Policy 2:12 – Student Organization Travel, Field Trips and Related State Vehicle Use

Interim Policy

Source Contact: Office of Academic Affairs/Office of Student Activities

  1. Purpose

    This policy and its procedures promote safe travel by University students and members of the University’s recognized student organizations for certain student activities or trips, and State vehicle use.

  2. Definitions
    1. Official State Business: activities that are related to the core or essential functions of the institution, directly controlled by the institution, and conducted on behalf of or in the name of the institution, not for the benefit of any individual student or individual institutional employee. Recreational or convenience activities for the benefit of any individual employees, students, or student groups are not “Official State Business.”
    2. Motor Pool Vehicles: all licensed vehicles owned by the State of South Dakota, including licensed vehicles assigned to individual employees or University units.
  3. Policy
    1. External field trip agreements, applications, releases, or similar documents must be reviewed by the University Purchasing and the University Risk Management designee and, upon request, the Office of SDSU General Counsel.
    2. Motor Pool and leased vehicles may only be utilized for Official State Business in accordance with University Policy 5:15. This includes use in courses, research, outreach, field trips, or Registered Student Organization travel if the criteria established in State Travel Rules, SDBOR Policies, University Policies and the laws and regulations concerning use of state-owned vehicles are met.
    3. Student travel that is Official State Business must meet the following elements:
      1. The University directly controls the activity;
      2. The travel is under the oversight and control of a University department; and
      3. The travel is an essential function or core operation of the University, including but not limited to;
        1. University operated back-to-school local orientation, tours, and trips;
        2. A class-sponsored activity for credit, but not for practical and clinical experiences;
        3. Division I Athletic travel for competition travel or off-site events conducted under the direction of coaching staff; or
        4. Registered Student Organization travel that is affiliated with a University department for affiliated athletic, academic and research presentations, academic competition, which is conducted under the supervision of a University employee.
      4. The travel must follow Official State Business authorized employee or volunteer, non-personally benefited, driver requirements. See University Policy 5:15.
    4. Field Trip sponsors must complete a Request for Field Trip Charge form if they are seeking authorization to charge students a field trip charge per course. Completed Request for Field Trip Charge forms must be submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs by June 1 for Fall Semester, November 1 for Spring Semester and April 1 for Summer Semester for processing and approval in accordance with SDBOR and University policies and procedures.
    5. Registered Student Organization advisor or trip sponsors are responsible for obtaining, completing, and submitting a Student Activities/Trips Authorized Request Form for University-Sponsored/Recognized Trips at least two weeks prior to the activity or trip. The trip sponsor must affirm the following on the Student Activities/Trips Authorized Request Form for University-Sponsored/Recognized Trips:
      1. The details of the trip and Official State Business related reason for the trip;
      2. The trip sponsor believes the trip is of greater importance to the student than the classes and other work that the student will miss;
      3. The trip sponsor has advised each student that, before taking the trip, each student must make arrangements to address any academic work which will be missed because of the trip and has given each student a Trip Absence Card to facilitate these requirements;
      4. The trip will not cause the student to miss more than five (5) class days;
      5. The trip sponsor has attained and has in their possession a signed Release and Waiver of Liability; Assumption of Risk Agreement; Indemnity Agreement; and Consent to Medical Treatment and Emergency Contact Form for each student and an itinerary of the trip.
      6. Motor Pool or leased vehicles shall only be used as set forth in this Policy.
    6. If the student is attending an activity or trip and will miss classes as a result, the Student Activities/Trips Authorized Request Form for University-Sponsored/Recognized Trips requires approval from the student organization advisor or trip sponsor, Department Head, and Vice President/Provost Office. If the trip is for a recognized student organization, approval from the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management or designee and Assistant Director of Student Activities and Orientation or Coordinator of Competitive Sports and Camps (for sports clubs sponsored by the Miller Wellness Center only) is also required.
    7. The Office of Academic Affairs is responsible for issuing the Trip Absence Card to the trip sponsor after its approval of the Student Activities/Trips Authorized Request Form for University-Sponsored/Recognized Trips. The trip sponsor is responsible for providing the Trip Absence Card to the student before the activity or trip. The student is responsible for timely submission of the approved Trip Absence Card to the faculty member for the class of absence and retention of the Trip Absence Card until after the student receives their final grades. Faculty members are not required to honor incomplete or late cards. Absences for trips or activities will not be approved during finals week.
