employees / Procedures / Trip Leaders, Student and Group Travel Guidelines

Trip Leaders, Student and Group Travel Guidelines

Summary

These guidelines are intended to provide an overview for Trip Leaders. Delta College encourages opportunities for students to travel off campus to participate in educational and learning activities for day and overnight trips. However, in order to protect the Trip Leader and the safety of our students, it is important to have a broad pre-approval of the plans being put into place.

Trip Leaders must submit a Student and Group Travel Pre-Approval Form at least eight weeks in advance of any off-campus trip or class travel.  It is the responsibility of the employee Trip Leader to receive the needed approvals, including student club travel forms, prior to a trip being planned. Additional levels of approval may vary by department.

Delta College promotes safe travel to events and activities occurring beyond the boundaries of the College property by students and recognized student organizations. These guidelines apply to individual student and recognized student organization travel both in cases where the travel is sponsored by Delta College, and in cases where an individual student or recognized student organization travels on behalf of, or with the financial support of Delta College.

Examples of activities and events that fall under these guidelines include, but are not limited to: 

    • Academic course or classroom travel 
    • Recognized student organizations/travels
    • Community service travel
      Situations where a student or recognized student organization officially represents Delta, e.g., leadership academies, conferences, and other programs. 
    • Intercollegiate athletics competition and fundraising travels.

Procedures

General requirements

Delta College travel procedures have been developed in compliance with risk management and IRS guidelines. The College requires that Trip Leaders follow the same procedures in place for employee travel, especially when it relates to travel planning, expense substantiation and reimbursement, and requests for hotel reservations, conference registration fees and airfare and other transportation.  Trip leaders should review travel guidelines on the Business Services page.

All student and recognized student organization and classroom related travel must meet the following requirements: 

    1. Travel must be planned so as not to create an undue interference with academic responsibilities.
    2. All off-campus travel requires prior approval by an appropriate department manager.
      1. This applies if the mode of transportation car, van or bus is owned, rented or operated by Delta College.
      2. Employees are not allowed to drive students in personal vehicles.
      3. Includes field trips in which travel is done during the standard college business day. This presumes students leave from campus and return to campus the same day.
      4. If the activity requires students to make their own arrangements for transportation to the location, this should be stated and included on the waiver form.
    3. All College sponsored travel must be led by a faculty or staff member, identified as the Trip Leader on the Student and Group Travel Pre-Approval Form, for any off-campus travel with students.
      1. Preference is for Delta College full or part time employees (usually those that work directly with the program), to serve as a Trip Leader.
    4. For conference travel, if you are going earlier or staying longer than needed (for sightseeing or other reasons), you are responsible for the costs incurred for the additional stay.

Behavior and liability

All Trip Leaders must meet annually with both the Director of Public Safety and the Title IX Coordinator for travel and reporting training.  It is important that all Trip Leaders are aware of the behavior and liability policies of the College and understand their responsibilities during travel trips.  It’s also important that Trip Leaders know how best to protect their own interests, by accessing the expertise of on campus employees, who can assist them.  

The Clery Act will affect the responsibilities of Trip Leaders, who would be considered Campus Security Authorities (CSAs), and thus have an obligation to report alleged crimes of which they are aware.  A Trip Leader would be considered an official of Delta College who has significant responsibility for student and campus activities, such as coaches, student organization advisors, and those involved in student discipline. Crime allegations should be reported to the Delta College Public Safety Department.  

In the event of an allegation of sexual misconduct, the Title IX Coordinator will also be informed. Title IX is a federal law that protects individuals from sex discrimination in any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. There are other laws that also protect students and employees from sex discrimination, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (federal law) and a Michigan law called the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.

Delta College expects all Trip Leaders and student travelers to exhibit responsible and appropriate behavior.  In the event of an emergency during the College sponsored travel, the Trip Leader MUST report incident(s) as follows:

    • Criminal activity
      Report to the Office of Public Safety, 989-686-9113, which is generally staffed Monday–Saturday until 11:00 pm, and Sundays until 6:00 pm.
    • Medical emergency
      Report to the Office of Public Safety, 989-686-9113.
    • Student conduct / behavior issues
      Report to the Dean of Student Success, 989-686-9472 and, if applicable, the Title IX Coordinator, 989-686-9247.
    • Students will be held accountable for their behavior and will be governed by and the rules and regulations set forth in the Student Handbook, located on Inside Delta - Current Students under Policies and Disclosures. 
    • For all other incidents, report to the Office of Public Safety.

Trip Leader Responsibilities

    1. When a college employee accompanies students as part of a college activity, they are assuming responsibility and associated liability as a Trip Leader and are required to comply with all college risk management and insurance policies (See Wendy Harness for the appropriate form for your trip – wendyharness@delta.edu or 989-495-4016.)
    2. Trip Leaders and other chaperones must complete and successfully pass a background check through Human Resources before accompanying students on any overnight travel.
    3. All Trip Leaders MUST meet annually with both the Director of Public Safety and the Title IX Coordinator for travel and reporting training.
    4. Faculty/staff Trip Leaders are required to discuss the Delta College Code of Behavior Guidelines and Student Conduct, prior to traveling.
    5. The Trip Leader must work with the College’s Business Services office on the following:
      1. Contracts/agreements for lodging, transportation and miscellaneous fees.
      2. Submitting requisitions for travel with appropriate cost center manager approval (i.e. bus or van rentals, hotel, purchase orders, credit card payments for lodging, etc.). Requisitions must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the required payment date or date of travel.  If airline travel is needed include an additional two weeks to requisition requests. All student travel is done per the travel procedures of the college.
      3. All drivers of rental or college vehicles must be college employees, must present a valid Operator's License and are subject to a review and approval of their driving record.  Only drivers meeting the driving record criteria established by the College and the Michigan Community College Risk Management Authority may operate a College owned or rented vehicle. See Wendy Harness for the appropriate form for your trip – wendyharness@delta.edu or 989-495-4016.
      4. The Trip Leader must exchange emergency contact numbers with students and obtain a completed Assumption of Risk Waiver & Release form, for use in the event of an emergency, prior to the scheduled trip.
        1. The Trip Leader must carry a copy of all emergency contact information for participants in the trip.
        2. That same emergency contact information must be submitted to the Office of Public Safety, prior to travel commencing.
      5. Delta College employee Trip Leaders can be given time off to chaperone student travel without using personal leave time.  However, this must be with the advance permission of the supervisor of the Delta employee.
      6. Trip Leaders and chaperones are expected to adhere to the rules and regulations for behavior as stated in the Employee Handbook and also to oversee the student travel group to ensure adherence to the Delta College Code of Behavior Guidelines and Student Conduct.
      7. No alcohol or marijuana consumption is permitted.
      8. Trip Leaders and other chaperones must not share hotel rooms or other types of lodging accommodations with students.
      9. And, for Delta College sponsored overnight trips, we follow the National Association of College and University Attorneys’ recommendation of only having one student/person per bed.  Adding a cot to a room to sleep three per room is permitted.   

Participation:
All Delta Employees.

Revision/Review dates:
8/19