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Self Service Liability Waivers for Student Focused Events

Self Service Waivers

Background:ٲwaivers are an essential part of planning any event that involves elevated risk activity. They inform the participant of the risks and help protect ֱ from liability in case of accidents or injuries that may occur during events.

These waivers are for events in which the ONLY participants are currently enrolled VU students.  For events where there are participants who are not currently enrolled VU students, please email ogc@vanderbilt.edu (subject: waivers) for guidance.

"Do I Need a Waiver?" Decision Tree

NOTE: Waivers should be stored in accordance with the university retention policies. If you are unsure what that is for your event, email ogc@vanderbilt.edu (Subject: Waiver retention)

Two options – Paper and Electronic are available.

Instructions

All templates must be customized by the event host and include the following (1) Date/s of Event, (2) Name of Event, (3) Specific Risks in the Event’s activities. An electronic signature from each participant is required with a date of signature.

In all events, The hosting department is responsible for assuring details of the event have been evaluated for risk, that the template is used, duplicated, edited and tested (if electronic) correctly prior to use.

Electronic Waiver Form:

  1. .
  2. Duplication of the template is REQUIRED prior to editing for the event.
  3. The edited form name should include the event name and date (e.g. Stress-less Fest 2023) for ease of recall.
  4. Once the waiver has been edited to the specific activity, the event manager will be able to access the Form and the waiver form will then appear in the event manager’s Microsoft Forms permanently.
  5. From the event manager’s Microsoft Forms page, the waiver can be edited, renamed, or shared.
  6. Instructions to customize: To complete customization, click the three horizontal dots (see image) in the top right corner of Microsoft Forms and select “Settings” from the drop-down menu. This allows customization of the Form’s “Options for responses” and “Who can fill out this form.” It is suggested that “anyone” is selected for student events, and that the Form is end-dated to close after the event date. 
  7. Collect: Once the waiver is ready for distribution and tested, event managers can share the waiver form with participants by sending a link via email, Outlook or Teams invite, posting a link on an event website, or creating a QR code. These options are available after clicking on the green box labeled, “Collect responses,” in the top right corner of the screen.
  8. Event managers can monitor the participants’ waiver responses by clicking on the “Responses” tab in the top left corner of Microsoft Forms. Event managers should ensure that all participants have completed and submitted the form before the event.
  9. Results: Once the event is complete, event managers must download the responses by clicking the “Responses” tab in the top left corner of Microsoft Forms. Once on the Responses page, click the “Open in Excel” button located to the right of the green “View Results” button. This will open an Excel sheet containing information for every response gathered.
  10. 𳾾Ի: Event managers are responsible for ensuring the responses are saved and stored securely in accordance with their department’s document retention practices. Event managers should consult with their department’s HCM or administrative manager if they have questions about how and where to store these documents.

Traditional "Paper" Waiver Template:

This requires printing a complete document for each signatory or in the case of a large event, a "roster" type waiver can be used, which permits multiple persons to sign the paper in a list format after reading the release.

Self-Service Paper .PDF Templates:

If there are any questions or if you need help troubleshooting, please email ogc@vanderbilt.edu (Subject Waiver Help).