Videocast on legal issues related to field trips and field courses released on YouTube

The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) and American Geophysical Union (AGU) have released a recording of the latest AGU/AGI Heads and Chairs webinar. This month's session focuses on legal issues related to field trips and field courses. The webinar, led by panelists David Mogk from Montana State University and Steven Whitmeyer from James Madison University, serves as a guide for reducing risk and liability for geoscience departments, and reviews tips for properly planning a safe and enjoyable field trip.

Although field work is acknowledged as an integral part in geoscience education and research, it exposes geoscience departments to legal and safety liabilities. The video provides preemptive tips to conduct a safe field trip or course. It stresses minimizing risk and liability through careful planning, and offers a number of field trip tips for dealing with safety, participant behavior, and dealing with the appropriate legal counsel for your institution. Tips include: drafting and disseminating explicit field trip and medical emergency policy forms; drafting and disseminating detailed itineraries to both the students and the department; utilizing industry best practices where appropriate; obtaining the proper permits and permissions to conduct field work; and assessing your coverage for personal liability prior to the trip.

More information:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_fu0Z … Mtg&feature=youtu.be

Provided by American Geosciences Institute