NRES Forms & Procedures

Basic Field Trip Procedures

Scheduling van and equipment needs

1. Complete the Lab Needs Request Form (doc) and email to Jamie O'Kane and Craig Stubler to identify and reserve your van and equipment needs for the quarter.

Signing up drivers

1. At the beginning of the quarter identify the names of drivers that will serve for your trips.  Provide a list of names and email username (alias) to Lisa. Lisa has access to the list of drivers that have completed their trainings.
2. Lisa will initiate a request to operate vehicles on behalf of the student(s) for the Environmental Health & Safety department through Adobe Sign. After the forms are complete, Lisa will email the student(s) a link to the 2 required trainings (Defensive driver; Passenger van safety). The process takes at least 3 full days to complete.
3. All students, faculty, and staff must complete the trainings and be verified prior to driving CSU vans.
4. Visit https://afd.calpoly.edu/ehs/driversafety for university guidelines.

Field trip planning and authorization

Off campus field trips need to be approved at the department level prior to travel. Before planning a field trip please review Cal Poly’s Field Trip Policy for additional policy and procedures. In general the main steps are:

1. Complete a pre-trip site evaluation worksheet for each unique field trip location. In adobe sign please sign this form then route to the department head for signature. Please retain a signed form for your records. This form authorizes the field trip.
2. Complete the leader portion of the University Field Activities Notification and distribute to students. Multiple field trip locations can be listed on this form
3. Prior to the first field trip have each student complete their section of the University Field Activities Notification form. Retain these forms for emergency contact as needed. It is the instructor’s responsibility to archive and retain records for a period of three years subsequent academic years following the field trip. Electronic copies can be scanned and stored on the department One Drive.

Field trip safety

It is the instructor’s responsibility to identify and appropriately manage risk during field trips. At a minimum this should include a documented safety briefing prior to conducting field work that speaks to the identified hazards and identified mitigation controls listed in the pre-site evaluation worksheet.  In addition, this should include appropriate training for any equipment being used.  All documentation should be saved by the instructor as mentioned above.

Visit https://afd.calpoly.edu/risk-management/ for university policy and forms.

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Travel Expenses

1. Van fuel and roadside service-for extended field trips: Each van is equipped with a credit card. Use of the credit card requires a personal PIN that is established through Cal Poly fleet card administration. This PIN must be established prior to travel. Contact Jeff Reimer for assistance.
2. Faculty: All personal expenses outside of the van issued credit card/PIN will need to go through Concur in order for you to get reimbursed.
3. Students: If you anticipate additional personal travel expenses associated with a class field trip you will need to submit a travel 1a preauthorization form to Lisa. Allow 5 days for approval. Expenses incurred outside of the van assigned credit card/PIN require receipts, and submission of a travel expense claim form upon return from trip in order for you to get reimbursed.

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Instructors often use field trips to teach and engage students in activities related to the course. Students may be required to attend field trips outside of normal class periods. These are usually mandatory and require advance planning. Please check with your instructor before formalizing plans. 

Students may also be required to use special equipment, tools or instruments. The instructor will outline all field trip equipment and how to obtain them. Although the course syllabus may contain this information, please follow additional or final instructions mentioned during class.

Your safety is our highest concern. Appropriate apparel should always be worn. Please check with your instructor. Due to their nature, field trips are often conducted away from campus. Travel to and from the field trip may require you to use personal or university transportation. All university required forms must be completed prior to driving your vehicle on a field trip.Please talk to your instructor or contact us for further information

Student Space Request Forms & Procedures:

Listed here are the documents you will use to request space or materials for your labs or projects.

These documents outline the procedures for use of NRES project spaces and equipment, the general safety rules you are required to follow, steps in obtaining what you need, and expectations of you in using it.

Any specific questions can be answered by your advisor or NRES Staff.

• Student Project Access Packet (pdf)
• Project Space Request Form (pdf)
• Example Standard Operating Procedure - SOP (pdf)

NRES Student Computer Requirements

All students entering the Environmental Earth and Soil Sciences (EESS), Environmental Management and Protection (ENVM), and Forest and Fire Sciences (FFS) majors – either as a first-time freshman or as a transfer student – are expected to have a laptop computer to ensure access to computing capability at all times and in all locations, helping to support student success. The department specifications provided below are designed to support students' computing needs through at least four years of Cal Poly instruction.

The Cal Poly bookstore offers educational discounts for computing hardware. Students who are experiencing financial hardship and who do not have resources available to purchase a computer can contact the Financial Aid Office to determine if any one-time funding may be available. You should email your request to financialaid@calpoly.edu with the subject line: "CAFES Computer Need." Cal Poly provides a host of IT support resources for students.

 

NRES recommended computer specifications

OS	Size	Screen	Processor	Memory	Storage	Examples
Windows	15"	1920x1080	Intel Core i7	16 GB RAM	1 TB HD SSD	Dell XPS 15 ~ $1,700

For the latest information, visit the College website