Policy 3-215: University Motor Vehicles

1. Purpose
   1. To set forth the policy of the University of Utah with respect to acquisition, ownership, assignment, maintenance, and use of motor vehicles.
2. Definitions
   1. Motor Vehicle - any motor vehicle owned or leased by the University of Utah which in accordance with state laws must be registered and licensed with the Utah Department of Motor Vehicles and any other motor vehicle so designated by the vice president for administrative services.
   2. Official University Business - the authorized activities of university employees, students, and designated agents related to approved programs and functions of the university and its colleges, departments, operating units and related organizations.
   3. Authorized Carrier - a common or contract carrier regulated by the Public Service Commission or Interstate Commerce Commission or successor agencies.
   4. Motor Pool - the University of Utah department which has been assigned the responsibility for the management and operation of university motor vehicles.
3. References
   1. Policy 5-310, Accident Reporting Procedure
   2. Utah State Board of Regents Policy R556 Transportation in Campus Vehicles
   3. Utah Code Annotated 1953, Section 41-7-1.5 Vehicle Identification
   4. Utah Code Annotated 1953, Section 41-1-44.1 Vehicle Registration
   5. Utah Code Annotated 1953, Section 41-1-49.7 Vehicle Registration
4. Policy
   1. Ownership, Acquisition, and Disposal of Vehicles
      1. All motor vehicles owned or leased by the university shall be held under the administrative management and control of the university Motor Pool.
      2. Acquisition, maintenance, and licensing of all motor vehicles shall be performed by or at the direction of the Motor Pool.
      3. The Motor Pool shall determine the type of motor vehicle to be purchased and made available for departmental use. Departmental needs will be considered as well as the vehicle's record for reliability, low maintenance costs, and fuel economy. The Motor Pool will ordinarily purchase only compact and sub-compact vehicles if available and capable of meeting departmental and university needs.
      4. The Motor Pool shall determine when disposal of university motor vehicles should occur. Vehicles no longer needed, no longer serviceable, or scheduled for replacement, shall be transferred to the Surplus and Salvage Department for final disposition. Proceeds from the sale, less disposition costs, shall be returned to the Motor Pool, except in the case of special lease plans, in which case the net proceeds shall be returned to the lessee.
      5. Departments may lease motor vehicles from the Motor Pool under one of five lease plans set forth in Section V. Lease rates charged for the type of vehicle under the various lease plans shall be revised from time to time, with the approval of the vice president for administrative services or designee, to reflect the actual costs incurred by the Motor Pool.
   2. Vehicle Identification
      1. University motor vehicles shall be of a color selected by the Motor Pool, shall bear the authorized state seal on the outside of both front doors, and must carry EX (exempt) license plates. For good reason, designated vehicles may be excepted from one or more of these requirements by the vice president for administrative services in accordance with applicable state laws.
   3. Official Use
      1. University motor vehicles shall be used only for official university business purposes. University motor vehicles shall not be used for personal transportation or other personal purposes of university employees, students, visitors or guests.
   4. Restricted Use
      1. Operation of university motor vehicles is limited to persons who are authorized by college or department administration to use a university vehicle, and who are (1) employees of the university or registered students, (2) at least 18 years of age, and (3) possess a valid Utah operator's license, except that authorized nonresident students over 18 years of age may operate a university motor vehicle if they possess a valid operator's license from the state or country of their residence.
      2. University motor vehicles may not be driven outside the state of Utah without prior written permission from the vice president for administrative services or his or her designee.
      3. University motor vehicles shall not be used to transport groups or individuals not affiliated with the university. Programs, courses, conferences, seminars, workshops, institutes, or athletic programs will not be offered for credit or non-credit, where the primary reason for the offering is to attempt to make legitimate the use of university vehicles to provide transportation to the participants in competition with authorized carriers.
      4. Affiliated university groups may be transported in university motor vehicles where costs are included in the tuition and fees for a specific program. When registered, enrolled, or affiliated students, including those enrolled in continuing education, are transported in university vehicles, no charge will be imposed upon said students for that transportation service. If transportation costs are incurred, they will be deemed to have been incorporated and paid as part of that student's tuition and fees, which includes all materials, instruction, services, and facilities, when those tuition and fees are assessed and collected at the time the student enrolls in the specific course. The "tuition and fees" shall relate to a specific program of instruction which is normally offered and a description of the course and amount of the tuition and fees to be assessed are published in the university's catalog or regular class listings.
