Use of College-Owned, Privately-Owned and State Contract Rental Vehicle Policy

Transcription

1 Use of College-Owned, Privately-Owned and State Contract Rental Vehicle Policy SUNY College at Oneonta provides transportation for its faculty, students and staff for required business and educational travel through a combination of a College fleet, a state-contract rental agency, and reimbursement of personal vehicle mileage. The following information serves as guidelines for SUNY College at Oneonta employees in requesting and operating vehicles for official University business. This policy adopts in full the State University of New York Administrative Policy Item 091 Use of State- Owned and Privately-Owned Vehicles for Official University Business. I. Definitions page 1 II. Policy Items: A. Allowable Destinations 2 B. Authorization to Drive and Other Requirements 2 C. Students and Volunteers 3 D. Employees.3 E. Use of Personal Vehicles.4 F. Liability and Insurance.4 G. Passenger Vans.5 III. Procedures A. Requesting a College-owned Vehicle.7 Employees.7 Students and Volunteers.7 B. Use of College-owned Vehicle.8 Picking up a College Vehicle.8 Gas Usage.8 Upon your return.8 C. Requesting and using a Rental Vehicle.8 D. Requesting and using Personal Vehicles for State Business..9 E. Accidents and Breakdowns.9 I. Definitions: College-Owned Vehicles are defined as any vehicle that is owned or leased by the College or any authorized department of the College for the purpose of transporting faculty, staff, and/or students to and from a college sponsored program or event. College Passenger Van refers to any twelve to fifteen passenger van owned, leased, or rented by the College or any department for the purposes of transporting faculty, staff, and/or students to and from a college sponsored program or event. Employee is defined as any individual serving in a paid position at the SUNY College at Oneonta (not Student Payroll) authorized to conduct business on behalf of the College. Passenger Vehicles shall be deemed to include sedans, security pak sedans, and station wagons. 1

2 Personal Vehicle is defined as any vehicle owned by an authorized SUNY College at Oneonta employee. State Contract Rental is a vehicle rented by an employee from the rental agency which the College has a contract with (currently Enterprise). Student is defined as any individual enrolled in credit bearing courses at SUNY College at Oneonta. Volunteer is defined as any non-employee, or non-student who has been officially designated or authorized to conduct business on behalf of the College. II. POLICY ITEMS A. Allowable Destinations Whenever a College-owned vehicle is used, its destination will be clearly indicated on the form authorizing the use of the vehicle. Requests for the use of College-owned vehicles will be limited to travel in the United States within a designated area no more than a distance of 400 road miles from the SUNY Oneonta campus. Request for the use of a College-owned vehicle outside the designated area MUST be approved by the appropriate vice president in consultation with the Vice President for Finance & Administration. Employee must demonstrate due diligence as follows: 1. To increase the probability of vehicle availability, vehicle requests should be made as far in advance as possible. 2. Employee traveler needs to have explored all on-campus vehicle use options 3. Employee traveler needs to have explored all off-campus vehicle use options 4. Employee raveler needs to have consulted with the Director of Business Services to ascertain that all options have been explored and that no further realistic and cost effective options exist. 5. Employee traveler must be willing to accept and accommodate for reasonable delays due to vehicle breakdown. Any extraordinary costs, outside of vehicle manufacturer warranty, associated with vehicle breakdowns, towing, or repairs (e.g. maintenance overnight travel expenses and overtime, outside towing, major engine repair and rental of additional transportation) during travel outside of the designated area are the responsibility of the department or division using the vehicle. The appropriate divisional vice president in conjunction with the Vice President for Finance and Administration will determine, based on the information provided by the traveler, that due diligence has occurred and the appropriate action to be taken. 2

3 If a breakdown occurs on the trip, contact MOC during office hours or University Police during off hours immediately. MOC will decide how to proceed with vehicle repair and towing and work with you if alternative transportation is needed DO NOT make arrangements on your own to have the vehicle towed or repaired. Travel to any destination outside of the designated area should be by personal car or a rental vehicle. Any additional costs of rental vehicles for authorized academic travel outside the designated area will be considered on a case by case basis. The state maintains a contract with a rental agency. The current contract is with Enterprise Rent-a-Car. B. Authorization to Drive and Other Requirements All drivers of College vehicles must hold a valid operator s license, acceptable in NY State, for the type of vehicle they wish to be assigned. All drivers shall present a valid driver's license when picking up vehicles to verify that they are appropriately qualified. All student and volunteer drivers will present a valid license, a copy of which will remain on file. Smoking in College-owned vehicles is prohibited. Driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol is prohibited. Possession and/or use of alcohol, illegal drugs or other intoxicating substances in a College vehicle is strictly forbidden. Use of cellular phones without a hands-free cellular phone adaptor is prohibited. All drivers should take special care when operating vehicles which they are unfamiliar with, such as College passenger vans. All drivers (faculty, staff and students) of College passenger vans must participate in a College at Oneonta sponsored orientation session. See Section G for requirements for passenger vans. C. Students and Volunteers Students will be assigned to drive a College-owned vehicle only when it is not feasible to use another driver. The campus president will designate the person or persons who are authorized to appoint student drivers. A separate authorization for the use of a student driver must be made for each trip. Student Drivers must be accompanied by the supervising staff member of record. Students and volunteers may operate a College-owned vehicle only when authorized through the Maintenance Operations Center Vehicle Assignment Office. Written application for such authorization must be made by the supervising employee, using the Request for Approval to Permit Student to Operate a College Vehicle form, to be approved by the appropriate administrative officer. The completed form must be sent to the Maintenance Operation Center Vehicle Assignment Office prior to the trip. 3

