6.8.1sr - SRTC Procedure: Field Trips

Definition
A field trip is defined as a structured learning experience that takes place outside the physical surrounding of the College. All employees exercise prudence and good judgment in the management of all field trip activities; and, they must have Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC) Assumption of Risk, Agreement to Abide by Code of Conduct, Release of Liability, and Limited Medical Authorization forms signed by all participants to minimize the risk of liability.

Academic Field Trip or Community Activity
Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC) supports offering learning experiences for its students, both in the classroom and in the community. To provide clarity as to the type of learning experience, SRTC offers two types of field trips: Academic and Community Activity. Academic Field Trips are learning experiences offered by a program to enhance the occupational material students are receiving within the classroom setting. Academic Field Trips also include recruitment activities or events involving currently enrolled students with the purpose of promoting interest in a specific program or the College as a whole. Community Activities are learning experiences offered through Student Club Organizations or Student Affairs with the goal of building community engagement or strengthening leadership skills. When a Field Trip is Academic in nature, reference the SRTC Field Trips Procedure. When a Field Trip is a Community Activity, reference the SRTC Community Activities Procedure.

Academic Field Trip ApprovalField Trip Request Forms may be acquired through the SRTC Intranet. Approval will require, as a minimum, the signature of the Instructor(s)/Faculty Advisor(s) requesting the activity, and appropriate administrator. Requests for Academic Field Trip activities must receive approval at least two (2) weeks prior to the scheduling of the event.

Missed Classes as a Result of Academic Field Trips
The instructor/faculty advisor requesting the field trip is responsible for notifying all affected instructors of the students participating in the activity. The procedure for make-up work or tests will be established at the time of notification.

Transportation
The Field Trip Request form will require instructor/faculty advisor to provide information concerning transportation for trip.

College Vehicle – An approved academic field trip activity entitles the instructor/faculty advisor to request a College vehicle for travel. Requests will be granted on an availability basis. Only employees of the College may drive College vehicles.

Private Vehicle – No employee is to transport students in personal vehicles. Students are strongly discouraged from transporting fellow students in personal vehicles. The Vice President for Academic Affairs must pre-approve student transporting students in extraordinary circumstances.

Extraordinary Circumstances - If students must transport students, valid drivers' licenses and current vehicle insurance must be certified by the instructor/faculty advisor and a copy of each attached to the Field Trip Roster.

Supervision
An Instructor/Faculty Advisor or a designated College official must accompany participants during field trip activities.

Emergency Information

Field Trip Participants - The participants will complete the Field Trip Roster information and provide the telephone number of an available next-of-kin or contact person who will be available in case of emergency.

Instructor/Faculty Advisor – The Field Trip Request form will require the instructor/faculty advisor to provide information concerning the destination of the field trip along with a phone number by which to reach him/her.

Fiscal Responsibility
The Field Trip Request form will require the Instructor/Faculty Advisor to provide fiscal needs for activity.

Safety and Code of Conduct
Instructors/faculty advisors are required to review safety guidelines and the Code of Conduct with students prior to trip departure.

ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST SIGN ASSUMPTION OF RISK, AGREEMENT TO ABIDE BY CODE OF CONDUCT, RELEASE OF LIABILITY, AND LIMITED MEDICAL AUTHORIZATION FORM PRIOR TO REQUESTING APPROVAL.

Clery Reporting: Police Department

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act or Clery Act requires that for all overnight student trips, the dates stayed, and address where the students were housed, must be provided to the Campus Police Department. The Campus Police Department must, in turn, obtain crime statistics from that police jurisdiction and report those statistics on the College Annual Security (Clery) Report. Failure to do so could result in significant fines to the College.

To ensure compliance with the Clery Act, a copy of all Field Trip Request Forms will be provided to the Chief of Police by the Vice President of Academic Affairs upon approval of the trip. The Field Trip Request Form will be scanned and emailed to the Chief of Police, thereby creating a digital document trail. The Field Trip Request Form will be revised to reflect this step.

Responsibility:
The Vice President for Academic Affairs has the overall responsibility for ensuring this procedure is implemented.

References:

Field Trip Request Form
Assumption of Risk, Agreement to Abide by Code of Conduct, Release of Liability, and Limited Medical Authorization Form
Community Activity Request

Status:
Adopted: 02-09-2015
Implemented: 07-01-2015
Revised: 09-20-2023