      5. University motor vehicles may be used for the transportation of students, employees, and guests involved in official university business or engaged in university sponsored activities provided no fare is charged to the transported individual.
      6. University departments will not advertise, solicit, or release announcements off campus which solicits participation in transportation provided by the university.
      7. University departments shall not provide routine nonprogrammatic transportation (e.g. to or from an airport, to or from hotels) for students, visitors, or guests in university vehicles where (1) the transportation is for-hire or the specific costs of the transportation are ultimately borne directly or indirectly by the traveller and not the university; and (2) there is no significant educational, administrative, business, or similar activity occurring during the travel time which would be adversely affected in a substantial way if an authorized carrier rather than a campus vehicle and driver were used; and (3) the university or travellers can arrange appropriate transportation with an authorized carrier on a timely and cost-effective basis.
      8. University motor vehicles shall be returned to the university campus promptly after each official use. Employees, students, and others authorized to use university motor vehicles shall not be allowed to have a university vehicle at their place of residence before or after official use unless prior written permission of the cognizant vice president or his or her designee is obtained. Such permission shall be granted only if the university's best interests are served, i.e. early morning departure is planned and additional vehicle mileage will not result.
      9. In some cases, it may be in the university's best interest to assign a university motor vehicle to an employee and allow the employee, on a continuing basis, to keep the vehicle at his/her place of residence when not in use. If this arrangement is sought, the department head, or next higher authority, shall submit a letter to the cognizant vice president setting forth the reasons and the savings that will result. If endorsed by the cognizant vice president, the request, accompanied by the cognizant vice president's endorsement and comments, shall be forwarded to the vice president for administrative services. If the vice president for administrative services approves the request, he/she will provide the employee, the cognizant vice president, the cognizant department, the Motor Pool, and director of finance a letter authorizing the arrangement. Such authorization and approval shall clearly set forth the period of time the authorization is in effect and under no circumstances will such authorization be for a period longer than 90 days. Such authorization may be renewed, following the same Procedure set forth above.
   5. Extraordinary Wear and Tear
      1. If it is determined by the Motor Pool upon the basis of prior experience or other relevant factors that a department's use of motor vehicles will result in unusual or extraordinary wear and tear, the normal lease rates may be increased to offset the resulting additional costs.
      2. If unusual wear and tear, not offset by special lease rates, is evident at the time of disposition of a vehicle, the using department may be charged for the difference in value of the vehicle in its condition and the expected value if the vehicle had not been subjected to such unusual wear and tear.
   6. Insurance
      1. Motor vehicles, while in use for official university business, will be insured for both liability and physical damage with commercial insurers and/or self-insurance program managed by the state or the university, in accordance with state law and consistent with prudent risk management. Additional and unique insurance provisions apply to the use of university buses and their drivers.
      2. The cost of motor vehicle physical damage insurance will be included in the lease rate charged for vehicles leased under the short-term lease plan, V-E. Physical damage insurance coverage for motor vehicles leased under plans described in V-A, V-B, V-C, and V-D will be determined by the university risk manager based on the value of the motor vehicle, the departmental loss experience, vehicle usage, and other factors normally considered in setting insurance rates. The cost of such insurance will be billed to the leasing department annually by the university risk manager.
   7. Traffic Violations
      1. Drivers of university vehicles shall be personally responsible for fines, forfeitures of bail, or other penalties based upon parking and traffic violations and citations or other infractions or violations of law involving the use of university motor vehicles.
      2. The privilege of driving university motor vehicles may be suspended or permanently revoked by the vice president for administrative services for repeated traffic citations, at-fault accidents, or for the unauthorized use of university vehicles. Prior to ordering any such suspension or revocation, the vice president for administrative services will give notice of his proposed action to the employee, and will provide an opportunity for an informal hearing.
