Welcome to Collin College’s Mandatory Online Travel

Orientation

Student Travel Guidelines

Definition of Travel

“Travel is defined as any approved Collin

College-related activity during or outside of usual

working hours taking place anywhere other

than a campus location” (current student handbook,

Section 6.32 Student Travel).

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Mandatory Online Travel Orientation

PURPOSE:

1) To review pertinent Collin College information and student travel policies.

2) To provide safety information for students attending Collin College-sponsored events.

3) To meet Collin College’s requirement of mandatory travel orientation for all students and advisors* who travel with students on both day and overnight trips.

*NOTE: Anyone traveling with students and serving as an advisor, faculty member, coach, advisor of record, or responsible party will be referred to herein as an “advisor.”

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Mandatory Online Travel Orientation (Cont’d.)

ANNUAL REQUIREMENTS:

● Mandatory online travel orientation is required for both students and advisors once every academic year.

● An academic year is defined as September 1st through August 31st of the following year (e.g., September 1, 2013 – August 31, 2014).

● Mandatory online travel orientation and the Mandatory Online Travel Orientation Acknowledgment form must be completed a minimum of three (3) academic calendar days (not including weekends) prior to departure.

● Upon completion of the mandatory online travel orientation, every student and advisor must fill out and submit the Mandatory Online Travel Orientation Acknowledgment form. Instructions for completing this form can be found at the end of this presentation.*

*Note: If a student submits the Mandatory Online Travel Orientation Acknowledgment form for someone other than him/herself, the student will face disciplinary action from the Dean of Student Development Office. If an advisor submits the Mandatory Online Travel Orientation Acknowledgment form for someone other than him/herself, the matter will be referred to Human Resources.4

Travel Approval Required

All travel to a college-sponsored event at a location other than a Collin College campus must be approved prior to departure and in accordance with college policies.

College-sponsored events off campus may be approved for three (3) reasons:

1) Academic-must be authorized and approved by the academic dean and the appropriate campus vice president/provost.

2) Athletic-must be authorized and approved by the director of athletics and the appropriate campus vice president/provost.

3) Student organization-must be authorized and approved by the director of student life and the dean of student development or designee.

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Important Things to Remember

● Attending Collin College-sponsored events off campus is a privilege not a right.

● Students and advisors participating in off-campus events are on “college time” from the moment they arrive at the departure site until they return to the drop-off site at the end of the trip. “College time” includes:

1) time spent participating in the event,

2) time spent traveling to and from the event, and

3) all free periods throughout the trip.

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Liability Waiver Forms

STUDENT GUIDELINES:

1) A student must complete a new Liability Waiver form for every off-campus academic or student organization event.

2) An Athletic Liability Waiver form will cover a student’s athletic travel for the entire athletic academic year (i.e., September 1st – August 31st). However, student athletes attending off-campus academic or student organization events must follow the procedure outlined in item #1 above.

3) Liability Waiver forms are available through:- the academic dean offices,- the Student Life Offices,- athletic coaches (for Collin College student athletes only), or - online at:

http://www.collin.edu/studentresources/deanofstudents/Files/Liability_Waiver.pdf

4) All Liability Waiver forms must be completed and submitted a minimum of three (3) academic calendar days (not including weekends) prior to travel.

5) It is each student’s responsibility to ensure all forms are legible, filled out completely, and returned to the appropriate office(s) prior to the deadline.

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Liability Waiver Forms (Cont’d.)

● A copy of each Liability Waiver form along with a list of all attendees must be left with the proper custodian of records for every off-campus event.

● The custodians of records are:1) academic travel - appropriate academic

dean,

2) athletic travel - director of athletics, and

3) student organization travel - director of student life.

● Advisors must have access to students’ Liability Waiver forms at all times.

● Do not place these forms in checked baggage or the storage compartments of a bus or plane.

● Advisors do not need to complete Liability Waiver forms.

● Prior to departure, advisors should review all Liability Waiver forms to ensure they are complete and legible.

● Students who fail to complete a Liability Waiver form a minimum of three (3) academic calendar days (not including weekends) prior to the off-campus event will not be allowed to travel.

