to the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) and you may contact the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) should you have any questions about this request.
    • The Financial Manager (or Principal Investigator) listed here must sign/approve the paper copy of this request. If more than one fund is being charged, all of the Financial Managers listed in this section must sign/approve the request. If you are the Fund Financial Manager and are also the Claimant, your direct superior ('One-Up') must sign/approve this request.
  18. Click on Complete – Submit request
    Explanations of other options
    Option Explanation
    Edit Request Allows you to make changes to your advance. It will bring you to the first screen (beginning) of the advance request.
    Return to Advances Menu Saves the advance request and will bring you back to the Minerva options page for Submit a Request for an Advance. If you select this option YOU HAVE NOT submitted this request for processing. You will be able to continue editing this advance request  by selecting the Minerva Menu Option "Open an Advance Request You Started and Saved".
    Complete – Submit Request Sends your advance request for electronic approval and brings you to the next screen to print the request. If you select this option NO further changes may be made to this advance request. If changes are needed, you will need to contact the listed FST Manager/Fund Administrator and ask them to disapprove your request. 

    If you clicked on Complete – Submit request, the completed advance request is displayed.

  19. Click on Print and mail hard copy to above address
    • Ensure the Header/Footer field is selected in the Print options if using Google Chrome or Safari
    • The reference number and amount must appear on top of all printed pages
  20. Click on Exit at the top right corner of the screen
    You will not receive an email confirming that the advance request was successfully submitted. Each request is assigned a unique reference number that may be used to track its status. The Reference # assigned to the advance request is displayed near the top of the screen.
  21. Ensure the appropriate individuals sign/approve the request
    Required signatures/approvals
    • Claimant (if paying a Vendor/Organization, the Claimant signature box is left blank)
    • Fund Financial Manager or Principal Investigator of each fund charged. If the Claimant is the Fund Financial Manager, their direct superior ('One-Up') must sign/approve this request.
    • Ensure that the signature page includes the reference number and amount on the top of the page.
    • The delegation of approval in certain circumstances is permitted. Refer to the Delegation of Signing Authority Regulation (see R4.3).
  22. Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) will only process Advances sent via email to traveldeskhelp.acct [at] mcgill.ca in the following format: One email = one Advance = one pdf document

    Please note: the Subject Line of the Email and the Name of the PDF must include the following:  The Document Type (ADV or EXR Document Number (e.g. ER01122334), claimant name, and final amount (please add minus sign "-" or brackets to indicate that an amount is owed to the University)                

    The one pdf document must include the Advance, the supporting receipts/documentation and the acknowledgements/approvals

    If a Financial Service Team-FST has been assigned to your Unit, they will forward the request to the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) once they have approved it.

Submit an Advance Request for Someone Else

Create an accountable advance where another McGill person is responsible.

If submitting an advance for a student, confirm that they have entered their Direct Deposit Bank Account information through the Student Menu in Minerva.

  1. Select the Employee/Finance Menu option in Minerva
  2. Select the Advances and Expense Report menu
  3. Select Submit a Request for an Advance
  4. Select the menu option Submit an Advance Request For Someone Else 
  5. In the Responsible McGill ID field, enter the McGill ID of the employee or student on behalf of whom you are submitting this request

    Further explanation

    • Since you are the Requestor, you are not the responsible person for this advance request.
    • The entered McGill ID dictates direct deposit information and confirms that the Claimant is a McGill employee or student.
    • In the case of Third Party Payments, the entered McGill ID denotes the McGill person deemed to be "responsible" for the advance request.
  6. Enter the Destination city
  7. Select the appropriate Province/State
  8. Select the appropriate Destination country
  9. Select/Enter the Start and Return dates
    Further explanation

    Start Date

    • Enter the start date of the conference/meeting in the format DD-MON-YYYY or click on the calendar icon to select a date.
    • If requesting an advance for expenses such as participant payments, field advance, or petty cash advance, the Start date must be the current date or “future dated”.

    Return Date

    • Enter the end date of the conference/meeting in the format DD-MON-YYYY or click on the calendar icon to select a date.
    • If requesting an advance for expenses such as participant payments, field advance, or petty cash advance, enter the end date for the expenses.

    Note: The start and return dates for travel must reflect the dates of the conference/meeting regardless of whether or not the Claimant stayed extra days.

  10. Select the Advance Type
    Further explanation
    Type Explanation
    Out-of-pocket in advance of trip
    • Used to cover payments already made from the Claimant's own pocket. For example, air fare or conference fees were paid by personal credit card before leaving for a trip.
    • Payment may only be issued in Canadian dollars $ and may be requested at any time.
    • Claimants may only be McGill employees or students.
    • An invoice/receipt must be submitted, indicating proof of payment, with the advance.
    • Only the exact out-of-pocket amount in Canadian dollars $ will be advanced.
    Third party pre-payment
    • Used for payments for conference registrations. For example, an invoice is received, and you wish to issue payment directly to that organization for the upcoming trip.
    • Third Party Prepayments may be requested by McGill employees on behalf of students and visitors.
    • Payment may be issued in any currency and may be requested at any time.
    • An invoice must be submitted with the advance.
    Cash advance
    • Used to cover anticipated expenses to be incurred during the trip. Should be limited to field studies, extended trips, and trips which occur in countries where cash is the only mode of payment.
    • Cash Advances may only be requested 30 days prior to the start of the trip.
    • May only be issued to McGill employees or students.
    • Payment may only be made in Canadian dollars $.
  11. Select the Purpose
    Further explanation
    Purpose Explanation
    Travel To attend conferences or meetings.
    Participant Fee in a research/clinical study For research/clinical studies - compensation given to participants for undergoing experimental testing.
    (May not be issued for more than a 6 month period.)
    Field Advance For research being done over an extended period of time, off campus or at a remote location.
    Petty Cash Advance For petty cash fund replenishments.
  12. Enter a detailed Description (Describe purpose) for the advance.
    Further explanation

    Describe the trip/nature of the expenses to be incurred in sufficient detail so that anyone reading the advance request may easily assess the University business or research reason for the incurred expenses.

    • If requesting a cash advance greater than $5,000, a breakdown of estimated costs is required.
    • Include research details and/or the full conference name (no acronyms) if applicable.
    • If you are paying expenses for someone else who will be traveling, indicate their full name.
  13. Enter the Canadian amount being requested - if requesting a Third Party Payment, leave this field blank
    Further explanation
    Payment may only be issued in Canadian dollars. If payment was made in a foreign currency, use the exchange rate on your credit card statement or the rate derived from the Bank of Canada website.
  14. Enter the Fund code to charge
  15. If needed, complete the Third Party payments section
    Instructions
    1. In the Is the Claimant a resident outside of Canada? Field, select Yes or No from the drop down menu depending upon whether or not the Third Party is a resident of Canada.
    2. Enter the Last Name/Vendor Name of the Third Party. This name must match the “payable to” information as indicated on the invoice.
    3. If the Third Party is an individual, complete the First name field. If the Third Party is a Vendor/Organization, leave this field blank.
    4. Enter Payment Details. Examples of information to enter:
      • Conference registration details
      • Invoice numbers
      • Note: Only the first 30 characters of entered text will be printed on the cheque stub.
    5. Select the Cheque Currency Type from the drop down menu. If “Other” is chosen, specify the currency in the “Describe Purpose” field used in Step 12 above.
    6. In the Amount $ field, enter the face value of the invoice. There is no need to enter the $ sign.
    7. In the Street line 1 field, enter the address of the Third Party.
    8. If needed, use the fields for Street line 2 and Street line 3. Otherwise, leave these fields blank.
    9. Enter the City which corresponds to the Third Party’s address.
    10. Select the appropriate Province/State
    11. Select the appropriate Destination country
    12. Enter the Postal/Zip code
    13. If the Phone number and E-mail address are provided on the invoice, enter the information in the respective fields. Otherwise leave these fields blank.

     

  16. Click on Continue to proceed to the next screen
  17. Verify FOAPAL information and if needed, split FOAPALs
    Making changes to the displayed FOAPAL

    TAB through the FOAPAL fields and make changes as needed:

    • Fund defaults in with the fund code entered on the previous screen. You may type over it to enter a new fund.
      Be sure to TAB to the next field.
    • Orgn (Organization) and Prog (Program) codes are auto-populated based on the entered fund code. These fields may not be overridden.
    • Acct (Account) code 700405 defaults in when submitting an advance request.  This field may not be overridden.
    • Actv (Activity) and Locn (Location) codes default in as 000000. You may override these fields.

    Transaction amount displays the amount entered in the Canadian Amount $ field on the previous screen. You may override this field if you wish to charge only a portion of the advance request to this FOAPAL (splitting FOAPALs).

    Instructions to split FOAPALs
    1. Modify the transaction amount to be charged to the first FOAPAL sequence
    2. Click the Add New FOAPAL button
      Another FOAPAL sequence will be created and the balance to be charged to this fund will be automatically displayed in the Transaction amount field for this sequence.
    3. Enter the new Fund code
    4. TAB through the Organization, Account, and Program code fields (these fields may not be overridden)
    5. Override the Activity/Location codes if required
    6. Modify the transaction amount if more FOAPAL sequences will be added and
      repeat steps 2-6
    7. When all FOAPALs have been added, proceed to the next step below

     

  18. Click on Save and View to verify the request
    Explanations of other options
    Option Explanation
    Back to Header Brings you to the previous screen (beginning) of the advance request.
    Add New FOAPAL Creates a new sequence. Use this option if you wish to split the advance request amongst multiple FOAPALs. See instructions above on Splitting FOAPALs.
    Save and View Saves the advance request and displays the request on the next screen for you to verify. Select this option to continue submitting this advance request.
    Cancel FOAPAL Deletes the FOAPAL information on this screen and brings you back to the previous screen (beginning) of the advance request. The Fund Code field will be blank and you will need to enter a new fund in order to continue submitting the advance request.

    If you clicked on Save and View, a summary of the entered advance request is displayed.

    Fund Information section explained

    Fund Information displays information for all funds charged on this advance request and the approvers associated to each fund.

    • If your Unit has a local Financial Service Team (FST) in place, the FST Manager who will be electronically approving your request will be displayed. You will be sending all completed documents (paper copy and supporting documentation/receipt(s) for this request) to this person and you may contact them should you have any questions about this request.
    • If your Unit has no FST in place, then the Fund Administrator (in Financial Services) of the Fund being charged will be electronically approving your request. You will be sending all completed documents (paper copy and supporting documentation/receipt(s) for this request) to the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) and you may contact the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) should you have any questions about this request.
    • The Financial Manager (or Principal Investigator) listed here must sign/approve the paper copy of this request. If more than one fund is being charged, all of the Financial Managers listed in this section must sign/approve the request. If you are the Fund Financial Manager and are also the Claimant, your direct superior ('One-Up') must sign/approve this request.
  19. Click on Complete – Submit request
    Explanations of other options
    Option Explanation
    Edit Request Allows you to make changes to your advance. It will bring you to the first screen (beginning) of the advance request.
    Return to Advances Menu Saves the advance request and will bring you back to the Minerva options page for Submit a Request for an Advance. If you select this option YOU HAVE NOT submitted this request for processing. You will be able to continue editing this advance request  by selecting the Minerva Menu Option "Open an Advance Request You Started and Saved".
    Complete – Submit Request Sends your advance request for electronic approval and brings you to the next screen to print the request. If you select this option NO further changes may be made to this advance request. If changes are needed, you will need to contact the listed FST Manager/Fund Administrator and ask them to disapprove your request. 

    If you clicked on Complete – Submit request, the completed advance request is displayed.

  20. Click on Print and mail hard copy to above address
    • Ensure the Header/Footer field is selected in the Print options if using Google Chrome or Safari
    • The reference number and amount must appear on top of all printed pages
  21. Click on Exit at the top right corner of the screen
    You will not receive an email confirming that the advance request was successfully submitted. Each request is assigned a unique reference number that may be used to track its status. The Reference # assigned to the advance request is displayed near the top of the screen.
  22. Ensure the appropriate individuals sign/approve the request
    Required signatures/approvals
    • Claimant (if paying a Vendor/Organization, the Claimant signature box is left blank)
    • Fund Financial Manager or Principal Investigator of each fund charged. If the Claimant is the Fund Financial Manager, their direct superior ('One-Up') must sign/approve this request.
    • Ensure that the signature page includes the reference number and amount on the top of the page.
    • The delegation of approval in certain circumstances is permitted. Refer to the Delegation of Signing Authority Regulation (see R4.3).
  23. Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) will only process Advances sent via email to traveldeskhelp.acct [at] mcgill.ca in the following format:

    One email = one Advance = one pdf document

    Please note: the Subject Line of the Email and the Name of the PDF must include the following: The Document Type (ADV or EXR Document Number (e.g. ER01122334), claimant name, and final amount (please add minus sign "-" or brackets to indicate that an amount is owed to the University)

    The one pdf document must include the Advance, the supporting receipts/documentation and the acknowledgements/approvals

    If a Financial Service Team-FST has been assigned to your Unit, they will forward the request to the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) once they have approved it.

Open an Advance Request You Started and Saved

Continue, complete or correct an existing accountable advance request which you created and saved.
  1. Select the Employee/Finance Menu option in Minerva
  2. Select the Advances and Expense Report menu
  3. Select Submit a Request for an Advance
  4. Select the menu option Open an Advance Request You Started and Saved

    Further explanation

    • All advance requests which you have started, but which have not been submitted AND all advance requests which you have submitted and which were subsequently disapproved will be displayed on the screen - a brief summary of each advance will appear in a table.
    • In the Reference # field, a code referring to the status of the request will be displayed. Click on the legend link or place your cursor over the code to view a description of the request status indicator.
  5. Choose the advance request you want to modify and click Open
  6. TAB through the fields to make the necessary changes
  7. Follow the same steps as you would to submit an Advance Request for Yourself/Someone Else
 

To ensure that the reference # and the amount print on all pages of the Advance Request, follow these PDF icon instructions.

