Most courses have a unique student field day, generally occurring once each semester and lasting from three to five hours. If an instructor and school choose to participate in field days, student attendance requirements are determined by the instructor. Instructors may also require students to complete assignments in preparation for attending. Student requirements with regard to preparation for or participation at field days should be noted on the syllabus. 

Participation in student field days is highly recommended, and it is required for the following courses:

• Animal Science field days provide students with an opportunity to complete lab activities that cannot be completed in the high school.

• Exploring the Teaching Profession I & II A conference-style event featuring opportunities to learn about and discuss current issues and initiatives in teaching professions.

• Writing Studio field days provide access to University of Minnesota facilities, resources, and individuals that students would not normally be exposed to at their high school. Exposure to these resources is designed to provide students with a deeper understanding of the content knowledge required to be successful in the course. 

CIS covers the costs of event planning and programming, venues, and speakers for each discipline-specific Student Field Day.

Substitute Teachers & Chaperones

Schools are responsible for paying additional expenses related to instructor participation in student field days, including substitute teachers for days when CIS instructors bring CIS students to the University for a student field day. Schools are also responsible for providing chaperones (the recommended chaperone-to-student ratio is 1:12 for ages 15 and older).

Transportation

Schools are responsible for paying to transport students in CIS courses to the University to participate in student field day. 

This is not necessarily limited to school buses. Some CIS instructors have asked for voluntary contributions from their students to help pay for transportation; others have worked with teachers in adjoining school districts to share buses; some schools ask students to transport themselves.

Avoiding Date Conflicts

Some schools offer multiple U of M courses through CIS and we are aware students may be enrolled in other advanced courses as well.  This situation can make handling absences due to students attending other CIS student field days difficult. 

Here are some suggestions our CIS partners have used:

1. Coordinate with other CIS instructors at your school. Meet at a strategic time of the school year to plan exam dates, paper due dates, and field day dates. This allows each instructor to adjust his or her class schedule to minimize the disruption caused by students attending other CIS student field days. 

2. Schedule a reading day. Plan for days on which no lesson is taught and students use the time to work on U of M course assignments. The reading day can occur on different days from week to week, as needed. This schedule reflects the fact that in college, most courses do not meet five days a week. The inclusion of reading days in your regular U of M course schedule allows students to miss class for a field day or other activity—without missing instruction. 

Preparation Checklist for Instructors

Setting Dates

1. Dates for upcoming CIS student field days are typically chosen at each cohort’s summer professional development workshop. Bring your school calendar to help select dates that will allow your students to participate. Be aware of Advanced Placement test dates, other testing dates, and “blackout” dates for your school or district.

2. Add the field day dates to your syllabus, along with information about whether attendance is required for your CIS students and, if so, the consequences for students who don’t attend. 

3. Inform your school administrators, other CIS instructors at your school, and your students about the date(s) your cohort chooses.

4. Please respond to the RSVP request. When you receive a reminder email with relevant details about an upcoming field day, you will be asked how many students you plan to bring. We need to be confident that we are within the maximum occupancy number for the venue. 

Transportation & Logistics

1. Work with your school administrators to arrange busing or other transportation. Some CIS instructors have asked for voluntary contributions from their students to help pay for transportation; others have worked with instructors in adjoining school districts to share buses; some schools ask students to transport themselves. 

2. Information about where buses can drop students off, park, and pick students up again will be provided by your faculty coordinator prior to the field day. Please share directions and maps with your bus driver. 

1. Arrange for documentation of any parental/guardian permissions that are required by your school. In a few cases, cohorts require photo permissions because photos will be taken during the field day. Students under 18 years of age must have this agreement co-signed by their parent or guardian. 

2. Set aside time to prepare your students to actively participate in the event; have them complete any readings or projects that were provided by your faculty coordinator. 

3. See the letter to instructors and field day chaperones for additional guidance when planning for Student Field Days.

4. Review the Student Conduct Code with your class. 

5. Choose a time and place to meet your students at the conclusion of the field day and share this information with your bus driver.

6. Debrief with your students after the field day. Provide your faculty coordinator with any feedback relevant to the experience so that future field days may be even better.

The University has historically provided a safe environment for minors (persons under the age of 18) and is committed to continued vigilance. During student field days, instructors and school chaperones remain responsible for the youth brought to campus, including behavior and group management. This means that instructors and chaperones are expected to actively supervise their students during the program and while moving between buildings or across campus. 

The document "Instructions for CIS Student Field Days" will be distributed to all instructors scheduled to attend a CIS student field day and should be shared with all chaperones.

WiFi on U of M Campus (Eduroam)

When you are on the U of M campus, log in to the secure WiFi network Eduroam. Eduroam is commonly used on college campuses across the country, and so is accessible on other participating campuses as if you were on the U of M campus. 

Your username is your whole U of M email address, including the @umn.edu part, and your password is the same as your U of M password.