UPPS 05.06.03 - Student Travel

POLICY STATEMENT

1. The purpose of this policy is to provide the university community and specifically, students and student organizations, with procedures and safety guidelines on university-sanctioned travel and registered student organization travel that is 25 or more miles away from campus. Student travel is an important activity in the course of the student experience at Texas State University.

PROCEDURES FOR UNIVERSITY-SANCTIONED STUDENT TRAVEL

1. University-sanctioned student travel is an organized event that is initiated, planned, and arranged by a member of the university’s faculty or staff and is approved by a university department.

2. In this policy, university-sanctioned travel is defined as travel more than 25 miles away from campus, which occurs when any of the following applies:

   1. travel is recognized by the university as professional, educational, or is one in which the student group is serving as a representative of the university;

   2. travel is supervised by a faculty or staff member serving in their official capacity;

   3. institutional, departmental, or organizational resources are used;

   4. travel to the activity or event is funded and undertaken using a vehicle owned, leased, or rented by the university, including other modes of transportation; or

   5. travel is undertaken under the scope, direction, or election of a college, department, class, university office, learning community, education abroad program, or Study-in-America registered student organization, or their representatives.

3. This policy does not apply to travel undertaken by students to attend out-of-town recreational activities, or to engage in student teaching, internships, practicums, co-operative education observations or research, unless the research is organized by a member of the faculty.

4. To request approval, members of the faculty or staff who organize activities covered by this policy must submit completed applicable attachments or forms described in Section 05., along with the required documents and information, to the appropriate office for approval. The request should be submitted at least 10 working days in advance of travel to the activity or event. Please refer to G/PPS No. 02.01, Academic Courses: Education Abroad, Study in America, and Off-Campus Courses for procedures related to education abroad and Study-in-America.

PROCEDURES FOR STUDENT TRAVEL REGARDING REGISTERED STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

1. Registered student organization travel is an organized event or activity that is required by the student organization when it occurs more than 25 miles away from campus.

2. Registered student organizations that require travel from student members must submit completed applicable attachments described in Section 05., along with the required documents and information, to the Office of Student Involvement in the LBJ Student Center (Student Involvement @ LBJSC). Documents and information should be submitted at least 10 working days in advance of travel to the activity or event.

3. Registered student organizations that submit travel will receive travel safety resources from Student Involvement @ LBJSC.

PROCEDURES FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL FOR STUDENTS

1. If the program includes international travel, the organizer notifies International Affairs and follows the guidelines provided by International Affairs.

2. Registered student organizations planning international travel are recommended to notify International Affairs and follow the guidelines provided by International Affairs, as well as notify Student Involvement @ LBJSC.

PROCEDURES FOR EDUCATION ABROAD AND STUDY-IN-AMERICA PROGRAMS

1. Education abroad programs must coordinate with the Education Abroad Office to ensure compliance with policies and procedures established for out-of-country programs (see the Education Abroad website for more information).

2. Study-in-America programs must coordinate with the Office of Distance and Extended Learning to ensure compliance with policies and procedures established for out-of-state programs (see the Study-in-America website for more information).

TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION PROCEDURES

1. In order to assure that events or activities that involve student travel are within the scope of the university’s mission, and that student safety issues have been addressed, travel undertaken pursuant to this policy must be authorized in advance by an appropriate administrator. Students must complete the following steps before travel:

   1. complete the travel notification form on the website. This includes names of students traveling; the name of the university department, unit, or student organization; names and contact information of individuals in charge of travel activity; travel route, destinations, and itinerary; emergency contact information for travelers; and in-route and destination contact information.

   2. submit a Student Travel Activity Release and Indemnity Agreement;

   3. submit an Authorization for Medical Treatment for Minors (completed for minors only); and

   4. submit copies of all attachments to the department authorizing travel. The student organizations should also maintain copies of these forms.

   Education abroad and Study-in-America participants must refer to Section 05.

DRIVER REQUIREMENTS AND VEHICLE USE PROCEDURES

1. Drivers

   1. Drivers must be at least 18 years of age, with a valid driver’s license, and valid liability insurance or lease policy insurance.

   2. If a university-owned vehicle is used, all drivers must be university-approved drivers as defined in Section 04.01 a. of UPPS No. 05.05.02, Driver Selection.

   3. Specifically, a student driver is required to hold a valid driver’s license and have less than 10 penalty points under the system set forth by UPPS No. 05.05.02, Driver Selection.

   4. No driver shall have consumed any alcoholic beverages or ingested any chemical substance (prescriptive or over-the-counter) that would impair their ability to operate a motor vehicle within 12 hours of operating a vehicle (please refer to the Student Handbook for more specific information regarding the university’s alcohol and drug policies).

   5. Drivers must carry copies of a completed Request for Authorization, which was submitted to the appropriate administrative unit, and the Safety Guidelines.

   6. No student shall be required to use their personal vehicle to perform university-related activities.

   7. The Education Abroad Office does not allow use of vehicles or rental of vehicles by university staff, students, or faculty. In all cases, professional drivers must be hired and used at all times overseas.

2. Other Modes of Travel

   Any Texas State students or student organizations approved for travel by modes of transportation other than cars, vans, or personally-operated vehicles (e.g., bus, train, airplane) must comply with all rules, regulations, and requirements of the organizations, industries, or groups providing such modes of travel.

STANDARD OF CONDUCT DURING TRAVEL

1. Any student involved in travel that violates The Texas State University System (TSUS) Rules and Regulations, Texas State policies, or local, state, and federal laws, will be subject to disciplinary action notwithstanding any action taken by appropriate authorities because of the violations.

REVIEWERS OF THIS UPPS

1. Reviewers of this UPPS include the following:

   Position	Date
   Associate Vice President for Student Success and Dean of Students	December 1 E5Y
   Dean of Fine Arts & Communication	December 1 E5Y
   Director, Campus Recreation Center	December 1 E5Y
   Director, LBJ Student Center	December 1 E5Y
   Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs	December 1 E5Y
   Associate Director, Student Involvement @ LBJSC	December 1 E5Y

CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

This UPPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents Texas State policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.

Associate Vice President for Student Success and Dean of Students; senior reviewer of this UPPS

Vice President for Student Success

President