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POLICY 07:02:02

TRAVEL: STUDENT DOMESTIC OR INTERNATIONAL

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 TRAVEL: Student Domestic or International. This policy applies to all students or student groups not traveling under individual travel authorization.

Academic Department: An organization unit within the College that oversees a set of academic disciplines, curricula, and/or degree programs.

College Sponsored Activity: Academic, voluntary, co-curricular, or extra-curricular activities or events sponsored and/or funded by the College.

Student Club or Organization: Student organizations may be either organizations sponsored by Pellissippi State, such as student government organizations, associated student body organizations, and professional and honor societies, or organizations officially registered by Pellissippi State. See Policy 04:01:00 Student Organizations for conduct and recognition guidelines.

Sponsor: A faculty or staff member responsible for any part of planning or implementation of the college sponsored activity.

Policy:

Pellissippi State Community College recognizes the benefits of off-campus travel in conjunction with academic, co-curricular, and college-sponsored programs. Pellissippi State Community College also acknowledges the need for certain regulations and procedures to promote safety, maximize educational value, manage risk, minimize liability, and enable appropriate response in times of crisis.

This policy applies to all student travel in conjunction with official college sponsored activities and registered student organizations, including but not limited to, instructional field trips, credit or extra credit opportunities, college-recognized club or organization activities, performing arts, athletic events, conferences, workshops, and international travel.

This policy and associated student travel procedures are considered the minimum required for authorized, organized student travel. Sponsors, academic departments, college offices, 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 sponsor must submit proposals for such additional standards to the appropriate Academic Department Dean, Director of Student Life, and Dean of Students. Exceptions to policy or procedure must be agreed upon by the sponsor’s direct supervisor and the Dean of Students.

  1. Approval of College Sponsored Activities
    An authorized designee of the president, must authorize all official college-sponsored travel in advance. Travel associated with an academic course or program will be approved by the Academic Dean that oversees the respective department. Travel associated with a student club or organization will be approved by the Director of Student Life. Overnight travel must receive additional approval by the college president. A travel request must be submitted through PelliBiz for approval no less than 10 working days prior to the date of departure.
    If a student will miss classes, the student should submit a list of their courses and faculty contact information to their sponsor. The sponsor will then inform the students’ instructors of the absences and request an allowance for students to make up missed work.
  2. Unauthorized Travel
    Pellissippi State Community College will assume no liability for unscheduled and/or unauthorized student travel. Authorized travel requires that all college and/or state travel forms be completed and approved prior to travel. Any unapproved travel-related expense incurred by the traveler is the responsibility of the traveler.
  3. Sponsor Responsibility
    It is the responsibility of the sponsor to travel with student groups and ensure compliance with college policies and procedures including, but not limited to, Travel: Student Domestic or International (07:02:02), Student Code of Conduct and Due Process (04:02:00), Sexual Misconduct Policy (4:02:03), Student Records confidentiality (04:03:00). The sponsor must report any suspected policy violation to the Dean of Students immediately.
    Sponsors are required to attend, on an annual basis, an orientation facilitated by Student Life and/or the Dean of Students before scheduling the off-campus learning experience. The orientation may be made available in face-to-face sessions and/or via the Internet.
    Sponsors are required to facilitate a formal, mandatory pre-trip orientation for student participants. Ideally, this orientation will take place in a group setting with all student participants in attendance. Adjustments may be made to allow for scheduling difficulties, however, the same pre-trip orientation material must be covered with all participants.
    The pre-trip orientation will consist of trip-specific informational items as well as:

    • Behavioral expectations
    • Personal health and safety
    • Logistical and practical matters
    • Expected educational outcomes
  4. Student Responsibility
    Students will be subject to enforcement of college policies and procedures including, but not limited to, Travel: Student Domestic or International (07:02:02), Student Code of Conduct and Due Process (04:02:00), Sexual Misconduct Policy (4:02:03), additional guidelines established by the sponsor, and local, state, and federal laws at all times while traveling. Failure to comply with college policy or sponsor directives may result in a referral to the Dean of Students for conduct review. Students are required to attend all mandatory meetings in connection with day or overnight travel. Failure to attend such meetings will result in the student being ineligible to travel for the specified off-campus learning experience.
  5. Required Documentation
    There are several documents which students must be presented and agree to prior to departure. Students who are under the age of 18 are required to submit a hold harmless form signed by a parent or guardian. Students who do not submit the required documentation will not be permitted to travel. The submission of a travel request does not guarantee approval. Approval should be sought prior to making any travel arrangements, submitting deposits, or securing reservations.

    1. Required Academic Travel
      Academic departments offer courses and programs in which travel is a necessary part of the curriculum. This would include courses or programs that have off-campus experiences that are the only means for students to achieve learning outcomes, e.g. an internship, clinical, field experience, or performance. The course description must include a statement that notifies students that travel is required to successfully complete the course. Before any required travel occurs, the following documentation must be collected by the course instructor during the first week of class for each semester the course is offered.

      1. Hold Harmless Agreement signed by each student enrolled in the course or program
      2. Behavioral Expectations signed by each student enrolled in the course or program
      3. One copy of the master syllabus or instructor syllabus that describes the student travel experience and relates it to one or more course goals.