4 A student or volunteer driver must submit a valid operator's license. This need not be a New York State license, but must be acceptable in New York. Students and volunteers should be advised about proper operation of the vehicle and be properly supervised during the trip. Student-owned vehicles may NOT BE USED for official University business. D. Employees Faculty/staff (except as noted in section III.A. of Procedures) shall request vehicle assignments by completing a Request to be Absent and Travel Application" form and forwarding the form to the Maintenance Operations Center (MOC) at the Services building. Calling for vehicle availability should ONLY be used for emergency short notice trips. E. Use of Personal Vehicles Personal vehicles may be used for State travel for faculty and staff. Studentowned vehicles may not be used for official University business. The following should be considered before choosing this travel option: Cost Effectiveness: Employees have the option of using a College-owned vehicle (if one is available), a rental vehicle from the current State-contracted rental agency, or their own personal vehicle. For one-day trips, renting is usually the most cost-effective method. For trips of longer duration, the cost should be compared among the various options to find the best value for a department s travel dollars. In most cases, use of a personal vehicle will be the most expensive method. The approving supervisor should review cost when considering travel options. Convenience: The current contracted rental agency will now deliver rental vehicles right to an employee s home or to the College so this option has now become as convenient as using a personal vehicle. Insurance: When using a personal vehicle, the vehicle owner s insurance is primary. (For more information, see Liability and Insurance section below.) F. Liability and Insurance: All persons driving in the course of conducting business on behalf of the College must have a valid driver s license. 4

5 Coverage when driving College-owned vehicle - The College will cover damage to a Collegeowned vehicle but does not always cover personal liability (see liability section below). Rental vehicle Vehicle should be rented in the name of the College, not the employee. The current State-contracted rental company must provide the statutorily required insurance and no additional insurance should be purchased with the rental. If the limits of the policy are exhausted, the vehicle damages would be covered by the Office of General Services Bureau of Insurance. For accidents incurred, the College will cover the deductible portion not covered by the rental agency. When renting a vehicle out-of-state, you must purchase the additional insurance available from the rental agency. Personal vehicle Personal insurance is required for vehicle damages. For personal liability, see liability section below. Personal liability Should a driver be sued as the result of a motor vehicle accident while using a personal vehicle on official business, coverage for liability damages remaining after payment by personal insurance is subject to determination by the Attorney General s Office. A state employee who is sued as a result of operating any of the following: College-owned vehicle Rental vehicle Personal vehicle may be entitled to defense and indemnification by the State under Public Officers Law, Section 17, subject to the provisions of that statute. An employee will be covered by the State of New York for liability if it is determined by the Attorney General s Office that the employee was acting within the scope of his or her duties and the injury or damage did not result from intentional wrongdoing. The Attorney General s Office makes the decision whether to represent an employee who has been sued only after reviewing the facts and allegations. If an award of damages is thereafter made by a court, a separate decision on whether to indemnify the employee must be made. In order for indemnification and payment to be made, the Comptroller, the Attorney General, and the Chancellor of SUNY must all approve payment. An employee will have to use personal insurance for cases where the Attorney General s Office determines the State is not responsible. G. Passenger Vans All drivers (faculty, staff and students) of College passenger vans must be at least 18 years of age must participate in a College at Oneonta sponsored orientation session. 5

6 April 2, 2007 shall present a valid driver's license, a copy of which shall remain on file with the College Van driver orientation sessions are offered at the start of each academic year and on a monthly basis thereafter. Sessions include a classroom component and basic operation of the vans. (Departments and organizations expecting to use College passenger vans should plan ahead so that all drivers have ample time to complete an orientation session. Sessions are not offered on demand, but rather scheduled on a regular basis. ) Faculty, staff and students are strongly encouraged to repeat the orientation session periodically. The College at Oneonta reserves the right to deny or suspend driving privileges of College passenger vans at any time. Authorization to drive a College passenger van shall be subject to an annual check for traffic violations by University Police. Elementary and high school youth under the age of 21 may not be transported in a 12- or 15-passenger van. Programs involving students that are not registered in post-secondary credits must be transported in a vehicle manufactured to meet federal school bus safety standards. 6

