Driving on University Business

University driving requirements apply in two situations:

  1. Employees who drive a university vehicle, including an electric cart, must meet university driving requirements regardless of how often they drive.
  2. Employees who use a privately owned vehicle for university business, more than once per month, must meet university driving requirements.

Employees who fall into either category must complete a defensive driving course once every four years and follow the guidelines outlined below. 

Definitions

  • University vehicle: A motorized device for land transportation owned, leased, or rented by the university, state or any state agency. This includes, but is not limited to, automobiles, trucks, golf carts, tractors, and forklifts.
  • University employees: re defined as those persons who have completed all prerequisites to CSU employment. This includes all CSU faculty, staff, and student assistants and persons on appointed volunteer status (Job Class Code 0050).

University Vehicle Use

  1. Complete the Application for University Vehicle Operation Authorization [pdf]. Your supervisor or manager must review and sign the application as the Approving Official.
  2. Complete a Defensive Driving course in CSULearn. You can request this training using the FABS Training Request Form.
  3. Maintain a valid California State Drivers License (foreign licenses are not permitted). The drivers license needs to be appropriate for the job and vehicle(s) to be operated, (e.g. Class A, B, C).
  4. Have and maintain a good and safe driving record. Risk Management will review each driver's Motor Vehicle Record from DMV. Class A, B, or Special Class C drivers are responsible for providing (at their cost) an original DMV record to the employing department at time of hire.

Private/Personal Vehicle Use

If you will be using your own vehicle for university business you must complete the following:

  1. Complete the Authorization to use Privately Owned Vehicles on State Business STD. 261 [pdf]. This form must be updated every year and a copy returned to your Supervisor/Manager and the University Risk Manager.
  2. If driving on an average of more than once a month, complete the Defensive Driving Fundamentals course in CSULearn.You can request this training using the FABS Training Request Form.

Responsibility for Coverage by Faculty/Staff:

When using a privately owned vehicle for university business, the vehicle owner is responsible for maintaining the required insurance coverage in accordance with California Vehicle Code § 16020. The owner’s personal automobile liability insurance is the primary coverage, even when the vehicle is being used for university business. The owner is also responsible for any comprehensive and collision coverage.

Before using a privately owned vehicle for university business, you must submit the obtain authorization by completing the Authorization to use Privately Owned Vehicles on State Business STD. 261 [pdf].

Volunteers Driving on University Business

  1. Volunteers who drive vehicles on official university business, such as field trips or athletic events, need to complete People and Culture’s Volunteer Request Form [DocuSign].  This form must be fully signed before driving on university business.
  2. Go to People and Culture’s Volunteer web page for additional information.

Vehicle Accidents

Vehicles owned and leased by San José State University are protected for liability by the CSU’s participation in the State of California Vehicle Liability Self-Insurance Program [pdf]. This program is administered by the State Office of Risk and Insurance Management.

Accident involving the use of a State Vehicle:

Accident involving the use of Personal vehicle while driving on University Business: