Risk Programs

YSU has contracted with the premier international services provider, International SOS (ISOS), who will be there when emergency medical, personal, travel, legal, and security assistance services are needed when traveling overseas on a YSU-sanctioned program.

For more details on International Travel click here.

Release, Waiver, and Agreement Not to Sue forms are needed when activities are voluntary/optional. Students are not required to sign an agreement for field experiences or field trips which are mandatory (required) as part of a course for academic credit. Voluntary (optional) trips and activities, even when part of a course for credit, require a signed agreement.

Why are release agreements important? 

Youngstown State University sponsors numerous voluntary travel, recreational, cultural, educational, and physical activities for members of the University community and the public.  Some of these activities may subject the University and its employees to increased legal liability.  

In order to ensure that participants fully understand and appreciate the risks associated with these activities, as well as to mitigate the potential liability risk to the University, participants need to sign a Release, Waiver, and Agreement Not to Sue Form. 

When are waivers required?

The use of waivers are required when departments sponsor activities that are inherently risky (including but not limited to those situations listed below).

• General Waiver
• Hold Harmless Agreement
• Student Waiver and Assumption of Risk Form

YSU is committed to providing a safe environment for all members of the University community as well as all those who participate in programs and activities on campus or who use or visit campus facilities. Because minor children are a particularly vulnerable population, this Policy has been adopted to address the special concerns when minor children participate in University sponsored activities or other activities utilizing University Facilities.

Click Here to Register Your Program if it includes minors on campus.

• Program Documents and Forms
  • Health History Form (for multiple consecutive days or overnight)
  • Participation Waiver
  • Photo Permission Form
• Training

  Follow the instructions to login TO EDURISK: 

  Go to learn.ue.org Under the Login to the Learning Portal section, enter the following information:

  • Email/username: Enter YSU email address as your Email/username
  • Password: Enter the password you created for EduRisk.  If you haven’t previously created a password for this site, enter Youngstown1!  Upon login, you will be prompted to create a password.

  Once you are logged in, you can access the course under “My Courses.” You will receive an email containing a link to your completion certificate upon successful completion of the course.  Your history of completed courses is found under the “My Completions" tab. 

   

  Need Help? For technical questions, please visit Learning Portal Support.   

  Pop-up blocker must be disabled for ue.blackboard.com.  Ensure your computer meets all System Requirements specified here.

  If you experience issues with logging into the EduRisk site using the temporary password above, please use the registration instructions to register an account in the EduRisk system.

  **Protecting Children Learning Program (Minors on Campus) is ONLY required to be completed if you are planning to host or are participating in an event where you will exercise direct supervision of minors**.   

  Protecting Children Learning Program (Minors on Campus) - This learning program will help educators and adults learn how to recognize, prevent, and report sexual misconduct. It includes online courses for educators, a short video for higher education employees that don’t work directly with children, as well as checklists, guides, and publications.

  Courses within the Program include:

  Identifying and Reporting Sexual Misconduct (30 minutes)

  Hiring Staff Who Work with Minors (30 minutes)

  Shine a Light (10 minute video)

  The Youngstown State University Board of Trustees adopted a Minors on Campus Policy.  As a provider of a program where you and/or your staff are in direct supervision of minors, please familiarize yourself with the Minors on Campus Policy, which dictates that any person who will oversee, direct, and/or chaperon minor children on campus must have training on how to protect children from harm while on campus.

• Background Checks

  Background Checks

  Once you have been designated to supervise minors you will need to complete a background check in order to work with children.

  Key Components of Background Check (BGC) Requirement:

  • Applies to employees, student employees, volunteers, and participants who exercise direct supervision, chaperon or oversee minors during a University program or activity.
  • Separate from pre-employment background check and general volunteer background check.
  • Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) fingerprint check required.
  • BCI check remains active for 1 year.
  • An FBI check is only needed if the person has not been an official resident of Ohio for at least 5 years. Ohio residency does NOT include students whose official addresses remained out of state while they went to school here. 

