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University Policies

University Automobile Use Policy

Approval Date: April 2, 2026
Responsible Office: Risk Management
Responsible Administrator: Vice President for Finance and Administration
Approved By: President

SCOPE (WHO SHOULD READ THIS POLICY)

All employees, students, and volunteers of ÍćĹĽ˝ă˝ă who may drive on behalf of our institution. 

REASON FOR POLICY

The purpose of this policy is to promote practices that will help to assure the safety and protection of our students, faculty, staff, and others using university vehicles as well as the safeguarding of university vehicles. This policy explains the requirements and responsibilities related to the use of university vehicles. For the purposes of this policy, the term “university vehicle” will also include vehicles that are owned, leased, rented, loaned or donated.

POLICY STATEMENT

This policy outlines parameters that define authorized university travel and the specific controls and limitations associated with trips insured by the State of Illinois Automobile Plan or trips insured by a commercial insurance carrier. Questions regarding insurance coverage should be directed to Risk Management or administrative equivalent.

Each university department is responsible for ensuring that all motor vehicle travel is in conformance with the requirements set forth in this procedure. Each department shall designate an individual to be responsible for ensuring that vehicles are adequately covered with the required insurance through at least one of the following for every authorized trip:

  • State of Illinois Self-Insured Motor Vehicle Liability Plan
  • Insurance provided by a valid WIU commercial insurance policy

ÍćĹĽ˝ă˝ă reserves the right to review the motor vehicle record of any driver at any time to determine driver eligibility.

This policy outlines parameters that define authorized university travel and the specific controls and limitations associated with trips insured by the State of Illinois Automobile Plan or trips insured by a commercial insurance carrier. Questions regarding insurance coverage should be directed to Risk Management or administrative equivalent.

State of Illinois Automobile Liability Plan

The Risk Management Division of Central Management Services (CMS) administers the State Automobile Liability Plan. The State plan provides coverage for accidents that occur while an employee is operating a motor vehicle in the scope of their employment. This scope is further detailed in the Qualifiers section of the procedure.
The State Plan does not provide collision or comprehensive coverage. WIU Departments that maintain state vehicles with insurance coverage provided through the State Plan are responsible for covering costs to repair physical damage to their vehicle as a result of an accident. Costs can be recovered from the other driver’s insurance company if the other driver is at fault, but if the WIU driver is at fault or no other insurance is recoverable, repairs to the WIU vehicle would be the responsibility of the respective department.

If an accident occurs while an employee is operating a privately-owned vehicle on university business, his or her personal insurance carrier will be the primary coverage. The State Plan will provide excess coverage after the primary carrier’s liability limits have been exhausted. If there is no insurance on the privately-owned vehicle (or if coverage does not meet statutory requirements), the driver will be responsible for damages up to the state liability coverage limits. The State Plan only provides excess coverage above these limits. The State Plan provides primary coverage for all state-owned vehicles.

The State Plan provides liability coverage for an employee who is operating a rented vehicle in the course of his or her employment. This scope is further detailed in the Qualifiers section of the procedure.

Property damage coverage will be provided for a rented vehicle if the employee is in official travel status and operating in the scope of their employment. Coverage is also provided for volunteers or other non-state employees while they are operating a state or university owned, or rented vehicle on Official State of Illinois business. To comply with CMS guidelines, written prior approval is required before the volunteer/non-state employee can drive the state, university owned, or rented vehicle. The statement, signed by an individual at the Vice-Presidential level, should include:

