Vehicle Request Policy and Procedures

Article ID: 343

Last updated: 23 Aug, 2023

2023 – 2024 EASTERN CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY VEHICLE REQUEST POLICY & PROCEDURES

(Updated June 2023)

Failure to comply fully with this policy may result in loss of vehicle use privileges for the operator and the operator’s department. Please contact Scott Smith, University Vehicle Coordinator, with any questions by e-mail at smithsc@easternct.edu or at (860) 465-4326.

GENERAL USE - All use of Eastern and State of Connecticut vehicles is covered under the guidelines outlined in General Letter No. 115 (Revised 11/2019) of the State of Connecticut’s Department of Administrative Services and Eastern Connecticut State University’s University & State-Owned Vehicle Safe Driver Policy & Contract document. To view General Letter No. 115, please copy and paste the following link into your browser: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DAS/Fleet-Operations/DAS-GL-115.pdf.
All State of Connecticut laws as they pertain to the operation of motor vehicles and their passengers must be strictly adhered to by all users of Eastern and/or State of Connecticut vehicles. Any and all citations or tickets issued in connection with any vehicle misuse, incident or accident are the responsibility of the vehicle’s operator. Eastern will not reimburse the operator for any fines paid.
As of 6/16/2006, the Eastern administration has mandated that the publication entitled “Safety in Student Transportation: A Resource Guide for Colleges and Universities” be read by those individuals who operate Eastern and/or state of Connecticut vehicles for student transportation. The publication is available on-line through any search engine or you can copy and paste the following link into your browser: http://worldcat.org/digitalarchive/content/cdm266301.cdmhost.com/CBT/p266401coll4/0000069683/safety_in_student_transportation.pdf.
WHAT CAN UNIVERSITY / STATE VEHICLES BE USED FOR - Eastern and State of Connecticut vehicles may only be used for Eastern and/or State of Connecticut-related business. Personal use of any kind is prohibited. All passengers must be affiliated directly with the State of Connecticut, Eastern or any of its sanctioned programs.

The willful neglect or misuse of any University or state-owned vehicle is cause for disciplinary action under Connecticut General Statute 4-165 and may cause loss of vehicle privileges for both the driver and their affiliated department.

WHO CAN REQUEST TO USE A UNIVERSITY / STATE VEHICLE - Eastern and State of Connecticut vehicles may only be requested by Eastern faculty, staff or administration representatives. Students may not make vehicle requests unless they are accompanied by authorization from a proper University authority (faculty, staff or administrator).
REQUEST TIMELINE - Requests are handled on a first-come, first-served basis. An advance notice of at least one business day is highly recommended for all vehicle requests. Weekly or extended use requests (for classes or programs) should be made at least a half semester in advance. Last minute or emergency requests are difficult to accommodate because of heavy usage.
HOW TO REQUEST A VEHICLE - All vehicle requests must be made by e-mail to the University Vehicle Coordinator (Scott Smith / smithsc@easternct.edu). All requests must include:

NAME OF REQUESTOR

CONTACT NUMBER

DEPARTMENT/ORGANIZATION

NUMBER & TYPE OF VEHICLES REQUESTED (Van, Mini-Van or Car)

NUMBER OF PASSENGERS INCLUDING THE DRIVER

(Van capacity is 12 including the driver. Mini-Van capacity is 7 including the driver. Car capacity is 4 including the driver.)

UNIVERSITY APPROVED DRIVER NAME(S)*

*All driver names MUST be on the University’s Approved Driver List.

*It is the responsibility of the Requester to find approved drivers for their trips, the University does not provide drivers.

PICK-UP DATE & TIME / RETURN DATE & TIME

DESTINATION (place, city, state)

PURPOSE OF TRIP (in detail)

Phone inquiries about availability are encouraged but are not considered formal requests (860.465.4326). All vehicle requests will be confirmed or denied via e-mail.