  Who Are Authorized Adults / Who Should Be Checked:

  • Individuals who supervise, chaperon, or oversee minors
  • Care, Custody, and Control is having primary supervision responsibilities
    • Program director
    • Individuals identified as leaders/supervisors to the minors
    • Individuals chaperoning in residence halls
    • Individuals having authorized one-on-one contact
  • Licensed/certified professionals (teachers for example) requiring a BGC for licensing requirements do not need a separate BGC while their license/certification is active

  Background Check Request:

  • Background Checks for Minors on Campus must be performed a the YSU Police Department
  • BCI Code: OTHER - Please contact YSU Police before using this code. Then print out and write in "Contact with Minors"
  • FBI Code (if needed): NCPA/VCA Volunteer Children's Act

  Background Check Review:

  Adverse or unfavorable information revealed through a background check or self-disclosure shall be reviewed by the university police department in coordination with the divisional administrator or designee.  The review will be an individualized assessment in order to identify potential risk to minors.

• FAQ

  Frequently Asked Questions

  Q: How do I determine if my program or activity is included in this policy?

  A: A program or activity must meet three criteria to be considered a Covered Program under this policy:

   1) operated by the University on or off campus, or a third-party using University Facilities,  

   2) involves minor participants, and  

   3) parents or guardians are not expected to be responsible for the care, custody, or control of the participants.

  Q: Are student organizations included in this policy?

  A: Yes, any group hosting an event on campus which meets the criteria in the policy as a Covered Program is covered by this policy.

  Q: The policy says background checks performed by a third-party service are insufficient for this policy. What does that mean?

  A: To be in compliance with this policy, background checks must be performed directly through BCI or the FBI, not through a company who runs separate checks. These direct checks can be obtained at the YSU campus Policehttps://ysu.edu/ysu-police/background-check-webcheck-information

  Q: Who pays for background checks?

  A: This is up to the individual program. Some programs pay for the checks for their staff and volunteers, while others require the individuals to pay themselves. This is not directed by this policy.

  Q: The staff for my camp will not be local until the start of the camp. How can they initiate the background check process elsewhere?

  A: The Ohio Attorney General website allows a search for locations by zip code.

  Q: How do I obtain background checks for international staff and students?

  A: Background checks for international staff and students can be obtained the same as defined in the policy and on the background check webpage through the FBI check.

Appropriate University Official - Approval of travel must be provided by an Appropriate University Official to assess risk and purpose of activity.

• Student organization and non-academic groups are approved by the Associate Vice President for Student Experience (or designee).
• Academic course or faculty-sponsored trips are approved by the Dean of that department (or designee)
• Travel of student groups sponsored by an academic department are approved by the Dean of that department (or designee)
• Study Abroad and international trips are approved by the Associate Provost for the International Programs Office (or designee)
• Program, office, or department trips not noted in this paragraph are approved by the highest-level administrator overseeing the trip (excluding the president and vice presidents).

Designated Trip Leader/ Competent Person – Someone who is responsible for ensuring all the students participating in activities follow general safety and health guidelines to reduce the risk of personal injury, property damage or other negative outcomes. This person is responsible for submitting travel justification, travel authorization and ensuring each traveler's forms (wavier/ medical) have been submitted.

Trip Coordinator – This is the staff member that confirms travel forms have been completed, completes the confirmation of travelers and provides the trip leader with hard copy of medical forms

Step 1 - Travel Justification- Student Travel Justification Form

• Purpose: High level review to ensure the educational purpose outweighs any risk associated with the travel
• Completed by Trip Leader
• No later than 4 weeks prior to travel

1.  Approval of travel must be provided by an Appropriate University Official.
2.  You will receive an approval or request for additional information within 2 business days of submitting this justification.

Step 2 - Travel Authorization – Student Travel Authorization Form

• Purpose: Travel Authorization will include specific travel details, waivers, medical information of each traveler and approved trip leader information.
• Submitted by Trip Leader
• No later than 2 weeks prior to travel departure
• This step includes the following:
  • Student Travel Assumption of Risk Waiver/Emergency Medical Treatment Form
    • All students and staff traveling must complete for each travel.
  • Authorization for Emergency Medical Treatment (Fillable)
    • All student traveling must complete for each trip and upload to Assumption of Risk Wavier.
  • Participation Information List (Fillable)
    • This will be uploaded to the traveler confirmation.
• What do you need to complete the Travel Authorization?

1.  Who is designated trip leader?
2.  Travel details (Dates and Location)
3.  Method of Transportation
4.  How are you traveling?
5.  Are there multiple drivers? (Fillable form)
6.  Driver’s License number
7.  Motor Vehicle Record – (Only needs to be completed one-time) MVR Form
8.  Personal Vehicle Only
   1.  License Plate numbers
   2.  Copy of Auto Liability Insurance
9.  Who’s in each car?
10.  Flight Itinerary
11.  Hotel Information
12.  List of travelers with Emergency Contact Information

• You will receive an approval or request for additional information within 2 business days of submitting this justification.
• At this point, if you will be requesting travel reimbursement, the designated trip leader will need to create a Travel Request in Concur. If you are a new user to Concur, please contact Travel Services at x3210 or travelservices@ysu.edu for further instructions. Please visit Travel Services Webpage for more information.

