Policy 2:12 - Student Organization Travel and Field Trips

Source Contact: Office of Academic Affairs/Office of Student Activities

Purpose
This policy and its procedures strive to promote safe travel by University students and members of the University’s recognized student organizations for certain student activities or trips, as well as set forth the University protocols for the certain activities or trips.
Policy
1. Standard external field trip agreements, applications, releases, or similar documents are developed by the Office of General Counsel and the University Risk Management Coordinator, or designee. Trip agreements, applications, releases, or similar documents that modify or deviate from approved standardized University templates must be reviewed in accordance with University Policy 5:1.
2. State-owned vehicles may be utilized for a field trip if the criteria established in the policy, rules, and regulations concerning use of state-owned vehicles are met.
3. Trip sponsors must complete a Request for Field Trip Charge form if they are seeking authorization to charge students a field trip charge per course. Completed Request for Field Trip Charge forms must be submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs by June 1 for Fall Semester, November 1 for Spring Semester and April 1 for Summer Semester for processing and approval in accordance with SDBOR and University policies and procedures.
4. The student organization advisor or trip sponsor is responsible for obtaining, completing, and submitting a Student Activities/Trips Authorized Request Form for University Sponsored/Recognized Trips at least one week prior to the activity or trip. The trip sponsor must affirm the following on the Student Activities/Trips Authorized Request Form for University-Sponsored/Recognized Trips:
  1. The details of the trip and University mission related reason for the trip;
  2. The trip sponsor believes the trip is of greater importance to the student than the classes and other work that the student will miss;
  3. The trip sponsor has advised each student that, before taking the trip, each student must make arrangements to address any academic work which will be missed because of the trip and has given each student a Trip Absence Card to facilitate these requirements;
  4. The trip will not cause the student to miss more than five (5) class days;
  5. The trip sponsor has attained and has in their possession a signed Release and Waiver of Liability; Assumption of Risk Agreement; Indemnity Agreement; and Consent to Medical Treatment and Emergency Contact Form for each student and an itinerary of the trip.
5. If the student is attending an activity or trip and will miss classes as a result, the Student Activities/Trips Authorized Request Form for University-Sponsored/Recognized Trips requires approval from the student organization advisor or trip sponsor, Department Head, and Vice President/Provost Office. If the trip is for a recognized student organization, approval from the Vice President/Student Affairs Office and Assistant Director of Student Activities or Assistant Director of the Wellness Center (for sports clubs sponsored by the Wellness Center only), or their successors, is also required.
6. The Office of Academic Affairs is responsible for issuing the Trip Absence Card to the trip sponsor after its approval of the Student Activities/Trips Authorized Request Form for University-Sponsored/Recognized Trips. The trip sponsor is responsible for providing the Trip Absence Card to the student before the activity or trip. The student is responsible for timely submission of the approved Trip Absence Card to the faculty member for the class of absence and retention of the Trip Absence Card until after the student receives their final grades. Faculty members are not required to honor incomplete or late cards. Absences for trips or activities will not be approved during finals week.
7. Faculty and administration will honor officially approved absences where students are absent for an approved field trip (e.g. tour a business, company, or plant, attend an event as a part of a class, etc.) in the interest of officially representing the University. Appropriate sanctioned activities include: Collegiate club sports and competitions; Conferences and workshops recognized by the University not related to academics; Commitments on behalf of the University (Students’ Association, Band, Choir, etc.); Intercollegiate athletics; and Professional activities recognized by the University related to academics (professional conference attendance, etc.).
8. If the activity or trip does not require students to miss classes in order to attend, the Student Activities/Trips Authorized Request Form for University-Sponsored/Recognized Trips must only be approved by the student organization advisor or trip sponsor and Department Head. Even if the student is NOT missing class, this form is signed and approved by the Office of Academic Affairs.
9. Students are responsible for obtaining, completing, and submitting a Release and Waiver of Liability; Assumption of Risk Agreement; Indemnity Agreement; and Consent to Medical Treatment and Emergency Contact Form before the activity or trip. The student organization advisor or trip sponsor is responsible for maintaining the form once it has been completed, as well as details of the trip, the trip roster, and, if appropriate, student contact information. The Release and Waiver of Liability; Assumption of Risk Agreement; Indemnity Agreement; and Consent to Medical Treatment and Emergency Contact Form may be executed once per semester only if the trip sponsor has incorporated multiple trips within the same semester and the form identifies the series of trips.
10. All students traveling on an approved University-sponsored or recognized trip are subject to all University and SDBOR policies, as well as applicable federal and state laws and regulations.
11. The University is not required to provide overnight accommodations during University-sponsored or controlled student activities and trips.
  1. If overnight accommodations are provided, bed sharing shall not be required during University-sponsored or controlled student activity or trips.
  2. Students may request to share a room with another student if the students all agree to room together, provided the "one person per bed" accommodation standard is maintained.
    1. Exceptions to this standard may be granted only in rare circumstances by the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management and the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, and in circumstances where granting the exception would be in accordance with the best interest of the University.
  3. Requests for single occupancy rooms will be honored to the extent reasonably available, and provided the student agrees to be responsible for any cost differential between a single and higher occupancy room.
12. Recognized student organization advisors will not be required to travel with the group as long as the members of the organization have signed and submitted the Safe Travel Agreement for travel identified during the academic year. Student members who travel as required by their associated recognized student organization are required to abide by the standards set forth in the Safe Travel Agreement, are responsible for their conduct subject to University Code of Student Conduct protocols, and accept the risks of their participation.
13. Trip sponsors shall ensure that emergency communications are available at all times during the trip. If an injury occurs on a field trip, the appropriate University injury report forms must be completed and submitted to University Risk Management.
14. If the student has difficulty working with a faculty member in making up work or being excused by that faculty member for the student activity or trip, the difficulties will be resolved by the Department Head, Dean, or Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, in that order.
15. International travel and trips policies and procedures are the responsibility of the Office of International Affairs.
Procedures
1. At least one week prior to the activity or trip, the student completes the Release and Waiver of Liability; Assumption of Risk Agreement; Indemnity Agreement; and Consent to Medical Treatment and Emergency Contact Form. After completion, the student takes the form to the student organization advisor or trip sponsor for review and maintenance.
2. At least one week prior to the activity or trip, the student organization advisor or trip sponsor completes the Student/Activities/Trips Authorized Request Form for University Sponsored Recognized Trips and obtains signatures from the student organization or advisor or trip sponsor, Department Head, Vice President/Provost Office, and, if the trip is for a student organization, from the Vice President/Student Affairs Office, Assistant Director of Student Activities or Assistant Director of the Wellness Center (for sports clubs sponsored by the Wellness Center only), or their successors. After all signatures are obtained, the student organization advisor or trip sponsor forwards the form to the Office of Academic Affairs for approval.
3. In situations involving absence due to missed classes, the Office of Academic Affairs, after approval of the Student/Activities/Trips Authorized Request Form for University Sponsored Recognized Trips, issues the Trip Absence Card to the student organization advisor or trip sponsor, who then provides it to the student. The student presents the completed, approved Trip Absence Card to the faculty member for the class of absence prior to the trip or event to have an officially excused absence.
Responsible Administrator
The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, successors, or designees are responsible for annual and ad hoc review of this policy and its procedures. The University President is responsible for approval of this policy.

Approved by President on 06/12/2014. Revised, approved by President on 05/18/2015. Revised 01/26/2024 (clerical). Revised, approved by President on 08/14/2024.

Sources: ; University Policies 2:5 and 5:1

Associated Forms: ; ; ; , ,

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