Use of College Vehicles
College vehicles are not available for personal use; this includes personal transportation to and from classes at other institutions. Pool vans can be reserved for College business and College-approved student programs. Please be sure to carefully read all information on the checking out Pool Vehicles webpage [306]. Student groups must contact the student engagement [274] office. For offices and academic departments, a department budget manager or designated assistant makes the reservation. A vehicle request can be made three days or more in advance.
Members of the College community who want to be eligible to operate a College vehicle must attend a defensive driver class [307], and have a clean driving record. Credential forms must be filled out via Five College risk management [308] for insurance purposes by everyone who will drive a College-owned or personal vehicle on College business.
All drivers of pool vans or personal vehicles driven on College business, are expected to follow the rules in the pool vehicle handbook [309] and abide by all campus regulations and all local, state, and federal laws.
Travel Accident Insurance
The College provides limited travel accident insurance, including medical evacuation and repatriation to students traveling on College or academic business, worldwide. Worldwide travel assistance services are also available. Contact the dean of student’s office [275] for details or see the Five Colleges Inc. website [310].
Auto Use
The College purchases auto liability insurance, which protects both the College and the driver from third-party liability and third-party property damage arising from the use of College-owned, hired/rented, and non-owned vehicles. The Five College risk management website [310] has more detailed information on this coverage.
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For College-owned vehicles, the student driver must be credentialed and have permission from a faculty member, a dean, a coach, or a department head to drive a College vehicle. For details on becoming a credentialed driver, visit Five College risk management policies [308].
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To rent or drive a rented vehicle for College business, the student must be credentialed and have written authorization from an authorized person (see owned vehicles, below) and be a scheduled driver with the rental company. Most car rental agencies prohibit persons under the age of 25 from driving rented vehicles. The College policy is to waive coverage for liability and collision coverage on domestic rentals; however, students should follow departmental guidelines with respect to waiving the rental company insurance. If the College insurance is used, a certificate of insurance should be obtained as proof of insurance.
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If a student drives their own vehicle on College business, such use must be specifically authorized in writing by the department head or chair before the use occurs. The College policy is excess of the student’s own policy with respect to liability coverage. No coverage is provided for any physical damage to the student’s vehicle, nor will any deductible amount be paid by the College, whether or not the vehicle is used for College business, and regardless of any liability of the driver or other parties.
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The College auto insurance policy may not cover unauthorized drivers. Unauthorized drivers may be personally liable for claims brought against them. The College may also have a right to claim against unauthorized drivers.
Weather Conditions
Trips may be canceled due to adverse weather conditions. The Campus Safety & Wellbeing [112] Director has the authority to cancel pool vehicle reservations due to the adverse weather conditions and will utilize all available weather information to determine the advisability of allowing vehicles to leave the campus. As a matter of policy, the College expects drivers to interrupt their trips when weather conditions deteriorate, find a safe place to wait, and to resume the trip once the weather improves.
OPRA Van Use
Outdoor Programs and Recreation and Athletics vans are only for the use of College staff for transporting people to OPRA programs, courses, and events.
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OPRA does not lend or rent vans.
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Smoking, drinking alcohol, and using illegal drugs are prohibited in OPRA vans.
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The transportation of alcohol or illegal drugs in OPRA vans is prohibited.
Prohibited Items
A number of items are prohibited in the Hampshire College buildings. These prohibitions are in place to support the health and safety needs of all community members. Some of the prohibited items are specific to students living in the residences. This listing is not all-inclusive of specific items, but gives a comprehensive description of types of items not permitted and does include some specifics to guide student understanding of prohibited items.
An additional list of fire safety prohibited items can be found at the end of the fire safety policy [167].
Weapons, Firearms, and Explosives
Students are prohibited from introducing, possessing, using, buying, selling, carrying, or displaying any weapon or replica. Weapons are defined as any device or substance that is designed, used, or likely to be used to cause bodily harm, or property damage.
Firearms are prohibited and defined as any gun, rifle, pistol, handgun or device designed to fire bullets, BBs, pellets, or shots (including paintballs), or other projectiles, regardless of the propellant used.
Other weapons include but are not limited to, mace, pepper spray, taser, stun guns, knives with fixed blades, switchblades, spring-loaded knives, pocket knives with blades longer than 4 inches, kitchen utensils not used for their intended purpose, martial arts weapons, bow and arrows of any type, swords, brass knuckles, sling shots, explosives, or incendiary devices such as firecrackers are strictly prohibited on campus.
All “prop” weapons used in plays, the theater, etc., must be registered and stored at campus safety. The policy also covers any other items deemed by campus safety & wellbeing [112] to be dangerous, including hazardous chemical or biological material of any sort. Also included are displays/collections of the above-named items, ornamental weapons and ornamental ammunition.
Any prohibited items are subject to confiscation and permanent forfeiture without any expectation of return or reimbursement. Violators will be subject to criminal prosecution and sanctions up to and including removal from the College.
Trespass Policy
Campus safety assistants are authorized to give oral and written notices of trespass warnings to individuals based on their authority granted by the Trustees of the College and Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 266, Section 120 to control the safety of students, faculty/staff, and visitors upon the property owned by or under the control of Hampshire College. Violation of this order will result in criminal prosecution up to and including arrest.
Campus safety assistants or other College employees may ask community members or visitors for identification. Failure to comply with such a request may result in removal from the Hampshire College campus and/or trespass for non-students. Students are required to carry their Hampshire College ID cards with them at all times.
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