Approved Uses

Vehicles are for official business only and are to be used by authorized faculty and staff. University vehicles are generally not to be used for vacations, by family members, and are generally not to be used for personal errands, except for occasional incidental events. University vehicles are easily identifiable. Common sense must be used, public perceptions of where vehicles are operated and parked considered, and state law accommodated, which does not permit personal use of university vehicles. Employees who use University vehicles for personal purposes are potentially liable for accidents, injury, and damage, which occur during unauthorized use.

A University vehicle may be driven to a private residence and parked overnight when the driver is departing early in the morning or returning from meetings/travel late at night; when offices are located in areas where leaving vehicles may expose them to vandalism; or when the safety of personnel leaving or arriving after normal business hours is a concern. When possible, the vehicle should be parked off the street and should always be locked.

University vehicles may not be taken into Canada without the prior written consent of Transportation Services. University vehicles may not be taken into Mexico without obtaining Mexican insurance and coordination with Risk Management.

Other than short-term travel, i.e., a day or less, all faculty and staff should use private or public transportation to access the Des Moines Airport, as it is neither economical nor good use of a University vehicle to leave it in an airport parking lot.