Trip Planning Process
Faculty members, campus staff, or group advisors who lead students on any off campus trip during the school year or summer, should follow these major steps to get started and move along in the process. (See specific Leader Check Lists below for detailed process steps.)
1. Visit with the Director of Global Opportunities, Julie Johnston Hermann. She provides direction for all trip leaders to cover what is needed to move forward in offering a particular type of trip for campus.
2. Read the Off-Campus Activity & Travel Guide for overarching trip planning process guidance. Review the resources provided on this Travel Management site for an quick overview on what is needed for various types of trips.
3. Work with your department, supervisor, or group to determine trip goals and purpose – why and what objectives for off-campus trips.
4. Read and review the Leading Short-Term Education Abroad Programs: Know the Standards document. The Standards of Good Practice for Education Aboard were established in 2004 (and updated in 2023) by the Forum on Education Abroad – higher education’s benchmark for education abroad program excellence and accountability.
5. Reach out to a onsite partner for mission trip or study tour support. Check with a mission organization like LCMS Short Term Missions for mission focused trips. Study abroad providers specialize in customized study tours with short requests for proposals that can be completed on their websites. Concordia has worked with these providers: API / AIFS / Living & Living / Worldstrides. Compare options to choose the provider partner you’d like to work with.
6. Share an anticipated academic, travel and financial outline with your supervisor / department chair so you can eventually put together a Proposed Trip Application for your intended trip.
| Planning an international trip? | Planning a domestic trip? |
| – Planning should start at least 18 months in advance of anticipated travel dates. – Follow this Leader Check List – International Trips for specific details related to international travel planning. – When you have trip and financial details together, you’ll complete a Proposed Trip Application. – Leaders must also work with the Business office on spring budget parameters and deadlines. | – Planning should take place the spring prior to the school year the trip would be offered. – Follow this Leader Check List – Domestic Trips for specific details related to domestic trip planning. – When you have trip and financial details together, you’ll complete a Proposed Trip Application. – Leaders must also work with the Business office on spring budget parameters and deadlines. |
7. The Proposed Trip Application is to be completed by the primary trip leader. Click here to access the Proposed Trip Application in Via TRM. Also, complete this Trip Funding Worksheet to note the anticipated trip expenses and revenue. You’ll be asked to upload it as part of the Proposed Trip Application in Via TRM.
- When complete, the Application is sent automatically to the Director of Global Opportunities. It will then be shared with the Associate Provost, Academic Deans, and Business Office for review.
- The primary trip leader will be contacted if any clarification is needed, and then receive an automatic email on approval status.
- A Proposed Trip Application notifies various offices of a pending trip so campus can provide administrative guidance needed for a safe and well-planned experience for students.
- Concordia’s Via TRM site houses this online Application for leaders, plus online trip brochures and student applications for these campus study tours, service trips, and mission trips will be added into Via TRM.
8. A Confirmed Trip Details form will be requested from the primary trip leader to provide the details needed to build an online trip brochure in Via TRM, for trips where students would apply to participate in an experience.
9. Once a trip is approved, it can be promoted on campus so students can plan ahead. A great resource from study abroad provider AIFS – a short video session on Planning and Marketing Your Faculty-Led Program.
10. Students can be directed to go to Via TRM, to set up a travel profile and then apply for a specific travel experience. Links to specific trips will be provided to share with students. Continue to communicate and work with students on travel preparations.
11. Follow the Leader Check List for your type of trip – work with students on payments and preparations – contact Julie on next step travel details needed for your specific travel situation.
12. Trip leaders must complete a Final Trip Plan, a Traveler List – and a basic trip itinerary as soon as details are finalized and send to Julie at least two weeks before trip departure. A reminder on items to provide to campus and items for leader to carry are listed on the Final Trip Plan.
- These final trip details (including travel, housing, travel and activity itinerary, list of participants) for domestic and international trips will be entered into the Via Travel part of Via to generate a virtual Travel Plan so campus administrators know what groups and individuals are traveling at any point in time.
13. Before departing, trip leaders should gather the students’ health/medical information and emergency contact information. (see the Risk Management section for more details)
- If students applied for a campus trip through Via TRM, trip leaders can access student information (emergency contact, health & medical information) by logging into Via TRM.
- If students are part of an established group (student organization, music, speech, etc.), trip leaders will need to gather student information (emergency contact and health & medical information) from the group members to bring along on the trip.
14. As soon as possible after the trip, leaders must complete the Clery Student Trip Report and complete any other post trip tasks, reports, or payments.
