The Travel Committee researches, plans, and when needed, leads education-based domestic and international travel experiences. OLLI staff will work collaboratively with the committee to provide guidance and administrative support.
Travel Committee Responsibilities
- Research and select trips that may be of interest to OLLI members.
- Plan all trip details (e.g., transportation, meals, hotels, attractions).
- Negotiate agreements and contracts and give them to staff to process.
- Create a budget for each trip.
- Determine the fee for each trip.
- Submit all information for promotional flyer to staff; consult on promotional plan for each trip.
- Communicate with trip participants about all relevant trip details before, during, and after the trip.
- Complete all Penn State Travel Safety Network (TSN) requirements for all international trips.
- Lead the trips to ensure all travels follow the trip plan and that participants are welcomed and cared for. Note: trip leaders must be Penn State staff.
- Review evaluation feedback after the trip.
- Trip leaders MUST follow OLLI’s Trip Emergency Plan.
- Perform additional tasks as needed.
Trip Emergency Plan
Every OLLI at Penn State trip must have an accompanying Penn State employee whose responsibilities are to serve as the trip leader. For all OLLI at Penn State trips, the trip leader must follow this trip emergency plan.
The trip leader must:
- Have access to this trip emergency plan at all times.
- Carry a cell phone with them at all times.
- Provide their cell phone number to all participants so they can contact him/her in case of emergency when they are exploring on their own.
- Make sure the OLLI at Penn State director’s cell phone number is included in the trip leader’s cell phone contact list.
- Document and carry with them the area code of all travel sites in the event they need to dial 911.
- Carry with them at all times the participant roster, which includes each participant’s cell phone number and emergency contact information.
- Verify participant’s cell phone numbers and emergency contact information before each trip.
- Perform a participant count for each transportation departure from one destination to another to ensure all participants are present.
In case of emergency involving a participant, the trip leader must:
- First dial 911 (Note: the trip leader must know the area codes for all destinations so the 911 operator can contact the appropriate emergency services)
- Stay with the participant(s) throughout the emergency or until a family member arrives.
- Ensure the remaining trip participants are in a safe, secure location while they are accompanying the individual experiencing the emergency.
- Call the emergency contact person designated for the participant experiencing the emergency to explain the situation and coordinate next steps.
- Contact the OLLI at Penn State director to inform him/her about the emergency and the steps they are taking to handle the situation.
- Return to the other trip participants and continue the trip after the individual in need of medical treatment is either released from medical care or once their family member has arrived to stay with them.
- Document all aspects of the emergency incident and provide it to the OLLI at Penn State director. Documentation should include:
- Who required emergency treatment?
- What happened?
- What steps were taken to manage the situation?
- What was the outcome?
- What follow-up, if any, is required?
Final Note: If Fullington Bus Company is providing the trip transportation, the trip leader must have that company’s emergency contact information on hand in order to call Fullington’s emergency line in the event the bus driver is unable to perform this duty.