Travel Policy for Recognized Student Organizations

The following conditions apply to recognized student organizations for all travel to and from off-campus events and activities. This policy is meant to help ensure student safety during travel and allow for protection of organizations while away from Gustavus. Student organizations are expected to plan ahead, show environmental stewardship, and represent Gustavus in every aspect of their travel. This policy is in effect year-round, including breaks and summers.

General Travel Requirements

  1. Mileage does not include distance between destinations within the same town/city.
  2. In any case in which students are traveling in an individual’s personal vehicle, the individual’s auto insurance will be the primary coverage to which claims are made.
  3. College vehicles may only be used by student organizations for travel that an adviser has approved by means of his/her signature on the vehicle reservation form.
  4. At least one student, adviser, or proxy in every vehicle must have a cell phone.
  5. Organizations may amend their plans at the permission of their adviser, but no later than one day before the scheduled leave time.
  6. Any decision regarding travel or desired divergence from policy may be appealed to the Dean of Students’ Office.

Travel Plan

Any travel taking more than one vehicle, or over 150 miles roundtrip, or overnight must have a Travel Plan. All Travel Plans must be completed and turned into the organization’s adviser for review no less than 5 business days before the trip begins. Because some travel plans require extra planning to ensure safety:

  1. Any travel over 400 miles roundtrip (considered a “full day of travel”), OR more than one night away from campus, OR with more than 20 travelers must turn in a Travel Plan at least ten business days before the trip begins.
  2. Any travel over 1000 miles roundtrip must turn in a Travel Plan at least a month before the trip begins.

Adviser Supervision

All travel must be communicated to advisers prior to leaving, including the names of travelers, destination, and emergency contact information. If travel requires a Travel Plan, the adviser must further supervise the trip in one of the following forms:

  1. By traveling with the organization in person
  2. By appointing a staff/faculty proxy to travel with the organization in person
  3. Long-distance via phone
    1. Phone contact must happen on a predetermined schedule; the following schedule is recommended: on arrival to the destination, each evening of an overnight stay, and on arrival back at campus.
    2. Methods for notifying advisers of emergency situations must be planned before departure; emergency situations include serious illness or injury, inclement weather, automobile accidents, etc.

Modes of Transportation

All travel must be in college-owned vehicles, in rented vehicles, or through licensed commercial carriers (buses, airlines, etc.), UNLESS

  1. The adviser or proxy travels with the organization; or
  2. The travel is less than 400 miles roundtrip, is completed within a single day, AND is accommodated by a maximum of five personal vehicles; or
  3. The travel is less than 750 miles, is longer than one day, AND is accommodated by a maximum of three personal vehicles.

Individual Deviations

Organizations must travel together; any individual deviations must be documented in the Travel Plan.

  1. For travel that is less than 400 miles roundtrip, deviations cannot account for more than 30% of the travelers.
  2. For travel between 400 and 750 miles roundtrip, deviations cannot account for more than 20% of the travelers.
  3. There may be no deviations for travel over 750 miles roundtrip.

    Revised May 2009