Submit an Expense Report

There are three or four menu options to choose from (Student Menu - 3 options | Employee and Finance Menus - 4 options):

Submit an Expense Report for Payments to  Third-Party Individuals

(Guest Lecturer Fees, Participant Fees in a research/clinical study, Living Allowances, and Prescribed Prizes).

  1. Select the Employee/Finance Menu option in Minerva
  2. Select the Advances and Expense Report Menu (Employee and Finance)
  3. Select Submit an Expense Report
  4. Select one of the following options:
    • If you are creating the Expense report on behalf of the FFM, select the Submit an Expense Report for someone else menu option.
    • If you are creating an expense report where another McGill person will review, add FOAPAL information, and complete the request, select the Start an Expense Report to be finished by Someone Else menu option.
  5. Enter the McGill ID of the responsible person
  6. Enter today's date in the Received Date field
  7. In the Destination city field, type "MTL" for Montreal
  8. Select Quebec as the Province/State
  9. Select Canada as the Destination country
  10. Enter today's date as the Start and Return dates
  11. Select the Purpose for the expense report
    Further explanation
    Type Explanation
    Guest Lecturer Fee Refers to payments to individuals for guest lectures and speaking engagements who have not traveled to Canada and are not Canadian Residents.
    Participant Fee in a research/clinical study Refers to payments made to participants for the purpose of research/clinical studies.

    Receipts must be obtained from each participant. The receipt must contain the name of the research study, the participant fee’s name and signature, and the amount paid.

    If the nature of the research is confidential, the expense report must include a memo from the FFM indicating that due to the confidential nature of the research, the names and addresses of recipients will not be disclosed. The receipt must be retained by the Department in the event of an internal or external audit.

    If the nature of the research is not confidential and the participant fee is paid to a McGill employee/student, the McGill ID must be entered in the "Description" field.

    Living Allowance Refers to living expenses paid from a restricted fund to non-McGill students.
    Living allowances paid to active/registered Undergraduate and Graduate students are considered aid/support and must be processed through BSA.
    If the living allowance is paid to a McGill employee/Post Doc, the McGill ID must be entered in the "Description" field.
    Prescribed Prizes

    As defined by the Income Tax Regulations – Section 7700, prescribed prizes are recognized by the general public and are awarded for meritorious achievement in the arts, the sciences or service to the public.

    Please note that all awards/prizes paid to active/registered Undergraduate and Graduate students, must be processed through BSA.

  12. Enter a detailed Description (Describe purpose) for the payment to the Third-party individual.
    Note: Describe the payment to the individual in sufficient details so that anyone reading the expense report may easily assess the University business or research reason for the incurred payment
  13. Enter the Default Fund Code to charge.
    Further explanation
    • You will be able to split FOAPALs and to override this fund code when entering in individual payment items on the next screen.
    • Minerva will validate the status of the fund before allowing you to continue to the next screen. However, it will not check for an available fund balance.
  14. For requests that will be charged to a Tri-Agency grant (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC and CRC), the Claimant Affiliation field must be completed - who the payment is for and their affiliation to the research group must be specified.
    Examples of affiliation and further explanations
    • Graduate Student
    • Research Staff
    • Collaborator
    • Visiting Researcher
    • Guest Speaker
    • Project Manager
    • Postdoc

    Maximum of 75 characters

  15. If you are using the menu option Start an Expense Report to be finished by Someone Else, choose the correct faculty/department when in the field To be completed by Reviewer.
  16. Complete the Third Party payments section 
    Instructions
    1. In the Is the Claimant a resident outside of Canada? Field, select Yes or No from the drop down menu depending upon whether or not the Third Party is a resident of Canada.
    2. Enter the Last Name/Vendor Name of the Third Party. This name must match the “payable to” information as indicated on the invoice/supporting documentation.
    3. Enter the First name field.
    4. Enter Payment Details. Examples of information to enter:
      • Guest lecturer fee, living allowance, participant fee, award/prize, etc.
      • Note: Only the first 30 characters of entered text will be printed on the cheque stub.
    5. Select the Cheque Currency Type from the drop down menu. If “Other” is chosen, specify the currency in the “Describe Purpose” field used in Step 11 above.
    6. In the Street line 1 field, enter the address of the Third Party Individual. Expense reports payable to individuals must include the full mailing address of the individual and not the McGill Departmental address.
    7. If needed, use the fields for Street line 2 and Street line 3. Otherwise, leave these fields blank.
    8. Enter the City which corresponds to the Third Party’s address.
    9. Select the appropriate Province/State
    10. Select the appropriate Destination country
    11. Enter the Postal/Zip code
    12. If the Phone number and E-mail address are provided, enter the information in the respective fields. Otherwise leave these fields blank.
  17. Click on Continue to proceed to the next screen
  18. Enter the payment information
    Further explanation
    If a receipt is to be charged to more than one FOAPAL, create as many expense items as needed and charge the appropriate amount to each FOAPAL.
    For example: A guest lecturer fee in the amount of $1,000 is to be split between two FOAPALs. This receipt will need to be entered as two line items since only one FOAPAL may be charged per line -
    Line Item 1 = Total transaction amount = $600
    Line Item 2 = Total transaction amount = $400
  19. Enter the date in the format DD-MON-YYYY or click on the calendar icon to select a date.
  20. Select the Expense Item category from the drop down menu which best describes the payment to the individual.
    Explanations of expense items
    Option Explanation
    Guest Lecturer Fee Refers to payments to individuals for guest lectures and speaking engagements who have not traveled to Canada and are not Canadian Residents. Account code: 700046.
    Participant Fee in a research/clinical study Refers to payments made to participants for the purpose of research/clinical studies. Account code: 700220.
    Receipts must be obtained from each participant. The receipt must contain the name of the research study, the participant fee’s name and signature, and the amount paid.
    If the nature of the research is confidential, the expense report must include a memo from the FFM indicating that due to the confidential nature of the research, the names and addresses of recipients will not be disclosed. The receipt must be retained by the Department in the event of an internal or external audit.
    If the nature of the research is not confidential and the participant fee is paid to a McGill employee/student, the McGill ID must be entered in the "Description" field.
    Living Allowance Refers to living expenses paid from a restricted fund to non-McGill students. Account code: 700244.
    Living allowances paid to active/registered Undergraduate and Graduate students are considered aid/support and must be processed through BSA.
    If the living allowance is paid to a McGill employee/Post Doc, the McGill ID must be entered in the "Description" field.
    Prescribed Prizes

    As defined by the Income Tax Regulations – Section 7700, prescribed prizes are recognized by the general public and are awarded for meritorious achievement in the arts, the sciences or service to the public. Account code: 700243.

    Please note that all awards/prizes paid to active/registered Undergraduate and Graduate students, must be processed through BSA.

  21. Enter a detailed Description of the payment
  22. Enter the Transaction amt (total amount of the payment OR if splitting FOAPALs, the portion of the payment to be charged to one FOAPAL)
  23. Select the appropriate Currency of the payment, if not Canadian. The Exchange rates for USD, GBP and Euro would automatically populate. To search for an exchange rate, click on the hyperlink for the Bank of Canada website.
  24. In the Purchasing location, select Quebec Location
  25. If needed, modify the displayed GST/HST and QST (PST) amounts to match your payment.
    Further explanation
    • The amount displayed is automatically calculated based on the transaction amt and purchasing location fields.
    • If the amount displayed does not match your payment, enter 0.00 or leave this field blank.
  26. Verify the Fund (FOAPAL) information, modify if needed
    Making changes to the displayed FOAPAL

    TAB through the FOAPAL fields and make changes as needed:

    • Fund defaults in with the fund code entered on the first screen of the expense report. You may type over it to enter a new fund.
      Be sure to TAB to the next field.
    • Orgn (Organization) and Prog (Program) codes are auto-populated based on the entered fund code. These fields may not be overrideen.
    • Acct (Account) code defaults in as per the selected payment to indivdual type. Always leave this field as is - the displayed account code matches the selected payment item.
    • Actv (Activity) and Locn (Location) codes default in as 000000. You may override these fields.
  27. Click on Save and View to verify the request.
    Explanations of other options
    Option Explanation
    Back to Header Brings you to the previous screen (beginning) of the expense report.
    Add New Item Creates a new sequence to the expense report if you need to add more line items.
    Note: When more than one item is entered on an expense report, a listing of radio buttons appears. Selecting any radio button will bring you to the information screen for that item. You may then make any necessary changes to the entered information.
    Cancel Item Deletes the item on the screen.
    Save and View Saves the expense report and displays the expense report for you to verify.
  28. If you clicked on Save and View, a summary of the entered expense report is displayed.
    Summary explained

    Payment Information displays entered information from the first page of the expense report.

    Summary of Expenses displays all entered line items.

    FOAPAL distribution displays all FOAPALs to be charged for this expense report.

    Fund Information displays information for all funds charged on this expense report and the approvers associated to each fund:

    • If your Unit has a local Financial Service Team (FST) in place, the FST Manager who will be electronically approving your request will be displayed. You will be sending all completed documents and supporting documentation for this payment to this person and you may contact them should you have any questions about this request.
    • If your Unit has no FST in place, then the Fund Administrator (in Financial Services) of the Fund being charged will be electronically approving your request. You will be sending all completed documents and supporting documentation for this payment to the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) and you may contact the Finance Help Desk at 514-398-3463 or Finance Service Desk Portal should you have any questions about this request.
    • The Financial Manager (or Principal Investigator) listed here must sign/approve the expense report. If more than one fund is being charged, all of the Financial Managers listed in this section must sign/approve the request.
  29. Click on Complete – Submit request
    Explanations of other options
    Option Explanation
    Edit Request Allows you to make changes to the expense report. It will bring you to the first screen (beginning) of the expense report.
    Return to Expense Menu Saves the expense report and will bring you back to the Minerva options page for Submit an Expense Report. If you select this option YOU HAVE NOT submitted this request for processing. You will be able to continue editing this expense report  by selecting the Minerva Menu Option "Open an Expense Report You Started and Saved".
    Complete – Submit Request Sends your expense report for electronic approval and brings you to the next screen to print the request. If you select this option NO further changes may be made to this expense report. If changes are needed, you will need to contact the listed FST Managerthe Finance Help Desk at 514-398-3463 or Finance Service Desk Portal
  30. If you clicked on Complete – Submit Request, and there are outstanding accountable advances associated with the Claimant/Responsible Person, they will be listed on this screen. Otherwise, the completed expense report is displayed.
  31. Click on Print and mail hard copy to above address button.
    • Ensure the Header/Footer field is selected in the Print options if using Google Chrome or Safari
    • The reference number and amount must appear on top of all pages
    • To ensure that the reference # and amount print on all pages of the Expense Report, follow these Instructions.
  32. Click on Exit at the top right corner of the screen
    You will not receive an email confirming that the expense report was successfully submitted. Each request is assigned a unique reference number that may be used to track its status. The Reference # assigned to the expense report is displayed near the top of the screen.
  33. Ensure the Fund Financial Manager (Principal Investigator) of each fund being charged sign/approve the request.
    • In the case where the payment to the individual is to be paid by wire transfer, complete the wire transfer form.
    • Ensure that the signature page includes the reference number and amount on the top of the page.
    • The delegation of approval in certain circumstances is permitted. Refer to the Delegation of Signing Authority Regulation (see P4.4).
  34. Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) will only process Expense Reports sent via email to traveldeskhelp.acct [at] mcgill.ca in the following format:

    One email = one Expense Report = one pdf document

    Please note: the Subject Line of the Email and the Name of the PDF must include the following: The Document Type (ADV or EXR), Document Number (e.g. ER01122334), claimant name, and final amount (please add minus sign “-“ or brackets to indicate that an amount is owed to the University)

    The one pdf document must include the Expense Report, the supporting receipts/documentation and the acknowledgements/approvals

    The official Expense Report available for internal and external audits is the Expense Report that is submitted, processed and retained by the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services)


    If a Financial Service Team-FST has been assigned to your Unit, they will forward the request to the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) once they have approved it.

Submit an Expense Report for Yourself

Create an expense report where you are the responsible person. Use this option if you know the FOAPAL your expenses should be charged to.
  1. Select the Employee/Finance/Student Menu option in Minerva
  2. Select the Expense Reports Menu (Student) |Advances and Expense Report Menu (Employee and Finance)
  3. Select Submit an Expense Report
  4. Select Submit an Expense Report for Yourself
  5. If you have any Outstanding Accountable Advances, they will be listed directly underneath the Requested By information displayed on the screen. If you have an Overdue Advance (past due from 30 days after the trip end date and indicated with a Y in the overdue column, this advance must be reconciled by submitting an expense report before you may submit another expense report.
  6. Enter the Destination city
  7. Select the appropriate Province/State
  8. Select the appropriate Destination country
  9. Select/Enter the Start and Return dates

    Further explanation

    Start and Return Dates

    1. If the expense report includes personal travel, then the start and return dates are the departure and return dates of the transportation (i.e. airfare, train, car, etc.).
    2. If the expense report does not include any personal travel, then the start and return dates are the  start and end dates of the conference/business meetings/field studies.
    3. If the expense report does not include any travel (e.g. only meals), then the start date is the date of the oldest receipt and the return date is the date of the most recent receipt.
  10. Select the Purpose for the expense report
    Further explanation
    Type Explanation
    Travel Expenses incurred while attending conferences or meetings - transportation, lodging, meals and conference registration.
    Travel – DAR (Dev & Alum Related Business) To be used by DAR only.
    Professional Development Fund Academic Salary Policy which provides for a Professional Development Fund for eligible academic staff members. See the Academic Personnel Office website for more information and instructions.
    Field Trips Expenses incurred while doing research over an extended period of time, off campus or at a remote location.
    Recruitment Staff/Student Expenses incurred during the recruitment of future McGill Staff and students.
    Participant Fee in a research/clinical study For research/clinical studies - compensation given to participants for undergoing experimental testing.
    Other Personal Reimbursements Small item purchases made on behalf of the Department/Unit.
  11. Enter a detailed Description (Describe purpose) for the expense report
    Further explanation

    Describe the trip/nature of the expenses in sufficient detail so that anyone reading the expense report may easily assess the University business or research reason for the incurred expenses. Include persons or organizations visited, and the full conference name (no acronyms) if applicable.

