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Q. Are students / sponsors / teams allowed to fundraise for their competition?
Q. Are students / sponsors / teams allowed to fundraise for their competition?
A. No - students, sponsors, and teams are not allowed to fundraise for their competition.
Q. Do sponsors have to create budgets for each competition / event?
Q. Do sponsors have to create budgets for each competition / event?
A. Yes - sponsors need to create budgets for each event / trip that students are participating in and follow the same process each time.
Q. Can the academic competition student leaders have access to regional, state, or national usernames / passwords?
Q. Can the academic competition student leaders have access to regional, state, or national usernames / passwords?
A. No - only the sponsor(s) should have access to this information.
Q. Do students fully run the Academic Competition (i.e. is sponsor involvement required)?
Q. Do students fully run the Academic Competition (i.e. is sponsor involvement required)?
A. No - the sponsor / co-sponsors have the ultimate fiscal responsibility for the academic competition.
Q. Do sponsors have to attend all events / competitions?
Q. Do sponsors have to attend all events / competitions?
A. Yes - in the event that no employee sponsor is available to accompany students to a competition, participation in the event will not be NCSSM-affiliated. NCSSM will not cover any cost associated with the competition including, but not limited to, travel, lodging, and registration. Sponsors who are unable to attend an event should attempt to find another NCSSM employee that could be identified to serve as the acting sponsor in order for the team to participate in the competition and be NCSSM-affiliated.
Q. Can students drive to a competition in their personal vehicle?
Q. Can students drive to a competition in their personal vehicle?
A. Students are not allowed to drive, even in private vehicles, on NCSSM sponsored trips.
Q. What if a sponsor has an emergency or is unable to attend a competition?
Q. What if a sponsor has an emergency or is unable to attend a competition?
A. Another NCSSM employee must be identified to serve as the acting sponsor in order for the team to participate in the competition and be NCSSM-affiliated.
Q. Can non-employee chaperones drive NCSSM vehicles? Can they drive students in their personal vehicles to travel to a competition?
Q. Can non-employee chaperones drive NCSSM vehicles? Can they drive students in their personal vehicles to travel to a competition?
A. Non-employee chaperones are not allowed to drive NCSSM vehicles. (See the NCSSM Vehicle Use Protocols.) However, non-employee chaperones are allowed to transport students in their personal vehicle if they pass a motor vehicle background check AND parents give their permission. To ensure the motor vehicle check is completed for your volunteer, please indicate “yes” on the background check submission when asked if driving is a required duty. There must be specific written permission granted by participating students’ parents/guardians for NCSSM students to ride in private vehicles driven by non-employee chaperones.
Q. What guidelines are there regarding student behavior and sponsor / chaperone responsibility during travel?
Q. What guidelines are there regarding student behavior and sponsor / chaperone responsibility during travel?
A. All the basic expectations for student behavior at NCSSM apply while traveling for academic competitions, with violators to be addressed under the Code of Student Conduct. Please read the Guidelines for Academic Competitions before traveling so that you know what is expected of you as a sponsor / co-sponsor and what is expected of the students traveling.
Q. Are individuals paid for being an academic competition sponsor / co-sponsor?
Q. Are individuals paid for being an academic competition sponsor / co-sponsor?
A. It is never guaranteed that a sponsor / co-sponsor of an academic competition will be paid. Sponsors / co-sponsors are volunteers. However, a stipend may be approved by administration on a case-by-case basis. It is important to remember that employee travel expenses will be covered by Academic Programs funds or SCSSI. No additional stipend will be approved for sponsors or other staff chaperones whose participation in competitions is part of their expected duties within the duration of their regular contract. Non-employee chaperones are not provided any stipends / funding. If competition sponsorship requires time outside of regular work hours, sponsors should discuss potential workload impacts with their supervisors.
Q. Can sponsors email parents to confirm they have given permission for their student to travel (after completing the Long Form) or are they required to call parents?
Q. Can sponsors email parents to confirm they have given permission for their student to travel (after completing the Long Form) or are they required to call parents?
A. Sponsors are required to call parents to confirm they have given their permission for students to travel for Academic Competitions and they cannot receive verification through email.
Q. Can sponsors collect student contributions multiple times throughout the year, or only once at the beginning of the year?
Q. Can sponsors collect student contributions multiple times throughout the year, or only once at the beginning of the year?
A. Sponsors are able to collect student contributions multiple times during the year. Sponsors should collect all student contributions through SCSSI; submit the form linked here to request SCSSI payment collection and tracking sheet setup.
Q. Who should should be contacted if students require financial assistance to participate in an Academic Competition?
Q. Who should should be contacted if students require financial assistance to participate in an Academic Competition?
A. The sponsor should inform the student of the total cost for the conference or competition, and the student should email financial.assistance@ncssm.edu for financial assistance.
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