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).
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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.
Go to learn.ue.org Under the Login to the Learning Portal section, enter the following information:
Once you are logged in, you can access the course under “My Courses.” There is 1 video that you will need to complete. You will receive an email containing a link to your completion certificate upon successful completion of the course.
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.
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:
Who Are Authorized Adults / Who Should Be Checked:
Background Check Request:
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.
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.
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
All students and staff traveling must complete a Student Travel Wavier and Assumption of Risk Form
You will need the following information to complete the Authorization Form
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
RENTAL VEHICLES
PASSENGER VANS (8 OR MORE PASSENGERS)
GOLF CART AND OTHER SMALL UTILITY VEHICLES
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.