ACADEMIC TRAVEL is any student travel for academic purposes, whether as part of a course, enrichment activity, or student project. Academic travel may be led or sponsored by a faculty or staff member or undertaken by a student on their own with Lawrence support. Local travel and day trips have fewer requirements than long-distance or overnight trips. International trips require the involvement of the Off-Campus Programs office. All faculty and staff travel, alone or with students, is subject to the university's Travel and Business Expense Policies and Procedures, which provide information about how to make travel arrangements, manage expenses, and receive reimbursements.
Type of Travel
Find information for:
- Travel to Björklunden - Lawrence's northern campus in Door County, WI
- Local Travel - within 30 miles of campus
- Day Trips - within 200 miles of campus, returning the same day
- Domestic Travel - more than 200 miles from campus or with an overnight stay (requires approval & travel forms)
- International Travel - outside the U.S. (requires approval & travel forms, has earlier deadlines)
Travel as Part of a Course
If travel is required for a course, the course syllabus should state the travel dates and destinations, activities, and program fee. Instructors may want to email the class list in advance to check whether students will have any unique travel needs (such as wheelchair access or a service animal). If travel is optional (as for field trips), then students who cannot participate should be offered alternatives to earn equivalent course credit. A course that includes international travel must require instructor approval to register, and students must be in good academic and disciplinary standing to enroll in the course.
Student Eligibility & Accessibility Services
For international or domestic travel (as defined above), the faculty/staff trip leader or sponsor should check with the Dean of Students whether students are eligible to participate (send a roster to deanofstudents@lawrence.edu). If any students need disability accommodations, the trip leader or sponsor should consult with the Director of Accessibility Services (accessibility@lawrence.edu). Where travel is not essential to the course, a student who cannot participate should be offered an alternative way to satisfy course requirements.
Authorized Drivers & Vehicles
All drivers who transport students, faculty, staff, university guests, or Lawrence-owned equipment must be Lawrence University authorized drivers, whether they drive fleet vehicles or personal vehicles. Drivers must conform to the requirements of the vehicle use policy concerning age, permissible roads and speeds, and required rest periods. Personal vehicles must have personal insurance coverage that meets the standards in the vehicle use policy.
Required Travel Forms
All participants in international or domestic travel (as defined above) must sign an assumption of risk & release of liability and fill out a personal information form. Anyone who travels outside the U.S. must also submit a scan of the passport photo page and enroll in Lawrence’s CISI group travel insurance. A final roster & itinerary is required prior to departure. See the Domestic Travel and International Travel pages for information and links.
International Travel Restrictions
Lawrence does not sponsor travel to a country with a U.S. State Department level 4 travel advisory, and an exemption is required to travel to a location with a level 3 travel advisory. See the International Travel page for more information.