Logistics and Procedures for Field Study at Lafayette College
First Steps
If your learning experience falls under the umbrella of community-based learning and research (CBLR) (e.g. you are working with community members toward a common goal, providing indirect or direct service to community members or doing research with/on the community) please contact the Landis Center. They will help you get clearances, set up transportation, think through your project and connect you with community partners. Please get in touch 60 days before the start of your community-based learning and research project.
If you are taking students on a trip that is not under the description of CBLR then you should first contact your department/program head or chair to start the process. Departments and programs may have budgets for trips or ways to work with affiliated departments and programs to get funds.
Planning for Transportation
If you need transportation to get to your site, below are some options:
Biology and Geology have access to vehicles in their respective departments.
- You can contact Biology at extension 5468
- You can contact Geology at extension 5197
Ask your department or program if they have access to transportation. If they do not, there are other ways that you can transport students:
- Palmeri Group has shuttles that you can rent to transport students to your site.
- Lafayette College has contracted pricing through Enterprise Rent-a-car. You can call 610-253-7599 for more information. If you want to transport your students in a 12+ passenger van please look at “Getting Certified to Drive a 12+ Passenger Van” for steps on how to get certified.
- You can now use your Lafayette College ID to board any LANTA bus. If your destination is on a LANTA Bus Route, this may be a free alternative to renting a van or booking a shuttle.
- Lafayette College Area Transportation may work for events in downtown Easton
- If you are considering using link to rental cars and having students drive each other, check with your department head/program chair to ensure that proper policies are followed to ensure student safety
Getting Certified to Drive a 12+ Passenger Van
If you would like to drive your students in a 12+ passenger van you will need to go through a driver approval process where you will fill out a Driver Approval Request Form. Once you are done with the form, you will need to schedule a brief training with Matthew Hammerstone. You can reach him at extension 5581.
Planning for Food
There are a number of options for food that you can utilize on campus. Gilbert’s, ECO Cafe and Marquis Dining Hall all have grab and go lunches where students can use their swipes. If your trip is local in downtown Easton or near Forks Center Square, students can also use their swipes at participating restaurants. If your department or program has money to fund lunches, then you can also get boxed lunches from catering.