Field Trips | Travel Policy and Resources

Field Trips: A Guide for Faculty

The Provost’s Field Trip Fund

Field trips enable the integration of on-campus and off-campus learning. Limited funding is available through the Provost’s Field Trip Fund for the purpose of incorporating a travel component of modest cost into an Amherst course. Faculty may apply for support if their departments/programs are not able to cover the cost of a field trip in full through departmental/program operating funds, gifts, and/or endowed funds. Funding priorities and details of the application process are described below.

Field Trips: Definition

Field trips are considered college-sponsored travel, which is defined as any travel that is funded, credited, and/or arranged by the college. Faculty who are taking students off campus on field trips—most of which are of short duration and are to local destinations—are required to follow the protocols and policies outlined below. These requirements have been designed to advance and reflect the college’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and participants’ well-being.

Applying for Funding for Field Trips

All funding requests should be made by completing this form. Resources are limited, and funding priorities have been developed accordingly (see below). Please review the funding priorities before applying.

The deadline for submitting the form is August 15 for fall courses and January 9 for spring courses.

Funding Priorities

Requests Are Most Likely to be Funded When:

The field-trip form has been submitted by the appropriate deadline.
The field-trip destination is local (i.e., within Hampshire, Hampden, or Franklin Counties).
The faculty member proposing the trip has sought funding from other sources before applying and has not been successful in obtaining full funding. (Funding provided through the Provost’s Field Trip Fund can be used to supplement funds obtained from other sources.)
The field trip’s cost per person does not exceed $60.00.
Two or more faculty members coordinate the trip as part of their courses, so some costs are reduced and more students can benefit.

Please also note that only one trip per course will be funded, that funding is not guaranteed for any trip, and that trips that are optional for students will not be funded.

Notification of Funding Awards

Notification of funding decisions is made prior to the start of the semester so that faculty can make information available to students about course-related travel at the start of the semester. This timeline gives faculty time to plan the trip and students time to plan for any health needs they may need to address before participating in the field trip (e.g., consulting with health care providers and/or obtaining additional medications) and to make other necessary preparations.

Giving Advance Notice to Students

Faculty need to give advance notice to students when a course has required events such as field trips (and also activities such as evening exams and film screenings) that occur outside the course's scheduled meeting time. If possible, notice should appear in the course description (e.g., “this course requires occasional attendance on Wednesday evenings”). In any event, this information needs to be announced on the first day of class and included on the syllabus. Faculty cannot require students to participate in a field trip that meets outside the course's scheduled meeting time if the trip conflicts with other classes, and participation cannot be required if the field trip has not been announced on the first day of class. Because students cannot change their first-year seminars, faculty of first-year seminars can recommend but not require participation in a field trip that meets outside the scheduled class time.

**Trip Planning: Procedures That Apply to All College-Sponsored* Trips with Students**

Transportation

For trips to destinations within Hampshire, Hampden, or Franklin Counties, and for courses with enrollments of eighteen students or fewer, a college vehicle must be reserved. All college drivers need to be credentialed through the Five Colleges Risk Management Office. For information on how to reserve college vehicles and auto insurance and accident reporting, visit the Transportation Services & Vehicle Registration page.

For day trips beyond western Massachusetts, please use experienced adult drivers (e.g., drivers with at least five years of driving experience) for safety reasons.

For overnight trips, faculty are asked to confirm with their department/program chair and academic department coordinator (ADC) to ensure that administrative support is available to help plan the trip. Flights can be purchased through the college’s travel hub, FCM, or through StudentUniverse, a student-friendly travel company that can invoice the college (travel@studentuniverse.com).

Trip Preparation and Travel Policies

Faculty taking students on field trips outside the Five-College area need to request a trip-specific waiver or informed consent through Five Colleges Risk Management (5CRM) at least two weeks in advance of the trip. (Q: What’s the difference between a waiver and informed consent? A: Waivers are for optional trips; informed consent is for required trips. Watch this short video for further explanation.) Trip leaders will be contacted by 5CRM when the online form is ready to share with students, and 5CRM will keep these forms on record. Faculty should be sure to share their class trip roster with the Office of Student Affairs by emailing Zara DiZoglio and Andy Tew so they can help manage any student affairs issues that may be unknown to the faculty member. Student Affairs also needs to be made aware of who is off campus on a college-sponsored trip.

For longer trips, e.g., two days or longer, faculty may want to have students complete the School Sponsored Travel Health History Form so staff in the Keefe Health Center can work with students on any health needs students may have while traveling.

For trips longer than one week, trip leaders should consult with the Office of Global Education by contacting Janna Behrens (jbehrens@amherst.edu) at least four weeks in advance of the trip. For overseas trips, at least several months of planning is required. Contact Global Education for assistance with trip planning.

Additional Resources

Student Travel Policy
Student Trip Planning Steps for College-Sponsored Travel
The Office of Global Education’s Health & Safety While Traveling website

Questions?

Please review the FAQs below (as well as student-focused extended-travel FAQs). Questions regarding risk management and the travel policy should be directed to Janna Behrens in the Office of Global Education.

All other questions should be directed to Polly Devereux in the Office of the Provost and Dean of the Faculty.

These same steps are required for academic departments/programs interested in supporting students in college-sponsored activities.

Faculty-Led Field Trips FAQs

Who pays any medical bills or lost wages if I am injured while I am working?