Step 3 – Confirmation of Travel – Confirmation of Travelers

• Purpose: Confirmation of travel will provide up to date emergency contact information for each traveler and trip details to appropriate university officials to assist in emergency situations.
• Submitted by Trip Coordinator
• Submit 5 days prior to trip

Step 4 – Emergency Packet Pickup

• Step 4 – Trip leader will obtain a hard copy of the emergency packet from trip coordinator prior to travel.
• Purpose: Packet provides Trip Leader with emergency procedures, sealed emergency medical forms and contacts in case of emergency while traveling.
• Packet should be returned to trip coordinator post travel.

Vehicle Use 

Vehicles include all motor-pool vehicles owned by the University, as well as any vehicles purchased, leased, or rented by the University and assigned to individual employees or departments for their use. Passenger vans (8 or more people), as well as golf carts and other small utility vehicles are included in these guidelines. 

Personal vehicles used for University business are not covered by these guidelines.  

VEHICLE USE GUIDELINES

• Drivers must be approved to drive by the Office of Risk Management, before operating a vehicle. 
• Drivers under the age of 25 must complete an online driver safety training (vans, golf carts, and/or other vehicles). 
• To register for the training, email ehs@ysu.edu or call ext. 3700.  
• YSU employees and students must complete the MVR Form. The results of the MVR report determine driver insurability. All drivers must meet the insurability standards mutually set between the University and the insurance provider.  
• Drivers must be 18 years old and hold a valid U.S. driver’s license .
• Following submission of the MVR Form, please allow 3 business days for processing.  
• Responsibility for any tickets or fines levied against the driver becomes the sole responsibility of the driver. 
• The University is not responsible for loss or damage to personal belongings of employees or students inside vehicles 

RENTAL VEHICLES 

• Mandatory use of the YSU Travel Specialist/ Concur Online Booking Tool/ Direct Travel Agent for car rentals is required except for Enterprise and U-Save for travelers with travel cards, and U-Save only for travelers without travel cards. 

• When renting a vehicle from a YSU corporate contract “Car Rental” (Enterprise), renters may DECLINE the optional insurance as it is included in the negotiated rental rate.  

• When renting from any other rental company, the renters should ACCEPT the optional collision and liability insurance.  

• YSU Procurement Travel Services provide details regarding vehicle rental procedures & requirements.

PASSENGER VANS (8 OR MORE PASSENGERS) 

• Drivers of rented passenger vans must be at least 21 years of age (rental company rules) 
• Drivers of YSU owned vans must be at least 19 years of age 
• Occupancy is limited to nine in 15-passenger vans including the driver because of the increased propensity for roll over when fully loaded. Occupancy in smaller vans is limited to the number of seat belts available. The driver and occupants are required to wear seat belts at all times 

GOLF CART AND OTHER SMALL UTILITY VEHICLES 

• The term “carts” will include golf carts and other low speed utility vehicles.

• Carts with a business purpose requiring use on City streets (other than crossing) must be license plated (Plated). Only Plated carts are allowed to be driven on City streets per state law. 

• Personally owned carts are not to be operated on campus without prior Approval from YSU PD and Risk Management. 

ACCIDENT AND INSURANCE INFORMATION

In case of an accident, please contact YSU Police Department at (330) 941-3527 and they will contact additional University departments. 

A Vehicle Accident Report must be submitted to the Office of Risk Management online. All other questions about accidents or reporting can be direct to the Office of Risk Management at (330) 941-3361 or (234) 241-8603. 

University owned or leased vehicles are insured by the university insurance program. When a new vehicle is purchased or leased contact the Office of Risk Management (ext 3361). Each university vehicle must have an IUCIC Auto ID Card with accident contact information.   

Personal vehicles used for University business are insured by the vehicle owner’s insurance as the primary coverage for auto physical damage and liability. The University’s coverage is secondary for liability coverage. 

If a vehicle is rented on a short-term basis from a rental agency in a foreign country, the vehicle should be rented in the name of the University. If a driver’s name is required on the rental form, it should be entered as “Youngstown State University / (driver’s name).” Rental insurance should be purchased.