Overview

Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ is committed to the safety of all individuals in its community. The College recognizes that certain individuals are potentially vulnerable, including minor students, and these populations may require special attention and protection.

The purpose of this guideline is to establish requirements that address the safety and well-being of minor students on overnight travel. When minor students (degree-seeking Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ students who are under age 18) are involved in overnight Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ trips, the following rules apply:

Study Abroad

Minor students and dual enrollment students are prohibited from participating in study abroad travel at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­.

Dual Enrollment Students

Dual enrollment students seeking to travel overnight (other than study abroad) must be approved by the Executive Director of Secondary Programs at least 20 business days prior to participation. Approval will be given on a case-by-case basis. The Executive Director will reach out to the Trip Advisor for details and will meet with the parent and/or guardian and the student to discuss. The Executive Director will maintain a record of all approved dual-enrolled students.

Parental Permission

Minor students on overnight trips must have the written approval of a parent or guardian. The parent or guardian will need to read, sign, and return any required Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ forms. If a parent or guardian does not grant approval, then the minor may not participate in the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ overnight trip. The Trip Advisor is required to receive parental permission before submitting the request to the Executive Director of Secondary Programs or the Vice President for Student Affairs.

VP Permission

Overnight travel for minor students who are not in the Dual Enrollment program must be approved by the VP for Student Affairs. The College has an online application system for Minor Student Travel, and the Trip Advisor must submit the request at at least 20 business days before the trip. The submission form asks about the purpose of the trip, the logistics of the trip, parental permission, rooming arrangements, the number of students traveling, the advisor’s assessment of the student, and the number of advisors traveling.

Approval will be granted on a case-by-case basis, with guidance from Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ legal counsel and the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ risk manager upon request. Considerations may include advisor-to-student ratio on the trip, student conduct, student absenteeism, student maturity and academic standing. Approval will be granted or denied within 10 business days of the submission. Trip Advisors for College Teams may submit one on-line permission form per semester per minor student for recurring travel.

Privately Owned Vehicles

Students under the age of 18 are not permitted to drive privately owned vehicles while on a college trip.

Room Sharing

All students planning to travel on an Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ trip shall make their roommate preferences known to the trip advisor before the trip commences. To minimize risk, minor students may only be placed in a room with an adult student when the minor’s parent has given explicit written consent and when the corresponding adult student agrees in writing to room with the minor student. Minor students are not authorized to share a bed with an adult student under any circumstances.

Pre-Travel Meeting

The Trip Advisor must hold a pre-travel meeting with the minor and the parent or guardian to discuss trip logistics, safety, rules and expectations. This meeting may be done in person, by telephone or virtually. This should be held at least 15 business days prior to the departure. The Chair/Director/AVP of the department organizing the travel will be responsible for ensuring that pre-travel meetings are held and for maintaining all documentation.

Criminal Background Checks

All Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ Trip Advisors must have a criminal background check completed by the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ HR Department. The results of the criminal background check must be received prior to participation in the field trip/event. It takes several weeks to complete the criminal background check process, so it is important to begin the process as early as possible. Contact the Human Resources office for procedures, forms, and information.

Training

All Trips Advisors must complete the on-line at least 20 business days before the departure date if minors will be participating in the trip. A downloadable/printable handbook on Overnight Trips Involving Minors is available within the online course. The Chair/Director/AVP of the department organizing the travel will be responsible for ensuring that the online module is completed and for maintaining all documentation.

Medications

It is the responsibility of participants and/or parents/guardians to inform the Trip Advisor of any existing certified medical condition that requires medication and to advise the Trip Advisor and the Disabilities Resource Center of any disabling condition that requires a reasonable accommodation. Further, all participants with said medical condition(s) must be able to keep, monitor, and administer all required medications without assistance.

Unusual Circumstances

The College reserves the right to restrict, limit, or disallow student participation if extenuating or unusual circumstances exist that do or may cause unnecessary risk or liability to the participant, faculty, staff or other participants.

Timeline for Dual Enrolled Students

All submissions, documents and meetings for dual enrollment students must be done prior to 20 business days so that the Executive Director can approve or deny the minor students’ participation.

Timeline for Students Outside of Dual Enrolled

• 20 business days - Advisor(s) to have finished training
• 20 business days - Advisor(s) submit the online request
• 15 business days - Pre-travel meeting with parent/guardian and minor.
• 10 business days - VP to approve or deny the request

Note: This Administrative Guideline does not apply to students enrolled solely in the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ Academy for Science and Technology classes.