PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES

 

Student Travel and Field Trips

A field trip is an educational off-campus excursion that is part of a credit-bearing academic course or program. Colby Community College recognizes two types of field trips: mandatory and optional. A mandatory field trip is linked to course learning objectives, noted in the syllabus and/or course catalog description, and a student must have special permission regarding absence. Optional field trips may or may not be listed in the syllabus and cannot negatively impact a student’s grade if the student chooses not to participate. All field trips, whether mandatory or optional, are College-sponsored events and, as such, all relevant College policies and state and federal laws apply to field trip participants. This policy applies to mandatory and optional field trips unless otherwise noted.

A Trip Coordinator (usually the instructor of record) must be identified in writing prior to every field trip. For example, the Trip Coordinator can be listed in the syllabus or class materials distributed to students about the trip. The Trip Coordinator oversees field trip logistics, provides transportation options to participants, collects participant emergency contact information, accompanies participants to the site, and enforces compliance with College policies by all persons participating in the field trip as expected in the traditional classroom setting.

Field trips and field trip objectives should be communicated with students as soon as possible and include events logistics, including but not limited to the field trip’s date, time, and location. Before the field trip, the Trip Coordinator will instruct the field trip

participants on the nature of the activities they will undertake, including any significant potential risks to participate. Instructors are encouraged to keep field trips within the bounds of scheduled class time. Should a trip extend beyond the bounds of scheduled class time, the instructor is responsible for providing documentation for students to submit to their other instructors concerning the student’s participation in the field trip.

The Trip Coordinator and field trip participants are expected to adhere to all College policies while participating in field trips, including the Employee Policies and Procedures and the Student Handbook/Code of Conduct.

The College is not responsible for any lost or damaged personal property while partaking in a College-sponsored field trip.

The Trip Coordinator must report any vehicular accident involving a third-party bus, a state vehicle, or a rental vehicle within 48 hours to the CCC Business Affairs Department.

All work-related accidents or other incidents must be reported by the individual involved to the supervisor, Human Resource Management, and, if applicable, the Office of Civil Rights & Title IX within 24 hours of the incident.

While engaged in a field trip, faculty may enforce the provisions of this Field Trip Policy by withdrawing or limiting privileges or, in the event of repeated violations, by excluding the offending person from further participation and arranging to return the offender to the campus. Should this occur, the return transportation cost will be the offender’s responsibility.

[Revised December 2023]