    8. Faculty and administration will honor officially approved absences where students are absent for an approved field trip (e.g. tour a business, company, or plant, attend an event as a part of a class, etc.) in the interest of officially representing the University. Appropriate sanctioned activities include: Collegiate club sports and competitions; Conferences and workshops recognized by the University not related to academics; Commitments on behalf of the University (Students’ Association, Band, Choir, etc.); Intercollegiate athletics; and Professional activities recognized by the University related to academics (professional conference attendance, etc.).
    9. If the activity or trip does not require students to miss classes in order to attend, the Student Activities/Trips Authorized Request Form for University-Sponsored/Recognized Trips must only be approved by the student organization advisor or trip sponsor and Department Head. Even if the student is NOT missing class, this form is signed and approved by the Office of Academic Affairs.
    10. Students are responsible for obtaining, completing, and submitting a Release and Waiver of Liability; Assumption of Risk Agreement; Indemnity Agreement; and Consent to Medical Treatment and Emergency Contact Form before the activity or trip. The student organization advisor or trip sponsor is responsible for maintaining the form once it has been completed, as well as details of the trip, the trip roster, and, if appropriate, student contact information. The Release and Waiver of Liability; Assumption of Risk Agreement; Indemnity Agreement; and Consent to Medical Treatment and Emergency Contact Form may be executed once per semester only if the trip sponsor has incorporated multiple trips within the same semester and the form identifies the series of trips.
    11. All students traveling on an approved University-sponsored or recognized trip are subject to all University and SDBOR policies, as well as applicable federal and state laws and regulations.
    12. Recognized student organization advisors will not be required to travel with the group as long as the members of the organization have signed and submitted the Safe Travel Agreement for travel identified during the academic year. Student members who travel as required by their associated recognized student organization are required to abide by the standards set forth in the Safe Travel Agreement, are responsible for their conduct subject to University Code of Student Conduct protocols, and accept the risks of their participation.
    13. Trip sponsors shall ensure that emergency communications are available at all times during the trip. If an injury occurs on a field trip, the appropriate University injury report forms must be completed and submitted to University Risk Management.
    14. If the student has difficulty working with a faculty member in making up work or being excused by that faculty member for the student activity or trip, the difficulties will be resolved by the Department Head, Dean, or Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, in that order.
    15. International travel and trips policies and procedures are the responsibility of the Office of Global Education and Partnerships.
  4. Procedures
    1. At least one week prior to the activity or trip, the student completes the Release and Waiver of Liability; Assumption of Risk Agreement; Indemnity Agreement; and Consent to Medical Treatment and Emergency Contact Form. After completion, the student takes the form to the student organization advisor or trip sponsor for review and maintenance.
    2. At least two weeks prior to the activity or trip, the student organization advisor or trip sponsor completes the Student/Activities/Trips Authorized Request Form for University-Sponsored Recognized Trips and obtains signatures from the student organization or advisor or trip sponsor, Department Head, Vice President/Provost Office, and, if the trip is for a student organization, from the Vice President/Student Affairs Office, Assistant Director of Student Activities or Assistant Director of the Wellness Center (for sports clubs sponsored by the Wellness Center only). After all signatures are obtained, the student organization advisor or trip sponsor forwards the form to the Office of Academic Affairs for approval.
    3. In situations involving absence due to missed classes, the Office of Academic Affairs, after approval of the Student/Activities/Trips Authorized Request Form for University-Sponsored Recognized Trips, issues the Trip Absence Card to the student organization advisor or trip sponsor, who then provides it to the student. The student presents the completed, approved Trip Absence Card to the faculty member for the class of absence prior to the trip or event to have an officially excused absence.

  5. Responsible Administrator

    The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, successors, or designees are responsible for annual and ad hoc review of this policy and its procedures. The University President is responsible for approval of this policy.

Approved by President on 06/12/2014. Revised, approved by President on 05/18/2015. Revised 01/26/2024 (clerical). Revised, approved by President on 08/24/2026.

Sources: ; University Policies 2:5 and 5:15

Associated Forms: ,

,