   8. Reporting of Motor Vehicle Accidents
      1. All motor vehicle accidents must be promptly reported to (1) the office of university police if the accident occurred on campus, or to the cognizant law enforcement agency (police or highway patrol) if the accident occurred off campus. The university risk manager and the Motor Pool Office must also be notified immediately. (Refer to Policy 5-310 for specific information on accident reporting.)
   9. Reporting of Mechanical or Safety Defects
      1. Vehicles with mechanical or safety defects should be promptly reported to the Motor Pool Office. Upon receipt of such report, the Motor Pool shall inspect the vehicle and take appropriate action to bring the vehicle into compliance with current university safety standards and/or the standards for efficient mechanical operation. A copy of the inspection report and report of corrective action taken shall be filed in the Motor Pool Office and, upon request, will be made available to the driver and to cognizant line management officers of the university.
5. Motor Vehicle Lease Plans
   1. Five-Year Lease Plan
      1. Vehicles will be leased for a five-year period. The lease amount will include amortization of the vehicle cost (adjusted for inflation) less estimated residual value, and all operating, maintenance, inspection, and repair costs exclusive of gas and oil. The cost of gas and oil shall be borne by the lessee. The lessee will be billed a pro rata portion of the total lease cost each month.
   2. Variable Term Lease Plan
      1. Vehicles will be leased for a specific period of time determined by the lessee and acceptable to the Motor Pool. A maintenance program suitable to the department's needs will be negotiated between the using department and the Motor Pool. The department may choose a total maintenance contract or pay for maintenance as required. A semi-annual preventive maintenance inspection, a 4,000 mile or six-month lubrication, and annual state emission/safety inspections will be mandatory. The lease amount will include amortization of the vehicle cost (adjusted for inflation), less estimated residual value, contractual maintenance, and required maintenance costs. All other vehicle operating and maintenance costs will be borne by the lessee. The lessee will be billed a pro rata portion of the total lease cost each month.
   3. Special Lease Plan
      1. The special lease plan is designed for vehicles which are to be acquired with funds transferred by a department to the Motor Pool for that purpose, such as those acquired under sponsored research agreements or for vehicles which are donated to a university department. An amount equal to the total vehicle acquisition cost must be transferred to the Motor Pool by the leasing department at the time the vehicle is acquired. Amortization of the vehicle's value will not be included in the lease rate. Approval to acquire donated vehicles, which must meet minimum university standards, must be obtained from the cognizant vice president and the vice president for administrative services or designee. The using department may choose a complete maintenance program at a fixed price or may pay for maintenance as required. A six-month preventive maintenance inspection, a 4,000 mile or six-month lubrication service, and annual state emission/safety inspections will be mandatory. The lease rate will include contractual maintenance and required maintenance costs. The lessee will be billed a pro rata portion of the total lease costs each month.
   4. Off-Campus Lease Plan
      1. With approval of the cognizant vice president and the vice president for administrative services or designee, departments may request the Motor Pool to lease for their use a particular type of motor vehicle from off-campus lessors. Such requests must be justified in writing and will not be granted if the Motor Pool has similar vehicles available for use. Users may choose a total maintenance contract in which case the department will be billed for lease costs, and maintenance or may choose to pay for maintenance only as needed, in which case the lease rate will exclude maintenance and repair costs except those which are mandatory.
      2. A six-month preventive maintenance check, a 4,000 mile or six-month lubrication service, and annual state emission/safety inspections will be mandatory. The lessee will be billed a pro rata portion of the total lease cost each month.
   5. Short-Term Lease Plan
      1. This plan provides vehicles on an individual trip basis (daily, weekly, or monthly). The type of vehicle in the "trip fleet" will be determined by the Motor Pool manager. Reservations for vehicles shall be made by contacting the Motor Pool Office. Each user must furnish appropriate departmental authorization before a vehicle will be furnished. Charges for use of these "trip" vehicles will be based on a combination of daily and mileage charges.
6. Motor Pool Records
   1. The Motor Pool shall maintain records on each university motor vehicle which shall include but not be limited to:
      1. Dates of annual emission/safety inspections.
      2. Dates of semi-annual maintenance inspection.
      3. Description of general condition of vehicle at the time of emission/safety or maintenance inspections.
      4. Dates and description of repairs made.
      5. License number issued.
      6. Odometer reading at the end of each six-month period.