07:02:02
TRAVEL: Student/Group/Abroad
Please refer to
Tennessee Board of Regents Policy 4:03:03:50 Athletic and
Other Group Travel
All travel must comply with Policy
07:02:02, Student/Group Travel. This
policy applies to all student/groups not traveling under individual travel
authorization.
This policy applies to all student/group
travel in conjunction with official college sponsored activities, and
registered student organizations, including but not limited to instructional
field trips, college-recognized club or organization activities, music and
athletic events, student/group travel abroad to conferences, workshops, and
programs sponsored or endorsed by the College.
This policy governs the following:
·
Activities or
events sponsored and/or funded by the College.
·
Travel by student
organizations registered at the College.
·
Travel required
by academic departments as part of fulfilling requirements for completion of a
class or extra credit.
This policy and the associated student
travel procedures are considered the minimum required for authorized, organized
student travel. Departments, classes,
and/or student organizations may mandate additional standards as deemed
necessary to address the unique requirements associated with a particular type
of organized student travel. The faculty
or club advisor should submit proposals for such additional standards to the
appropriate Academic Department Dean or the Director of Student Life and
Recreation.
All students/groups must be accompanied by
a member of the faculty or a college staff employee (sponsor) regardless of the
mode of travel. The designated faculty
or staff member is responsible for compliance with this policy.
I.
Field Trips
Faculty will receive approval from their
Academic Department Dean and club advisors/sponsors will receive approval from Director
of Student Life and Recreation at least ten (10) working days prior to the
field trip. Faculty/club advisors are
responsible for making all trip preparations, including transportation.
If students will miss classes, the
faculty/club advisor should submit a list of students' names, classes to be
missed, and the instructors of those classes to the department secretary. The department secretary will inform the
students' instructors of the absences and request an allowance for students to
make up missed work.
All students participating in a field trip
must complete a Hold Harmless Agreement form (see Required Documentation) and
submit the form to the faculty/club advisor who will maintain the forms.
Individual departmental or group travel may
have further requirements for approval of student/group travel.
Various modes of transportation may be
required for student/group travel. Each
mode of transportation requires that common and mode-specific safety
precautions (e.g. seatbelts in use) be used at all times. In addition to following applicable local,
state and federal laws and using sound judgment when traveling, students and
college personnel must follow the procedures associated with this policy
according to the specific mode of travel involved. Travel conditions must be considered prior to
departure on any travel involving students.
II.
Student/Sponsor Responsibility
It is the responsibility of the College
department, registered student organization, academic program, College
employee, etc, that sponsors the organized student/group travel to assure
compliance with policy and procedures.
If an individual student travels under this policy, a college employee
(sponsor) must assume the responsibility for compliance with the policy and
procedures.
The sponsor must advise students of rules
and regulations regarding conduct during the trip including, but not limited
to, hotel curfew and responsibility for obligations, purchases or damages
incurred by the students/group. Students
will be subject to enforcement of the Pellissippi State Technical Community
College Student Code of Conduct and local, state, and federal laws at all times
while traveling. The sponsor must report
any disciplinary issue to the Vice President of Student Success and Enrollment
Management immediately.
III.
Required Documentation
The President or an authorized designee of
the president must authorize all official student/group travel in advance. A Request
for Travel Approval form must be submitted for approval no less than 10
working days prior to the date of departure.
Faculty or staff sponsor should maintain the Hold Harmless Agreement
forms.
A.
Itinerary. The sponsor
must provide appropriate trip information to all students traveling.
B.
Hold
Harmless Agreement Form. All
student/group travelers must complete a Hold Harmless Agreement form verifying
they understand and accept the risks involved in participating in the travel
activity and assume responsibility for their behavior, applicable emergency
information, etc.
C.
Minority Age
Students. Student/groups under the age of eighteen (18)
must have a Hold Harmless Agreement form signed by their parent or legal
guardian.
D.
Volunteer
Agreement Form. All
E.
Medical
Coverage.
F.
Unapproved
Expenses. Any unapproved travel-related expense
incurred by the traveler is the responsibility of the traveler. Students must be informed that the College
assumes no responsibility for providing student/groups with funds in case of
unanticipated delays or other incidents, which may require additional
expenditures. Reimbursement for emergency
circumstances may be considered.
IV. Modes of Travel
A.
Vehicles
Owned, Leased, Rented or Borrowed by the College. All drivers
operating College owned, rented, leased or borrowed vehicles as part of
organized student/group travel must:
1. be a full or part-time faculty or staff member, or student
employee,
2. possess a valid
3. possess an acceptable driving record, and
4. be approved in accordance with the policy and
procedures.
If an individual who meets the above
criteria has any driving offense occur after receiving approval to drive, the
offense must be reported immediately.
B.
Privately-Owned
Vehicles. Drivers of privately-owned vehicles must have
a valid
C.
Commercial
Travel. Students traveling by
commercial transportation, whether domestic or international, must comply with
all laws regulating travel and the rules of the specific carrier.
V.
Safety Requirements
Drivers and passengers must act responsibly
and use sound judgment when traveling.
Further, drivers must:
A. Obey all traffic laws and regulations, including
posted speed limits.
B. Not drive under the influence of alcohol or illegal
drugs or transport or possess alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs, unauthorized
firearms or other types of weapons as indicated in the Code of Conduct.
C. Wear seat belts at all times. The number of occupants in the vehicle must
not exceed the number of seat belts.
D. Not exceed the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended load
capacity (see owner manuals for specific instructions.)
E. Avoid horseplay, racing or other distracting or
aggressive behavior.
VI. Travel Abroad
In addition to the preceding requirements
(III A & B), departments, units, and student organizations sponsoring
organized travel outside the
When traveling abroad, not every contingency
can be anticipated. However, planning is
the key to enabling the student and sponsors traveling to respond
appropriately. Please refer to Travel
Abroad Procedures (see links below).
VII.
Procedures
Student/Group
Travel Procedures
International
Program Proposal Guidelines and Travel Abroad Procedures
Approved:
President Allen G. Edwards, February 07, 2005
Reviewed/Recommended:
President’s Staff, September 3, 2008
Approved:
President Allen G. Edwards, September 3, 2008
Editorial
Changes, May 15, 2009