OTL Reimbursement Policies

OTL Leader Information, updated Fall 2013

Welcome to On The Loose! This packet should contain everything you need to know to participate in OTL trips and then lead your own.

What’s in this packet:

 Leader Policies

 Gear & Suburban Policies

 OTL Contacts

 Trip Procedures

 Reimbursement Policies

 OTL Services (What we do for you).

OTL Leader Policies

OTL Leaders are in charge of OTL trips. They pick where to go, what to do, and they get the gear and funding they need to make it happen.

First, complete OTL’s Leader Training (held semesterly) to become an OTL co-leader. Then co- lead two OTL trips or one longer trip (3+ days) and obtain Red Cross Adult CPR & First Aid certification (or equivalent) to become a full leader.

Students who already have significant camping and leadership experience may complete OTL’s Accelerated Leader Training in one afternoon. Then only one co-lead is necessary with the Red Cross First Aid certification to become a full leader.

OTL Leader Information 1 otl.pomona.edu OTL Gear Policies

• Any Claremont Consortium student or employee may check out OTL gear. • Gear rental is free, but the value of the checked gear will be deducted from your student account if not returned. Return the gear! • Gear is due two weeks from the check-out date. Ask us if you need the gear longer. • OTL-sponsored trips have priority. • Gear lost or damaged will be charged replacement cost.

The Gear Room is located in the Outdoor Education Center (OEC, Pomona Hall, Pomona campus).

Gear room hours are: Mon-Thu 1:00 PM – 10:00 PM, Fri 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM, Sun 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

At least one OTL Staff will be present in the OEC Mon-Thu 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM Using the OEC Suburban

Anyone driving must be a Pomona College-registered driver.

To get registered to drive, contact Julie Roberts in the Office of the Treasurer (Alexander 211) at x18132. Registration takes 2-4 weeks. (Sagehen shuttle drivers and leaders who drove for OA are already registered.) These registrations must be repeated each year REGARDLESS if you were registered the prior year.

To reserve the Suburban, go to CollegiateLink  Organizations  O  Outdoor Education Center  Forms  OEC Vehicle Reservation Form

Fill out the form and list OTL as the affiliated organization. Requests must be submitted at least a week in advance, and are on a first come, first serve basis.

Upon return, the Suburban MUST be filled with gas and in clean condition (wash if needed). Park the Suburban behind the OEC in the designated OEC vehicle spot between Sontag and Pomona Hall. Keep receipts and OTL will reimburse you for gas and washing. Keys must be returned to the OEC when your reservation ends. If any of this is not done properly we will lose the right to use the Suburban.

OTL Leader Information 2 otl.pomona.edu OTL Contacts, Fall 2013

The general contact for OTL is [email protected]. The Gear Room is in the OEC. OTL staff will be on shift Mon-Thu 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM. OTL has a separate office down the hall, in room 175. Send to faxes to “On The Loose, c/o Student Affairs” at (909) 607-7288.

OTL ELDERS

 Directors Contact the directors for budgeting/reimbursement questions, general OTL policy, questions about upcoming trips, events, and OTL services. Laura Muñoz (’14) (206) 992-5019 [email protected] Alex Lammers (’14) (605) 484-7905 [email protected]

 General Staff Marlene Haggblade (’14) (240) 252-8046 [email protected] Cassandra Owen (’14) (714) 625-9237 [email protected] Will Tachau (’14) (502) 553-1965 [email protected] Jonathan Feingold (’15) (402) 802-2332 [email protected] Julie Shrieve (’15) (801) 349-8339 [email protected] Dinu Duri (’15) (310) 873-8891 [email protected] Sasha Karapetrova (’15) (630) 696-0740 [email protected] Jonah Grubb (’16) (208) 819-9846 [email protected] Julia Dohner (’16) (240) 483-1205 [email protected]

Webmaster Contact the Webmaster if you have a problem with or questions about the OTL website. Will Tachau (502) 553- 1965 [email protected]

 School Staff / Administrators OTL’s Administrative sponsor is Susan Deitz, Pomona Office of Student Affairs, x18017. Trip emergencies: have Campus Safety (909) 607-2000 page the Dean on Call.

OTL Leader Information 3 otl.pomona.edu OTL Trip Procedures

General Policies  Trips must be open to all members of the Claremont Colleges community and sign-ups must be processed on a fair first-come, first-served basis.

 OTL Trips must be led by at least 1 OTL leader, and no more than 3 leaders/co-leaders.

 Alcohol and illegal drugs are prohibited on all OTL trips.

 Trips must be outdoor-related.

 Trips may not involve white-water rafting, bungee jumping, skydiving, or any activities prohibited by Claremont Colleges insurance policies.

Planning Procedures  Trips must be registered on the OTL website (otl.pomona.edu) which will allow participants to sign up online.

 Trips should be advertised to students at all five undergraduate campuses.

 If you will need additional funding for your trip, contact the OTL Director before the trip.

 Make sure you have all necessary food, gear, and permits (see below for resources).

 Get emergency contact numbers for your area. OTL’s office number is (909) 607-2531. In an emergency you can page the Dean on Call by calling Campus Safety at (909) 607-2000.

 Make sure to have a “Trip Buddy” who is not going on the trip and knows when you expect to return to campus. Notify them when you return.

 When you are leaving on the trip, send an email to [email protected] with the names of each participant on the trip, so that they have a final list of who is going.