    Expense Type - Communication Expenses: Include the months - reference period of the invoices being claimed.

    Expense Type - Gifts, Gift Cards/Certificates: Be sure to include the name of the store where the gift card/ certificate is redeemable

  12. Enter the Default Fund Code to charge.
    Further explanation
    • You will be able to split FOAPALs and to override this fund code when entering in individual expense items on the next screen.
    • Minerva will validate the status of the fund before allowing you to continue to the next screen. However, it will not check for an available fund balance.
  13. For requests that will be charged to a Tri-Agency grant (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC and CRC), where the Claimant is anyone other than the grantee or where a Third party payment is being issued, enter the Claimant Affiliation
    Examples of affiliation and further explanations
    • Graduate Student
    • Research Staff
    • Collaborator
    • Visiting Researcher
    • Guest Speaker
    • Project Manager
    • Postdoc

    Maximum of 75 characters

    If a Tri-Agency grant will be charged for a Third Party Payment, the Claimant Affiliation field must be completed - who the expense is for and their affiliation to the research group must be specified.

  14. If needed, complete the Third Party payments section
    Instructions
    1. In the Is the Claimant a resident outside of Canada? Field, select Yes or No from the drop down menu depending upon whether or not the Third Party is a resident of Canada.
    2. Enter the Last Name/Vendor Name of the Third Party. This name must match the “payable to” information as indicated on the invoice.
    3. If the Third Party is an individual, complete the First name field. If the Third Party is a Vendor/Organization, leave this field blank.
    4. Enter Payment Details. Examples of information to enter:
      • Conference registration details
      • Invoice numbers
      • Note: Only the first 30 characters of entered text will be printed on the cheque stub.
    5. Select the Cheque Currency Type from the drop down menu. If “Other” is chosen, specify the currency in the “Describe Purpose” field used in Step 11 above.
    6. In the Street line 1 field, enter the address of the Third Party. Expense reports for visitors must include the full mailing address of the visitor and not the McGill Departmental address.
    7. If needed, use the fields for Street line 2 and Street line 3. Otherwise, leave these fields blank.
    8. Enter the City which corresponds to the Third Party’s address.
    9. Select the appropriate Province/State
    10. Select the appropriate Destination country
    11. Enter the Postal/Zip code
    12. If the Phone number and E-mail address are provided, enter the information in the respective fields. Otherwise leave these fields blank.

    **end**

  15. Click on Continue to proceed to the next screen
  16. Enter receipt information
    Further explanation

    Enter each receipt individually. The following receipts may be grouped by purchasing location and entered as a single item.

    • Parking
    • Gas
    • Taxi - if travel related. Local (Montreal) taxi receipts for McGill employees must be entered as individual items with a detailed explanation for each receipt.
    • Per diem
    • Postage
    • Tolls
    • Calling cards
    • Photocopies

    Expense Type - Conference & Seminar Registration: For conferences, all trip-related expenses must have been incurred within the start and end date of the conference. If proof of payment indicates MC 5550 XXXX, conference registration fees were paid by PCard and the Claimant should not be reimbursed. In the future, PCard should not be used for conference registrations.

    Expense Type - Participant Fee in a research/clinical studyParticipant fees may be grouped by participant. Each line item in the expense report would then correspond to one participant and may include multiple payments. Be sure to provide a breakdown in the Description field.

    If a receipt is to be charged to more than one FOAPAL, create as many expense items as needed and charge the appropriate amount to each FOAPAL. For example: An airfare receipt in the amount of $1,000 is to be split between two FOAPALs. This receipt will need to be entered as two expense items since only one FOAPAL may be charged per expense item -
    Expense Item 1 = Total transaction amount = $600
    Expense Item 2 = Total transaction amount = $400

    Any expenses already paid through an advance (out-of-pocket in advance of trip, third party pre-payment, or cash advance) must be entered on the expense report. The corresponding receipts must be entered as seperate expense items. This is the first step to reconcile an advance to an expense report.

  17. Enter the Receipt date
    Further explanation
    • Enter the date in the format DD-MON-YYYY or click on the calendar icon to select a date.
    • For a group of receipts, enter a date corresponding to any one of the receipts.
  18. Select the Expense Item category from the drop down menu which best describes the expense to be claimed
    Explanations of expense items
    Option Explanation
    Baggage Fees Expense Type - Airfare: Select this item for a receipt specifically displaying this charge – no other charges appear on the receipt. If an airfare receipt includes flight and baggage fees, do not separate the charges. Enter the receipt as one item and select the expense item Airfare. The default account code associated with this item is 700512 (Travel - General).
    Seat Selection Expense Type - Airfare: Select this item for a receipt specifically displaying this charge – no other charges appear on the receipt. If an airfare receipt includes flight and seat selection fees, do not separate the charges. Enter the receipt as one item and select the expense item Airfare. The default account code associated with this item is 700512 (Travel - General).
    Travel - Taxi (for travel purposes) Expense Type - Taxi: Select this item when claiming taxi receipts for a trip which involved an overnight stay or travel outside of the city in which the Claimant works/studies. The default account code associated with this item is 700512 (Travel - General).
    Taxi - Local (for non-travel Other reimbursement) Expense Type - Taxi: Select this item when claiming taxi receipts in the city in which the Claimant works/studies or in an outlying city/suburb which did not involve overnight stay. The default account code associated with this item is 700507 (Transportation).
    Travel – Cell/Internet Expense Type - Communication Expenses: Select this item when the Claimant purchases a cell phone package for travel. Select this item for a receipt specifically displaying charges for Internet usage – no other charges appear on the receipt. If a lodging receipt includes room rates and internet charges, do not separate the charges. Enter the receipt as one item and select the expense item Hotel. If claimed on a research grant or contract, cell/internet charges must be directly related to research and must be compliant with sponsor guidelines. The default account code associated with this item is 700512 (Travel - General).  
  19. Enter a detailed Description of the receipt
  20. For mileage ONLY, enter the # of kilometers/miles being claimed
  21. Enter the Transaction amt (total amount of all items on the receipt, including taxes OR if splitting FOAPALs, the portion of the receipt to be charged to one FOAPAL)
  22. If personal expenses are included on the receipt, enter the total amount of the personal expenses, including  taxes, to be deducted from the receipt total in Deduct non-McGill expense including taxes $
    Further explanation
    Expense Type - Communication Expenses: Pay attention to ‘rebates’ which may be given for bundled services (e.g. internet, and cable with the same service provider). These rebates must be entered in the Deduct non-McGill expense field when entering the expense item.
  23. Select the appropriate Currency of the receipt, if not Canadian
  24. If needed, enter the Currency exchange rate
    Further explanation
    • Exchange rates for USD, GBP and Euro are automatically populated - you may override it.
    • If the expense was paid by credit card, enter the exchange rate as indicated on the credit card statement.
    • To search for an exchange rate, click on the hyperlink for the Bank of Canada website
  25. If needed, update the Purchasing location
    Further explanation
    Purchasing location defaults in based on the selected Currency. If unsure which location to select, take a look at the taxes on your receipt. 
    • If GST/HST and QST (PST) amounts appear, select Quebec Location
    • If a GST/HST amount appears, but the QST (PST) amount is 0.00, select Canada not Quebec Location.
    Expense Type - Airfare: This field is not used when entering airfare receipts.
  26. If needed, modify the displayed GST/HST and QST amounts to match your receipt
    Further explanation
    • The amount displayed is automatically calculated based on the transaction amt $ and purchasing location fields.
    • Taxes must match the taxes shown on the receipt.
    • If the amount displayed does not match your receipt, enter the tax amount as it appears on your receipt. If there is no tax breakdown on the receipt, enter 0.00 or leave this field blank.
    • Expense Type - Taxi: For taxi receipts issued in Montreal, do not override the displayed taxes – leave as is.
    • Expense Type - Airfare: When entering Airfare, taxes are not automatically calculated. Enter 0.00
  27. Verify the Fund (FOAPAL) information, modify if needed
    Making changes to the displayed FOAPAL

    TAB through the FOAPAL fields and make changes as needed:

    • Fund defaults in with the fund code entered on the first screen of the expense report. You may type over it to enter a new fund.
      Be sure to TAB to the next field.
    • Orgn (Organization) and Prog (Program) codes are auto-populated based on the entered fund code. These fields may not be overridden.
    • Acct (Account) code 700512 defaults in when a travel-related expense is selected in the Expense Item field.  Always leave this field as is – the displayed account code matches the selected expense item.
    • Actv (Activity) and Locn (Location) codes default in as 000000. You may override these fields.
  28. To enter more receipts, click on Add New Item and repeat Steps 17 to 27
    Instructions to split FOAPALs
    OPTION 1:
    If a receipt is to be charged to more than one Fund (FOAPAL), create as many expense items as needed and charge the appropriate amount to each FOAPAL. In the expense item screen:
    1. Enter receipt information in the required fields
    2. In the transaction amount field, enter the amount to be charged to the FOAPAL
    3. Verify the GST/HST and QST amounts, modify if needed
    4. If the Default Fund code is to be charged, leave the FOAPAL fields as is, otherwise enter the Fund code to charge and TAB through the FOAPAL fields
    5. Click the Add New Item button to create the next expense item for the same receipt
    6. Repeat Steps 1 to 5 until expense items totaling the full value of the receipt have been entered, then proceed to the next step below

    OPTION 2:
    If a receipt is to be charged to more than one Fund (FOAPAL), create as many expense items as needed and charge the appropriate amount to each FOAPAL. The figure displayed in the Allowable Expense amt $ field must equal the amount to charge to the entered FOAPAL. For example: An airfare receipt in the amount of $1,000 is to be split between two FOAPALs with one FOAPAL to be charged $600 and a second FOAPAL to be charged the balance of $400. This receipt will need to be entered as two expense items since only one FOAPAL may be charged per expense item.

    Expense Item 1: Transaction amount $ = 1000 | Deduct non-McGill expense including taxes $ = 400
    =Allowable Expense amt $ = 600 (calculated field automatically populated with a figure based on the entered amounts)

    Expense Item 2: Transaction amount $ = 1000 | Deduct non-McGill expense including taxes $ = 600
    =Allowable Expense amt $ = 400 (calculated field automatically populated with a figure based on the entered amounts)

    In the expense item screen:

    1. Enter receipt information in the required fields
    2. In the transaction amount field, enter the total amount of the receipt, including taxes
    3. In the Deduct non-McGill expense including taxes field, enter the portion of the receipt including taxes which should not be charged to the FOAPAL entered for this item and TAB
    4. Verify the GST/HST and QST amounts, modify if needed
    5. If the Default Fund code is to be charged, leave the FOAPAL fields as is, otherwise enter the Fund code to charge and TAB through the FOAPAL fields
    6. Click the Add New Item button to create the next expense item for the same receipt
    7. Repeat Steps 1 to 6 until expense items totaling the full value of the receipt have been entered
    8. Click on Save and View to continue submitting the expense report

    **end**

  29. Click on Save and View to verify the request
    Explanations of other options
    Option Explanation
    Back to Header Brings you to the previous screen (beginning) of the expense report.
    Add New Item Creates a new sequence to the expense report if you need to add more receipts.
    Note: When more than one item is entered on an expense report, a listing of radio buttons appears. Selecting any radio button will bring you to the information screen for that item. You may then make any necessary changes to the entered information.
    Cancel Item Deletes the item on the screen.
    Save and View Saves the expense report and displays the expense report for you to verify.

    If you clicked on Save and View, a summary of the entered expense report is displayed.

    Summary explained

    Payment Information displays entered information from the first page of the expense report.

    Summary of Expenses displays all entered receipt items.

    FOAPAL distribution displays all FOAPALs to be charged for this expense report.