      The documentation must then be submitted to the dean of academic department to which the course belongs by the second week of class. The academic dean is responsible for storing the documentation for three years.

    2. Voluntary Academic Travel
      Academic departments also offer courses and programs in which travel is an option within the curriculum. These optional off-campus experiences are one possible means for students to achieve the learning outcomes, e.g. service learning, field experiences, or performance. The instructor syllabus must include a section outlining the optional activities, including student travel. If student travel is the only option of earning credit for either extra credit or a regular assignment, then it should be treated as Required Academic Travel. Before any voluntary travel occurs, the instructor will communicate to the students which documentation must be completed and submitted to the course instructor. At a minimum, the documentation will include a hold harmless agreement.
      The documentation must then be submitted to the dean of the academic department to which the course belongs prior to the day of departure. The academic dean is responsible for storing the documentation for three years. For courses that include multiple travel options, only one set of documentation that covers all of the travel opportunities needs to be collected and submitted.
    3. Co-Curricular and Extracurricular Travel
      The College recognizes the benefit of student engagement and development through co-curricular and extracurricular activities. Participation in conferences, leadership training, and cultural experiences through student clubs and organizations serve an integral part of one’s collegiate experience and enhance the overall learning experience. To that end, student club or organizational travel must be tied to a stated educational purpose in alignment with the educational goals of the Office of Student Life. Before any travel occurs, the following documentation must be submitted to the Office of Student Life no fewer than 10 working days prior to the date of departure:

      1. Travel request through PelliBiz
      2. Hold Harmless Agreement signed by each student traveling
      3. Behavioral Expectations signed by each student traveling
      4. Itinerary outlining travel dates, times, program locations and content, and mode of travel
    4. Overnight Travel
      Whenever any of the travel options above includes an overnight stay, the following documentation and procedural requirements are necessary in addition, if not already listed, to the documentation listed above.

      1. Itinerary
      2. Emergency Medical and Contact Information
      3. Behavioral Expectations
      4. Pre-trip Orientation and Checklist
      5. Roster and Contact Information

      Students are expected to reside in their assigned accommodations for the duration of the collegesponsored activity. Guests who are not affiliated with the institution and/or are not affiliated with the academic course or student organization are not permitted to accompany students during collegesponsored travel.

  6. Modes of Travel
    Various modes of transportation may be required for college-sponsored 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.

    1. Vehicles Owned, Leased, Rented or Borrowed by the College. All drivers operating College owned, rented, leased or borrowed vehicles as part of a college-sponsored activity must:
      1. Be a full or part-time faculty or staff member, or student employee,
      2. Possess a valid Tennessee or other state driver’s license,
      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.

    2. Privately-Owned Vehicles. Drivers of privately-owned vehicles must have a valid Tennessee or other state driver’s license and possess personal automobile insurance coverage as mandated by the State of Tennessee, and their vehicle must have a current registration. The driver and all passengers must complete a Hold Harmless Agreement form when driving or being transported in a privately-owned vehicle. The owner, driver and passengers of private cars assume liability in the event of accidents.
    3. 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. Students must be accompanied by a sponsor regardless of the mode of travel. All students are expected to travel with the program group at all times, including flights to and from the program location, unless previously noted. When traveling during “free-time”, students must request permission from the sponsor, who should be informed of where students plan to go and when they will return. Going out or traveling alone is strongly discouraged.
      Approval for independent travel arrangements or deviations from group travel arrangements can be requested. All requests must be approved by the Dean of Students and the sponsor’s supervisor prior to implementation.
  7. Safety Requirements
    Drivers and passengers must act responsibly and use sound judgment when traveling. Further, drivers must:

    1. Obey all traffic laws and regulations, including posted speed limits.
    2. 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 Student Code of Conduct and Due Process, PSCC Policy 04:02:00.
    3. Wear seat belts at all times. The number of occupants in the vehicle must not exceed the number of seat belts.
    4. Not exceed the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended load capacity (see owner manuals for specific instructions.)
    5. Avoid horseplay, racing or other distracting or aggressive behavior.
    6. All faculty and staff must complete required training as mandated by TBR prior to participation.
  8. Travel Abroad
    In addition to the preceding requirements, departments, units, and student organizations sponsoring organized travel outside the United States are responsible for reviewing the U.S. State Department Travel Advisory level for the country(s) of travel. Any travel to locations with a current level 3 or 4 would require documentation of justification and permission from the President. Specific information on international travel safety procedures, etc. may be obtained through the following link: U.S. State Department: International Travel.
    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 procedures (see links below).
  9. Procedures
    College-Sponsored Travel Procedures
    TnCIS Operational Handbook

 

 

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, July 1, 2009
Reviewed/Recommended by President’s Council, September 28, 2015
Approved by President L. Anthony Wise, Jr., September 28, 2015
Reviewed/Recommended: President’s Council, April 16, 2018
Approved: President L. Anthony Wise Jr., April 16, 2018
Reviewed/Recommended: President’s Council, March 27, 2023
Approved: President L. Anthony Wise Jr., March 27, 2023