Field Trip Policy

Introduction

Off-campus field trips provide valuable experiences and are an important component of the University's educational activities. The University encourages such experiences when appropriate. On all field trips, the safety and well being of participants is a primary concern.

Definitions

1. Field Trip. An off-campus tour or outing taken by students for academic purposes to enhance their knowledge and skills coordinated by University faculty or staff as part of a course curriculum and required for class credit.
2. Field Trip Supervisor. Faculty member or University employee who is in charge of the field trip.

Policy Provisions

1. University Responsibility. The University has a duty to exercise reasonable care in protecting its students from foreseeable harm when planning and implementing field trip experiences. The University recognizes its responsibility to comply with all applicable federal and state statutes and University regulations including, but not limited to, the SIU Employees Handbook and SIU Student Code of Conduct. The field trip supervisor is responsible for exercising reasonable care in planning and implementing the field trip experience and enforcing compliance with University policies by all participants. The field trip requirement must be documented on the course syllabus. There must be field trip orientation for all participants. All field trip participants must complete and sign an assumption of risk form. The department chair and the dean must be notified of any field trips that do not require on-site faculty or staff supervision. When a University owned, leased or rented vehicle is used for the field trip purposes the driver must be a properly licensed University employee. If privately owned vehicles are used, driver must meet all auto liability requirements.
2. Departmental Responsibility. The field trip supervisor is responsible for exercising reasonable care in planning and implementing the field trip experience and enforcing compliance with University policies by all participants. The field trip supervisor's responsibilities include but are not limited to field trip orientation, transportation arrangements, course syllabus documentation, obtaining required approvals and securing all required assumption of risk forms. All signed assumption of risk forms shall be kept on file in the department for no less than 3 years.
3. Participant Responsibility. Each participant shall abide by applicable federal and state statutes and University regulations. Students shall be held to the SIU Student Code of Conduct which will be strictly enforced. A signed assumption of risk form is required of all field trip participants. If privately owned vehicles are utilized, all drivers must meet the applicable auto liability.
4. Participant Agreement and Assumption of Risk Form. Prior to the field trip, each participant shall complete a participant agreement form. This serves to provide medical insurance and contact information for each participant in case of emergency. Each participant of majority age must sign an assumption of risk form. Minors must obtain the signature of a parent or guardian. Prior to departure, the required forms must be filed in the office of the department sponsoring the trip. The filing of such forms shall be a condition for participation in field trips.