7 III. PROCEDURES (Refer also to College Travel Manual at A. Requesting a College-owned Vehicle Please Note: The use of University Police vehicles by authorized University Policy personnel is not subject to these procedures. Selected long-term or dedicated-use vehicles may be subject to alternate procedures. There are special requirements for driving a van. Please refer to Policy Section, Item G for thorough explanation of van-driving requirements. Employees Faculty/staff may request vehicle assignments by completing a Request to be Absent and Travel Application form, available from the Supply Room. After supervisor, and other required administrative, permission is granted, submit top 2 copies of form to Purchasing to encumber funds, and also forward a copy to the Maintenance Operations Center (MOC) at the Service building. Calling for vehicle availability at x3283, MOC office should ONLY be for emergency short notice trips. The request form must be completely filled out, including account numbers and appropriate signatures. A vehicle/van is assigned by MOC and a trip ticket produced. Two parts of the trip ticket go to the requester, one part to the garage, and one is retained in MOC to verify mileage recharge amount for appropriate account. If a vehicle is unavailable, select one of the other 2 travel options and obtain supervisor approval Students and Volunteers Students and volunteers will be assigned to drive a College-owned vehicle ONLY when it is not feasible to use another driver. The Campus President will designate the person or persons who are authorized to appoint student drivers. A separate authorization for the use of a student driver must be made for each trip. The only exception is a student employed by the College in a capacity that requires operation of a College-owned vehicle. An example would be a student hired by our Maintenance Operations Center where driving a vehicle is a necessary part of the job. 7

8 Students and volunteers may operate a College-owned vehicle only when authorized through the Maintenance Operations Center Vehicle Assignment Office. Written application for such authorization must be made by the supervising staff member, using the Request for Approval to Permit Students to Operate College Vehicle form, to be approved by the appropriate administrative officer. The completed form must be sent to the Maintenance Operations Center Vehicle Assignment Office prior to the trip. B. Use of a College Vehicle Picking up a College Vehicle Present the trip ticket to the Garage Office at the Service Building when picking up your vehicle. Garage hours are 7am-3:30pm Monday-Friday, except legal holidays. If the garage is closed when you wish to pick up your vehicle, call University Police at x3550. Record the vehicle mileage at the beginning and end of your trip, amount of any fuel added, and any automotive expense. Only College employees and authorized students and volunteers may ride in a Collegeowned vehicle. Family members are not permitted in a College-owned vehicle. Gas Usage Vehicles assigned by MOC are generally fueled at the gas pump near the MOC garage. EXXON Gas cards are in the vehicles but drivers need to have a PIN number and department code number assigned to them prior to picking up their vehicle. Requests for a PIN # shall be made through the MOC Office. If you have not arranged for a PIN number to use the EXXON card, you may purchase regular unleaded gasoline (do not use a premium grade) if you need to refuel. Submit receipt with your travel voucher for reimbursement. Upon Your Return Remove all litter from the vehicle. Return keys. If the garage is closed, drop keys in slot marked Key Drop in the middle of the overhead door. Report mechanical problems to the garage or leave a note in the car. Completed car usage trip ticket must be filled out and returned to MOC office. The traveler must submit a travel voucher and form AC 60 to Accounts Payable immediately to ensure prompt reimbursement of parking fees, gas, tolls, lodging and meals. The voucher must be signed by the department chair/supervisor and accompanied by appropriate original receipts and documentation. C. Requesting and using a Rental Vehicle Complete the Request to be Absent and Travel Application form, available in the Supply Room. Call the rental agency that is currently on contract with the College (currently Enterprise, check with Purchasing Office if unsure) for availability of a vehicle. 8

9 If you are renting a vehicle out-of-state, you must purchase the additional insurance available from the rental agency Complete a Purchase Requisition for Rental Company and submit to Purchasing with the Travel Application form Do not purchase additional insurance offered by current State-contracted rental company Upon return, submit Travel Voucher for gas and tolls incurred Students and volunteers are not authorized to rent vehicles for official State business Only College employees and authorized students and volunteers may ride in a rental vehicle. Family members are not permitted in a rental vehicle. D. Requesting and using Personal Vehicles for State Business Complete the Request to be Absent and Travel Application form, available in the Supply Room. Cost Effectiveness in Section E of the policy should be considered when selecting use of a personal vehicle Upon completion of trip, submit Travel Voucher and appropriate receipts. Do NOT include receipts for gasoline as that is covered in the per mile reimbursement rate. More information on this is available in the Travel Manual, located on the Accounts Payable website: Student vehicles may not be used for official University business E. Accidents and Breakdowns All accidents and breakdowns that are incurred during official College business must be reported to the Maintenance Operations Center. For accidents that happen on campus, University Police is called to fill out the Report of Motor Vehicle Accident (MV-104). University police issues a copy of the report to the driver as well as a copy of the incident report. Drivers should give copy of MV-104 to motor vehicle booking office. For accidents that happen off campus, a copy of MV-104 is requested from the local police department if involved. If no MV-104 was filed (local police were not involved) the driver completes a copy of MV-104 which is available from MOC. All repairs to College-owned vehicles and insurance matters for College-owned vehicles will be handled by MOC. For accidents involving your personal vehicle, report to your own insurance company. The State will not cover any damages occurring to a personal vehicle. If a breakdown occurs on the trip, contact MOC during office hours or University Police during off hours immediately. MOC will decide how to proceed with vehicle repair and towing and work with you if alternative transportation is needed DO NOT make arrangements on your own to have the vehicle towed or repaired. April 2,