    Fund Information displays information for all funds charged on this expense report and the approvers associated to each fund:

    • If your Unit has a local Financial Service Team (FST) in place, the FST Manager who will be electronically approving your request will be displayed. You will be sending all completed documents (paper copy and supporting documentation/receipt(s) for this request) to this person and you may contact them should you have any questions about this request.
    • If your Unit has no FST in place, then the Fund Administrator (in Financial Services) of the Fund being charged will be electronically approving your request. You will be sending all completed documents (paper copy and supporting documentation/receipt(s) for this request) to the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) and you may contact the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) should you have any questions about this request.
    • The Financial Manager (or Principal Investigator) listed here must sign/approve the paper copy of this request. If more than one fund is being charged, all of the Financial Managers listed in this section must sign/approve the request. If you are the Fund Financial Manager and are also the Claimant, your direct superior ('One-Up') must sign/approve this request.
  30. Click on Complete – Submit request
    Explanations of other options
    Option Explanation
    Edit Request Allows you to make changes to your expense report. It will bring you to the first screen (beginning) of the expense report.
    Return to Expense Menu Saves the expense report and will bring you back to the Minerva options page for Submit an Expense Report. If you select this option YOU HAVE NOT submitted this request for processing. You will be able to continue editing this expense report  by selecting the Minerva Menu Option "Open an Expense Report You Started and Saved".
    See Checklist Brings you to a list of required documentation to help you verify if your expense report complies with the Reimbursement of Travel and Other Expenses Policy.
    Complete – Submit Request Sends your expense report for electronic approval and brings you to the next screen to print the request. If the Claimant/Responsible Person has any outstanding accountable advances, they will appear on the screen for you to reconcile.  If you select this option NO further changes may be made to this expense report. If changes are needed, you will need to contact the listed FST Manager/Fund Administrator and ask them to disapprove your request. 
  31. If you clicked on Complete – Submit Request, and there are outstanding accountable advances associated with the Claimant/Responsible Person, they will be listed on this screen. Otherwise, the completed expense report is displayed.
    Instructions to reconcile a displayed outstanding advance
    1. Select any advances associated with this trip by clicking on the respective check boxes under the EXR select column. This is the second and last step to reconcile an advance to an expense report.
      Note: All receipts pertaining to advances must have been entered as separate expense items in the previous screen.
    2. If needed, verify the details of the advance request by clicking on the hyperlinked Reference number – the advance will open in a new browser window.  
    3. Click the Continue button.
    4. The completed expense report is displayed. The system will calculate the total amount to be reimbursed to the Claimant taking into account advances already received. If the full amount of the advance is not accounted for, there will be a balance owing to the University. In the event that an amount is to be returned to the University, payment can be submitted via Interac e-Transfer to Traveldeskhelp.acct [at] mcgill.ca or via a personal cheque made payable to McGill University.

    **end**

  32. Click on Print and mail hard copy to above address.
    • Ensure the Header/Footer field is selected in the Print options if using Google Chrome or Safari
    • The reference number and amount must appear on top of all printed pages
  33. Click on Exit at the top right corner of the screen
    You will not receive an email confirming that the expense report was successfully submitted. Each request is assigned a unique reference number that may be used to track its status. The Reference # assigned to the expense report is displayed near the top of the screen.
  34. Ensure the appropriate individuals sign/approve the request
    Required signatures/approvals
    • Claimant
      • If paying a Vendor/Organization, the Claimant signature box is left blank
      • In the case of visitors to the University who will depart prior to their requests being processed in the system, the Visitor Claimant Signature form may be signed and attached to the expense report. The form must be completely filled out.
    • Fund Financial Manager or Principal Investigator of each fund charged. If the Claimant is the Fund Financial Manager, their direct superior (‘One-Up’) must sign/approval this request.
    • For research grants and contracts, expense reports payable to visitors must be countersigned/approved by the Dean or Chair.
    • Ensure that the signature page includes the reference number and amount on the top of the page.
    • The delegation of approval in certain circumstances is permitted. Refer to the Delegation of Signing Authority Regulation (see R4.3).
  35. Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) will only process Expense Reports sent via email to traveldeskhelp.acct [at] mcgill.ca in the following format:

    One email = one Expense Report = one pdf document

    Please note: the Subject Line of the Email and the Name of the PDF must include the following: The Document Type (ADV or EXR), Document Number (e.g. ER01122334), claimant name, and final amount (please add minus sign “-“ or brackets to indicate that an amount is owed to the University)

    The one pdf document must include the Expense Report, the supporting receipts/documentation and the acknowledgements/approvals

    Once an Expense Report is processed by the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services), any original paper receipt/supporting documentation that is digitized and submitted with the Expense Report must be destroyed.

    The official Expense Report available for internal and external audits is the Expense Report that is submitted, processed and retained by the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services)


    If a Financial Service Team-FST has been assigned to your Unit, they will forward the request to the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) once they have approved it.
    Further explanation for invoices/documentation
    Expense Type - Communication Expenses: If the billing stub is missing for invoices submitted for multiple periods, cross reference the account number to a receipt which has a stub.

Submit an Expense Report for Someone Else

This menu option is not available through the Student Menu.

Create an expense report where another McGill person is responsible.

If submitting an expense report for a student, confirm that they have entered their Direct Deposit Bank Account information through the Student Menu in Minerva.

  1. Select the Employee/Finance Menu option in Minerva
  2. Select the Advances and Expense Report Menu (Employee and Finance)
  3. Select Submit an Expense Report
  4. Select Submit an Expense Report for Someone Else
  5. Enter the McGill ID of the responsible person

    Further explanation

    Note:
    • Since you are the Requestor, you are not the responsible person for this expense report.
    • The entered McGill ID dictates direct deposit information and confirms that the Claimant is a McGill employee or student.
    • When submitting an expense report for a visitor, the McGill ID of the Fund Financial Manager or Principal Investigator of one of the fund(s) charged must be entered in the Responsible McGill ID field and the Third Party Payment Section completed with the visitor's information.
  6. Enter today's date in the Received Date field
  7. Enter the Destination city
  8. Select the appropriate Province/State
  9. Select the appropriate Destination country
  10. Select/Enter the Start and Return dates

    Further explanation

    Start and Return Dates

    1. If the expense report includes personal travel, then the start and return dates are the departure and return dates of the transportation (i.e. airfare, train, car, etc.).
    2. If the expense report does not include any personal travel, then the start and return dates are the start and end dates of the conference/business meetings/field studies.
    3. If the expense report does not include any travel (e.g. only meals), then the start date is the date of the oldest receipt and the return date is the date of the most recent receipt.
  11. Select the Purpose for the expense report
    Further explanation
    Type Explanation
    Travel Expenses incurred while attending conferences or meetings - transportation, lodging, meals and conference registration.
    Travel – DAR (Dev & Alum Related Business) To be used by DAR only.
    Professional Development Fund Academic Salary Policy which provides for a Professional Development Fund for eligible academic staff members. See the Academic Personnel Office website for more information and instructions.
    Field Trips Expenses incurred while doing research over an extended period of time, off campus or at a remote location.
    Recruitment Staff/Student Expenses incurred during the recruitment of future McGill Staff and students.
    Participant Fee in a research/clinical study For research/clinical studies - compensation given to participants for undergoing experimental testing.
    Other Personal Reimbursements Small item purchases made on behalf of the Department/Unit.
  12. Enter a detailed Description (Describe purpose) for the expense report
    Further explanation

    Describe the trip/nature of the expenses in sufficient detail so that anyone reading the expense report may easily assess the University business or research reason for the incurred expenses. Include persons or organizations visited, and the full conference name (no acronyms) if applicable.

    Expense Type - Communication Expenses: Include the months - reference period of the invoices being claimed.

    Expense Type - Gifts, Gift Cards/Certificates: Be sure to include the name of the store where the gift card/ certificate is redeemable

  13. Enter the Default Fund Code to charge.
    Further explanation
    • You will be able to split FOAPALs and to override this fund code when entering in individual expense items on the next screen.
    • Minerva will validate the status of the fund before allowing you to continue to the next screen. However, it will not check for an available fund balance.
  14. For requests that will be charged to a Tri-Agency grant (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC and CRC), where the Claimant is anyone other than the grantee or where a Third Party payment is being issued, enter the Claimant Affiliation
    Examples of affiliation and further explanations
    • Graduate Student
    • Research Staff
    • Collaborator
    • Visiting Researcher
    • Guest Speaker
    • Project Manager
    • Postdoc

    Maximum of 75 characters

    If a Tri-Agency grant will be charged for a Third Party payment, the Claimant Affiliation field must be completed - who the expense is for and their affiliation to the research group must be specified.

  15. If needed, complete the Third Party payments section 
    Instructions
    1. In the Is the Claimant a resident outside of Canada? Field, select Yes or No from the drop down menu depending upon whether or not the Third Party is a resident of Canada.
    2. Enter the Last Name/Vendor Name of the Third Party. This name must match the “payable to” information as indicated on the invoice.
    3. If the Third Party is an individual, complete the First name field. If the Third Party is a Vendor/Organization, leave this field blank.
    4. Enter Payment Details. Examples of information to enter:
      • Conference registration details
      • Invoice numbers
      • Note: Only the first 30 characters of entered text will be printed on the cheque stub.
    5. Select the Cheque Currency Type from the drop down menu. If “Other” is chosen, specify the currency in the “Describe Purpose” field used in Step 12 above.
    6. In the Street line 1 field, enter the address of the Third Party. Expense reports for visitors must include the full mailing address of the visitor and not the McGill Departmental address.
    7. If needed, use the fields for Street line 2 and Street line 3. Otherwise, leave these fields blank.
    8. Enter the City which corresponds to the Third Party’s address.
    9. Select the appropriate Province/State
    10. Select the appropriate Destination country
    11. Enter the Postal/Zip code
    12. If the Phone number and E-mail address are provided, enter the information in the respective fields. Otherwise leave these fields blank.

     

  16. Click on Continue to proceed to the next screen
  17. Enter receipt information
    Further explanation

    Enter each receipt individually. The following receipts may be grouped by purchasing location and entered as a single item.

    • Parking
    • Gas
    • Taxi - if travel related. Local (Montreal) taxi receipts for McGill employees must be entered as individual items with a detailed explanation for each receipt.
    • Per diem
    • Postage
    • Tolls
    • Calling cards
    • Photocopies

    Expense Type - Conference & Seminar Registration: For conferences, all trip-related expenses must have been incurred within the start and end date of the conference. If proof of payment indicates MC 5550 XXXX, conference registration fees were paid by PCard and the Claimant should not be reimbursed. In the future, PCard should not be used for conference registrations.

    Expense Type - Participant Fee in a research/clinical study: Participant fees may be grouped by participant. Each line item in the expense report would then correspond to one participant and may include multiple payments. Be sure to provide a breakdown in the Description field.

    If a receipt is to be charged to more than one FOAPAL, create as many expense items as needed and charge the appropriate amount to each FOAPAL. For example: An airfare receipt in the amount of $1,000 is to be split between two FOAPALs. This receipt will need to be entered as two expense items since only one FOAPAL may be charged per expense item -
    Expense Item 1 = Total transaction amount = $600
    Expense Item 2 = Total transaction amount = $400

    Any expenses already paid through an advance (out-of-pocket in advance of trip, third party pre-payment, or cash advance) must be entered on the expense report. The corresponding receipts must be entered as separate expense items. This is the first step to reconcile an advance to an expense report.

  18. Enter the Receipt date
    Further explanation
    • Enter the date in the format DD-MON-YYYY or click on the calendar icon to select a date.
    • For a group of receipts, enter a date corresponding to any one of the receipts.
  19. Select the Expense Item category which best describes the expense to be claimed
    Explanations of expense items
    Option Explanation
    Baggage Fees Expense Type - Airfare: Select this item for a receipt specifically displaying this charge – no other charges appear on the receipt. If an airfare receipt includes flight and baggage fees, do not separate the charges. Enter the receipt as one item and select the expense item Airfare. The default account code associated with this item is 700512 (Travel - General).
    Seat Selection Expense Type - Airfare: Select this item for a receipt specifically displaying this charge – no other charges appear on the receipt. If an airfare receipt includes flight and seat selection fees, do not separate the charges. Enter the receipt as one item and select the expense item Airfare. The default account code associated with this item is 700512 (Travel - General).
    Travel - Taxi (for travel purposes) Expense Type - Taxi: Select this item when claiming taxi receipts for a trip which involved an overnight stay or travel outside of the city in which the Claimant works/studies. The default account code associated with this item is 700512 (Travel - General).
    Taxi - Local (for non-travel Other reimbursement) Expense Type - Taxi: Select this item when claiming taxi receipts in the city in which the Claimant works/studies or in an outlying city/suburb which did not involve overnight stay. The default account code associated with this item is 700507 (Transportation).
    Travel – Cell/Internet Expense Type - Communication Expenses: Select this item when the Claimant purchases a cell phone package for travel. Select this item for a receipt specifically displaying charges for Internet usage – no other charges appear on the receipt. If a lodging receipt includes room rates and internet charges, do not separate the charges. Enter the receipt as one item and select the expense item Hotel. If claimed on a research grant or contract, cell/internet charges must be directly related to research and must be compliant with sponsor guidelines. The default account code associated with this item is 700512 (Travel - General).  
  20. Enter a detailed Description of the receipt
  21. For mileage ONLY, enter the # of kilometers/miles being claimed
  22. Enter the Transaction amt (total amount of all items on the receipt, including taxes OR if splitting FOAPALs, the portion of the receipt to be charged to one FOAPAL)
  23. If personal expenses are included on the receipt, enter the total amount of the personal expenses, including  taxes, to be deducted from the receipt total in Deduct non-McGill expense including taxes $
    Further explanation
    Expense Type - Communication Expenses: Pay attention to ‘rebates’ which may be given for bundled services (e.g. internet, and cable with the same service provider). These rebates must be entered in the Deduct non-McGill expense field when entering the expense item.
  24. Select the appropriate Currency of the receipt, if not Canadian
  25. If needed, enter the Currency exchange rate
    Further explanation
    • Exchange rates for USD, GBP and Euro are automatically populated - you may override it.
    • If the expense was paid by credit card, enter the exchange rate as indicated on the credit card statement.
    • To search for an exchange rate, click on the hyperlink for the Bank of Canada website
  26. If needed, update the Purchasing location
    Further explanation
    Purchasing location defaults in based on the selected Currency. If unsure which location to select, take a look at the taxes on your receipt. 
    • If GST/HST and QST (PST) amounts appear, select Quebec Location
    • If a GST/HST amount appears, but the QST (PST) amount is 0.00, select Canada not Quebec Location.
    Expense Type - Airfare: This field is not used when entering airfare receipts.
  27. If needed, modify the displayed GST/HST and QST amounts to match your receipt
    Further explanation
    • The amount displayed is automatically calculated based on the transaction amt $ and purchasing location fields.
    • Taxes must match the taxes shown on the receipt.
    • If the amount displayed does not match your receipt, enter the tax amount as it appears on your receipt. If there is no tax breakdown on the receipt, enter 0.00 or leave this field blank.
    • Expense Type - Taxi: For taxi receipts issued in Montreal, do not override the displayed taxes – leave as is.
    • Expense Type - Airfare: When entering Airfare, taxes are not automatically calculated. Enter 0.00
  28. Verify the Fund (FOAPAL) information, modify if needed
    Making changes to the displayed FOAPAL

