Miscellaneous Topics

Occasionally the University will need to provide to another party evidence of insurance coverage's for liability, property, workers' compensation or other specifically identified insurance. Such evidence is generally called a Certificate of Insurance. This document must normally be issued by the insurance carrier, or in the case of the State self insurance program, must be issued by the State.

Issuance of certificates requires specific information regarding the event, function, provision of services, or use of facility for which the certificate is to be issued. All such information must be submitted in writing to the Office of Risk Management by the University faculty or staff member needing the certificate. All certificates are issued specific to the intended purpose. There are no generic certificates.

To request a Certificate of Insurance, provide the following written documentation:

• Written request on departmental letterhead that contains a brief statement describing the event, function, provision of services, or use of facility the certificate must address;
• The name and address of the party/ies to whom the certificate is to be provided (the original of the certificate will be sent directly to the requesting party by the insurer);
• The beginning and ending dates, and times of the event, function, provision of services, or use of facility;
• The place, or site, where this services will occur;
• A complete copy of the contractual agreement applicable to the event, function, provision of services or use of facility.

Generally, the cooperating agency where the student is serving an internship may require certificate of insurance for coverage provided by the University to the student while serving in the internship. For specific information that must be provided for this request to the Office of Risk Management, please refer to the segment on Student Interns in this section of the Insurance Manual.

Colorado law requires that all motor vehicles licensed in this State for travel on public roads must be insured for liability to others for bodily injury and property damage, and that evidence of such insurance be in that vehicle at all times for production upon demand. This evidence of insurance should be retained in the glove compartments of University vehicles.

This evidence of insurance can be provided by the Office of Risk Management upon receipt of written request with descriptive information of the vehicle, i.e., manufacturer's name, year and model, serial number, and license plate number.

University employees, as a part of their official capacities, must at times arrange for various types of off-campus activities such as instructional related trips, field and demonstration trips, recreational, and athletic trips. The following guidelines are provided to assist employees in carrying out their responsibilities in these matters.

University employees acting as sponsors or instructors of the field activity must be designated and authorized by the University to perform such roles in order to assure appropriate liability protection for their acts. Section I.11 of the Colorado State University-Pueblo Academic Faculty and Administrative Staff Manual provides specific information regarding field trips and other similar sanctioned events.

For activities that are not sponsored by the University, clear separation should be maintained by the University from such activities. Employees should refrain from assuming duties where possible.

It is important that students acknowledge an understanding of the risk involved in any particular activity and, where necessary, specific risks which are unusual and which are associated with that particular activity. The Office of Risk Management is able to provide a generic release (waiver) which can be customized for the specific event and should be signed by each student participant. A generic form for non-students is also available.  Separate waivers must be generated and signed for each individual event.

For information regarding Use of University vehicles for such events, refer to the University travel section in the Financial Procedures Manual.

Students serving in internships or practical have some insurance protections and coverage's provided by the University. 

The protections provided against liability and the coverage's for workers' compensation are both statutory under Colorado law. However, they are different laws, and there may be cases where a student intern will have one but not the other. The following applies for students registered for internship classes at Colorado State University-Pueblo. Regardless, protections and/or coverage's provided only apply while the student is engaged within the scope of assigned duties.

Liability protection is provided through immunity under the Governmental Immunity Act, or where immunity is waived , through the self insured liability of the Risk Management Act of the State of Colorado (see section on liability in this manual.) These protections are only provided for required internships and are never provided for optional internships. Further, if the cooperating agency requires limits of liability protection above the State provided $150,000 per person/$600,000 per occurrence, it must be acquired by the student at the student's personal expense. As with employees, no protection is provided if acts are willful, wanton, intentional or criminal.

Workers' Compensation insurance is provided to student interns serving in internships at a cooperative agency either by the cooperating agency if the student is remunerated in any way (including salary, or stipend, or room and/or board), or by the workers' compensation insurance of the University if the student is not remunerated. It is preferred that all internship courses end in the numbers 86, 87, or 88 to allow the University to track student internship insurance provided. Workers' Compensation insurance is provided, by law, only to students serving in unremunerated internships with cooperative agencies; students serving in unremunerated internships at Colorado State University-Pueblo are not covered by Workers' Compensation insurance.

If a cooperating agency requests certification of protections and insurance provided to the student intern, this must be requested from the Office of Risk Management by furnishing the following information on departmental letterhead:

Indicate if certification is required for liability, workers' compensation, or both;

• Student's name;
• Course name and number, and state if internship is required or optional;
• Site and dates of the internship;
• Indicate if student will or will not be receiving remuneration from the cooperative agency;
• Provide name and mailing address of cooperative agency (the certificate will be sent direct to them);
• Attach a copy of the current internship agreement between the University and the cooperative agency.

Student organizations and members of those organizations, as entities/groups/individuals separate from the University, are not provided insurance protections or coverage's.

Some organizations are local chapters of national organizations and may have some insurance protections or coverage's provided by the national organizations. Requests for information regarding any possible insurance coverage's for student organizations should be directed to the national office for that organization.

In certain instances there may be exceptions in which individual members of a student organization may have liability protection provided by the University. Under Colorado Statute, the only exceptions would be for those individuals falling within the statutory definition of an "authorized volunteer" which is as follows: 

"CRS 24-10-103(4)...'authorized volunteer' means a person who performs an act for the benefit of a public entity [The University] at the request of and subject to the control of such public entity."

For specific information regarding use of University vehicles for/by student organizations, refer to the travel section of the Financial Procedures Manual.

Some events may have inherent risks of injury. In these cases, it is possible to purchase special event medical insurance for the participants and which generally includes coverage for death and dismemberment. Such insurance is generally limited, low level coverage. Premium costs are usually charged per participant times the number of days for the event.

It can also be suggested that participants be advised to make provision for personal medical insurance, including what is usually called "major medical."

From time to time, analysis of an exposure to risk reveals a potential for loss to the University that cannot be reasonably reduced, eliminated or otherwise avoided. It may be necessary in such cases for the University to consider purchase of additional insurance coverage's for such exposures. The Office of Risk Management acquires and maintains all insurance for property and casualty exposures at Colorado State University-Pueblo not otherwise provided. Premiums for special needs insurance are paid from funds of requesting departments.

For information regarding special insurance needs, contact the Office of Risk Management at telephone number 719.549.2054.