ADVISORS GUIDELINES:

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Student Travel Commitment Form

If college funds will be allocated for students to attend an off-campus event, each student traveling to the approved event must sign a Student Travel Commitment form. This form is available through the Student Life Offices or at: http://www.collin.edu/shared/shared_campuslife/PDF/Travel_Commitment.pdf

If a student is unable to attend the event, he/she will be required to reimburse the college for the full amount of costs incurred by the college (including, but not limited to, tickets on a common carrier, conference registration fees, hotel fees, etc.) within 30 days, as stated on the form. A hold will be placed on the student’s academic record and transcripts until the full amount allocated is reimbursed.

If refunds are available, it is the student’s responsibility to request them. Neither Collin College nor any of its representatives will seek refunds on a student’s behalf.

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Travel Exceptions

Advisors are not authorized to make travel exceptions.

Students must receive approval for travel exceptions from the appropriate administrators (see slide #5 for more information).

To request travel exceptions, students must complete the Release of Liability via Alternative Transportation form.

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Release of Liability via Alternative Transportation Form

This form must be completed by any students who need to request travel exceptions.

Travel exceptions include, but are not limited to, the following:- Leaving a trip early - Traveling in a different manner

- Staying late - Taking a personal vehicle over 60 miles one (1) way

- Using alternate transportation not provided by Collin College

Release of Liability via Alternative Transportation forms are available through:- the academic dean offices,- the Student Life Offices,- athletic coaches (for athletes only), or - online at:

http://www.collin.edu/shared/shared_campuslife/PDF/Release_of_Liability_Via_Alternate_Transportation.pdf 11

Release of Liability via Alternative Transportation Form (Cont’d.)

It is the student’s responsibility to:

1) Fill out the Release of Liability via Alternative Transportation form in its entirety (do not leave anything blank).

2) Provide a written rationale for why the exception is needed and include supporting documentation such as: an academic requirement, work conflict, child care issue, medical information and/or doctor’s note, etc.

3) Provide an alternate itinerary (including the route that will be taken if driving a personal vehicle).

4) Submit the form to the appropriate administrators for consideration a minimum of five (5) academic calendar days (not including weekends) prior to departure.

Remember: before making alternate arrangements or purchasing airline, train, or bus tickets, students must receive prior written approval from the appropriate administrators (see slide #5 for more information).

If the travel exception is not approved by each of the appropriate administrators, the student will need to travel with the group if he/she still chooses to participate.

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Modes of Transportation

College Provided Transportation

Examples of college provided transportation include, but are not limited to: plane tickets, bus tickets, a chartered bus, college-owned vehicles, and college-leased vehicles.

If Collin College is providing a specific mode of transportation, all students and advisors are expected to travel together as a group both to and from the event, regardless of distance.

A student cannot travel separately from the group (e.g., leave early, stay late, travel on a different flight, take a personal vehicle, etc.), unless the student submits a Release of Liability via Alternative Transportation form and receives prior written approval from the appropriate administrators (see slides #5, #11, and #12 for more information).

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Modes of Transportation (Cont’d.)

Personal Vehicles:

● If the trip is less than 60 miles one (1) way, the college may elect not to provide transportation for all students and advisors to travel together.

● In these instances, students and advisors may drive their personal vehicles, and students are not required to submit a Release of Liability via Alternative Transportation form.

● The college does not permit students to carpool. Advisors and student organization leaders should not organize carpooling to and from events.

● Advisors cannot transport students in their personal vehicles.

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Transportation: College-Owned or -Leased Vehicles

Students are not allowed to drive Collin College-owned or -leased vehicles.

Advance written approval from the appropriate administrators must be obtained before any Collin College employee transports students in a Collin College-owned or -leased vehicle (see slide #5 for more information).

Drivers who transport students in a Collin College-owned or -leased vehicle must review and adhere to the Transportation Management Board policy (CJ LOCAL). (All Board policies are available online. See slide #20 for website information.)

● Examples of Collin College-owned or -leased vehicles include:

1) vans or cars owned by the college reserved through Plant Operations, and

2) vans or cars rented through the college’s Enterprise Contract (unless an exception is granted by the Business Office).

● Requisitions must be entered in CougarMart to pay for rentals prior to departure.

● The largest van permissible to rent is a 12-passenger van. However, no more than eight (8) passengers and one (1) driver may travel in a 12-passenger van. No exceptions.

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Transportation: Common Carriers

Common carriers include: 1) airlines, 2) bus companies (e.g., DART,

Greyhound), 3) chartered buses,4) shuttles, and/or 5) trains (e.g., Amtrak, TRE).