OTL Leader Information 4 otl.pomona.edu Trip Fees

Most trips that go out through OTL will be free. However, we don’t pay for a lot of incidentals such as food. These cost should be spread around trip participants. You can work this out on your own. To be reimbursed for gas, campsites, rentals, etc., bring your receipts to the gear room and fill out reimbursement forms. Fall and Spring break this year will have slightly, but not tremendously different reimbursement policies.

Resources  Gear Leaders may check out gear from the OTL Gear Room without a deposit. Leaders should only check out gear for themselves and group gear (including at least one first aid kit!). Participants should check out their own gear. See “Gear Room Policies” for more info.

 Food You should collect participants’ mealcard numbers (done automatically through the website) and obtain pack-out food from one of the campus dining halls. During spring break, when the dining halls are closed, food costs will be reimbursed by OTL (up to $3/day/person). Most campus dining halls will honor specific requests, just contact their pack-out manager well ahead of time. See “OTL Contacts” for current contact info. In order to ensure Packout requests they must be submitted by Wednesday the week of the trip. Tuesday is preferable and will guarantee you get the food you want. Make sure to look up the specific packout procedures for the dining hall you are ordering a packout from.

 Transportation You will need leaders and/or participants to drive their own cars to transport people. Drivers will be reimbursed for gas according to OTL Reimbursement policies. The OEC has a 9- passenger Chevy Suburban that OTL trips can use. See “Using the OEC Suburban” for more info.

 Information & Inspiration The best source of trip ideas and information is word of mouth. Come to the 8PM Shindigs, usually held in the OEC for up to date information and to keep abreast of activities, plans, and trips. Throughout the year OTL also sponsors many events. OTL maintains an extensive guide with information on nearby destinations on our website, at http://otl.pomona.edu/main.php?p=guide_main OTL has a library of guidebooks and maps available for check-out from the gear room. You may also contact any OTL Elder for help planning trips.

OTL Leader Information 5 otl.pomona.edu Trip Planning Outline 1. Pick a destination and activity; get leaders and co-leaders together.

2. Plan your itinerary.

3. If you’ll need additional funding, contact the OTL Directors to make arrangements.

4. Obtain any permits and reservations you’ll need.

5. Obtain emergency contact information (e.g. Ranger Stations) for the area you’ll be in.

6. Register your trip on the OTL website, including the emergency information, and a “Trip Buddy”, when asked.

7. Advertise your trip! (Done automatically)

8. Process signups on the website. Get firm confirmation from anyone you expect to drive. Answer any questions participants may have.

9. Order pack-out food from a campus dining hall. Pay attention to participants’ dietary needs.

10. Send a confirmation email to everyone who signed up, making sure they know what gear they need and how to check out gear, how to get reimbursed for expenses (if applicable), directions, contact info for the leaders, etc.

11. Check out group gear from OTL (you must bring at least a first aid kit).

12. Depart! Pick up food, make sure everyone is there and has directions. Exchange cell phone numbers if you haven’t already.

13. If anything happens during the trip, fill out an Incident Report/Near-Miss form (in your first aid kit).

14. Return! Clean and check in all your gear. Make a note of anything missing or used from the first aid kit. Make sure your participants return their gear. Turn in any trip fees and reimbursement forms and receipts.

OTL Leader Information 6 otl.pomona.edu OTL Reimbursement Policies

No reimbursements will be made unless the official “OTL Trip Procedures” have been followed and all of the group’s gear is returned. Reimbursements must be turned in within two weeks of the end of your trip.

 Travel Personal driving expenses will be reimbursed at 15¢ per mile, up to 500 miles per car ($75).

 Food You are expected to get trip food through the campus dining halls. Reasonable food purchases will be reimbursed only for Spring Break trips (max $3/day/person).

 Camping Permits / Park Fees Parking, camping, and facility use fees at National/State Forests or Parks will be reimbursed. Fees for private sites will be reimbursed on a case by case basis, typically $10 per campsite per night, unless the campsite is significantly more expensive.

 Special Activities OTL trips participating in activities that require additional funding (skiing, sailing, etc.) may be reimbursed up to $10 per participant per day of activity, and $20 per day for the trip leader(s). This additional reimbursement must be approved by the OTL Elders before the trip goes out. For individual activities like skiing, participants must turn in receipts themselves; for group activities like sailing, the group leader must turn in a receipt.

 Group Gear Reasonable purchases of group gear that OTL does not have or was unable to give your trip will be reimbursed. This includes things like potable aqua tablets and trail maps. To be reimbursed, these items must be given to OTL when you return from your trip along with a receipt. Any larger items you think should be purchased, please ask us first.

 Personal Gear OTL will not reimburse personal gear. If you get to the trailhead and discover that a camper is missing personal gear (water bottles, clothing, etc.), they must purchase their own.

 Emergencies OTL leaders are expected to use their best judgment in emergency situations. You should not hesitate to do anything that you feel is necessary for the safety of your campers. Reimbursement of emergency expenses will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

 Additional Funding The reimbursement guidelines above are guaranteed for any trip. Additional funding may be arranged by contacting the OTL Director before the trip (e-mail [email protected]).

OTL Leader Information 7 otl.pomona.edu OTL Gear Backpacks Climbing Shoes Day Packs Climbing Harnesses Sleeping Bags Climbing Ropes Ground Pads Climbing & Bike Helmets Tents Coolers Stoves & Fuel Snow Shoes First-Aid Kits Masks and Snorkels Pots, Pans & Silverware Swim Fins Guidebooks & Maps Surfboards Bear Canisters Wet Suits Water purifying tablets Water Jugs Mountain Bikes

OTL Library Large selection of outdoor specific books on nearly any topic & anyone else who wants help getting outside!

OTL Leader Information 8 otl.pomona.edu