Risk Advisories & Policies

Domestic Field Trip Emergency Response Plan

The emergency response plan will provide guidelines to assist the trip coordinator and field trip participants if an emergency arises. The field trip coordinator should exercise their best judgment in order to minimize risk or injury to all participants if an unexpected situation arises that is not addressed in the response plan. A faculty member should attend in person all off-site domestic field trips.

• Immediately call 911 in all cases involving serious injury or death, multiple injuries, or extensive property damage. The first priority is to care for any injured individuals.
• As part of your plan, list the names and locations of nearby hospitals or other facilities near the final destination that would be able to offer assistance

• Remain with any injured student participants, as circumstances permit, until relieved by a responsible individual, such as family member, medical personnel, or authorized Univeristy personnel.
• Contact the College Dean and Campus Police as soon as reasonably possible after the situation has stabilized.

• Name of a field trip participant(s) who will assume responsibility for carrying out the emergency response plan in the event the trip coordinator is incapacitated.

• Depending on the trip specifics, additional emergency contact information may be required such as off campus police department, field trip site directors or administrators, Departmental managers, etc.

If you have any questions or require assistance when developing your emergency response plan, contact the ODU Office of Emergency Managment at 757-683-5116.

In regards to personal property stored at ODU, the university has very limited responsibility for damages, stolen, or lost personal property. Personal property are items owned by an individual and brought on campus by faculty, staff, students or visitors. Unless ODU's negligence was clearly responsible for the loss or damage, the Commonwealth's Risk Management Plan (PLAN) will not pay for repairs or replacement. In many cases, however, the individual's homeowners or renters insurance may provide coverage for property located outside the residence.

The PLAN will cover loss or damage of personal property only if the faculty/staff person's position description requires the use of specific personal items as a condition of employment. In this case, the insurance claim will be processed in the same manner as that for university property.

TIPS: Keeping items safe on campus

• Don't leave valuables in plain sight. Personal property such as laptops, tablets, cell phones, and other small electronic items should never be left unattended. Secure items in a locked drawer or office when not in use.
• Don't leave items unattended. Small items such as wallets, purses and keys are common targets of theft. These articles should be kept with you or secured at all times. Keep in mind that leaving items in jackets or backpacks does not make them secure.
• Lock up. Offices, labs, and dorm room doors should be locked when the room in not being used.
• Get Insurance for your belongings. Check with your homeowner insurance before bringing items on campus. Take pictures and record the items information such as serial numbers and specifications in the event you need to file a claim for loss or damage of your property.
• Lock your car. Don't leave valuables in your vehicle in plain sight. Secure items in a locked trunk and never keep your car unlocked while parked on campus.

When Loss or damage does occur, report all incidents to ODU Police Department.

Students Events are an important part of the academic experience enjoyed at ODU. Well-formed plans can prevent innumerable foreseeable events from occurring. Thorough pre-event plans are essential to managing risk, as they allow for appropriate mitigation strategies to be set in place. Managing risk is an important part of being a successful student organization and is what makes many of the events held on campus possible. The best time to undertake a comprehensive risk management program is before an incident occurs at an event.

If you or your student group is planning an off-campus party, one of the first steps to take is to register your party with ODU Public Safety to ensure that campus police are aware of and available to assist with security needs of your event.

Below are some of the risks to be aware of and plan for during a typical event:

• Physical Risk:
  Physical risks include potential threats to the physical well-being of participants. Physical risks can include such things as food poisoning, injuries that may result from the activity or event or travel to and from the event, or physical harm that can result from the behavior of other participants.
• Reputational Risk:
  Reputation risks are those things that may result in negative publicity for your organization, ODU, your advisor and/or the venue where you are holding the event.
• Emotional Risk:
  Emotional risks involve the potential of your event to result in emotional distress for any participant in the activities. Examples of emotional risks might include harassment, emotional trauma, extreme fear or anxiety, offense or disgust, rejection or discrimination that occur as a result of the event.
• Financial Risk:
  Financial risks are potential negative consequences of the event that can negatively impact the fiscal stability of your organization and/or other organizations ganizations supporting your event. Examples might include misuse of organization funds, few attendees than are needed to cover costs, poor accounting procedures, theft, and unanticipated expenses.
• Facilities Risk:
  Facility risks are risks to the facility in which you are holding the event or risk inherent at the facility itself. Facility issues might include fire codes, maximum capacities, audio-visual issues, heating and cooling, damage to the facility during your event, and parking issues.
• Additional Risks:
  Additional risks involved might be behavior of other users of the facility, facility structural concerns, and weather challenges.

Should you need assistance with risk management and mitigation of any of these risks please contact the ODU Office for Risk Management at (757) 683-4009.

Party Registration

Enrolled students can register their off-campus party by completing a Party Registration form. You can learn more by visiting Party Smart and by reading the Party Registration Guide.

Travel and study abroad participants need to be aware of additional risks that may be unique to traveling abroad and living in a particular country or region. It is recommended that students visit the State Department Alerts and Warnings page to view the State Department International Travel Advisory before leaving the country.