● Students are expected to arrive at the departure site by the designated time.

● If a student misses the flight and/or scheduled departure, he/she cannot travel separately and must contact the advisor immediately. Any exceptions must be approved by the appropriate administrators (see slide #5 for more information).

● Requisitions must be entered in CougarMart to pay for tickets and chartered buses prior to departure.

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Transportation: Common Carriers (Cont’d.)

Bus companies must provide insurance documentation showing a minimum of $5,000,000 in coverage and be approved by Collin College’s risk management officer.

Contact one of the Student Life Offices for a list of bus companies that have provided insurance documents and been approved by the college’s risk management officer.

Individuals not affiliated with Collin College (i.e., non-students, non-advisors) cannot travel in Collin College-owned or -leased vehicles or a chartered bus.

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Expectations for Advisors

● Conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times.

● Coordinate room assignments and notify students of their room numbers.

1) Students may not change rooms without the advisor’s prior approval.

2) Students of the opposite sex may not share a room. 3) Students may not share a bed. 4) Advisors may not share a room with students.

● Travel to and from all events with the students.

● Be accessible to the students throughout the trip.

● Any exceptions to the travel policies must be authorized and approved by the appropriate administrators prior to departure (see slide #5 for more information).

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Expectations for Advisors (Cont’d.)

Facilitate a daily meeting. 1) Daily meetings must be held at least once each day throughout the

trip.2) The purpose of daily meetings is to give the entire group an

opportunity to touch base, address any issues, and communicate information.

Keep all student Liability Waiver forms on-hand throughout the trip.

Establish contact procedures for the group prior to travel and communicate these procedures to the students.

Advisors will obtain contact information to reach appropriate administrators after hours (see slide #5 for more information).

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Expectations for Advisors (Cont’d.)

Enforce all Collin College rules and regulations to the best of their ability.

Review the following Collin College documents prior to travel:

1) Student Travel, FK (LOCAL and Regulation); 2) Employee Standards of Conduct, DH (LOCAL); 3) Transportation Management Policy, CJ (LEGAL and LOCAL); and 4) the Student Code of Conduct.

Board policies can be found at:http://pol.tasb.org/home/index/304

The Student Code of Conduct can be found at: http://www.collin.edu/studentresources/personal/studenthandbook.html 20

Expectations for Students

Treat others with dignity and respect.

 

Represent themselves and Collin College in a courteous and professional manner at all times.

Understand that when traveling, students serve as ambassadors of Collin College and they should act as role models for their fellow students.

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Expectations for Students (Cont’d.)

Comply with all Collin College policies and procedures.

 

Comply with all directions from advisors.

Follow the contact procedures established by advisors in the event of an emergency.

Travel to and from all activities and events with advisors.

Arrive at all programs and events on time and attend all sessions. (Note: attending optional activities is at the discretion of each individual.)

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Expectations for Students (Cont’d.)

Abide by the Student Code of Conduct (Code) throughout the trip. The Code can be found at: http://www.collin.edu/studentresources/personal/studenthandbook.html

The Code “applies to all Collin College students while at Collin College, on Collin College property, and/or while attending Collin College-sponsored activities on or off campus” (current student handbook, p. 128).

At a minimum, students should read the following sections of the Code in the current student handbook prior to travel: Chapter 1 – Students’ Rights and Responsibilities and Chapter 2 – Code Violations.

Pay close attention to the following Code violations:

7-2.1 Alcohol and Drug Use Prohibited7-2.4 Other Offenses

Remember: failure to comply with the Code, the information in this presentation, and/or advisors’ directions will lead to immediate disciplinary action with the Dean of Student Development Office. 23

Discrimination, Harassment, Retaliation and/or Sexual Violence

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● Collin College prohibits all forms of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and/or sexual violence.

● For definitions and additional information on Collin College’s policies and procedures, see the following sections of the Student Code of Conduct in the current student handbook:

7-1.2 Discrimination, 7-1.3 Harassment, 7-1.4 Retaliation, and 7-1.9 Prohibition Against Assault.

● The Code can be found at: http://www.collin.edu/studentresources/personal/studenthandbook.html

● Any student who feels he/she has experienced prohibited conduct should immediately report the incident to an appropriate Collin College Campus Security Authority:

- advisor, - dean of student development or designee, - police officer, - Counseling Services staff, or - ADA/Title IX/Section 504 coordinator.