WHO CAN DRIVE - As of 8/2012, Eastern and State of Connecticut vehicles (under lease from Fleet Operations) may be driven by any University representative who has followed the procedures to have their name placed on the University’s Approved Driver List which is compiled by the Campus Police Records Office.

HOW TO GET YOUR NAME ON THE APPROVED DRIVER LIST - All University personnel who drive or may drive University and/or State of Connecticut vehicles must have their name on the University’s Approved Driver List. This process only needs to be done one time while the individual is employed or a member of the University community. If the State of CT or the University changes the driver requirements, test and/or contract, all individuals will be made aware of the requirement change and what would need to be done to keep their driving privileges. It is the responsibility of the driver to assure that they stay in compliance with all of the provisions on the contract.

All of this information can be found on the Campus Police website using this link (copy and paste you’re your browser and then click on SAFE DRIVER INFORMATION: https://www.easternct.edu/police/campus-safety-initiatives.html.

HOW TO BECOME AN APPROVED DRIVER:

Watch the on-line PowerPoint presentation, pass the test at the end of the PowerPoint, and print out a copy of the test’s result page.
Print out a copy of the University Driver Contract and staple the result page to it.
Fill out and sign the University Driver Contract.
Bring the Driver Contract to an appropriate University authority (Department Head, Supervisor, Director, Dean or Vice President) who must verify by signature that the potential driver’s Operator’s License is valid.
The entire original document must be brought to the Campus Police Records Office - during business hours - for name placement on the University’s Approved Driver List.

DRIVERS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE UNIVERSITY - A department may have the need to request that a University Volunteer be allowed to drive an Eastern vehicle when no other University personnel are available to do so.

If this is the case, a member of University’s faculty or staff must submit a formal written request to the Vice President of Finance & Administration (Jim Howarth) for a Volunteer Letter to be drafted; allowing that individual, who is not an employee or student of the University, to drive University vehicles.

The request must include specific information on what the volunteer’s duties will be (including the driving of Eastern vehicles with passengers) and contain assurances that the faculty or staff member has verified that the individual’s operator’s license is valid. The faculty or staff member should also make their department head aware of the volunteer request and provide a copy to them of the official request.

Also, before final approved volunteer driver status can be obtained, the volunteer must view the on-line Driver Safety PowerPoint, pass the test, complete Eastern’s University & State Owned Vehicle Safe Driver Contract, have their operator’s license verified by a an appropriate University authority (Department Head, Supervisor, Dean or Vice President), and bring the document to the Campus Police Records Office for processing.

All volunteer driver requests should be made at least a week in advance of the first desired date of travel to allow time for processing.

TRAVEL AUTHORIZATIONS FORMS - A Travel Authorization Form (TA) must be obtained for all out-of-state travel. TA’s may be obtained from Fiscal Affairs (x55392) and must be filed under the name(s) of all potential drivers prior to the trip’s departure date.

Be advised: All student-based clubs & organizations and some academic departments require TA’s for in-state travel as well. Please check with your club’s, organization’s or department’s travel policy.

VEHICLE PARKING - All Eastern pool vehicles must be parked on the first floor of the Cervantes Parking Garage (near the Tennis Courts) in designated spaces. All vehicles should be returned to their appropriate parking space upon return to campus.

KEY PICK-UP & SIGN-OUT - Keys for reserved vehicles must be signed out using the VEHICLE KEY LOG NOTEBOOK located at the University Police Department’s Dispatch window and may only be picked up by the individual(s) listed as the “DRIVER(S)” for a particular reservation on the eReserve system.

Valid Eastern ID is required to pick up the key(s) to University or State of Connecticut vehicles.

The operator’s ID will be kept at the Police Department until the vehicle key(s) have been returned.

*FACULTY/STAFF KEY PICK-UP - Members of the Eastern Faculty, Staff and Administration listed as a “DRIVER” may pick up more than one key with their valid Eastern ID or valid Operator’s License. They will then be responsible for the return of all keys in their possession. No other individuals are allowed to pick up reserved vehicle keys without permission from the University Vehicle Coordinator or Campus Police Dispatch.

