Van Use Policies

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Daemen College Van Use Policies

It is expected that before a Daemen College vehicle is reserved, driven, or occupied, users make themselves aware of the following insurance restrictions placed on the College regarding the usage of the College vans to transport personnel.

The Division of Student Affairs maintains a Transportation Manager responsible for scheduling the use of the College vans. The College vans may be used by any organization, residence hall, or group recognized by the College, according to the following guidelines; however, use of the vans is a privilege, not a right. This privilege is subject to van availability. The Transportation Manager reserves the right to deny requests based upon anticipated need or requested purpose. Those who abuse the privilege, as determined by the College, may be prohibited from using the vans. Any groups denied use of the vans may appeal to the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students or their designee.

GUIDELINES

1. Requests for use of a van must be made at least 5 days in advance to the Transportation Manager using the online form. Last-minute requests may be denied. Vans are reserved on a first-come, first-serve basis; however, official use of the vans by the College has priority over the use of vans by student groups and organizations.
2. Any changes or cancellations must be communicated to the Transportation Manager as soon as known; failure to do so or last-minute cancellations or changes may affect future request approval. To submit a change or cancellation, please contact 716-839-8332 or use our Transportation Contact Form.
3. Drivers of a College van must be approved to drive. Drivers are required to be employees of the College, and free of any driving-related convictions. Please contact the Transportation Manager to begin the approval process if you have not been approved already and would like to drive. Drivers must have no current, unsatisfied social sanctions pending at the College.  The Vice President for Student Affairs will approve or deny, at his/her discretion, any drivers with past convictions.
4. If a group does not have an approved driver, a driver must be requested at the time of the original van reservation request (at least 5 days prior to the date of the requested run). However, we cannot guarantee that a driver will be available for your trip. If a driver is supplied, the group will be charged for the driver’s services (minimum charge of 3 hours), at a rate of $12.00 an hour.
5. If a driver has been requested, any cancellations must be made at least 5 days before the scheduled run or else your group will be charged.
6. The vans can be used for travel in and around the vicinity of Daemen College and no further than a 75 mile distance from the College. The van is not allowed to leave the country (i.e.  trips to Canada are prohibited). Trips outside the 75 mile radius must receive special approval.
7. Keys to the vans may be signed-out at the Campus Safety Desk in the Wick Center. A reservation confirmation with the appropriate signatures must be brought to Campus Safety when signing-out the keys.
8. Only members of the Daemen College community may ride in the College vans. To use the van, your group MUST consist of at least 6 people and cannot exceed the legal capacity of the van.  A list of all passengers must be provided to Campus Safety at the time of van pick-up.
9. The group is responsible for ensuring that all doors are locked and all windows are closed whenever then van is left unattended. Do not leave anything of value in the Daemen Vans; we are not responsible for any lost or stolen items.
10. When arriving back to campus, the driver will return the van to the proper parking area and ensure the van is locked and secure. The keys must be returned to the Campus Safety Officer on duty.
11. The group must remove any debris from the van interior. The group may be charged for any damages and may be restricted from any further use if determined necessary.
12. The ending gas level MUST be reported upon returning the keys on the sign-out sheet. Vans should have at least a half a tank of gas prior to pick-up, and groups are responsible for filling if more is needed. Future ability to reserve the van may be denied if van is returned near empty. Contact the Transportation Manager before trip if any issues are anticipated.
13. A group may be denied the use of a van at the discretion of the Transportation Manager if:
    1. The group requesting a van plans to attend a bar or other social event where the activity will include the consumption of alcohol;
    2. The presence of the Daemen van will reflect negatively on the College; and/or
    3. The van is requested for use beyond midnight, without good cause.
14. Drivers are responsible for following all motor vehicle regulations and laws. Should a trip exceed 8 hours, multiple approved drivers will be required.
15. Riders are responsible for wearing their seat belts at all times in the vehicles.
16. Food or beverages are allowed in the vans, however any leftover debris could result in a cleaning fee being assessed to the group and/or future restrictions from van use.
17. Groups using a van overnight must be accompanied by a faculty or administrative person employed by the College on a full-time basis.
18. The group is responsible for any tolls and/or parking fees.
19. Van drivers/passengers cannot drink alcohol nor use drugs which can affect driving performance during the entire time that they have possession of a van. Alcohol and smoking are NOT PERMITTED inside a College van.
20. Any negative incidents and/or legal infractions involving the van may result in restrictions in use or complete revocation of the van-use privilege.
21. In the case of an accident, follow the Accident Protocol, which can be found in the van.

Updated 3/10/2017