Field Trip Planning

Field Trip Planning & Compliance Procedure

Field trip planning involves more factors than the simple logistics of where, when, who, and how long.  This procedure ensures that some of the less obvious essentials are not neglected as you prepare for your field trip.  It specifically addresses the needs to

  • Manage risk,  
  • Consider supplemental accident insurance for participants,
  • Collect emergency contact information,
  • Obtain release and behavioral agreement, and
  • Secure any authorizations that might be needed from post-secondary education regulators in the jurisdictions through which trip participants may pass.

Required Field Trip Forms:

Field Trip Planning Form

  • All University faculty members planning to lead or sponsor a domestic field trip must complete this planning form as early as possible in the planning process.
  • This form serves multiple purposes:
    • For internal and external reporting purposes, it creates a record of official University-sponsored field trips.
    • For insurance purposes, this form must be submitted to obtain accident insurance for field trips; such insurance provides medical benefits (up to $5,000 per Insured) to participants and chaperones for injuries sustained while on a field trip sponsored by UNC Charlotte.
    • For compliance purposes, this form helps ensure that the University is authorized to offer learning opportunities in the jurisdiction(s) where you travel.
    • For organizational purposes, this form directs you to resources you will need to keep good records and organize your trip.

Field Trip Acknowledgement of Risk, Release, and Behavioral Agreement

*IMPORTANT: Agreement must be signed voluntarily. If a participant is unwilling to sign the agreement, they cannot participate. If the field trip is for credit or is a required element of the course, alternative projects or activities must be offered.


Non-Field Trip Activities

For domestic off-campus University-sponsored student activities that are not course-related (non-field trip activities), including Field Research, activity leaders should ask students to sign an Off-Campus Activity Acknowledgement of Risk, Release, and Behavioral Agreement.