Travel Policies and Waivers

It’s summertime! Many of you are traveling now, and some of you are already planning fall programing and trips with students.

Did you know you should complete paperwork for travel to take students off campus… even if it’s just a walking trip near campus?

Otherwise, the College is in no way responsible for the trip, and you are personally liable for anything that goes awry. Yikes!

Plus, if you need to be reimbursed, failing to do the below could be cause to not get reimbursed.

If students are traveling off campus, the following forms must be completed:

• A travel authorization (one can be used, listing everyone included on the trip).
• Travel Waivers for day trips: https://studentlife.cofc.edu/forms-and-policies/student-liability-release-and-waiver.pdf (the faculty/staff on the trip needs a copy, and the department housing the program needs to have a copy)
• Travel Waiver for overnight domestic trip: https://studentlife.cofc.edu/documents/domestic-travel-waiver.pdf (the faculty/staff on the trip needs a copy, and the department housing the program needs to have a copy)

If you have a program that includes a variety of trips in a given period (e.g., study abroad) or similar types of trips throughout the year (e.g., Schottland’s Friday company visits), you can submit a blanket TA, and have students submit a travel waiver that encompasses all potential dates and a general statement about location.

That TA above is the same one you should use when traveling on campus, whether it be to another state or country, or even locally but outside of your normal commute. We associate the TA with requests for funding, but it’s also a legally binding document to acknowledge the travel is authorized by the College.

I’ve always found a TA to be an important communication opportunity, I note what I plan to do, and it gives me a chance to document that the trip is sanctioned by leaders at the College.
Over the years, doing a TA has often helped me think through logistics, and helped me make sure my budget was within the College’s rulebooks. That was especially true when I had less experience with these policies!

Here is the College’s travel policy: https://controller.cofc.edu/documents/policies-and-procedures/travel-policy.pdf

Here is the student travel policy: https://policy.cofc.edu/documents/2.2.2.1.1.pdf

Here is the Foundation policy regarding reimbursement: https://foundationportal.cofc.edu/file/resources/policies/Expense-Policy-Manual_rev-10-2014.pdf

Let’s protect our financial and legal obligations – yours, and those of our great institution, by staying buttoned-up on these forms.