Travel + Off-Campus Events
Should a student organization plan a trip or event that is to take place off-campus, the organization is required to travel with an advisor and submit necessary documentation to the Office of Student Engagement at least three weeks prior to the event or trip.
The following steps will guide student leaders through the Travel Preparation Process. Students should complete an Event Form for any and all student organization events happening off-campus - this includes nearby parks, Nashville monuments, and travel outside the city, county, or state.
A student leader or advisor must complete a Bruinlink Event form. This form will collect the following information regarding the student org’s upcoming trip (due at least three weeks in advance)
Itinerary
Destination
Dates/times
Form of travel (plane, car/bus, train …if applicable, specific flight/train information)
Housing accommodations (specific hotel information etc.)
Is an advisor traveling with the group (if not, has an exemption form been approved?)
Purpose of travel
Upon completion of this form, the Office of Student Engagement staff will work with the student leader to create an appropriate waiver, and will provide that digital waiver through email.
If considered ‘travel,’ trip leaders or advisors should plan to distribute digital waivers to each traveling student to complete by two business days prior to the departure date. At this point, the Office of Student Engagement will create a spreadsheet of traveling individuals/emergency contacts/important information for trip leaders and advisors to keep accessible during the trip. ONLY students on this spreadsheet—those who completed a waiver—are permitted to travel. Anyone without a completed waiver will not be permitted to travel with the group.
If considered 'off-campus activity,' student leaders should prepare to require attendees to complete a digital waiver upon arrival to the event.
What's the Difference between Off-Campus Activity and Travel?
An activity is considered travel if at least one of the following is true:
The activity’s location is outside of Davidson County or contiguous counties
The activity is overnight
The activity is being paid for through Belmont University funding
Waiver processes differ slightly, depending on whether the activity is deemed ‘travel’ or ‘off-campus activity.’
Does the Office of Student Engagement recommend one type of transportation over another?
Not necessarily, but if you are planning to carpool, we recommend letting your organization members organize their own plans for carpooling, as it will decrease the amount of liability on the organization.
Does an advisor have to be present for off-campus activity and travel? Are there any exceptions?
An advisor does need to be present for off-campus events and travel, but does not need to be present for off-campus meetings.
If groups are in a situation where advisor presence seems unnecessary (heads up - it's not likely!), they may request exemption through email to studentengagement@belmont.edu.