Field Trip Policy and Forms

MSU adopted a new student travel policy effective January 8, 2020.  The main purpose of this new policy is to know when our students are on a trip and which students are on the trip so that we know where they are if there is some sort of catastrophe near the event (i.e. a tornado). This policy covers field trip experiences and local trips. 

View the official MSU policy and forms. 

For your convenience, a Field Trip Summary Document includes forms with some LRES-specific information pre-filled, as well as relevant policy information regarding state vehicle use. Note that many of these forms are only applicable for trips involving overnight stays.

Summary of Forms for Off-Campus Field Trips

Academic field trips can be an important component of the education provided in the classroom.  Academic field trips can enhance the content of a course or academic endeavor by providing visual and hands on information that cannot be conveyed in the classroom setting. The Sponsoring Unit is required to comply with the following:

1. Required field trips offered in connection with a university course will be listed in the syllabus.
2. Any charge related to the field trip or academically related travel for a university course is a student fee that must be approved in advance as a student fee by the Board of Regents.
3. In addition to the above, for a field trip of one day or less, the instructor must provide the Participation List and transportation forms (if applicable).

• Participation list/ Emergency Contact List (policy s. 300.00) - fill in participants for each off-campus field trip and email (or submit a hard copy) to Reilly (lresfrontdesk@montana.edu) before the trip. 
  • This form provides us with emergency contacts for trip participants so that we know whom to contact in an emergency.
  • This form may be used as an attendance form; however, in order to provide the information to the front desk prior to the trip, trip coordinators may prefer to gather the information during the class prior to the trip and take attendance separately.
  • Participation List 
• Transportation (policy s. 500.00) - For required field trips related to classes, transportation to the site(s) should be made available. Students may take their own transportation, but faculty may require that students utilize the provided transportation where vehicular travel space is limited or to reduce environmental impact.
  • These must be turned in to Reilly before the trip; the original will be kept on file with HR and is valid for a driver's entire career as a student and/or employee
  • If communicated to the drivers, this form can cover all field trips for a class
    • complete a Driver's Agreement if any students transport 1 or more other students in their personal vehicles or are driving state vehicles.
    • If students are using State vehicles, they must sign the Vehicle Use Form
  • Driver's Agreement (for personal vehicles)
  • Vehicle Use Form (for state vehicles)

Field trips or academically related travel that involve an overnight stay also require the following:  

• Appointment of a Sponsoring Unit Contact Person
• Trip Orientation and Expectations: The instructor or appointed Trip Coordinator will provide the participants with an orientation prior to departure. The orientation will vary based upon the nature of the trip. Orientation should provide students with the following information as applicable: trip destination, travel itinerary, route, rest and meal stops, lodging and air transportation information, appropriate clothing or gear, discussion of risks associated with the trip and the established rules and protocols for the trip. See the sample Participant Agreement with sample rules and protocols.
• Completion of a Clery Act Travel Form and filing the form with the Office of Clery Compliance if the travel meets the criteria as outlined in the Clery Act Student Travel Guidelines.
• Medical Consent Form (policy s. 1200.00) - If students are going on an extended trip, the Sponsoring Unit may request students to sign medical consent forms authorizing them to give consent in cases of emergency.This information is confidential and should be secured by the Sponsoring Unit and not disclosed to third parties unless necessary for the medical treatment of the student.
  • sample medical consent form

Summary of Recommended Procedures and Tips

Before the Trip

Drivers

• Have all drivers sign the MSU-Bozeman Vehicle Use Form if they are driving a State vehicle.  This form MUST be turned in to Reilly; she will keep a copy and forward the original to HR.  The form is also available at the LRES front desk.  Pages 10-12 of the Field Trip Summary Document include relevant portions of the State of Montana's vehicle use policy and the MSU student travel policy.
• If your drivers are using their personal vehicles to transport fellow trip participants, please have them sign the Driver Agreement Form (Form 4, see page 9 of the Field Trip Summary Document), which essentially makes them aware of the fact that they are liable for everything.

Students

• Have all students complete Form 1 (emergency contact information) and the participation agreement (if there will be overnight travel) before departing on the trip.  The trip coordinator may use his/her discretion on how to gather the emergency contact information so long as the information is compiled into a completed Form1, which is then provided to the front desk.  
• If applicable, also have students sign the Driver's Agreement or Vehicle Use Form.

Faculty/GTA (aka Trip Coordinator)

• Provide a copy of the participation list to the front desk.
• Orient students.  Encourage (or require) a "buddy system".
• Orient trip coordinators.  Do they have First Aid training?  Are they familiar with emergency protocols?

On the Trip

• Take attendance and email a photo of the attendance sheet it to Reilly (lresfrontdesk@montana.edu) right away.  If there is an emergency and the LRES department doesn't know who is actually present on the trip, they cannot effectively deal with the emergency.
• Account for all students on a daily basis.
• Be alert.  Be prepared.
• Be sure you have cell service or some way of alerting the Sponsoring Unit Contact (Bob Peterson - 406-994-7060) or campus dispatch (406-994-2121).
• In case of any incident resulting in injury, any criminal activity involving travelers as victim or perpetrators, property loss, potential dismissal of a disruptive participant, violation of trip rules or other unusual activity, the Instructor will contact the Sponsoring Unit Contact person and report the activity, as soon as practicable.  The Sponsoring Unit Contact Person shall report any criminal activity or property loss that occurs on the trip to the Office of Clery Compliance to meet the university’s reporting requirements under Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act or Clery Act https://www.montana.edu/clery/.

In case of an emergency or car accident:

1. If there are any injuries, call an ambulance. Most communities have a "911" system that would allow you to call a single number to dispatch all necessary emergency services.
2. Call the local police or highway patrol and report the accident.
3. Call the Sponsoring Unit Contact Person. This contact is responsible for contacting the appropriate campus officials. If the contact is not available, call the University Police dispatch (406) 994-2121.
4. Make or assist students in making arrangements for the students' alternative travel and/or lodging. The students may wait for repairs or may make alternative travel plans.
5. Advise the Sponsoring Unit Contact Person of what the plans are for each student.
6. Complete Report of Incident. The person most knowledgeable about the incident should complete the report. If there are questions about filling out the report, contact Risk Management.
7. In the case of an incident or a near-miss, recognize that much can be learned from both incidents and near-misses to prevent future incidents.  Therefore, take the time to evaluate and revise travel procedures if necessary.

Taken from Section 700.00 of the travel policy.

Important Phone Numbers