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Definitions

For the purposes of this policy, the following definitions apply: 

• “off-campus activity” means a university organized or endorsed activity involving one or more university community members, which takes place beyond the boundaries of the ·¬ÇÑÉçÇø campus. Such activities include: 
• fieldwork/field schools: any approved practical teaching and research activities carried out by faculty, staff, or students in the natural environment or community, away from the normal support networks of the university. 
• remote off-campus activities: any off-campus activity, including fieldwork or field schools, carried out in a location where it is difficult to summon help, and is separated by significant time or distance from emergency or medical assistance. 

Examples include working more than 10 km from a facility with telephone or radio communications; emergency or medical assistance is more than 1 hour away; or areas with limited traffic, open waters, dense vegetation, and/or other topographic features, which makes it difficult to obtain assistance. 

Other examples include: student or faculty exchanges; cooperative education work term placements; practica; internships; travel/study programs; travel to attend conferences and university business; activities that are part of a university course or program (credit or non-credit); and university organized extracurricular or athletic activities. 

• “Off-campus travel resources” means a set of web-based off-campus travel planning resources and procedures designed to assist community members to assess, and take the necessary steps to manage, identified risks associated with planned off-campus activities. 
• “university community” includes all ·¬ÇÑÉçÇø faculty, staff, and students, while such individuals are acting in a capacity related to their role at the university, whether or not it is on university property. 

Scope

This policy applies to university community members who are involved with an off-campus activity. 

This policy does not cover activities over which the university exercises no control and for which it can therefore take no responsibility. Specifically, among others, it does not cover: 

1. external activities (including consulting) undertaken by faculty, staff, or students that are not part of the individual’s employment responsibilities or academic program at the university; 
2. activities organized exclusively by students or student groups without expressed approval, sanction, or funding from the university; 
3. travel or activities of any person who is not a university community member as defined in this policy (e.g., a person accompanying a university community member travelling to attend a conference would not be considered an authorized volunteer because the accompanying individual is not travelling for the purpose of participating in the off-campus activity (the conference)); or 
4. personal travel undertaken before or after an off-campus university activity concludes. 

Policy

1. All university community members are responsible to prepare themselves in advance for off-campus activities in which they intend to participate, and to conduct themselves in a safe manner while engaging in the off-campus activity. 
2. The university will provide access to resources and support services, including a travel registry, aimed at facilitating safe travel for university community members. For international or remote off-campus activities, all students, faculty, and staff are expected to enroll in the travel registry to enable the university to provide updates on travel advisories from the Canadian Government and to provide assistance in the case of an emergency. 
3. While the university cannot ensure that all travel will be problem free or account for all of the potential risks that might be experienced during off-campus activities, the university will develop informational resources to enhance the safety of university community members while engaged in off-campus activities. 
4. University community members who are organizing, leading, or supervising off-campus activities will take reasonable steps to familiarize themselves with the risks of the off-campus activity and will consult and seek the expertise of others to address risks that fall outside their own areas of knowledge. 
5. The extent of advance planning and preparation should be commensurate with the level of risk associated with the off-campus activity using the Canadian Government risk level definitions and the off-campus travel resources for sponsor, leader, and traveller responsibilities. 
6. University community members who are organizing, leading, or supervising international or remote off-campus activities and who register with the travel registry will have access to medical, security, travel, and emergency assistance and will be able to subscribe to automated medical, security, and general travel alerts. 
7. Student and staff travel to destinations that are classified by the Canadian Government with risk levels that advise travellers to exercise normal security precautions or to exercise a high degree of caution will normally be authorized, pursuant to the off-campus travel resources for this policy. 
8. Student and staff travel to destinations that are classified by the Canadian Government with risk levels that advise travellers to avoid all non-essential travel or avoid all travel is strongly discouraged and will not normally be authorized pursuant to the off-campus travel resources for this policy. 
9. Faculty travel to destinations that are classified by the Canadian Government with risk levels that advise travellers to avoid all non-essential travel or avoid all travel should enroll in the travel registry and review the current off-campus travel resources information for such destinations. While travel to such destinations is strongly discouraged, enrolment with the travel registry will provide faculty with access to medical, security, travel, and emergency assistance and automated medical, security, and general travel alerts applicable to the destination. The off-campus travel resources will assist faculty to determine if university-sponsored insurance carriers or the emergency travel assistance provider have any limitations or restrictions associated with the planned destination. 
10. In the event of an off-campus emergency/critical incident that exceeds the capacity or authority of an individual or existing team to manage the situation, the appropriate vice-president will be notified. 

Authorities & officers

The authorities and officers for this policy are: 

1. Approving Authority: President 
2. Designated Executive Officer: Vice-President Academic and Provost 
3. Procedural Authority: Vice-President Academic and Provost 
4. Procedural Officer: Associate Vice-President Academic Planning; Associate Vice-President Human Resources 

Relevant legislation

Related policies & resources

• Environmental Health and Safety Policy (SS9200)  
• Guidelines for Participation in International Activities (AD2200)  
• Liability Insurance (FM5300)  
• Risk Management Policy (GV0225)  
• Travel and Business Expenses (HR6500)