    TAB through the FOAPAL fields and make changes as needed:

    • Fund defaults in with the fund code entered on the first screen of the expense report. You may type over it to enter a new fund.
      Be sure to TAB to the next field.
    • Orgn (Organization) and Prog (Program) codes are auto-populated based on the entered fund code.
    • Acct (Account) code 700512 defaults in when a travel-related expense is selected in the Expense Item field.  Always leave this field as is – the displayed account code matches the selected expense item.
    • Actv (Activity) and Locn (Location) codes default in as 000000. You may override these fields.
  29. To enter more receipts, click on Add New Item and repeat Steps 17 to 28
    Instructions to split FOAPALs
    OPTION 1:
    If a receipt is to be charged to more than one Fund (FOAPAL), create as many expense items as needed and charge the appropriate amount to each FOAPAL. In the expense item screen:
    1. Enter receipt information in the required fields
    2. In the transaction amount field, enter the amount to be charged to the FOAPAL
    3. Verify the GST/HST and QST amounts, modify if needed
    4. If the Default Fund code is to be charged, leave the FOAPAL fields as is, otherwise enter the Fund code to charge and TAB through the FOAPAL fields
    5. Click the Add New Item button to create the next expense item for the same receipt
    6. Repeat Steps 1 to 5 until expense items totaling the full value of the receipt have been entered, then proceed to the next step below

    OPTION 2:
    If a receipt is to be charged to more than one Fund (FOAPAL), create as many expense items as needed and charge the appropriate amount to each FOAPAL. The figure displayed in the Allowable Expense amt $ field must equal the amount to charge to the entered FOAPAL. For example: An airfare receipt in the amount of $1,000 is to be split between two FOAPALs with one FOAPAL to be charged $600 and a second FOAPAL to be charged the balance of $400. This receipt will need to be entered as two expense items since only one FOAPAL may be charged per expense item.

    Expense Item 1: Transaction amount $ = 1000 | Deduct non-McGill expense including taxes $ = 400
    =Allowable Expense amt $ = 600 (calculated field automatically populated with a figure based on the entered amounts)

    Expense Item 2: Transaction amount $ = 1000 | Deduct non-McGill expense including taxes $ = 600
    =Allowable Expense amt $ = 400 (calculated field automatically populated with a figure based on the entered amounts)

    In the expense item screen:

    1. Enter receipt information in the required fields
    2. In the transaction amount field, enter the total amount of the receipt, including taxes
    3. In the Deduct non-McGill expense including taxes field, enter the portion of the receipt including taxes which should not be charged to the FOAPAL entered for this item and TAB
    4. Verify the GST/HST and QST amounts, modify if needed
    5. If the Default Fund code is to be charged, leave the FOAPAL fields as is, otherwise enter the Fund code to charge and TAB through the FOAPAL fields
    6. Click the Add New Item button to create the next expense item for the same receipt
    7. Repeat Steps 1 to 6 until expense items totaling the full value of the receipt have been entered
    8. Click on Save and View to continue submitting the expense report

    **end**

  30. Click on Save and View to verify the request
    Explanations of other options
    Option Explanation
    Back to Header Brings you to the previous screen (beginning) of the expense report.
    Add New Item Creates a new sequence to the expense report if you need to add more receipts.
    Note: When more than one item is entered on an expense report, a listing of radio buttons appears. Selecting any radio button will bring you to the information screen for that item. You may then make any necessary changes to the entered information.
    Cancel Item Deletes the item on the screen.
    Save and View Saves the expense report and displays the expense report for you to verify.

    If you clicked on Save and View, a summary of the entered expense report is displayed.

    Summary explained

    Payment Information displays entered information from the first page of the expense report.

    Summary of Expenses displays all entered receipt items.

    FOAPAL distribution displays all FOAPALs to be charged for this expense report.

    Fund Information displays information for all funds charged on this expense report and the approvers associated to each fund:

    • If your Unit has a local Financial Service Team (FST) in place, the FST Manager who will be electronically approving your request will be displayed. You will be sending all completed documents (paper copy and supporting documentation/receipt(s) for this request) to this person and you may contact them should you have any questions about this request.
    • If your Unit has no FST in place, then the Fund Administrator (in Financial Services) of the Fund being charged will be electronically approving your request. You will be sending all completed documents (paper copy and supporting documentation/receipt(s) for this request) to the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) and you may contact the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) should you have any questions about this request.
    • The Financial Manager (or Principal Investigator) listed here must sign/approve the paper copy of this request. If more than one fund is being charged, all of the Financial Managers listed in this section must sign/approve the request. If you are the Fund Financial Manager and are also the Claimant, your direct superior ('One-Up') must sign/approve this request.
  31. Click on Complete – Submit request
    Explanations of other options
    Option Explanation
    Edit Request Allows you to make changes to the expense report. It will bring you to the first screen (beginning) of the expense report.
    Return to Expense Menu Saves the expense report and will bring you back to the Minerva options page for Submit an Expense Report. If you select this option YOU HAVE NOT submitted this request for processing. You will be able to continue editing this expense report  by selecting the Minerva Menu Option "Open an Expense Report You Started and Saved".
    See Checklist Brings you to a list of required documentation to help you verify if the expense report complies with the Reimbursement of Travel and Other Expenses Policy.
    Complete – Submit Request Sends your expense report for electronic approval and brings you to the next screen to print the request. If the Claimant/Responsible Person has any outstanding accountable advances, they will appear on the screen for you to reconcile.  If you select this option NO further changes may be made to this expense report. If changes are needed, you will need to contact the listed FST Manager/Fund Administrator and ask them to disapprove your request. 
  32. If you clicked on Complete – Submit Request, and there are outstanding accountable advances associated with the Claimant/Responsible Person, they will be listed on this screen. Otherwise, the completed expense report is displayed.
    Instructions to reconcile a displayed outstanding advance
    1. Select any advances associated with this trip by clicking on the respective check boxes under the EXR select column. This is the second and last step to reconcile an advance to an expense report.
      Note: All receipts pertaining to advances must have been entered as separate expense items in the previous screen.
    2. If needed, verify the details of the advance request by clicking on the hyperlinked Reference number – the advance will open in a new browser window.  
    3. Click the Continue button.
    4. The completed expense report is displayed. The system will calculate the total amount to be reimbursed to the Claimant taking into account advances already received. If the full amount of the advance is not accounted for, there will be a balance owing to the University. In the event that an amount is to be returned to the University, payment can be submitted via Interac e-Transfer to Traveldeskhelp.acct [at] mcgill.ca or via a personal cheque made payable to McGill University.

    **end**

  33. Click on Print and mail hard copy to above address.
    • Ensure the Header/Footer field is selected in the Print options if using Google Chrome or Safari
    • The reference number and amount must appear on top of all printed pages
  34. Click on Exit at the top right corner of the screen
    You will not receive an email confirming that the expense report was successfully submitted. Each request is assigned a unique reference number that may be used to track its status. The Reference # assigned to the expense report is displayed near the top of the screen.
  35. Ensure the appropriate individuals sign/approve the request
    Required signatures/approvals
    • Claimant
      • If paying a Vendor/Organization, the Claimant signature box is left blank
      • In the case of visitors to the University who will depart prior to their requests being processed in the system, the Visitor Claimant Signature form may be signed and attached to the expense report. The form must be completely filled out.
    • Fund Financial Manager or Principal Investigator of each fund charged. If the Claimant is the Fund Financial Manager, their direct superior (‘One-Up’) must sign/approve this request.
    • For research grants and contracts, expense reports payable to visitors must be countersigned/approved by the Dean or Chair.
    • Ensure that the signature page includes the reference number and amount on the top of the page.
    • The delegation of approval in certain circumstances is permitted. Refer to the Delegation of Signing Authority Regulation (see P4.3).
  36. Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) will only process Expense Reports sent via email to traveldeskhelp.acct [at] mcgill.ca in the following format:

    One email = one Expense Report = one pdf document

    Please note: the Subject Line of the Email and the Name of the PDF must include the following: The Document Type (ADV or EXR), Document Number (e.g. ER01122334), claimant name, and final amount (please add minus sign “-“ or brackets to indicate that an amount is owed to the University)

    The one pdf document must include the Expense Report, the supporting receipts/documentation and the acknowledgements/approvals

    Once an Expense Report is processed by the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services), any original paper receipt/supporting documentation that is digitized and submitted with the Expense Report must be destroyed.

    The official Expense Report available for internal and external audits is the Expense Report that is submitted, processed and retained by the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services)


    If a Financial Service Team-FST has been assigned to your Unit, they will forward the request to the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) once they have approved it.
    Further explanation for invoices/documentation
    Expense Type - Communication Expenses: If the billing stub is missing for invoices submitted for multiple periods, cross reference the account number to a receipt which has a stub.

Start an Expense Report to be finished by Someone Else

Begin an expense report where another McGill person will review, add FOAPAL information, and complete the request. (Use this option when it is the chosen method for your unit.)

If submitting an expense report for a student, confirm that they have entered their Direct Deposit Bank Account information through the Student Menu in Minerva.

Professional Development Fund submissions: As of June 1st, 2016, select Reviewer - Associate Provost (BR). Complete instructions are available on the Academic Personnel office website.

  1. Select the Employee/Finance/Student Menu option in Minerva
  2. Select the Expense Reports Menu (Student) |Advances and Expense Report Menu (Employee and Finance)
  3. Select Submit an Expense Report
  4. Select Start an Expense Report to be completed/finished by Someone Else
  5. Enter the McGill ID of the responsible person

    Further explanation

    Note:
    • If you enter your McGill ID, you will be considered the Requestor and the Claimant for this expense report.
    • The entered McGill ID dictates direct deposit information and confirms that the Claimant is a McGill employee or student.
    • When submitting an expense report for a visitor, the McGill ID of the Fund Financial Manager or Principal Investigator of one of the fund(s) charged must be entered in the Responsible McGill ID field and the Third Party Payment Section completed with the visitor's information.
  6. Enter the Destination city
  7. Select the appropriate Province/State
  8. Select the appropriate Destination country
  9. Select/Enter the Start and Return dates
    Further explanation

    Start and Return Dates

    1. If the expense report includes personal travel, then the start and return dates are the departure and return dates of the transportation (i.e. airfare, train, car, etc.).
    2. If the expense report does not include any personal travel, then the start and return dates are the start and end dates of the conference/business meetings/field studies.
    3. If the expense report does not include any travel (e.g. only meals), then the start date is the date of the oldest receipt and the return date is the date of the most recent receipt.
  10. Select the Purpose for the expense report
    Further explanation
    Type Explanation
    Travel Expenses incurred while attending conferences or meetings - transportation, lodging, meals and conference registration.
    Travel – DAR (Dev & Alum Related Business) To be used by DAR only.
    Professional Development Fund Academic Salary Policy which provides for a Professional Development Fund for eligible academic staff members. See the Academic Personnel Office website for more information and instructions.
    Field Trips Expenses incurred while doing research over an extended period of time, off campus or at a remote location.
    Recruitment Staff/Student Expenses incurred during the recruitment of future McGill Staff and students.
    Participant Fee in a research/clinical study For research/clinical studies - compensation given to participants for undergoing experimental testing.
    Other Personal Reimbursements Small item purchases made on behalf of the Department/Unit.
  11. Enter a detailed Description (Describe purpose) for the expense report
    Further explanation

    Describe the trip/nature of the expenses in sufficient detail so that anyone reading the expense report may easily assess the University business or research reason for the incurred expenses. Include persons or organizations visited, and the full conference name (no acronyms) if applicable.

    Expense Type - Communication Expenses: Include the months - reference period of the invoices being claimed.

    Expense Type - Gifts, Gift Cards/Certificates: Be sure to include the name of the store where the gift card/ certificate is redeemable

  12. If known, enter the Default Fund Code which will be charged for all/the majority of the expense items. Otherwise leave this field blank.
    Professional Development Fund submissions must leave this field blank.
    Further explanation
    • You will be able to split FOAPALs and to override this fund code when entering in individual expense items on the next screen.
    • Minerva will validate the status of the fund before allowing you to continue to the next screen. However, it will not check for an available fund balance.
  13. For requests that will be charged to a Tri-Agency grant (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC and CRC), where the Claimant is anyone other than the grantee or where a Third party payment is being issued, enter the Claimant Affiliation
    Examples of affiliation and further explanations
    • Graduate Student
    • Research Staff
    • Collaborator
    • Visiting Researcher
    • Guest Speaker
    • Project Manager
    • Postdoc

    Maximum of 75 characters

    If a Tri-Agency grant will be charged for a Third Party Payment, the Claimant Affiliation field must be completed - who the expense is for and their affiliation to the research group must be specified.

