Local and Regional Field Trip Policy
The Local and Regional Field Trip Policy covers local field trips, local overnight field trips, and short regional overnight field trips in the U.S. This policy also applies to courses with regular off-campus meetings at museums, field sites, or other destinations. Student Affairs outings are exempt from this policy. Travel Study and External Study courses, which involve international travel or domestic travel beyond the parameters of a field trip as described below, are covered under other policies. Please contact travelstudy@otis.edu for more information about Travel Study courses.
Definitions
A Field Trip is broadly defined as a certain academic activity, and serves educational purposes, that a student is required and/or encouraged to attend and/or participate in as off-campus activity and/or field trip (collectively “Activities”). The “campus” is defined as any Otis College locations, including The Goldsmith Campus. For the purposes of this policy, there are three types of field trips:
- Local Field Trip – Non-overnight domestic travel normally within 100 miles of an Otis College location
- Local Overnight Field Trip – Domestic travel normally within 100 miles of an Otis College location with up to three nights’ stay
Pre-Authorization and Chaperone Guidelines
In order to ensure that field trips fall within the scope of a course’s and the College’s mission and that student safety issues are fully addressed, field trips must be authorized in advance and be fully documented through the on-time submission of the forms listed on our website. All field trips must be led by a faculty or staff member, and student participants must adhere to field trip guidelines. Leader responsibilities and guidelines for students are described below.
Guidelines for Students
- Students participating in field trips are expected to adhere to the same standards of behavior as published in the Code of Student Conduct and in the Travel Study Behavior Code of Conduct. Any violation of the regulations or local, state, or federal laws may result in disciplinary action or sanctions by the College.
- Students, who choose to travel to the site of a field trip early or remain at the site after the planned activity is completed, or who willfully separate from the group, do so at their own risk.
- Students are responsible for carrying their own personal medication while on a field
trip.