PRE-TRIP & POST-TRIP VEHICLE INSPECTIONS / PICTURES - All vehicle operators must perform a pre-trip & post-trip vehicle inspections to assess whether there is any physical damage to the vehicle that may have occurred either prior to or during their vehicle use.

-Drivers are strongly encouraged to take a photo of any dents or scrapes found on their assigned vehicle prior to departing campus.

-Pictures should be emailed to both Scott Smith smithsc@easternct.edu and Nancy Harper harpern@easternct.edu along with the following information: Name / Department or Organization / Vehicle License Plate Number / Date / Time.

-It is the driver's responsibility to report any damage (no matter how minor) or accident that occurs while a University/State vehicle is in their possession. See Policy Statement 19 for more information.

-Failure to report new damage may result in loss of driving privileges for the driver and possibly the department or organization they belong to.

-University staff will be inspecting all University / State Vehicles for unreported damage daily. Any unreported damage will be investigated.

VEHICLE RETURN / CLEANING / MILEAGE SHEET COMPLETION / KEY RETURN & SIGN-IN - Upon return to campus, the inside of the vehicle(s) must be thoroughly cleaned. The DESTINATION & ENDING ODOMETER READING must be recorded on the appropriate vehicle’s Key Sign-Out/Sign-In/Mileage Log Sheet located in the VEHICLE KEY LOG NOTEBOOK located on the counter at the University Police Department’s Dispatch window.

KEY SIGN-OUT / SIGN-IN / ENDING ODOMETER READING PROCEDURE - The following information is required to be filled out by each vehicle’s driver on the appropriate vehicle sheet in the VEHICLE KEY LOG NOTEBOOK - Make sure you are using the correct vehicle’s sheet in the notebook. The vehicle’s registration number is located in the upper left portion. The following information must be provided for every vehicle used:

DATE OUT

TIME OUT

PRINT NAME

DEPT, CLUB, ORG NAME

DESTINATION (Town, State)

DATE IN

TIME IN

PRINT NAME

ENDING ODOMETER READING

PLEASE WRITE LEGIBLY - All information must be passed on to the State of CT DAS Office of Fleet Operations.

MECHANICAL ISSUES - Any and all mechanical or physical problems with any of the vehicles should be reported promptly to University Police and the University Vehicle Coordinator so appropriate work orders may be submitted.

Every effort will be made to provide an alternate vehicle in case of a sudden mechanical or physical problem but may not be possible given scheduling conflicts. If a vehicle is removed from service for a mechanical or physical problem, as much notice as possible will be given to those affected by its removal. If available, a substitute vehicle will be provided. This is not always possible, however due to the large volume of requests.

ROADSIDE EMERGENCIES - A vehicle may become disabled during use, requiring emergency roadside assistance or service. A disabled vehicle may include mechanical failure, flat tire, running out of gas or being locked out of the vehicle. In the event the vehicle becomes disabled follow these guidelines:

With the safety of the driver and passengers the highest priority, please make an effort to get the vehicle to a safe location and then:

Contact the Eastern Campus Police Dispatch Office at 860.465.5310.
Provide Campus Police with your Name, Cell Phone Number, Vehicle Plate Number, Location (closest landmark, street name, town, state), Vehicle Issue (what happened to the vehicle) and how many passengers are in the vehicle*.
The Campus Police Dispatch Office will contact University Vehicle Maintenance/Facilities to arrange for Vehicle retrieval/repair as soon as possible.
You may be asked to call any existing roadside assistance program available to you, such as AAA or your own insurance company, to get the vehicle moved to a safe location.

*Due to staffing and vehicle availability limitations the University may not be able to send an additional vehicle to pick up groups displaced by vehicle breakdowns.