  14. In the To be completed by Reviewer field, select the Unit/Department which will complete the expense report.
    Professional Development Fund submissions must select Reviewer - Associate Provost (BR).
  15. If needed, complete the Third Party payments section
    Instructions
    1. In the Is the Claimant a resident outside of Canada? Field, select Yes or No from the drop down menu depending upon whether or not the Third Party is a resident of Canada.
    2. Enter the Last Name/Vendor Name of the Third Party. This name must match the “payable to” information as indicated on the invoice.
    3. If the Third Party is an individual, complete the First name field. If the Third Party is a Vendor/Organization, leave this field blank.
    4. Enter Payment Details. Examples of information to enter:
      • Conference registration details
      • Invoice numbers
      • Note: Only the first 30 characters of entered text will be printed on the cheque stub.
    5. Select the Cheque Currency Type from the drop down menu. If “Other” is chosen, specify the currency in the “Describe Purpose” field used in Step 11 above.
    6. In the Street line 1 field, enter the address of the Third Party. Expense reports for visitors must include the full mailing address of the visitor and not the McGill Departmental address.
    7. If needed, use the fields for Street line 2 and Street line 3. Otherwise, leave these fields blank.
    8. Enter the City which corresponds to the Third Party’s address.
    9. Select the appropriate Province/State
    10. Select the appropriate Destination country
    11. Enter the Postal/Zip code
    12. If the Phone number and E-mail address are provided, enter the information in the respective fields. Otherwise leave these fields blank.

     

  16. Click on Continue to proceed to the next screen
  17. Enter receipt information
    Further explanation

    Enter each receipt individually. The following receipts may be grouped by purchasing location and entered as a single item.

    • Parking
    • Gas
    • Taxi - if travel related. Local (Montreal) taxi receipts for McGill employees must be entered as individual items with a detailed explanation for each receipt.
    • Per diem
    • Postage
    • Tolls
    • Calling cards
    • Photocopies

    Expense Type - Conference & Seminar Registration: For conferences, all trip-related expenses must have been incurred within the start and end date of the conference. If proof of payment indicates MC 5550 XXXX, conference registration fees were paid by PCard and the Claimant should not be reimbursed. In the future, PCard should not be used for conference registrations.

    Expense Type - Participant Fee in a research/clinical studyParticipant fees may be grouped by participant. Each line item in the expense report would then correspond to one participant and may include multiple payments. Be sure to provide a breakdown in the Description field.

    If a receipt is to be charged to more than one FOAPAL, create as many expense items as needed and charge the appropriate amount to each FOAPAL. For example: An airfare receipt in the amount of $1,000 is to be split between two FOAPALs. This receipt will need to be entered as two expense items since only one FOAPAL may be charged per expense item -
    Expense Item 1 = Total transaction amount = $600
    Expense Item 2 = Total transaction amount = $400

    Any expenses already paid through an advance (out-of-pocket in advance of trip, third party pre-payment, or cash advance) must be entered on the expense report. The corresponding receipts must be entered as separate expense items. This is the first step to reconcile an advance to an expense report.

  18. Enter the Receipt date
    Further explanation
    • Enter the date in the format DD-MON-YYYY or click on the calendar icon to select a date.
    • For a group of receipts, enter a date corresponding to any one of the receipts.
  19. Select the Expense Item category which best describes the expense to be claimed
    Explanations of expense items
    Option Explanation
    Baggage Fees Expense Type - Airfare: Select this item for a receipt specifically displaying this charge – no other charges appear on the receipt. If an airfare receipt includes flight and baggage fees, do not separate the charges. Enter the receipt as one item and select the expense item Airfare. The default account code associated with this item is 700512 (Travel - General).
    Seat Selection Expense Type - Airfare: Select this item for a receipt specifically displaying this charge – no other charges appear on the receipt. If an airfare receipt includes flight and seat selection fees, do not separate the charges. Enter the receipt as one item and select the expense item Airfare. The default account code associated with this item is 700512 (Travel - General).
    Travel - Taxi (for travel purposes) Expense Type - Taxi: Select this item when claiming taxi receipts for a trip which involved an overnight stay or travel outside of the city in which the Claimant works/studies. The default account code associated with this item is 700512 (Travel - General).
    Taxi - Local (for non-travel Other reimbursement) Expense Type - Taxi: Select this item when claiming taxi receipts in the city in which the Claimant works/studies or in an outlying city/suburb which did not involve overnight stay. The default account code associated with this item is 700507 (Transportation).
    Travel – Cell/Internet Expense Type - Communication Expenses: Select this item when the Claimant purchases a cell phone package for travel. Select this item for a receipt specifically displaying charges for Internet usage – no other charges appear on the receipt. If a lodging receipt includes room rates and internet charges, do not separate the charges. Enter the receipt as one item and select the expense item Hotel. If claimed on a research grant or contract, cell/internet charges must be directly related to research and must be compliant with sponsor guidelines. The default account code associated with this item is 700512 (Travel - General).  
  20. Enter a detailed Description of the receipt
  21. For mileage ONLY, enter the # of kilometers/miles being claimed
  22. Enter the Transaction amt (total amount of all items on the receipt, including taxes OR if splitting FOAPALs, the portion of the receipt to be charged to one FOAPAL)
  23. If personal expenses are included on the receipt, enter the total amount of the personal expenses, including  taxes, to be deducted from the receipt total in Deduct non-McGill expense including taxes $
    Further explanation
    Expense Type - Communication Expenses: Pay attention to ‘rebates’ which may be given for bundled services (e.g. internet, and cable with the same service provider). These rebates must be entered in the Deduct non-McGill expense field when entering the expense item.
  24. Select the appropriate Currency of the receipt, if not Canadian
  25. If needed, enter the Currency exchange rate
    Further explanation
    • Exchange rates for USD, GBP and Euro are automatically populated - you may override it.
    • If the expense was paid by credit card, enter the exchange rate as indicated on the credit card statement.
    • To search for an exchange rate, click on the hyperlink for the Bank of Canada website
  26. If needed, update the Purchasing location
    Further explanation
    Purchasing location defaults in based on the selected Currency. If unsure which location to select, take a look at the taxes on your receipt. 
    • If GST/HST and QST (PST) amounts appear, select Quebec Location
    • If a GST/HST amount appears, but the QST (PST) amount is 0.00, select Canada not Quebec Location.
    Expense Type - Airfare: This field is not used when entering airfare receipts.
  27. If needed, modify the displayed GST/HST and QST amounts to match your receipt
    Further explanation
    • The amount displayed is automatically calculated based on the transaction amt $ and purchasing location fields.
    • Taxes must match the taxes shown on the receipt.
    • If the amount displayed does not match your receipt, enter the tax amount as it appears on your receipt. If there is no tax breakdown on the receipt, enter 0.00 or leave this field blank.
    • Expense Type - Taxi: For taxi receipts issued in Montreal, do not override the displayed taxes – leave as is.
    • Expense Type - Airfare: When entering Airfare, taxes are not automatically calculated. Enter 0.00
  28. Verify the Fund (FOAPAL) information, modify if needed
    Note: You may enter/override the Fund, Activity and Location codes if known. Otherwise, leave these fields as is. The Reviewer will complete this section once you electronically forward the expense report on the next screen.
    Making changes to the displayed FOAPAL

    TAB through the FOAPAL fields and make changes as needed:

    • Fund defaults in with the fund code entered on the first screen of the expense report. You may type over it to enter a new fund.
      Be sure to TAB to the next field.
    • Orgn (Organization) and Prog (Program) codes are auto-populated based on the entered fund code.
    • Acct (Account) code 700512 defaults in when a travel-related expense is selected in the Expense Item field.  Always leave this field as is – the displayed account code matches the selected expense item.
    • Actv (Activity) and Locn (Location) codes default in as 000000. You may override these fields.
  29. To enter more receipts, click on Add New Item and repeat Steps 17 to 28
    Instructions to split FOAPALs
    OPTION 1:
    If a receipt is to be charged to more than one Fund (FOAPAL), create as many expense items as needed and charge the appropriate amount to each FOAPAL. In the expense item screen:
    1. Enter receipt information in the required fields
    2. In the transaction amount field, enter the amount to be charged to the FOAPAL
    3. Verify the GST/HST and QST amounts, modify if needed
    4. If the Default Fund code is to be charged, leave the FOAPAL fields as is, otherwise enter the Fund code to charge and TAB through the FOAPAL fields
    5. Click the Add New Item button to create the next expense item for the same receipt
    6. Repeat Steps 1 to 5 until expense items totaling the full value of the receipt have been entered, then proceed to the next step below

    OPTION 2:
    If a receipt is to be charged to more than one Fund (FOAPAL), create as many expense items as needed and charge the appropriate amount to each FOAPAL. The figure displayed in the Allowable Expense amt $ field must equal the amount to charge to the entered FOAPAL. For example: An airfare receipt in the amount of $1,000 is to be split between two FOAPALs with one FOAPAL to be charged $600 and a second FOAPAL to be charged the balance of $400. This receipt will need to be entered as two expense items since only one FOAPAL may be charged per expense item.

    Expense Item 1: Transaction amount $ = 1000 | Deduct non-McGill expense including taxes $ = 400
    =Allowable Expense amt $ = 600 (calculated field automatically populated with a figure based on the entered amounts)

    Expense Item 2: Transaction amount $ = 1000 | Deduct non-McGill expense including taxes $ = 600
    =Allowable Expense amt $ = 400 (calculated field automatically populated with a figure based on the entered amounts)

    In the expense item screen:

    1. Enter receipt information in the required fields
    2. In the transaction amount field, enter the total amount of the receipt, including taxes
    3. In the Deduct non-McGill expense including taxes field, enter the portion of the receipt including taxes which should not be charged to the FOAPAL entered for this item and TAB
    4. Verify the GST/HST and QST amounts, modify if needed
    5. If the Default Fund code is to be charged, leave the FOAPAL fields as is, otherwise enter the Fund code to charge and TAB through the FOAPAL fields
    6. Click the Add New Item button to create the next expense item for the same receipt
    7. Repeat Steps 1 to 6 until expense items totaling the full value of the receipt have been entered
    8. Click on Save and View to continue submitting the expense report

    **end**

  30. Click on Save and View to verify the request
    Explanations of other options
    Option Explanation
    Back to Header Brings you to the previous screen (beginning) of the expense report.
    Add New Item Creates a new sequence to the expense report if you need to add more receipts.
    Note: When more than one item is entered on an expense report, a listing of radio buttons appears. Selecting any radio button will bring you to the information screen for that item. You may then make any necessary changes to the entered information.
    Cancel Item Deletes the item on the screen.
    Save and View Saves the expense report and displays the expense report for you to verify.

    If you clicked on Save and View, a summary of the entered expense report is displayed.

    Summary explained

    Payment Information displays entered information from the first page of the expense report.

    Summary of Expenses displays all entered receipt items.

    FOAPAL distribution displays all FOAPALs to be charged for this expense report.

    Fund Information displays information for all funds charged on this expense report and the approvers associated to each fund:

    • If your Unit has a local Financial Service Team (FST) in place, the FST Manager who will be electronically approving your request will be displayed. You will be sending all completed documents (paper copy and supporting documentation/receipt(s) for this request) to this person and you may contact them should you have any questions about this request.
    • If your Unit has no FST in place, then the Fund Administrator (in Financial Services) of the Fund being charged will be electronically approving your request. You will be sending all completed documents (paper copy and supporting documentation/receipt(s) for this request) to the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) and you may contact the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) should you have any questions about this request.
    • The Financial Manager (or Principal Investigator) listed here must sign/approve the paper copy of this request. If more than one fund is being charged, all of the Financial Managers listed in this section must sign/approve the request. If you are the Fund Financial Manager and are also the Claimant, your direct superior ('One-Up') must sign/approve this request.
  31. Click on Complete – Submit request
    Explanations of other options
    Option Explanation
    Edit Request Allows you to make changes to your expense report. It will bring you to the first screen (beginning) of the expense report.
    Return to Expense Menu Saves the expense report and will bring you back to the Minerva options page for Submit an Expense Report. If you select this option YOU HAVE NOT submitted this request for processing. You will be able to continue editing this expense report  by selecting the Minerva Menu Option "Open an Expense Report You Started and Saved".
    See Checklist Brings you to a list of required documentation to help you verify if your expense report complies with the Reimbursement of Travel and Other Expenses Policy.
    Complete – Submit Request Sends your expense report for electronic approval and brings you to the next screen to print the request. If the Claimant/Responsible Person has any outstanding accountable advances, they will appear on the screen for you to reconcile.  If you select this option NO further changes may be made to this expense report. If changes are needed, you will need to contact the listed FST Manager/Fund Administrator and ask them to disapprove your request. 
  32. If you clicked on Complete – Submit Request, and there are outstanding accountable advances associated with the Claimant/Responsible Person, they will be listed on this screen. Otherwise, the completed expense report is displayed.
    Instructions to reconcile a displayed outstanding advance
    1. Select any advances associated with this trip by clicking on the respective check boxes under the EXR select column. This is the second and last step to reconcile an advance to an expense report.
      Note: All receipts pertaining to advances must have been entered as separate expense items in the previous screen.
    2. If needed, verify the details of the advance request by clicking on the hyperlinked Reference number – the advance will open in a new browser window.  
    3. Click the Continue button.
    4. The completed expense report is displayed. The system will calculate the total amount to be reimbursed to the Claimant taking into account advances already received. If the full amount of the advance is not accounted for, there will be a balance owing to the University. In the event that an amount is to be returned to the University, payment can be submitted via Interac e-Transfer to Traveldeskhelp.acct [at] mcgill.ca or via a personal cheque made payable to McGill University.