● Norma Allen is Collin College’s ADA/Title IX/Section 504 Coordinator, and she can be reached at 972.758.3849 or nallen@collin.edu.

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Inclement Weather and Emergency Procedures

If Collin College is closed due to inclement weather:1) The advisor must contact the appropriate administrator(s) (see

slide #5 for more information) to ascertain whether the group will be allowed to attend the scheduled event.

2) The advisor should then relay to the student participants whether or not the trip will still occur.

If an incident occurs during the trip (e.g. medical emergency, disciplinary matter, etc.):

1) The advisor must immediately notify the appropriate administrator(s) (see slide #5 for more information).

2) If the incident is a disciplinary matter, the advisor must complete a Student Incident Report form during or immediately upon return from the trip. The Student Incident Report form can be found at: https://www.collin.edu/studentresources/deanofstudents/forms/student_incident_report.html

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Inclement Weather and Emergency Procedures (Cont’d.)

If a physical or medical emergency occurs, dial 911 immediately and report the incident. Be prepared to give the dispatcher the following information:

1) your name,2) location of the incident,3) description of the incident and who is involved, and4) what service(s) are needed (e.g., police only, police and

ambulance, fire, etc.).

Do not attempt to intervene in the situation except in the case of self-defense or self-preservation.

After reporting the incident to 911:1) Students should immediately notify the advisor of the situation.2) The advisor should immediately notify the appropriate

administrator(s) (see slide #5 for more information).26

Safety

Consider sharing relevant medical information (e.g., medical conditions, prescription medications) with the advisor.

Trust your instincts and immediately report any concerns to the appropriate party (e.g., advisor, hotel desk staff, police, etc. ).

Provide advisor(s) with the best method to contact you in case of emergency (e.g., CougarMail, cell phone, etc.).

Students must always obtain the advisor’s permission before leaving the hotel or event site.

Be careful about wearing identifying information away from the event site. Nametags indicate an individual is a visitor to the area by providing personal information to strangers (i.e., name, college affiliation, etc.). Providing this type of identifying information could cause an individual to be harassed or targeted by criminals. 27

Hotel Safety and Expectations

● Keep hotel room doors locked. Do not leave the door open even when getting ice or stopping by another person’s room.

● Identify who is on the other side of the door before opening it and use the peephole, if available.

● If a hotel staff member is at the door and no one in the room requested assistance, contact the front desk to ensure the person is who he/she says before opening the door.

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Hotel Safety and Expectations (Cont’d.)

● Do not remove anything from the room upon departure other than the complimentary toiletries. Towels, robes, irons, blow dryers, light bulbs, etc. must remain in the room.

● Room occupants will be held financially responsible for any damage to hotel rooms.

● Remember there are other guests staying in the hotel who may not be associated with the event. Be respectful and mindful of noise in hotel rooms and hallways, especially in early morning or late evening hours.

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Contact Information

If problems arise on an academic trip, contact the appropriate academic dean’s office. Contact information for the academic dean’s offices can be found at: http://www.collin.edu/administration/ProvostsAndDeans.html

If problems arise on an athletic trip, contact the director of athletics at 972.548.6800.

If problems arise on a student organization trip, contact any Student Life Office:

CPC: 972.548.6788 Mon, Tues, Thurs, and Fri - 8 am to 5 pm Wed - 8 am to 8 pm

PRC: 972.377.1788 Mon and Tues - 8 am to 8 pm Wed, Thurs, and Fri - 8 am to 5 pm

SCC: 972.881.5788 Mon, Tues, Wed, and Thurs - 8 am to 8 pmFri - 8 am to 5 pm

After hours or on weekends, contact Collin College’s Police Department Dispatch at 972.578.5555. 30

Mandatory Online Travel Orientation Acknowledgment Form

All students and advisors must complete the Mandatory Online Travel Orientation Acknowledgement form after

completing mandatory online travel orientation in order to receive credit and be allowed to travel to Collin College-

sponsored events off-campus.

The Mandatory Online Travel Orientation Acknowledgement form can be found at:

https://www.collin.edu/studentresources/deanofstudents/forms/mandatoryonlinetravelform.html

Be sure to complete all sections and click on “Submit” at the bottom of the page.31