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State Car Policies

• Driver Liability

The campus maintains a fleet of vehicles for use by approved faculty and staff members for official travel as part of their campus duties. The following regulations apply to use of the vehicles:

1. Only employees of the State of New York may drive the vehicles.
2. All approved drivers are expected to comply with all laws and regulations in the State or municipality in which they are traveling.
3. The charge for fleet cars or minivans will be recharged at the rate of .45 cents per mile to the designated departmental account.
4. The charge for the 12-passenger vans will be recharged at the rate of .55 cents per mile to the designated departmental account.
5. Damage to fleet vehicles that is the result of driver negligence will be recharged to the designated departmental account at actual cost of repairs.
6. Once a T-1 has been submitted, any changes to your T-1 requires your supervisor's/account manager's written approval prior to departure.
7. If travel plans are canceled, you must notify the Physical Plant office at your earliest convenience.

Prior Approval

All travelers must obtain approval before travel starts. To be in travel status the destination must be at least 35 miles from the official station. Submit a Travel Authorization Form (T-1) - a travel requisition form available in School offices or by downloading the files by clicking the links - to obtain approval to use a state vehicle and/or receive reimbursement for expenses incurred while in travel status. The T-1 Form must contain the following information:

1. T-1 Requisition Number
2. Name of Traveler
3. Type of vehicle requesting: ie. car, minivan, 12-passenger van, etc.
4. Destination and date(s) of planned trip - (Annotate the time you plan to pick up the state vehicle and the time it will returned. As the vehicle schedule is very busy at times, these dates/times must be observed by the traveler and vehicles returned on time in case the vehicle is reserved for someone else after the return time indicated on the T-1. If an emergency arises where the vehicle will not be returned on time, contact the Physical Plant Office to make arrangements.)
5. Purpose of trip; attach printed program/brochure
6. Estimated expenses - (meals, lodging, personal car mileage, registration fee, etc.); if there are no expenses, please so state (processed by the Business Office)
7. Registration fee information, if applicable (processed by the Business Office)
8. Travel Advance - if a travel advance is required before the trip, please complete the box in the upper right-hand corner of the T-1 (processed by the Business Office)
9. Account number and department to be charged
10. Signature of person making the request
11. Approval signature of the Account Manager
12. Approval signature of President for all out-of-state travel

All T-1's are to be submitted to the Physical Plant Office to determine the availability of a State vehicle. A state vehicle must be used, if one is available. If a State vehicle is not available, you will be informed by the Physical Plant Office and approval for personal car use will be granted if requested. If a State vehicle is available and there are extenuating circumstances why it is necessary to use a personal car, a written justification, along with the T-1, must be sent to the appropriate Vice President who in turn must grant approval. Use of a personal car will be reimbursed at the current rate.

When your T-1 is received at the Physical Plant office, a vehicle will be reserved for you, if one is available. An e-mail will be sent to you confirming the reservation of the State vehicle. The T-1 form is then forwarded to the Business Office for processing. If a State vehicle is not available, you will be notified by e-mail or phone and the T-1 will be returned to you indicating that a vehicle was not available.

Pre-Trip Vehicle Inspections Card

1. Prior to taking a State fleet vehicle, you must first complete a pre-trip inspection.
2. Please inspect the inside and outside of the vehicle for any damage (dents, scratches, stains, etc.). Record any damage found under the Comments section on the back of card.
3. Please sign and date the inspection card.
4. When completed, please drop the Vehicle Inspection card off in the key drop box in the foyer of the Cooper Service Complex before departure.

LENS Applications

All State employees planning to drive a state vehicle must fill out a LENS (License Event Notification Service) application. You must have an approved LENS application prior to your travel. This applies to any state vehicle.

Every employee who anticipates operating a State vehicle should obtain a LENS application from the Cooper Service Complex. Also, there are a few offices on campus that have a small supply of forms. If an office near you does not have any, please call the Physical Plant office and one will be mailed to you. Once the form is complete, it should be submitted to University Police for processing. Application processing may take up to four to six weeks. Upon approval, the University Police Chief will notify the employee and the Physical Plant of the employees eligibility to drive.

Fuel Credit Card PIN Number

When traveling by State vehicle, the vehicle fuel credit card may be utilized at any Exxon or Mobil station. Travelers must obtain a four-digit PIN number before a fuel credit card may be used. Contact the Physical Plant Office prior to traveling to obtain your choice of a four-digit PIN number. It is the responsibility of the traveler to obtain their PIN number.

Roadside Assistance

Our fleet vehicles are currently subscribed to a Verizon Network Fleet management system. One of the benefits of this subscription is roadside assistance. Located in the glove box of each of these vehicles is a yellow laminated card. This card includes the necessary contact and specific vehicle information in the event that road side assistance is required . This service includes towing, locksmith, battery boost, flat tire repair, fuel delivery and winch services.

In the event of an accident or emergency, please refer to the manila trip envelope provided with the vehicle keys for instructions.

Chaperone Policy

All student trips outside St. Lawrence County, conducted by SCA-chartered clubs/organizations or by groups affiliated with other college departments, must have chaperones accompany them on the trip. Chaperones must by SUNY Canton employees. Resident assistants, work-study, or other student workers will not be considered "SUNY Canton employees" for this purpose. Any exceptions to this policy may be made by the Dean of Students in consultation with the appropriate department. The purpose of the chaperone is to ensure student safety and adherence to the stated purpose of the trip. The trip is considered a college function, therefore, covered by the SUNY Canton Code of Conduct. For non-academic trips, the club/organization advisor and the Director of Student Activities will determine the desired number of required chaperones. For academic trips, the class instructor/advisor, in conjunction with the School Dean, will determine the appropriate number of chaperones.

Adopted May 12, 2009