  • The scope of use
  • The nature of the State of Illinois business
  • The geographical area of travel
Qualifiers for State of Illinois Automobile Liability Plan Insurance Coverage
  1. Travel for academic purposes (i.e., studies, research, and teaching) paid for from university fund sources is covered, so long as the employees’ travel is required for the direct benefit of the university and the state.
  2. Travel within the scope of the public service mission of the university (i.e., “Meals on Wheels,” “Peace Meal,” etc.) is covered as long as the employee operating the vehicle is doing so in accordance with his or her job description and as long as the employee possesses a valid driver’s license. A volunteer must have proper prior written authorization and a valid driver’s license.
  3. Public safety functions, available to all students at no cost (i.e., police, fire, emergency medical, and student safety functions like “Nite Ride”), are covered uses.
  4. All usual and customary business operations of the university are covered under the State Plan. Any non-employee university contractual obligations requiring vehicle use by or for non-employees will not be provided coverage under the State Plan if the business involves any travel for the benefit of the university or state.
  5. The activity of travel to and from intercollegiate athletic events (i.e., team travel, band, cheerleading squad, development, recruiting, etc.) will be provided coverage as long as the drive is performing the duties as outlined in his or her university job description or is consistent with authorization offered by an appropriate official.
  6. When the activity is approved within Campus Recreation, University Programming, or Housing Offices, vehicles used for social and recreational purposes will be provided coverage only when the entire student body is invited to participate with no charge to the student. Trips for special group benefits will not be covered unless they are available to all students at no cost.
  7. Coverage is provided for Development and/or Alumni purposes when the activity has a direct functional purpose that serves the university’s mission. The activity also must be within the job description of the person using the vehicle to be covered.
  8. Coverage is provided for vehicle transportation for internal university academic conferences, seminars, and special events, provided that such an event is sponsored by a university department and further, that there is no charge to the students for such transportation. Coverage is not provided for university vehicle transportation for external participants attending conferences, seminars, etc., for which a charge is made to attend the event, or an individual fee is assessed, or a trip charge is made to a fund source.
  9. Commuting to and from home is not permitted. However, employees may use university motor vehicles between their home and place of work, if for example, they are beginning or ending a trip at home due to the hour of arrival or departure.
Authorization for travel that is not covered by the State of Illinois Automobile Liability Plan

University owned vehicles are not to be used for personal use under any circumstance. 

If a department conducts business that is authorized by the university (Vice President level), but travel is not approved via the State Automobile Liability Plan, commercial automobile insurance is required.

Examples include Recreation Services trips and Student Affairs travel where:

  • Drivers may not be employees working “within the scope of their employment,” and/or
  • The activity may not be considered by the State to be “official university business” and/or
  • Travel by external organizations (i.e., annuitant associations, booster clubs, the credit union, fraternities or sororities, etc.) whose business and purpose is only ancillary to the primary missions of the university.
  • The trip includes students, but a graduate assistant, faculty or staff member does not accompany travel, and/or
  • Situations where a fee for the trip is charged and/or the activity is not offered to the entire student body.

The university requires all drivers of WIU vehicles (employees and non-employees) to be approved by the commercial insurance company prior to operating the vehicle. The department arranging the trip/activity is to identify the individual responsible for the university vehicle as it pertains to the safety and personnel and “WIU Code of Conduct.”

Procedures for an Automobile Accident

As part of the State of Illinois Automobile Liability Plan, each agency must appoint an automobile accident coordinator who is responsible for reporting completely and promptly each motor vehicle accident to CMS. The Risk Management Department & Michael Eddy, Insurance Risk Manager, will coordinate motor vehicle accident reports on behalf of WIU to CMS. It is imperative that anyone involved in an automobile accident report such an accident to WIU Risk Management. Further, the must be completed and delivered to the WIU Risk Management department within three (3) days of the incident. IMPORTANT: In the event of severe bodily injury, death, or substantial property damage, report directly to the State’s Risk Management Office (217-782-0202). If the state driver is incapable of completing the report, the immediate supervisor should do so. Please pay special attention to the following:

A.   Recording Owner of Vehicle
State owned- If WIU is the owner of the vehicle, under “Insurance” please enter “State of Illinois Self-Insured Motor Vehicle Liability Plan.”

Property owned or leased- Complete all drive and owner information and under “Insurance” list information on your personal carrier.

Inform the third party to contact:

Department of Central Management Service
Risk Management Division- Auto Liability Section
201 East Madison Street
3rd Floor, North Wing
Springfield, Illinois 62706
Phone: (217-782-0202) or (800-442-1300, ext. 4)

In addition to the completed SR-1 form, provide the following information in a report to Risk Management:

  • Social security number
  • Work title of employee
  • Daytime phone number for employee
  • Police report copy if available
  • Brief written statement of how accident occurred
  • Traffic controls present
  • Weather conditions
  • Any traffic citations issued
  • Other extenuating circumstances

The above information should be made available to anyone who might be driving a vehicle on university business.