ACCIDENTS / VEHICLE DAMAGE - It is the driver's responsibility to report an accident or any damage that occurs while a University/State vehicle is in their possession. Failure to report this damage may result in loss of driving privileges for the driver and possibly the department or organization they belong to.

-No matter how minor, all accidents and vehicle damage must be reported to Campus Police 860.465.4326 and the University Vehicle Coordinator 860.465.4326 as soon as possible.

-The ON-LINE DAS VEHICLE INCIDENT/ACCIDENT REPORT must be completed and submitted as soon as possible. This form must be submitted to the State of Connecticut DAS Office of Fleet Operations and the Comptroller’s Office by Eastern within 48 hours of the accident/damage occurring.

The link to the form is available here:

https://www.easternct.edu/police/_documents/das-vehicle-accident-form.pdf.

Once completed, the on-line form must be sent to the following email address: easternfleetmva@easternct.edu.

*BE SURE TO GET ALL PERTINENT DETAILS WHILE AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT.

ON-CAMPUS ACCIDENT PROCEDURES

Remain calm. Take immediate action to prevent further damage or injury. If anyone is injured call 9-1-1 and signal for emergency assistance. Do not move injured persons unless they are in immediate danger. Do not move vehicles unless necessary for safety reasons or damage is minimal.
Contact University Police (860.465.5310) so they can respond to file the appropriate report for documentation.
The driver must complete the ON-LINE DAS VEHICLE INCIDENT/ACCIDENT REPORT immediately and submit it to their department administrator for their approval.
A department representative must forward the completed form to the University Police (easternfleetmva@easternct.edu) for statewide distribution.

OFF-CAMPUS ACCIDENT PROCEDURES

Remain calm. Take immediate action to prevent further damage or injury. If anyone is injured call 9-1-1 and signal for emergency assistance. Do not move injured persons unless they are in immediate danger. Do not move vehicles unless necessary for safety reasons or damage is minimal.
Contact the local police department within the jurisdiction where the accident took place.
Make sure to the obtain the accident report number from the responding officer.
Obtain a copy of any written Accident Report and provide a copy to University Police.
Complete the online DAS Vehicle Incident/Accident/Damage Report on-line and submit it to easternfleetmva@easternct.edu within 48 hours.
If the vehicle must be towed, be sure to get the name of the towing company and the address of where the vehicle is being towed to.
Contact University Police (860.465.5310) to report the accident and provide information as to where the vehicle has been towed.
Any and all traffic violations or tickets are the responsibility of the vehicle driver. Eastern will not reimburse operators for fines paid.

GAS - Be sure that the vehicle is fully gassed prior to leaving Eastern. Gas is available from Eastern’s Heating Plant and most State of Connecticut Department of Transportation garages or campuses. The computer fob attached to the vehicle’s key ring is all that is needed to obtain gas at any CT State DOT gas station. Place the fob into the pump monitor and follow the directions on the screen. There is no direct cost to the operator or the operator’s department for this gas. Eastern departments/organizations that own pool vehicles reserve the right to charge other departments for gas costs on a monthly basis. This arrangement will be made prior to any trip if applicable.

Please be sure there is at least a ¼ tank of gas remaining in the vehicle upon return to campus.

GAS CARDS - Eastern Voyager Fleet cards are attached to each vehicle’s key ring and are provided for GAS EMERGENCIES ONLY. Voyager Fleet card reimbursement is the responsibility of the operator’s department. Any Voyager Fleet card receipt should be signed and the user’s department name should be written on the receipt. Receipts should be sent to Fiscal Affairs, Gelsi-Young Hall Room 344. Additional Voyager Fleet cards may be requested by contacting Fiscal Affairs at 860.465.5370.

THE ACCESS CODE FOR ALL UNIVERSITY CARDS IS 06226. If the code is repeatedly entered incorrectly, access to the card will be denied. If the Voyager Fleet card is damaged or missing on the key ring, please alert the University Police Dispatcher and Fiscal Affairs as soon as possible.