    **end**

    • Click on Print and mail hard copy to above address.
    • Ensure the Header/Footer field is selected in the Print options if using Google Chrome or Safari
    • The reference number and amount must appear on top of all printed pages
    • Click on Exit at the top right corner of the screen
      You will not receive an email confirming that the expense report was successfully submitted. Each request is assigned a unique reference number that may be used to track its status. The Reference # assigned to the expense report is displayed near the top of the screen.
    • Ensure the appropriate individuals sign/approve the request
    Required signatures/approvals
    • Claimant
      • If paying a Vendor/Organization, the Claimant signature box is left blank
      • In the case of visitors to the University who will depart prior to their requests being processed in the system, the Visitor Claimant Signature form may be signed and attached to the expense report. The form must be completely filled out.
    • Fund Financial Manager or Principal Investigator of each fund charged. If the Claimant is the Fund Financial Manager, their direct superior (‘One-Up’) must sign/approve this request.
    • For research grants and contracts, expense reports payable to visitors must be countersigned/approved by the Dean or Chair.
    • Ensure that the signature page includes the reference number and amount on the top of the page.
    • The delegation of approval in certain circumstances is permitted. Refer to the Delegation of Signing Authority Regulation (see P4.3).
  33. Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) will only process Expense Reports sent via email to traveldeskhelp.acct [at] mcgill.ca in the following format:

    One email = one Expense Report = one pdf document

    Please note: the Subject Line of the Email and the Name of the PDF must include the following: The Document Type (ADV or EXR), Document Number (e.g. ER01122334), claimant name, and final amount (please add minus sign “-“ or brackets to indicate that an amount is owed to the University)

    The one pdf document must include the Expense Report, the supporting receipts/documentation and the acknowledgements/approvals

    Once an Expense Report is processed by the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services), any original paper receipt/supporting documentation that is digitized and submitted with the Expense Report must be destroyed.

    The official Expense Report available for internal and external audits is the Expense Report that is submitted, processed and retained by the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services)


    If a Financial Service Team-FST has been assigned to your Unit, they will forward the request to the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) once they have approved it.
    Further explanation for invoices/documentation
    Expense Type - Communication Expenses: If the billing stub is missing for invoices submitted for multiple periods, cross reference the account number to a receipt which has a stub.

Open an Expense Report You Started and Saved

There are three reasons to use this menu option: (click on a reason to view the associated instructions)

Continue, complete or update an existing expense report which you created

  1. Select the Employee/Finance/Student Menu option in Minerva
  2. Select the Expense Reports Menu (Student) |Advances and Expense Report Menu (Employee and Finance)
  3. Select Submit an Expense Report
  4. Select the menu option Open an Expense Report You Started and Saved

    Further explanation

    • All expense reports which you have started, but which have not been submitted AND all expense reports which you have submitted and which were subsequently disapproved will be displayed on the screen - a brief summary of each expense report will appear in a table.
    • In the Reference # field, a code referring to the status of the request will be displayed. Click on the legend link or place your cursor over the code to view a description of the request status indicator.
  5. Choose the expense report you want to modify and click Open
  6. TAB through the fields to make the necessary changes
  7. Follow the same steps as you would to Submit an Expense Report for Yourself, Someone Else, or to be completed/finished by Someone Else

Delete an expense report

  1. Select the Employee/Finance/Student Menu option in Minerva
  2. Select the Expense Reports Menu (Student) |Advances and Expense Report Menu (Employee and Finance)
  3. Select Submit an Expense Report
  4. Select the menu option Open an Expense Report You Started and Saved

    Further explanation

    • All expense reports which you have started, but which have not been submitted AND all expense reports which you have submitted and which were subsequently disapproved will be displayed on the screen - a brief summary of each expense report will appear in a table.
    • In the Reference # field, a code referring to the status of the request will be displayed. Click on the legend link or place your cursor over the code to view a description of the request status indicator.
  5. Choose the expense report you want to delete and click Open
  6. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Continue to go the Items
  7. For each item click on Cancel Item  
  8. Once all items have been deleted, you will be brought back to the first page of the expense report
  9. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Delete

Complete an expense report which has been assigned to you, as a Reviewer

Use this menu option to:
  • Enter FOAPAL information
  • Complete-Submit expense reports
  • Tag associated advances to expense reports
  • Disapprove expense reports

Note: You will only be able to review expense reports that are within your faculty

  1. Select the Employee/Finance Menu option in Minerva
  2. Select the Advances and Expense Report Menu (Employee and Finance)
  3. Select Submit an Expense Report
  4. Select the menu option Open an Expense Report You Started and Saved

    Further explanation

    • All expense reports which you have started, but which have not been submitted AND
      all expense reports which you have submitted and which were subsequently disapproved AND
      all expense reports which have been sent to your queue as a Reviewer will be displayed on the screen - a brief summary of each expense report will appear in a table.
    • In the Reference # field, a code referring to the status of the request will be displayed. Click on the legend link or place your cursor over the code to view a description of the request status indicator.
      Note: Requests that need reviewing have a status of FW.
  5. Choose the expense report you want to complete and click Open
  6. In the Default Fund Code field, enter the fund which will be charged for all/the majority of the expense items
  7. For requests that will be charged to a Tri-Agency grant (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC and CRC), where the Claimant is anyone other than the grantee or where a Third party payment is being issued, enter the Claimant Affiliation
  8. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the Go to Items button
  9. The first expense item is displayed.
  10. Add FOAPAL information for all entered expense items
    Instructions
    • Enter the Fund Code and TAB to the next field.
    • Orgn (Organization) and Prog (Program) codes are auto-populated based on the entered fund code.
    • Acct (Account) code defaults in based on the selection made from the Expense Item drop-down field.  Always leave this field as is – the displayed account code matches the selected expense item.
    • Actv (Activity) and Locn (Location) codes default in as 000000. You may override these fields.
  11. To add/review FOAPAL information for another item, select the appropriate radio button in the
    Select Item # for update box
    Note:
    - FOAPALs need to be entered individually for each expense item.
    - If the expense item is to be split between multiple FOAPALs, the Requestor must have entered in an expense item multiple times. If this has not been done, the request must be disapproved and the Requestor must enter the appropriate number of Items to match the FOAPALs to be charged.
  12. When FOAPAL information has been entered/reviewed for all expense items, click Save and View
    Note: Clicking on Back to Header will bring you to the previous screen (beginning) of the expense report.

    If you clicked on Save and View, a summary of the entered expense report is displayed.

    Summary explained

    Payment Information displays entered information from the first page of the expense report.

    Summary of Expenses displays all entered receipt items.

    FOAPAL distribution displays all FOAPALs to be charged for this expense report.

    Fund Information displays information for all funds charged on this advance request and the approvers associated to each fund:

    • If your Unit has a local Financial Service Team (FST) in place, the FST Manager who will be electronically approving your request will be displayed. You will be sending all completed documents (paper copy and supporting documentation/receipt(s) for this request) to this person and you may contact them should you have any questions about this request.
    • If your Unit has no FST in place, then the Fund Administrator (in Financial Services) of the Fund being charged will be electronically approving your request. You will be sending all completed documents (paper copy and supporting documentation/receipt(s) for this request) to the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) and you may contact the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) should you have any questions about this request.
    • The Financial Manager (or Principal Investigator) listed here must sign/approve the paper copy of this request. If more than one fund is being charged, all of the Financial Managers listed in this section must sign/approve the request. If you are the Fund Financial Manager and are also the Claimant, your direct superior ('One-Up') must sign/approve this request.
    Explanations of options displayed at the bottom of the screen
    Option Explanation
    Edit Request Allows you to make changes to your expense report. It will bring you to the first screen (beginning) of the expense report.
    Return to Previous Menu Saves the expense report and will bring you back to the Minerva options page for Submit an Expense Report. If you select this option YOU HAVE NOT submitted this request for processing. You will be able to continue editing this expense report  by selecting the Minerva Menu Option "Open an Expense Report You Started and Saved"..
    See Checklist Brings you to a list of required documentation to help you verify if your expense report complies with the Reimbursement of Travel and Other Expenses Policy.
    Complete – Submit Request Sends your expense report for electronic approval and brings you to the next screen to print the request. If the Claimant/Responsible Person has any outstanding accountable advances, they will appear on the screen for you to reconcile.  If you select this option NO further changes may be made to this expense report. If changes are needed, you will need to contact the listed FST Manager/Fund Administrator and ask them to disapprove your request. 
To APPROVE the request: To DISAPPROVE the request:
  1. Click Complete – Submit Request
  2. If there are outstanding accountable advances associated with the Claimant/Responsible Person, they will be listed on this screen. Otherwise, the completed expense report is displayed.

    Instructions to reconcile a displayed outstanding advance

  3. Click on Print and mail hard copy to above address.
    • Ensure the Header/Footer field is selected in the Print options if using Google Chrome or Safari
    • The reference number and amount must appear on top of all printed pages
  4. Click on Exit at the top right corner of the screen
    You will not receive an email confirming that the expense report was successfully submitted. Each request is assigned a unique reference number that may be used to track its status. The Reference # assigned to the expense report is displayed near the top of the screen.
  5. Ensure the appropriate individuals sign/approve the request.
    Required signatures/approvals (PR5.3. Approval Methods)
  6. Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) will only process Expense Reports sent via email to traveldeskhelp.acct [at] mcgill.ca in the following format:

    One email = one Expense Report = one pdf document

    Please note: the Subject Line of the Email and the Name of the PDF must include the following: The Document Type (ADV or EXR), Document Number (e.g. ER01122334), claimant name, and final amount (please add minus sign “-“ or brackets to indicate that an amount is owed to the University)

    The one pdf document must include the Expense Report, the supporting receipts/documentation and the acknowledgements/approvals

    Once an Expense Report is processed by the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services), any original paper receipt/supporting documentation that is digitized and submitted with the Expense Report must be destroyed.

    The official Expense Report available for internal and external audits is the Expense Report that is submitted, processed and retained by the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services)


    If a Financial Service Team-FST has been assigned to your Unit, they will forward the request to the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) once they have approved it.

    Further explanation for invoices/documentation (PR6. Receipts/Supporting Documentation)

  1. Select Disapprove Request.
  2. Provide an explanation in the Rejection Text field box. Be sure to include your initials and the date.
  3. Click on Submit Email. The message you entered in the Rejection Text box will be sent to the Requestor of the expense report.
 

To ensure that the reference # and the amount print on all pages of the Expense Report, follow these PDF icon instructions.

View All Requests / View Advance Request and Expense Report History / View Expense Report History

You will only be able to view requests where you are the Claimant or the Requestor.

No changes/edits may be made to a request through this menu option.

  1. Select the Employee/Finance/Student Menu option in Minerva
  2. Select the Expense Reports Menu (Student) | Advances and Expense Report Menu (Employee and Finance)
  3. Select the menu option View Expense Report History (Student) | View Advance Request and Expense Report History (Employee) | View All Requests (Finance)
  4. If known, enter the Reference # of the advance request/expense report in the Reference # field
    OR
    Enter the Responsible McGill ID or Student McGill ID or Third Party Last Name
  5. If needed, modify the Start and End dates of the search
    These dates refer to the dates entered on the advance request/expense report. 
  6. Click the Submit button
  7. A listing of advance requests/expense reports which match the entered search criteria will be displayed on the screen - a brief summary of each request will appear in a table.

    Further explanation

    These requests may be:

    • In Progress (not yet completed)
    • Completed and submitted for approval (forwarded to the Reviewer’s queue, in the FST/Fund Administrator/Travel Desk approval queue)
    • Disapproved
    • Approved

    In the Reference # field, a code referring to the status of the request will be displayed. Click on the legend link or place your cursor over the code to view a description of the request status indicator.

  8. Depending upon your profile, two or more of the buttons below will be displayed. Click one of the buttons for more information about the request

    Explanations of options

    Options Explanation
    View Allows you to see the print-version of the advance request/expense report without the signature page.
    Print Generates a print-version of the advance request/expense report with the signature page. Use the Print button if you need to print the request again.  The Print option is only available for requests with a SQ, FQ, TQ, and AR status.
    • Ensure the Header/Footer field is selected in the Print options if using Google Chrome or Safari.
    • The reference number and amount must appear on top of all printed pages
    Track Allows you to see a log of changes/updates made to the advance request/expense report from its creation. It lists who made changes to the request and which fields were updated.
    Details Allows you to view and navigate through the data entry screens of the advance request/ expense report.  Changes to the request may not be made through this option.

Top Common Errors

Common Error Solution
Details in the Trip Purpose field are insufficient

Be sure to include where you went, for what reason, and dates of the trip/conference.

Include persons or organizations visited, and the full conference name (no acronyms) if applicable.

If goods/items were purchased, clearly explain what was purchased, why, the quantity etc.

Discrepancies in amounts claimed (hard copy vs Minerva)

Ensure that entered receipt amounts in Minerva match the submitted receipts.

Ensure the Amount due to claimant displayed on the printed and signed copy of the expense report matches the electronic version of the claim in Minerva.

Expenses pertaining to the same trip are reported on more than one expense report Include all incurred expenses and all associated advances for a trip on the same expense report.
Missing signatures

Ensure that the Claimant has approved the request.

Ensure that the Fund Financial Manager (FFM) or Principal Investigator (PI) for each fund charged (or their delegate) has approved the expense report.

