Transportation FAQs

What can College vehicles be used for?

Students, faculty, and staff can use College vehicles for official business, student life, athletic, and academic activities. This includes the following.

• Authorized student organization or club travel
• Community service transportation
• Intercollegiate athletics
• Academic class trips or projects
• Authorized departmental event transportation needs

Personal use of College vehicles is prohibited.

What types of vehicles are available for use?

Groups of 14 or fewer passengers typically travel in one or two seven-passenger vans, which must be driven by an authorized driver (provided by the requesting group). Groups of 15 or more passengers typically travel in motorcoaches or buses, which are driven by company-provided drivers.

How can I request transportation for a group?

Ask a Springfield College faculty or staff member to file an electronic Transportation Request Form on behalf of your team, group, or organization, which can be done through PrideNET.

Your professor, coach, department head, or club or organization supervisor can help make your arrangements by following these steps.

• Log in to PrideNET.
• Click on “MyProfile,” located at the top-center of the page.
• Click on “My Transportation Requests” on the left side of the page.
• Click on “Add New Trip Request,” fill out all required fields, and then click the “Submit Form” button.

After the request is submitted, it must be approved by the department head. Once approved, the request will then be sent to the Department of Transportation and a member of its staff will work on securing the vehicle(s).

For questions, contact the transportation coordinator at (413) 748-5553 or email transportation@springfieldcollege.edu.

What is an authorized driver?

Authorized drivers can operate vehicles that are rented, leased, or owned by the College.

All authorized drivers must meet the following criteria.

• Be at least 20 years old
• Possess a valid United States driver’s license and have possessed a driver’s license for a minimum of three consecutive years
• Successfully complete of the Springfield College Defensive Driving Safety program (or its equivalent)
• Maintain an approved driver history
• Adhere to the Transportation Policy and Guidelines

How can I become an authorized driver?

Follow these steps to become an authorized driver.

• Fit the authorized driver criteria listed above.
• File an online Driver History Record Request/Release Form.
• Print the form out and sign it.
• Drop off your signed copy of this form, as well as a photocopy of your driver’s license, to the Department of Public Safety.
• Attend one of the Springfield College defensive driving courses.

I’m already an authorized driver. How do I renew my status?

Student driver histories expire annually on Oct. 31. Faculty and staff driver histories are on a three-year rotation and expire on Dec. 31.

To renew your authorized driver status, file an online Driver History Record Release/Request Form. As a student, this must be done each year. As a faculty or staff member, this must be done every three years.

Please allow enough time for your history to arrive by completing and submitting your paperwork weeks before your expiration date.

How do I fill out a Driver History Record Release/Request Form?

File your online driver history request as soon as possible so that your history is obtained before you need to drive a College vehicle. To fill out the form, follow the instructions below.

• Log in to PrideNET.
• Click on the “MyProfile” tab, and go to the “My Driver Status” page. Select from one of three options.
  • If you are a new driver, click on “Become an Authorized Van Driver.”
  • If you are renewing your authorization to drive, click on “Request a Renewal.”
  • If your authorization to drive has expired, click on “Request Reinstatement.”
• Read and acknowledge the agreement(s) shown on the screen.
• Click the “Submit Renewal Request” button, and then click “OK.”
• Follow the on-screen instructions to print and sign the form.
• Mail or drop off a signed copy of the form, along with an attached copy of your driver’s license, to the Department of Public Safety.

Filing this form grants the Springfield College Department of Public Safety permission to run your driving history for you. We can provide this service free of charge for most states.

Some states are delayed in their responses to inquiries. These states often take 15 to 40 days to forward a driver history.

This delay often occurs with the following states.

• Pennsylvania
• Connecticut

The states we are unable to assist with include the following.

• Hawaii
• Illinois
• New Jersey
• Washington
• Florida

If you’re from one of the states listed above, you may have to obtain a certified copy of your driver history yourself. You can obtain a certified copy of your driver history from your state’s DMV or from an online agency, which may require a fee.

Note: You will not be authorized to drive until the transportation coordinator receives a certified copy of your driver’s history and is able to approve that history.

How do I sign up for a driver training course?

To operate a vehicle rented, owned, or leased by the College, you must first complete a Springfield College Defensive Driver Course. The course is taught in a classroom setting (no driving road tests).

To register for a course, email transportation@springfieldcollege.edu. Make the subject line of the email “Defensive Driving Course Sign-up.” In the body of the email, include the following.

• Your full name
• A phone number (cell preferred)
• The date of the course you plan to attend
• The name of the department you plan on driving for