Field Trips

A field trip, per the Academic Affairs Division Field Trip Policy [pdf], is an off-campus group learning activity, linked to a scheduled university course, led by a faculty or staff member who supervises the group. This definition does not include off-campus learning activities such as internships, service learning, or extracurricular assignments for students to visit specified sites where a student acts independently of a group excursion. (Internships and service learning are covered by different policies.)

Field trips are part of the university curriculum and must be described in sufficient detail on any course syllabus in which a field trip is held. Field trips should be clearly linked to the student learning outcomes of the course in which they occur and should be assessed for effectiveness in helping students meet those learning outcomes in accordance with the department's assessment plan. Faculty members should identify all required or voluntary field trips in the course syllabus and provide detailed information about date, time, location, means of transportation and any fees for which a participant is responsible. Faculty must consider ADA implications of field trips, and offer reasonable accommodations or an alternative assignment or activity for those who cannot participate in the field trip.

Field trips (along with internships, service learning, study abroad and other potentially hazardous activities) require a dedicated level of attention to safety and risk procedures, depending on the nature of the activity. The Academic Affairs Division has a responsibility to insure that the university curriculum conforms to applicable state, local, and campus policies, including safety and risk management policies. In the context of our responsibility to promote the academic development of our students, SJSU faculty and staff are responsible for ensuring a safe instructional environment for all SJSU students. Faculty and staff have a duty to warn participants of any known hazards at a field trip site. They must exercise reasonable/ordinary care to protect and supervise students while they are participating in a field trip. They must be reasonably prepared to respond to emergencies while on a field trip, as they are on campus.

Faculty members are responsible for having students fill out the Student Travel Informed Consent Form found on the Finance Field Trip website.

Departments must maintain copies of the Student Travel Informed Consent Form for a minimum of one year.