  • If the FFM or PI is the Claimant (or is the recipient of a claimed expense item), ensure their ‘One-Up’ has approved the expense report.

Further guidelines must be followed when charging Tri-Agency grants

No documentation attached to the claim to support the travel When no other expenses are being claimed aside from conference registration, attach official supporting documentation (e.g. prospectus or program, invite letter or email correspondence).
Proof of payment is missing from receipts

Ensure that all receipts include proof of payment or show a zero balance.

  • If needed for proof of payment, credit card chit or credit card statement may be attached (be sure to black out the PAN except for the last 4 digits).
  • For receipts paid in cash, write “cash” on the receipts.
Quotation for airfare is missing when personal travel is included in the airfare receipt Attach an airfare quotation for the itinerary purely related to University business (i.e. that excludes avoidable stopovers and trip extensions).
Receipt is missing Ensure that all original paper or printed electronic receipts are attached for all expense items. The associated expense item number, from the Minerva expense report, should be written on each receipt.
Third party payment details are incorrect/incomplete

Ensure that the full mailing address of the Third party is entered – this cannot be a McGill address.

If the mailing address is in the United States, Unites States Dollars must be selected for the Cheque Currency type field.

If making a Third party payment to a Visitor/Organization outside of North America, in another currency, complete wire transfer banking information must be attached including the currency in which payment is to be issued. If "Other" is selected as the Cheque currency type, the currency in which payment is to be issued must be included in the Describe Purpose field.

Use of research funds for non-eligible expenses (office supplies, home Internet charges) Consult the Expense Eligibility Grid or your local FST (teams listing)/Fund Administrator to ensure expenses are eligible. If expenses are not an obvious direct cost of research, and are eligible, adequately describe how they are linked to the research to avoid disallowance.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Question Answer
Do I need to submit an authorization form to get access to the "Advances and Expense Reports" Menu? No.
Access to this menu is automatic when you have the Student/Employee/Finance tab in Minerva. For casuals, options in the Employee menu are only available after they receive their first paycheque.
I have both the Finance and Employee Minerva Menus, which one should I use? Both menus are exactly the same - it is your choice.
I have access to both the Employee and Student Minerva Menus, which one should I use? If you incurred expenses relating to your studies in your student role, use the Student Menu. If you incurred expenses in your employee role, use the Employee Menu.
Note: Requests for advances may only be submitted through the Employee menu.
The menu says "Start an Expense Report to be finished by Someone Else". Who will finish my Expense Report? All expense reports created through this menu option will be completed and submitted by a Reviewer assigned within your department/unit. Your department contact will provide you with all necessary information, and will direct you to which Reviewer you are to select in the “To Be Completed by Reviewer” drop-down list on the first screen of the expense report.
How does a Departmental Reviewer get set-up? Units who decide to use the "Reviewer" option must submit the Reviewer Authorization Form. This form is used to establish the Primary Reviewer within a Unit who is delegated to oversee the expense report review process.
How do I know if my Unit/Department has a Reviewer? Contact the Administrative Assistant/Officer in your Unit/Department.
How do I submit a claim on my Professional Development Fund? Consult the Professional Development Fund for Eligible Academics (Guidelines) published by the Academic Personnel Office.
Am I limited to requesting only one advance per trip? No.
It is possible that a Claimant may need to submit a request for more than one type of advance. This is done by submitting multiple requests in Minerva - only one advance category may be chosen per request. Also, each Third Party Prepayment must be done on a separate advance.
May I submit an advance request for a Visitor? No.
Advance requests may only be issued to employees (academics, researchers, and administrative staff) and students. However, you may request a Third Party advance request, on behalf of a visitor to make payments for conference registration or to make payments directly to travel agencies.
What do you do when expenses are shared by more than one McGill individual on the same receipt?

ELABORATION: Each individual paid for a portion of the expense OR one individual paid an expense in full on behalf of both parties. How does this get entered on an expense report?

Each McGill person will submit their own expense report with each expense report referencing the other(s) in the Description field.

If one individual paid a portion of the cost directly to the other individual:

  • Both expense reports will include an explanation of this in the Description field and both will have a line item for this expense claiming the portion paid.
  • A signed note must be attached with the amount paid to the other individual - it must be dated.
  • One expense report will have the original receipt with proof of payment and the note.
  • The other expense report will have a copy of the receipt with proof of payment and the note.

If each paid their own portion:

  • Both expense reports will include an explanation of this in the Description field and both will have a line item for this expense claiming the portion paid.
  • One expense report will have the original receipt with proof of payment for the portion being claimed.
  • The other expense report will have a copy of the receipt with proof of payment for the portion being claimed.

If one individual paid the expense in full:

  • Both expense reports will include an explanation of this in the Description field.
  • Only the individual who paid will have a line item for this expense claiming the full amount of the receipt.
  • Only one expense report will have the original receipt with proof of payment.
Is it possible to reimburse expenses for a Visitor if the event did not take place on campus/nearby?

ELABORATION: The event took place outside of Quebec.

For Research Grants and Contracts:

  • Confirm with the Fund Administrator if this is an allowable expense – there may be geographic restrictions.

For all other Fund Types:

  • It is up to the Fund Financial Manager. If it is related to being a guest lecturer/for speaker remuneration – refer to the Policy.
How do you enter a receipt for personal travel combined with business travel?

ELABORATION: A traveler plans to attend a conference in Washington. At the end of the conference, they plan to fly to Vancouver for some personal time off.

When booking the travel arrangements, the traveler will:

  1. Obtain a quote for the Montreal-Washington-Montreal flight. This is the ‘business’ portion of the trip. The quotation for the itinerary purely related to University business must be obtained at the same day and time the actual airfare ticket was booked. The quotation must include the travel agency name/website, the day and time, and must be for the lowest logical airfare.
  2. Book the travel arrangements for the Montreal-Washington-Vancouver-Montreal flight segments.

When submitting the expense report, the original invoice for the cost of the airfare booked along with the quote for the "business" portion should be submitted.

  • The quote for the ‘business’ portion will be the reimbursable amount unless the actual amount paid for entire trip was less.
  • Ensure that the quote and the actual invoice are comparable and represent the same booking conditions, i.e. both amounts were obtained on the same day, etc.
Proof of payment when paid by credit card - is a print-out from your online account sufficient?

ELABORATION: If you have not received an official credit card statement, and log in online to view your transactions, it will not display your name etc. on that page – it just shows a list of transactions. Will the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) accept that print-out as proof of payment?

As long as there is some identifier on the print-out (name, partial credit card number), the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services)  will accept it.

Note:

  • Statements containing credit card numbers should never be submitted - ensure to black out everything except for the last four digits.
  • You only need to submit a statement when a receipt does not show a zero balance.
May I use the Expense Reports Menu to claim my tuition fee refund?

No.
The Expense Reports Menu is used for requesting reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses for University related travel or business.

Students:

Consult the Student Accounts website for more information.

Employees who are also studying at McGill:

Consult the Educational Assistance Policy on the Human Resources website

When I am preparing an advance or expense report, will I be prompted that I've made an error?

No.

If you leave a required field (marked with a red *) blank, Minerva will not allow you to enter data in the next field. You will also be prompted to make corrections to a date if the entered format is incorrect.

Otherwise, Minerva does not check for content accuracy nor does it check if entered data conforms to University policy and/or guidelines.

When traveling to multiple cities in one trip, which city is entered as the destination city? Enter the "landing destination" in the Destination City field and in the Purpose indicate the other destinations.
When is a third party claimant deemed to be a non-Canadian resident?

A non-Canadian resident is someone who:

  • Resides outside of Canada;
  • Is not a McGill employee;
  • Has no ongoing responsibility to the University;
  • And, has incurred expenses during University business.

For more information about Non-Canadian Residents, refer to the Guest Lecturer and Speaker Remuneration Policy.

Note: Identifying a claimant as a non-Canadian resident ensures that the Payroll Office, Human Resources, fulfills the University’s taxation regulatory responsibilities. The University bases its policy and procedures on the Income Tax Guide issued by CAUBO for Canadian Universities and Colleges.

How do I enter receipts that are in foreign currencies? Enter the face value of the receipt (including taxes) in the Transaction amount field and then select the appropriate currency. Minerva will calculate the equivalent amount in Canadian dollars.
How do I enter a receipt for gifts? In the Describe Purpose field, enter the names and McGill IDs of recipients which are full time employees, otherwise enter Non McGill employees. The name of the store and the items purchased must also be indicated. Always choose the Expense Type Gifts and make sure that account code 700506 is displayed in the FOAPAL Information section of the expense item.
How do I track my advance request or expense report once it is submitted? Minerva assigns a unique reference number for each request. It is displayed on the screen when you review and print the request. This reference number will allow you to track the status of your request along the approval process using the View All Requests menu item.
I don't know the reference number for the travel advance or expense report I just submitted. Is there a way I can look it up?

Yes.

  • Finance Menu and Employee Menu users may look it up by using the View All Requests menu option.
  • Student Menu users may look it up by using the View Expense Report History menu option.
I want to make corrections to my request, but, I already clicked on the Submit button. Do I have to prepare a new request?

No.
The Finance Help Desk or the Travel Desk (Expense Payment Services) will need to disapprove your request for you to be able to make changes to it.

Contact the Finance Help Desk by phone at 514-398-3463 or contact the Finance Service Desk Portal. Be sure to provide the reference number of your advance request or expense report.

My request was disapproved. I have been told it was returned to my "queue", but, I do not know what that means. How do I find my request?
  • When an advance is disapproved, you may access it using the menu option "Open an Advance Request You Started and Saved" 
  • When an expense report is disapproved, you may access it using the menu option "Open an Expense Report You Started and Saved" 
How do I delete an expense report?

You may only delete expense reports which have not been submitted - they must appear in the listing of expense reports you see when selecting the menu option "Open an Expense Report You Started and Saved".

If you need to delete an expense report which does not appear in your listing (you already clicked on the Complete-Submit Request button), contact the Finance Help Desk by phone at 514-398-3463 or the Finance Service Desk Portal to have your request disapproved. Be sure to provide the reference number of your expense report. Once disapproved, you will be able to open it and delete it.

I created an expense report, but, never submitted it. The status is showing that it is Automatically Suppressed (AS). How do I open my expense report so I may complete and submit it?   You can contact the Finance Help Desk by phone at 514-398-3463 or the Finance Service Desk Portal Be sure to provide them with the reference number of your expense report. Once they re-      open it you will be able to complete and submit it.

 

Need Help

Who to Contact and When

Topic Steps to take: Who to contact
Policy questions Consult the Policy and Procedures. For situations/questions not addressed in the policy or procedures - Finance Service Desk Portal
Professional Development Fund questions Consult the Professional Development Fund for Eligible Academics (Guidelines) published by the Academic Personnel Office. Contact the Professional Development Fund Administrator
How to submit an advance or expense report in Minerva For step-by-step instructions consult our How To's Finance Help Desk - 514-398-3463
Is an item an allowable expense for a research grant Consult the Expense Eligibility Grid on the RAN website Contact your Fund Administrator in Research Financial Management Services (RFMS)
Need to disapprove a completed advance or expense report Contact the Travel Desk and provide a reason for the disapproval (missing item, FOAPAL change etc.). Finance Service Desk Portal
OR
Call the Finance Help Desk - 514-398-3463
Responsible McGill ID for an advance or expense report needs to be changed since the individual is no longer a McGill employee/student

For advances - Contact the Finance Service Desk and request that the responsible person be changed. Be sure to provide a reason and who should become the responsible person for the advance. Usually the responsible person is changed to the Fund Financial Manager of the fund being charged.

For expense reports – If the Responsible Person created the expense report themselves, contact the Finance Service Desk requesting that the expense report be deleted and provide a reason. If the individual needs to be reimbursed, a new expense report should be submitted for a Third Party Payment.

For expense reports - If someone else created the expense report, contact the Finance Service Desk and provide a reason for the disapproval. Once disapproved, the Requestor will be able to change the Responsible McGill ID.
Finance Service Desk Portal
Need to cancel and re-issue a cheque for an advance or expense report

If the address was correct - Two weeks from the cheque date, contact the Finance Service Desk and request a stop payment and re-issue.

If the address was incorrect - After 30 days have passed from the cheque date, contact the Finance Service Desk and request a stop payment and re-issue and provide the correct mailing address.
Finance Service Desk Portal
Need to open a suppressed advance/expense report (status AS) Contact the Finance Service Desk Finance Service Desk Portal
Questions or concerns about booking through Les Services Direct Travel Consult the Travel Services website. Travel Services, Procurement Services - 514-398-4421 |Travel.procurement [at] mcgill.ca ( email)
Questions about advances issued to Les Services Direct Travel Contact the Finance Service Desk Finance Service Desk Portal
TIPS on using the Minerva menu options:
  • Required fields* must be entered in sequence.
  • Use the TAB key on your keyboard to navigate through the fields.
  • Be sure to read the text displayed to the right-hand side of select fields - additional instructions are sometimes provided.
  • Always use the navigation buttons displayed at the bottom of the page to navigate within an advance or expense report. The BACK browser button should not be used – it causes glitches in the form and the advance or expense report may not be properly submitted.
  • If fields do not behave as expected or a menu option does not load properly, try the following:
    • Log-out and log back-in to Minerva
    • Access Minerva directly from instead of using the myMcGill portal
    • Try a different browser
  • Header Information is populated from your Human Resources (HR) record on file. If any of the displayed information is incorrect, update your address in the Employee tab of Minerva, or, send an email to hrhr [at] mcgill.ca (Human Resources).
 

 

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