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Policies

GME Van Sharing Policy

The Geography, Meteorology, and Environmental Science (GME) van was made possible by a generous donor, Dorothy “Dee” Herscher. To promote education and engagement across departments, GME may lend out the 15-person van to other departments within the Valparaiso University when it is not utilized for departmental activities. Any requested use of the departmental van by an outside department will be reviewed internally prior to approval. 

Use of the van by other departments and groups internal to Valparaiso University is subject to relevant VU travel policy, as well as the following conditions:

  • Any request to use the van should be made at least 7 days prior to the need.
  • Requests must be sent to the GME department chair bharath.ganeshbabu@valpo.edu 
  • A rental fee of $100 per day (subject to change with inflation) is to be transferred to GME. Please contact administrative assistant, zoe.vandervinne@valpo.edu for account details. This is for maintenance and upkeep of the vehicle. This fee is only for days the vehicle is actually used with no ‘minimum’ rental for weekend use.
  • The van can only be driven by faculty who have completed the university’s driver program. No students, even those who have completed the driver program, are allowed to drive the van.
    • In the event of damage, authorized drivers are covered by VU’s insurance. Any extra charges not covered by insurance will be covered by the department that is borrowing the van. 
    • Please avoid the use of this van for those outside of Valparaiso University, even if they are just passengers.
  • The van should be returned with the same amount of gasoline and in the same or better cleanliness condition as when it was borrowed.
  • The van should be returned to Parking Lot 5 (the lot just north of Urschel Hall) upon completion of the trip, not stored elsewhere on campus, and the key returned to the department (any GME faculty or staff member) at the earliest business day.
    • Unlike a rental, we will not charge fees for gas not being replaced or the van being returned in a dirty condition. However, this may mean that we will not be willing to lend the vehicle to that individual or department.