[Major revision–posted 6/8/23 (replaces 9/21/06 edition)]
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Operating Policy and Procedure

OP 34.06: Sponsorship of Student Activities and Off-Campus Trips

DATE: June 8, 2023

PURPOSE: The purpose of this Operating Policy/Procedure (OP) is to provide information regarding faculty sponsorship of student activities and off-campus trips.

REVIEW: This OP will be reviewed in March of even-numbered years by the Vice Provost for Academic Innovation and Student Success and Vice Provost for Student Life with substantive revisions presented to the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs by April 15.

POLICY/PROCEDURE

1.  Sponsor

a.    The sponsor of a student activity is selected by the organization from faculty or full-time staff members who have been employed by the university for at least one year. The function of the sponsor is to aid the organization in attaining its announced objectives, develop leadership within the membership of the organization, and aid the development of the individual member through constructive criticism and suggestion whenever the relationship makes this function possible. Responsibility rests with the organization to ask for the sponsor's assistance in solving the problems and handling the business of the organization.

b.    The sponsor's attendance at the organization's meetings is desirable, though not mandatory. The sponsor frequently serves as chaperone at the organization's social events.

c.    The sponsor may call upon the Student Involvement Office for interpretations of university rules and policies regarding university organizations.

2.  Off-Campus Student Trips and Activities

a.    Registered student organizations are free to make such off-campus trips as are deemed worthwhile by the membership and sponsors of the organization. Students and their parents should understand that participation in such off-campus trips and activities is at the student's own risk. If personal injury or accident should occur to students or other persons during such activities, Texas Tech will assume no responsibility, financial or otherwise.

Faculty and staff sponsors and organization officers are urged to take all possible precautions to ensure the safety and well-being of all persons participating in the off-campus activity. Each group making an off-campus trip should identify specifically the questions of financial liability for accident or injury and appropriate insurance coverage as either the responsibility of each individual student or a responsibility that has been assumed by the group for that specific occasion.

b.    With regard to rooming arrangements, do not exceed maximum hotel room occupancy given bed type including availability of rollaway or pull-out beds. Roommate sharing and matching are voluntary. It is advised to provide notification to students in advance that roommate assignment will occur in accordance with room occupancy specifications. Offer participating students the opportunity to communicate needs/requests in advance of rooms being assigned and in advance of the trip. If a student needs an individual room due to health reasons or other need/request, those circumstances may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

c.    There is no official registration procedure for official off-campus trips, and there are no official excused class absences for students who participate in off-campus trips by student organizations. Students will be responsible for making their own individual arrangements with instructors for classwork missed while participating in an off-campus trip. Instructors will be free to set their own requirements for classwork missed under such circumstances; they must grant students an opportunity to make up all coursework missed while participating in an official off-campus trip.

d.    The university provides an optional group accident and health insurance plan for students, with enrollment during registration for the fall and spring semesters. Also available is a very economical trip insurance plan for student groups and their faculty or staff sponsor. The sponsor may obtain insurance application forms at the Contract Management Office. Trip insurance also may be purchased from private insurance companies.

3.  Policy Concerning Student Releases and Medical Authorizations

The following applies to travel undertaken by one or more students presently enrolled at Texas Tech to reach a university-related activity located more than twenty-five miles from the university. It applies to travel required by a registered student organization.

Each student who travels by motor vehicle (or any other form of transportation) to participate in a university-related activity, including, but not limited to, academic-related field trips, courses, competitions or contests, or non-academic activities such as those sponsored by University Recreation, must execute a copy of the Student Activity Release Form prior to such activities. That document follows this OP as an attachment. (Refer to OP 79.13, University-related Travel by Motor Vehicle, Commercial Carrier, and Aircraft, for additional information regarding university-related travel by motor vehicle, commercial carrier, and aircraft.) *Board of Regents Meeting, December 13–14, 2001

4.  Clery

Texas Tech University is required to disclose statistics for any Clery crime that occurs in university-owned or -controlled geography. Any school-sponsored trip MUST be submitted to the Clery Compliance Officer (clerycompliance@ttu.edu) at the conclusion of the event.

Texas Tech University-sponsored overnight trips are included in TTU's Clery geography if:

a.    The university pays for all or part of the trip (this includes if students pay for something and are later reimbursed by the university);

b.    A written agreement to stay there is in place;

c.    The trip is at a repeated use overnight location (the group stays in the same hotel each time the event occurs);

d.    The trip is longer than one night.

Should any trip meet the qualifications for Clery travel, a Clery Travel Form must be submitted by the group's advisor within two weeks.

 

Attachment: Student Activity Release Form

 

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