Local & Regional Field Trip Policy

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, local field trips are permitted, however, regional field trips and field study have been paused until further notice due to health and safety concerns related to travel. Please contact travelstudy@otis.edu with any questions.

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.

Policy

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 below.  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. 

Forms and Submission Dates

For all overnight trips, submit a copy of the Field Trip Roster to the Provost's Office 48 hours prior to trip departure by emailing travelstudy@otis.edu.

Field Trip instructions can be downloaded here. 

Local and Regional Field Trip Policy can be downloaded here.
 

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 location
• Local Overnight Field Trip – Domestic travel, normally within 100 miles of an Otis location with up to three nights’ stay
• Regional Overnight Field Trip – Domestic travel within 1400 miles of an Otis location and up to four nights’ stay

Travel Study courses, which involve international travel or domestic travel beyond the parameters of a field trip as described above, are covered under other policies and construed to be a travel study course. Please contact the Travel and External Study at travelstudy@otis.edu or (310) 665-6815 for more information about Travel Study courses.

Leader Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the Leader on a field trip will vary by location and activity, but may include the following:

1. Leader: Either the faculty member or some other responsible College official designated by the faculty member must accompany all field trips. Non-faculty “Trip Leaders” must be approved by the Provost’s Office. While Teaching Assistants or similarly designated College employees may participate in field trips, a Teaching Assistant is not an appropriate Leader for such a trip. 

2. Site Visit: Whenever practical, the site of the field trip should be visited in advance by the Leader or an appropriate College official to evaluate and, through planning, to minimize potential risks. The site visit can be bypassed if the Leader can demonstrate and document sufficient knowledge of the field trip site. This could be accomplished by reviewing online, published materials, or contacting the site to discuss the visit.

3. Students with Disabilities, & Title IX: Any student who is enrolled in a field trip may potentially need special accommodations.  Such students should speak as soon as possible with Dr. Carol Branch, Director, Student Resources Center (SRC) & Title IX Coordinator, for information and assistance. Students addressing sexual harassment/sexual violence concerns should seek assistance from our Title IX Coordinator. The SRC is located on the first floor of Ahmanson Hall.  Contact information is cbranch@otis.edu or (310) 846-2554.

4. Student Preparation: Students must be thoughtfully and thoroughly prepared before departure. The Leader must convene students in order to:

• Review conduct rules.
• Ensure that students know when and where they are to meet upon arrival and throughout the trip.
• Review the detailed day-to-day instructional agenda, which should include a general itinerary associated with the trip. One copy of the itinerary should be sent to the Department responsible for the course.
• Inform participants of field trip costs, including deposit amount and payment deadlines.
• Discuss with the students the nature of the activities during the field trip, including any inherent hazards, strenuous activity, or unusual activity that might take place. Account for and provide for an alternate assignment for students unwilling to accept the risk of participation in a field trip or an activity scheduled on the agenda for said trip.
• Collect Emergency Contact Forms from students.

5. Emergency Guidelines:

• Keep the Otis Safety numbers with you at all times.  https://www.otis.edu/emergency-information
• When leading group trips, Leaders must carry emergency contact information and the authorization for emergency medical treatment (language in the Waiver of Liability/General Release form) for each participant.
• Carry a charged cell phone for the duration of the trip, or provide a detailed list of how and when you can be reached.
• Be the contact person for students, Otis staff, and parents. 
• Monitor travel conditions. 
• Manage student behavior issues.
• In case of an accident: Immediately phone 911 in all cases involving serious injury or death, multiple injuries, or extensive property damage. Your first priority is to care for any injured individuals.

6. Otis Driver Policy: If you are planning to drive a vehicle to transport students on your field trip, you must obtain permission from Mohammed Ahmed, Operations Manager, 310-846-2609. The approval process will take approximately four weeks. All necessary forms needed for approval can be found at the bottom of this page.

Guidelines for Students

1. Students participating in field trips are expected to adhere to the same standards of behavior as published in The Hoot 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.
2. 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 separate from the group, do so at their own risk.
3. Students are responsible for carrying their own personal medication while on a field trip.

Related Policies

Course Catalog/Student Handbook (The Hoot – Registration and Records)

Emergency Information

Incident report involving a student, Incident report involving an employee (Human Resources)

Travel Policy (Business Office)

European Travel Agency Procedures (Business Office) Utilize this link to assist in planning transportation, and accommodation, etc.

Leader's Seeking to Drive and Transport Otis Students Must Complete and Submit the Following Forms to Mohammed Ahmed, Operations Manager Office, 310-846-2609

Approved Driver Acknowledgement Form

Motor Vehicle Records Form

Cellular Phone and Texting Agreement

CA DMV INF 1101 Form