You’ve decided to travel and plan on students going with you on the trip.  Perhaps you are a faculty member planning field trips for your class this semester, or maybe you are a staff member accompanying students on a conference or meeting.  You may even be an administrator planning to have some students accompany you or go on their own to represent the university on a special trip or event.  In all these scenarios, and any other activity held off campus involving the transportation of students and students traveling on official university trips regardless of the mode of transportation, you are required to follow the Student Group Travel Policy and guidelines.  The following information should assist you in compliance with the policy and guidelines.  Every employee who sponsors any activity or trip off campus involving students and officially affiliated groups must follow these procedures when the student travel is official Austin Peay travel.  Please be aware this policy is concerned with the responsiveness and liability issues regarding student travel and does not address funding of student travel.  The University employee sponsoring the travel must determine the appropriate source of funding prior to submitting a student group travel authorization form.

Minor children and non students may not participate in travel sponsored by the University unless they are part of an officially recognized affiliated program.

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What is the Student Travel Policy?

The Student/Group Travel policy  has been approved by the TBR and is in effect for APSU.  Please read and become familiar with the policy.  See  APSU student travel policy.   It has been established and approved, first and foremost, to protect students who travel on university sponsored events, and secondly, it more clearly defines liability issues for the students and APSU.  This is a separate policy covering student travel only and is different from employee/faculty travel.

What forms must be completed for student travel?

1. Student Travel Authorization Form.   The university employee must complete this form and should include all information requested.  It must be approved by the supervisor/department chair and Dean or Director.  This form must be filed prior to every trip off campus unless a blanket authorization is filed for the semester or season to cover field trips relating to a specific class for the semester, athletic team trips, etc. for the entire semester.  Blanket student travel authorization forms must also include a travel itinerary for the semester and only pertain to the same group of students traveling for a similar purpose for the duration of the semester, season or academic year.
     
   Please allow ample time for approvals.  Many times this requires several departments to be involved in the approval process.  You should plan to initiate student travel authorizations and liability forms in time for the forms to be submitted to Student Affairs 10 days prior to expected date of departure.   If the travel is out of country, forms must be submitted at least 20 working days prior to date of departure as all out of country travel requires TBR approval.  NO LATE submissions will be approved.
   Student Travel is not authorized until all paperwork is on file in Student Affair and the Business Office.  Only students who complete liability waivers will be approved to travel.
     
2. Liability Release Form.  All students traveling are required to complete a liability waiver including emergency contact name, relationship and phone number, and medical insurance  information.  All liability forms must be witnessed by the faculty or staff member sponsoring the trip.  The student travel authorization form, along with completed liability forms, are then submitted to Student Affairs following director or dean approvals.   Student travel authorization forms submitted without liability release forms WILL NOT be processed and approved.    For blanket authorizations for the semester or season, the liability form may also be completed once with the appropriate dates listed on the form to cover the entire period.  Minors who are not APSU students are not authorized to travel unless they are in a specific officially recognized affiliated program that includes travel as part of the program such as  High School Upward Bound, and their participation in the program includes the travel.  In such cases the parent/guardian must sign a liability waiver for their minor's participation in the program which includes travel.  Other than these type of  programs, no minors are authorized to travel.  Please see TBR Policy 4:03:02:00, Motor Pool Vehicles, specifically section E,  Authorized Operators and Passengers.   NOTE:  for liability waivers for participants that are minors or non students, please contact Student Affairs.
       
3. Driver Authorization Application. and Attachment.
   All  university employees who will drive and transport students must be authorized to drive.  Complete the driver authorization form and Attachment and submit both forms to Student Affairs at least two weeks prior to the scheduled travel.  All employees driving 15 passenger vehicles must complete driver training in addition to an approved authorization form prior to traveling with students.  All employees less than full time are required to attend driver training as well. Time for training should be factored into the approval time.  Trainings are scheduled several times each semester.   If a student is an employee of the university, they may apply to become an authorized driver if their job description indicates they will be required to drive and transport students as part of their duties.  A copy of their job description must be attached to the application.  All student employees, including graduate assistants, must complete driver training prior to becoming authorized.   Applications for student employees will be returned to the originator if the job description is not attached.  Some student driver applications may require additional information.  Please note, generally students are not approved to drive on behalf of the University unless is is specifically part of a job responsibility and stated in the job description.
     
   • For example, if an athletic trainer is a student and is also employed by athletics as a temporary employee for a year and their job description states:  must meet University requirements to become an authorized driver, and their responsibilities include the requirement that they will be driving and transporting athletes off campus to physician appointments or rehab, then that student/employee must apply to become an authorized driver.  AT NO TIME should any employee drive and transport students without being approved to do so.  Supervisors will be notified of the approval/disapproval of authorized drivers in their departments.
       
   • If an employee is authorized to drive and their driving history of valid license status changes, it is the responsibility of the employee to notify their supervisor and Student Affairs of this change.  If the status changes and no one is notified, the employee will be personally liable in the event of an accident.
      
   • All approved drivers who are full time employees must reapply  and become reauthorized every two years unless there is a motor vehicle violation prior to the two year anniversary date, and change in the status of their license or a change in personal auto insurance.  If a violation occurs, even if on personal time, it must be reported within 72 hours to their immediate supervisor and the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs.  These employees may be required to reapply at an earlier date, may be required to attend additional driver training, or may lose their driver approval status.  All other drivers must reapply annually.  Drivers whose licenses expire prior to the reauthorization date must submit a copy of the updated license showing revised expiration date.
      
   • All approved drivers must possess personal automobile insurance, even if they plan to drive only University vehicles.

Where are the forms submitted?

Completed forms are submitted to Student Affairs,  University Center 206.  Forms must be submitted completed with approving signatures at least 10 days prior to expected departure from campus.  Please allow additional time to receive approval if driver training is required.

How do I reserve a university vehicle for student travel?

Complete the Vehicle Request Form, have it approved, and forward to the physical plant.  This is the same form used for vehicles utilized on employee travel.  However, the vehicle will not be released unless all procedures have been followed:  filing and approval of student travel authorization form; all liability forms on file; and all drivers are authorized to drive and transport students.

My student travel has been approved.  What's next?

When your student travel has been approved, you will receive from Student Affairs a Student Travel Manifest form.  It will detail your travel arrangements and the students listed on the manifest are the ones authorized to travel.  Prior to your departure from campus on your trip, you must complete this form and deliver it to campus police.  You must identify the vehicles utilized on the trip, and then indicate which students are traveling in which vehicle.  Any student not traveling should be marked off the final manifest prior to submission to campus police.  The students should go and return in the same vehicle.  You should take a copy of the manifest with you so you have a roster of the students on the trip.

Prior to departure from campus, you should meet with the students involved and let them know what the expectations are for the trip, and that they are expected to abide by all university rules and regulations, including the Student Code of Conduct, while they are traveling.  If you are receiving university funds for the travel, students should also be instructed to retain all receipts and return them to you upon arrival to campus.

After completion of the trip, the university employee must submit a travel claim form to the Business Office to complete the trip.  This is the same claim form that university employees use for staff/faculty travel.  This form does not need to be submitted to Student Affairs.

What is the procedure if there is an emergency?

You should contact Campus Police as soon as possible following the incident.  Campus Police will notify the appropriate University personnel for assistance and response regarding the students.  You should also contact the local police in the area of the accident to file a report, exchange information with the other party involved if possible, and NEVER admit any fault.  Please review the emergency procedures section of the student travel guidelines prior to departure.

If you have questions, need more information or assistance, please contact  Student Affairs or bryantt@apsu.edu  or call  221-7341.