If you are injured while you are working, your medical costs and lost wages are covered by Workers Compensation, in accordance with Massachusetts statutory benefits.

What do I do if I have an injury?

IMMEDIATELY inform Human Resources. You will be directed to complete an accident report and accident investigation report which will be filed with Human Resources. Cooperate fully with Human Resources in detailing how the loss or accident happened and identifying any way that the loss could have been avoided.

What if my personal property is lost or damaged while I am leading the trip?

If your personal property is lost or damaged while you are on the trip, whether it is your fault or not, your own homeowners/tenants insurance coverage would respond. You are responsible for any deductible amounts under your policy. If you do not carry any homeowners/tenants insurance, you can get personal property insurance for your belongings. Otherwise, the entire amount of the damage is your responsibility. (Neither the College nor the College's Insurance will pay for any loss or damage to your own personal property—you use it at your own risk.)

Where can I find tips on planning my trip with safety in mind?

You can find more information here on how to safely plan your trip for you and your students.

Will the college protect me if I am sued?

The college carries insurance policies for its liability and its employees are also covered under these policies for their negligence. No one is ever insured for willful misconduct.

How am I covered when driving college-owned vehicles?

The college insures all its vehicles for liability (injury to third parties and third party property damage) and physical damage (comprehensive/collision). If you are driving a college-owned vehicle with the permission of the College, then you are an insured driver under the college's policy. The same holds true for students or others driving college vehicles with permission.

What if I am driving a rented vehicle?

If you rent a vehicle while working on behalf of the College (including unpaid or volunteer work), you should rent the vehicle in the name of the college and your own name. This means that you should sign both your name and "Amherst College" on the rental agreement. The college's Auto Policy will then respond as if the rented vehicle is an "owned" vehicle, so you should decline liability and collision insurance, unless your department has specifically decided to purchase the collision waiver. Never rent a vehicle valued in excess of $30,000.

It is important to inspect any rented vehicle before driving it. Make sure any dents, scratches or other damage to the vehicle are noted on the rental form. Otherwise, the College may have to pay for damages you did not cause.

Do I have coverage from the College if I have to drive my own car?

Frequently you will be driving your own vehicle on college business. When you drive your own car on College business, your own insurance policy serves as a "primary" policy for third party liability and physical damage to your vehicle. This means that if a claim arising out of an accident exceeds your policy limits, then the College's policy will cover the accident in excess of your policy. For example, if you carry $20,000/$40,000 liability insurance, and injure a pedestrian severely, resulting in over $100,000 of medical bills, your policy would pay the first $20,000 of the claim, and the college policy would respond for the balance of the claim.

If your vehicle is damaged as a result of an accident, whether it is your fault or not, your comprehensive/collision coverage would respond. You are responsible for any deductible amounts under your policy. If you do not carry any collision insurance, then the entire amount of the damage is your responsibility. Neither the college nor the college's insurance will pay for any physical damage to your vehicle - you use it at your own risk.

Does it matter if I have to drive my own car as part of my condition of employment?

No. Mileage reimbursements are designed to include an incremental cost for insurance and deductibles.

What do I do if I am in an auto accident, while on college business and driving a college-owned or rented vehicle?

At the scene of the Accident:

Do not admit any liability for the accident even if you think you are at fault.
Exchange driver/insurance information with the other party(ies).
Get written statements from any witnesses, or get their name, address and phone numbers for later contact.
If there was no other car or person involved in the accident, or if the vehicle is damaged while it was parked, follow the steps below.

Back on Campus:

Immediately file an accident report with Campus Police located on the first floor of the Physical Plant Building. File any mandated state accident reports to the proper authorities, and give a copy to Campus Police.

For additional information, click here.

What do I do if I am in an auto accident, while on College business and driving my own vehicle?

Follow the general instructions as above. If there is any injury to any third party, you must file a copy of the state Accident Report with a letter to the College stating that the accident occurred while you were on College business, and the nature of the business.

If you are aware of any serious injuries to any third parties, including any College employees or students, as a result of the accident, please include the particulars in your report. Also please indicate the limits of liability which you carry.

The reports should be sent to K. Dymek, Five College Insurance and Claims Manager

File any claims with your insurance company as you would if the accident occurred when you were not working.

I am staying Overnight with students. How do I book a hotel room?

Faculty members can book hotel rooms through the Amherst Travel Portal or through their own search engines.

What types of accommodation are recommended for an overnight trip?

The college recommends that trip leaders book accommodation in well-known hotels, where available, as they provide a known level of comfort, security, support, and assistance to travelers. Using Airbnb and similar home-sharing sites is not recommended since these properties are not required to adhere to standards in the travel industry. Student travelers should be informed well in advance of the type of accommodation on the trip (e.g., hostels, camping, shared doubles) and that they need to notify the trip leader of any housing accommodations they may need at least two months in advance of travel. The college will make a reasonable effort to accommodate student needs, assuming the host location can meet those needs.

May I require students to share accommodation?

If students are made aware that accommodation will be shared, then the trip can be planned with shared accommodation. In general, trip leaders need to be able to make adjustments for students who have housing accommodations at Amherst, if possible. Students should be informed that any adjustments to housing need to be made well in advance of the trip and trip leaders may want to consult with the Office of Accessibility Services on what kinds of accommodations are feasible.

Office of the Provost and Dean of the Faculty Field Trips

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