Higher education travel is rarely straightforward. Universities and colleges manage travel for students, academics, researchers, professional services teams and senior staff, with journeys ranging from conferences and research trips to international fieldwork, study programmes and placements.

With so many different travellers, destinations and requirements to consider, effective travel management requires more than simply arranging flights and accommodation. Institutions need a strategic approach that brings together cost control, policy compliance, sustainability, technology and duty of care.

Managing complex university travel

The travel requirements of a university are very different from those of a typical business. Students may require additional baggage or flexible arrangements, researchers may travel for extended periods, while academics and staff can have changing conference and teaching commitments.

Managing these requirements across multiple departments and suppliers can make it difficult to maintain consistent processes, understand overall expenditure and provide travellers with appropriate support.

A consolidated travel management programme can help bring this complexity together, providing institutions with:

• A single travel management partner
• Greater visibility of travel expenditure
• Consistent booking processes and travel policies
• Centralised reporting and financial information
• Integrated duty-of-care procedures
• Access to dedicated travel expertise and technology

Bringing travel together can also give universities greater purchasing power and help identify opportunities to reduce costs across their overall travel programme.

Balancing cost and flexibility

Cost control is important for higher education institutions, but the cheapest option is not always the most appropriate. Academic travel often requires flexibility, particularly when research, teaching or conference schedules can change.

Access to academic-specific fares and terms can help universities balance value with the needs of their travellers. Selective Travel Management provides academic rates and benefits including extended seat holds, increased baggage allowances, reduced fees for cancellations and amendments, and fares without Saturday-night stay requirements.

Supporting procurement, policy and compliance

Travel management is also an important procurement consideration for universities. Institutions need travel arrangements that align with internal policies and procurement requirements, while giving travellers a straightforward way to book within agreed guidelines.

Selective Travel Management has more than 15 years’ experience supporting higher education customers and is an approved supplier on frameworks including UKUPC, GCA and KCS, covering business, student and combined travel requirements.

Technology can further support compliance by incorporating travel policy rules, approval processes, reporting and financial controls into the booking experience.

Duty of care and sustainability

Universities may have staff and students travelling across multiple countries at any one time, making traveller safety an important part of any travel programme.

Traveller tracking, risk management technology and access to support can help institutions understand where their travellers are and respond more effectively when circumstances change. Selective provides traveller tracking technology alongside a 24/7 in-house out-of-hours team.

Sustainability is another growing consideration. Comprehensive travel and carbon reporting can give institutions greater visibility of their travel activity and support more informed decisions about future journeys.

A strategic approach to higher education travel

Higher education travel will always involve complexity, but the right travel management strategy can make it easier to control, understand and support.

Selective Travel Management currently services 25 higher education customers on a sole-supplier basis, with annual travel expenditure ranging from approximately £350,000 to £15 million. Our higher education customers have been managed by Selective for an average of more than nine years.

By combining specialist higher education expertise, technology and dedicated support, Selective helps universities manage travel more efficiently while providing the flexibility and duty of care their travellers need.

Find out how Selective Travel Management can support your higher education travel programme.