Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
(A) Policy statement and purpose
The Bowling Green state university (BGSU) student travel policy
is designed to ensure that university departments, recognized student
organizations, student groups, and individual travelers adequately consider and
plan for the safety issues associated with an event, activity, and/or class
involving travel. This policy establishes guidelines for university sponsored
travel involving students.
(B) Policy
(1) This policy applies to enrolled
undergraduate and graduate student domestic and international travel to an
event, activity, and/or class that occurs beyond fifty miles from the
originating campus of departure (i.e., Bowling Green or Firelands) or that
includes an overnight stay.
(2)
This policy
applies to all travel organized and/or sponsored by BGSU, whether required for
academic credit or not, including trips that are:
(a)
Organized or
sponsored by recognized student organizations;
(b)
Organized or
sponsored by university departments;
(c)
Required for a
course, including course-related field trips; and/or
(d)
Fully or
partially funded by, or in the name of, BGSU.
(3)
This policy does not apply to trips that are:
(a) Regulated under NCAA rules and
regulations concerning student athletics travel;
(b) Students completing flight hours as part
of the aviation studies program;
(c) Travel undertaken by students to attend
athletics and/or other events as spectators that is in no way coordinated by
the university; and/or
(d) Domestic
travel related to expectations for students engaged in student teaching, internships, practicums, co-ops,
observations or research, unless the research/observation is organized by a
university employee.
(C) Definitions
(1) The term "student" means all persons who
are enrolled in classes, or otherwise entered into any other contractual
relationship with the university to take instruction. This includes, but is not
limited to all individuals (e.g., undergraduate and graduate) taking classes in
person or through distance learning whether on a part-time or full- time
basis.
(2) The term "recognized
student organization" means a group of people who are associated with each
other and who have registered with the university as a student organization as
outlined in rule
3341-2-36 of the Administrative
Code.
(3) The term "student group"
means a number of persons who are associated with the university and each
other, but who have not registered, or are not required to register as a
student organization (e.g., athletic teams, spirit groups, military
organizations, honor societies, musical or theatrical ensembles, bands, or
clubs).
(4) The term "organized
event" means an activity initiated or arranged by a BGSU employee or recognized
student organization and that is approved by an appropriate
administrator.
(5) The term
"sponsored event" means an activity endorsed by BGSU through financial support
or by sending students to participate as official representatives of the
university.
(6) The term "domestic
travel" means any trip or travel within any of the fifty states of the United
States, the District of Columbia, as well as U.S. territories and possessions
and Puerto Rico.
(7) The term
"international travel" means any trip or travel that is not domestic
travel.
(8) The term "overnight
stay" means any trip where participants stay in
lodging/accommodations.
(9) The
term(s) "registration" and/or "registered" refer(s) to the electronic
submission of required travel/trip information, which will be accessible to
appropriate university representatives.
(10) For the purpose of this policy, the term
"dual-enrolled students" means students who are earning college credit while
attending high school, including college credit plus students.
(D) Requirements
(1) Domestic travel
(a) Travel must be consistent with the
mission of the university, as well as the mission and goals of the sponsoring
department or recognized student organization.
(b) Travel must be registered with the office
of the dean of students at least two weeks prior to departure.
(c) Students must comply with standards set
forth in the BGSU code of student conduct and other university policies and
procedures, as well as all applicable laws.
(d) All travel methods must comply with
university policies and procedures concerning vehicle use and driver approval
as outlined on the risk management website.
(e) Travelers must complete the release,
waiver, and agreement not to sue form as defined on the risk management
website, when applicable, along with any other university or departmental
requirements prior to departure.
(f) Faculty and staff as well as students
acting in their official capacity as university employees shall not share
overnight accommodations with student participants while traveling.
(g) Faculty and staff as well as students
acting in their official capacity as university employees are strongly
discouraged from consuming alcohol while traveling with student
participants.
(h) Eligible travel
reimbursements must follow university guidelines.
(i) Dual-enrolled students may not
participate in recognized student organization travel.
(j) Dual-enrolled students may participate in
day travel as part of an academic course but may not travel
overnight.
(2)
International travel
(a) Education abroad
credit-bearing international travel must have prior approval from international
programs and partnerships. Students must adhere to the education abroad
pre-departure handbook.
(b)
Recognized student organizations international non-credit travel must have
prior approval from the office of student engagement.
(c) University-sponsored individual student
international travel must be registered with the international travel registry
on the international programs and partnerships website.
(E) Procedures
(1) Domestic travel registration submitted to
the university, via the office of the dean of students website, must include
the submission of this information:
(a)
Departure time(s) and location(s) for each leg of the trip from the time of
departure until the return to campus.
(b) Transportation plans, including airline,
bus, and/or any other mode(s) of travel.
(c) Lodging information, including the
address, phone number, and duration of stay at each facility.
(d) A list of all trip participants,
including names and BGSU ID numbers.
(e) Name and phone number for the trip
organizer/responsible university employee(s).
(2) International travel
(a) Credit-bearing education abroad student
travel must be coordinated through international programs and
partnerships.
(b) Recognized
student organization international non-credit travel must be coordinated
through the office of student engagement.
(c) University-sponsored individual student
international travel must be registered with the international travel registry
on the international programs and partnerships website.
(F) Incident reporting
(1) Always seek emergency assistance (e.g.,
calling 911) first, if applicable. If an incident (e.g.,
accident/injury/illness or participant misconduct) takes place during travel,
the incident must be promptly reported to the university. Contact the BGSU
university police department at (419) 372- 2346 any time day or night to be
connected with the appropriate university official(s). Some situations may
necessitate that an individual remain onsite or that a university official
travel to that location if a student experiences a critical incident that
restricts travel (e.g., a medical emergency). Such determination will be made
in consultation with appropriate university officials after the incident has
been reported.
(2) If the incident
involves conduct prohibited by the "Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy and
Procedures" (rule
3341-2-41 of the Administrative
Code) or the "Anti-Hazing Policy" (rule
3341-2-49 of the Administrative
Code), additional reporting is required in accordance with those
policies.
(3)
A determination will be made in consultation with
appropriate university officials after an incident has been reported concerning
whether a designated individual may need to respond onsite if a student
experiences a critical incident (e.g., a medical emergency).
(G) Noncompliance
Failure to adhere to this policy may result in disciplinary
action via the code of student conduct for students or in accordance with
university policy, procedure, and/or collective bargaining agreement applicable
to the university employee.
Equity impact statement: the policy has been assessed for
adverse differential impact on members of one or more protected groups.