This document covers the policies and procedures related to student domestic travel. Domestic travel includes travel within any of the 50 states of the United States, the District of Columbia, U.S. Territories and possessions and Puerto Rico.
For information regarding international travel please see the International Travel Policy governing faculty-led international programs, or Study Abroad to search all approved study/internship programs.
1.1 Sponsored Travel: Must meet one or more of the criteria below. Basic concepts of sponsored travel include:
1.2 Unsponsored Travel: Basic concepts of unsponsored travel include:
Travel deemed as sponsored requires that students follow the policies.
2.1 All sponsored travel must be approved in advance of the trip and before making any financial commitments.
2.2 Each trip must have a Designated Trip Leader. The designated trip leader may be a University representative/advisor or a student. Student Designated Trip Leaders should be in good academic and conduct standing. This person must be one of the travelers on the trip. The Designated Trip Leader should be the name listed on the Travel Authorization as the main traveler. All overnight trips must have at least two Designated Trip Leaders. (When there are two trip leaders, one should be listed as the main traveler and the other would be listed as additional trip leader.) Designated Trip Leader(s) must communicate with all participants before leaving for the trip to familiarize them with the itinerary, expectations, and specific risks associated with the trip.
2.3 An Emergency Contact list must be created for each trip. That list must include the names of all students, faculty, and staff on the trip and emergency contact information for each, including name, relationship, and phone number. It should also contain emergency phone numbers for the University of Southern Indiana. Copies of these documents should be with the Designated Trip Leader, one other individual on the trip, and with the responsible department in the event that the on-location documents are inaccessible.
2.4 Students are always expected and required to abide by all federal and state laws and the policies and procedures of the University of Southern Indiana, including the Student Rights and Responsibilities: A Code of Student Behavior. This includes sponsored travel.
2.5 Travelers must follow the hotel policies, including but not limited to the number of guests per room. Students in a relationship, regardless of biological sex and students of different biological sex or gender identity may not share a room on University sponsored trips. Students may not share a room with faculty, staff, or advisors.
2.6 Ground transportation should be in a University-owned or leased vehicle. Personal vehicles for sponsored travel may be used if traveling within 75 miles from the University. Use of personal vehicles outside of that range must be approved as an exception in advance by the Provost’s Office. Consideration for exceptions or lack thereof are listed below.
2.6.1 Intercollegiate sports is sponsored travel and is not eligible for exceptions.
2.6.2 The 75-mile distance is as defined by MapQuest, with the starting point being the University of Southern Indiana (8600 University Boulevard) regardless of the actual starting point of the driver of the personal vehicle.
2.6.3 Students approved to drive personal vehicles beyond that 75-mile distance may not have passengers, unless approved in advance as an exception by the Provost’s Office.
2.6.4 Requests for policy exceptions to use personal vehicles outside of the 75-mile distance must be made in writing, approved in advance, and for extraordinary circumstances.
2.6.5 Exceptions may be made for travelers to drive personal vehicles when no one on the trip is eligible to drive a University owned or leased vehicle.
2.6.6 When an exception is requested and a student wishes to drive their own personal vehicle a General Release and Waiver of Liability by Student Driving/Riding in Personal Vehicles for Sponsored Travel request form must be signed and attached to the Travel Authorization form.
2.6.7 The use of 12 and 15 passenger vans can be used depending on approval from Risk Management.
2.7 Credentialing of Drivers: Drivers of University owned and/or leased vehicles are required to read and acknowledge receipt of the University's Fleet Safety Policy and must meet the minimum qualifications for drivers, including:
2.7.1 Valid and current drivers’ license.
2.7.2 Minimum of five (5) years licensed driving experience and at least 21 years of age (or the minimum age required by the car rental company).
2.7.3 Successful completion of the University’s online defensive driver training class. The link for the online defensive driver training is at Online Defensive Driver Training Class. For Login Access Code, contact 812 465-7003 or 812 461-5366.
2.8 Students and student organizations may be required to use other modes of transportation (airplane, bus, train, etc.) to be in line with safe travel practices.
2.9 When the University provides transportation, the trip should begin and end on campus, unless approved in advance as an exception by Provost’s Office.
2.10 The University Activity Waiver and Release of Liability form should be used when hazards of the trip involve risks not encountered in normal classroom or student organization settings.
3.1 All student organizations and students on sponsored travel must complete the Academic Affairs Travel Request form as a part of the approval process.
3.2 If the travel is part of a student organization, the student organization advisor, the director of student development programs or designee, and the Provost’s Office or designee must approve with signature on the Academic Affairs Travel Request form. Student Organizations must complete the Student Organization Travel Request in EagleSync to initiate the approval process.
3.3 If student travel is related to a department, the sponsoring department designee, the Dean or Dean’s designee, and the Provost's Office or designee must approve with signature on the Academic Affairs Travel Request form.
4.1. Defensive Driving Techniques and Safety Tips
Defensive Driving Techniques:
4.2 Safety Tips:
What do you do in case of an accident?
What qualifies as a reportable accident?
Other safety considerations:
Agency Accounts – Student organizations on campus account. Students may use this account for sponsored or unsponsored travel.
Designated Trip Leader – Can be a staff member, students, or approved volunteer. When student or volunteer, the trip does not qualify for field trip insurance.
Field Trip – (academic and non-academic) is an activity and travel sponsored, organized, scheduled and supervised by the University of Southern Indiana personnel during which students of the University are taken off campus on behalf of and in connection with the University, excluding all sports (varsity and club). Field trips include same day and overnight supervised and sponsored activities. Field Trips must be supervised in order to be covered by the University’s Field Trip insurance.
Financial Manager – University representative authorized to approve expenditures and sign off on a travel authorization. This is not your student organization treasurer or off campus advisor. For student organizations, this is typically your faculty or staff advisor.
Academic Affairs Travel Request Form – The university form that is to be completed by travelers under the Provost's Office (division) and the Office of Student Affairs (students). This form must be completed for sponsored travel and submitted for approvals prior to traveling.
Revised: June 24, 2024