Student Off-Campus Activities and Field Trips

(Statement No. 720; June 24, 2015)

STATEMENT. Off-campus activities and field trips can be a vital part of the education of students. The College, the employees, and the students must share the responsibility of assuring safety for all during the trip.
PROCEDURES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Student Responsibilities
  1. When individuals register for school, they assume the personal responsibility to abide by the policies and regulations of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College as stated in the College Catalog, the Student Handbook, and other official publications of the College.
  2. All student activities initiated by a college recognized club, organization, or program are subject to college policies and regulations as outlined by the Board of Trustees, the College Code of Conduct, and the College Administration. This applies to on-campus or off-campus events and field trips.
  3. Students will be responsible for observing the itinerary provided to them, as well as the policies and regulations of the College, while a member of the off-campus activity or field trip.
  4. Students traveling to or from a scheduled off-campus activity or field trip in their own vehicle will assume the same liability as any other travel. In case of accident or injury, the vehicle owner’s insurance will be the primary source of payment.
  5. Students must make requests to the College sponsor of the activity or trip if accommodations due to a disability are needed. These requests must be made as far in advance of the trip as possible.
2. Sponsor Responsibilities
  1. Each activity, event, program, or field trip must be supervised by a college-approved person.
  2. All off-campus activities or field trips must be approved, in advance, through established campus procedures.
  3. The sponsor will make known to students the accepted itinerary of the off-campus activity or field trip.
  4. Employees operating college vehicles must have a valid driver’s license on file with the designated campus/center office. In rare instances, if a qualified student driver is necessary, this exception will be forwarded with appropriate documentation (copy of student’s driver’s license and Authority for Release of Information form) to the Vice President of Administration and Finance for consideration. Prior to approval, student information will be forwarded to the insurance carrier by the District Business Office for verification and retained in the commercial fleet insurance policy file.
  5. College personnel using their private vehicles to transport students must have a certificate of insurance showing current liability insurance on the vehicle being used. Verification must be submitted with the campus travel approval request. In case of college employee or student accident or injury in a private vehicle, the vehicle owner’s insurance will be the primary source of payment.
  6. Vehicular accidents and/or injury while traveling on a college-sponsored off-campus activity or field trip must be reported as soon as possible to the Campus Vice President, who will notify the Dean of Business Services, who will in turn report to the Vice President for Administration and Finance with a written report to the insurance company. The notification of injury or death due to an accident must be done through the appropriate Vice President’s office, who will immediately contact the College President.
  7. In the event of an accident, emergency, or any incident in which a participant is harmed or could potentially have been harmed, the sponsor is to notify the appropriate local authorities as well as the Campus Police Department, Supervisor of Student Activities and/or Dean of Student Services immediately. In case of medical emergency or injury, the sponsor should take action to obtain medical assistance.
3. College Responsibilities
  1. The College maintains a commercial fleet insurance policy on all school-owned vehicles. The policy includes liability, auto medical payments, uninsured motorists, comprehensive, and collision coverage. Everyone riding in the vehicle is covered within the limits of the policy.
  2. College sponsors will be informed of the policies and procedures related to off-campus activities and field trips by their campus Deans and/or Department Chairs.