Program

2015 Program Outline

Click here for a printable version of the program

Travel Policy

Reimbursement Policies for the Annual ONCAT Conference
Re: PARTICIPANT TRAVEL EXPENSES

ONCAT remains committed to delivering relevant, timely and high quality professional development and engagement opportunities to advance student mobility research and pathway development in Ontario across the postsecondary sector. Further, ONCAT is committed to supporting a diverse and institutionally balanced attendance at the annual Conference.

The following reimbursement policies are intended to provide financial support to all member institutions as a means to ensure continued engagement and involvement.

These policies do not apply to non-institutional partners, presenters, or council members. If you fall into one of those categories, please contact Stephanie Rose, Operations Director at srose@oncat.ca or Lia Quickert, Communications Director at lquickert@oncat.ca.

1. Travel

***Any travel not related to travelling to and from the Conference will not be covered by ONCAT.

1. For registrants whose institution/organization is 60 km or more from the Conference venue, economy class (rail, air, and bus) travel costs will be reimbursed with submission of original receipts/ tickets/ boarding passes with itineraries. In an effort to minimize expenses, we request that flights are booked at least three weeks in advance of the conference date.
   
   Air Travel:
   For participants who arrived by airplane, please submit:
• • All boarding passes or tickets as well as itineraries for total round-trip
  • Original taxi or bus receipts to/from the airport.
  • ONCAT will not reimburse any costs associated with amount of your airfare. switching/cancelling flights unless there are extenuating circumstances (in which case a formal letter of explanation is required).
  
  Driving:
  ONCAT assumes no financial responsibility for personal vehicles. However, participants whose institution/organization is 60km or more from the Conference venue can request reimbursement for mileage. Please submit:
  • Expenses based on a rate of 46.5 cents per kilometre only. Reimbursement will be provided from your institution’s location, not your home location. We will not reimburse for gas expenses.
  • Please note that if you use your vehicle, it must be insured at owner’s expense for personal motor vehicle liability. ONCAT will not reimburse the costs of insurance coverage during the Conference.
  
  Renting a Car:
  For participants whose institutions are more than 60 km from the venue and rent a vehicle, please note that a compact model or its equivalent is required. Please submit the following:
  • All original receipts for car rental and gas expenses.
  • Any damages incurred to the rental vehicle are the responsibility of the renter and will not be reimbursed by ONCAT. Kindly ensure that the rental has insurance coverage. ONCAT will not reimburse any costs associated with switching/cancelling car rentals unless there are extenuating circumstances (in which case a formal letter of explanation is required).
  • To avoid higher gasoline charges, refuel your rental car before returning it.
  
  Other Forms of Travel (Public transit):
  Travel costs will be reimbursed for economy class travel with submission of original receipts (please be sure to submit any correspondence with ONCAT confirming the travel costs, if available).
  • ONCAT will not reimburse any costs associated with switching/cancelling mode of transportation unless there are extenuating circumstances (in which case a formal letter of explanation is required).
  
  Parking:
  ONCAT will cover the cost of parking for the Green P parking lot at the Nathan Phillips Square Complex which has multiple access points including one directly across the street from the Toronto Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre. Please note, if you decide to park at the hotel, ONCAT will only reimburse you at the rates offered by the Green P parking.
  
  Rates for the Green P parking are as follows:
  Sun:
  Max. (7am - 7am) - $6.00
  Mon-Fri:
  Day max. (7am-6pm) - $15.00
  Night max. (6pm - 7am) - $6.00
  
  Further details and a schematic showing the entrances are in the links below:
  http://parking.greenp.com/parking-info/carpark-info/36_110-queen-street- west-nathan-phillips-square-garage.html
  http://parking.greenp.com/documents/carparks/carpark_00000036.pdf
  
  
2. Registration:
   To ensure robust and engaged discussion, ONCAT is encouraging participation from both the college and university sector and will waive the registration costs for four participants from each institution at the Conference. This year, ONCAT has sought the assistance of your institution in selecting the four.
   a). Institutions may choose to support additional registrants beyond their original four at a cost of $100.00 per registrant, plus additional expenses associated with sending those registrants, including meals, travel and accommodations. A waitlist will be employed to ensure that space permits (ONCAT will not mediate any registration changes within institutions).
   
   
3. Accommodations:
   If you require accommodations, a block of rooms is available at the Toronto Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre Hotel. The Conference rate of $189 per room/per night (plus applicable taxes) is available for Sunday, April 19 and Monday, April 20, 2015.
   
   Please note that accommodations will be reimbursed for registrants only for MONDAY evening, and only for those whose institution is 60km or more from the Conference venue. For reimbursement, kindly submit original copies of your receipts to Stephanie Rose at:
   
   ONCAT
   c/o Stephanie Rose
   180 Dundas Street West, Suite 1902
   Toronto, ON M5G 1Z8
   
   ONCAT delegates have two options for booking rooms at the Toronto Marriott Eaton Centre Downtown Hotel:
   
   • Call toll-free 1-888-236-2427 and be sure to request the $189 rate for the ONCAT Conference
   OR
   • Use this special reservation link for ONCAT 2015 Conference room bookings – ONCAT Conference Reservation Link
   
   The Toronto Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre Hotel has a limited number of rooms available for early arrival (prior to April 19) or late departure (after April 21) at the Conference rate, on a first-come, first-served basis. Delegates can book their entire stay using the above link.
   
   All reservations must be accompanied by a first night room deposit or guaranteed with a major credit card. Note that all reservations must be made by the cut-off date of March 31, 2015. Reservations made after this date will be accepted on a space-available basis and at the prevailing rate of the day.
   
   
4. Meals:
   Lunch on April 20th, and breakfast and lunch on April 21st, as well as refreshment breaks are included as part of the registration; these meals/breaks will be covered for all registrants. Any additional meal expenses are the responsibility of the participant and will not be reimbursed by ONCAT.
   
   
5. Tips/Gratuities
   You may be reimbursed for reasonable gratuities for porter, hotel room services and taxis. Keep a record of gratuities paid.
   
   Examples of reasonable amounts for gratuities include;
   • 10% on a taxi fare
   • $2 - $5 for housekeeping up to one night in a hotel.
   • $2 - $5 per bag for a porter
   • 10% - 15% on a restaurant meal
   • Note that restaurant meal will only be applied to those individuals who are going to spend more than eight hours while traveling to the Conference venue.

Please submit the Direct deposit forms, expense form and all related original receipts to ONCAT no later than May 15, 2015 for processing. All expenses received after that date will not be processed.

If you requested reimbursement from ONCAT in advance of the Conference, please include all correspondence in your submission.

Kindly submit all expenses and original receipts to:

ONCAT
c/o Stephanie Rose
180 Dundas Street West, Suite 1902
Toronto, ON M5G 1Z8

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Stephanie Rose at: srose@oncat.ca.

Click here for a printable version of the Travel Policy

ONCAT Expense Form

ONCAT Direct Deposit Form

Local Information

For more information on things to see and do in Toronto or to download the official app of Tourism Toronto, visit the official site of Tourism Toronto at: seetorontonow.com

For the latest Toronto weather, visit Environment Canada’s weather office at: weather.gc.ca/city/pages/on-143_metric_e.html

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