Travel and fieldwork

For many of our study tours and field activities, there are options for flexibility that may make it easier for you to take part. This page will tell you about some of them. Keep in mind, it is not possible for the course convenor to anticipate every individual circumstance, so please contact the course convenor if you have other ideas for how they could help you to participate. If you would like support discussing your needs with the course convenor, or if your discussion didn't go as you expected, please contact the CASS Associate Dean (Student Experience) at assocdeanst.cass@anu.edu.au.

Check the Programs & Courses page for information on prerequisites, if the field activity is required as part of your program, and how to sign-up. 

Access the respective course page on the Learning Management System (LMS) or talk to the convenor about the significance of the field activity to the course's assessment tasks. While some activities may be compulsory and embedded into the course, other activities are voluntary or can be replaced with alternate assessments. Our intensive study tour courses are not compulsory, but you should discuss the requirements with the convenor if you are in doubt as to whether you can participate. 

Study tour and field-based teaching and learning activities take place on a wide range of sites, including the ANU’s Acton Campus, the ACT, across Australia and internationally. Please refer to individual course LMS sites for detailed information about travel arrangements.

Accessibility implications will vary from course to course. To fully participate in some trips, you might need to able to safely traverse the distance from the nearest vehicle access to the location of the field activities. If you have difficulty with mobility, you should discuss your requirements with the course convenor in the first week of the course. This consultation will allow the convenor to take your needs into account when planning relevant activities, if the trip plans change (e.g. due to weather), and in emergency situations.

Depending on the nature of the activity, travel will vary. If you need accessible transport, please talk to the course convenor prior to the first week of classes. You should refer to the individual course LMS site for detailed information about travel arrangements.
For local and/or domestic activities, you may walk or be driven by bus and/or small vehicles to applicable field sites. The school will often make transportation arrangements for participating students.

For activities further from Canberra and internationally, you may be required to travel alone and meet at a designated location away from the ANU and then continue to the site as a small group. For some destinations, you may have the option to travel to the site in your own vehicle, if preferred. Please contact the convenor to discuss options.

For overnight trips, accommodation varies and may include staying in hotels, dormitories, tents, or huts. Facilities, such as rooms, toilets, and showers may be shared, or there may be the option for you to have individual facilities.  Please consult with the course convenor to see what options are available.

Accommodation may have accessibility features, such as ramps to the accommodation, but lacks others, such as paved paths between buildings. Some locations may be remote and/or international and accommodation for disability may vary from what you are used to.  If you need advice regarding accessible accommodation, please discuss your specific needs with the course convener prior to the semester that the course is scheduled.

Dietary restrictions and accommodations will vary depending on your destination; please consult with the convenor before the activity to see what can be arranged. You may be able to access cooking facilities and/or bring your own food.

Some destinations, especially those in remote or international locations, may have more restricted food options.

Some activities have additional costs to cover food, travel, accommodation, or other expenses. Please consult with the school or convenor for more information, including if scholarships are available to help cover the cost. 

The College of Arts and Social Sciences also offers a Study Tour and Field Trip Travel Bursary for students in financial need who are going on an approved CASS short-term domestic or international study tour or field trip that counts toward academic credit. Successful applicants are paid in one instalment prior to departure upon proof of enrolment into the short-term study tour or field trip course. Bursaries range from $500 to $2500 depending on your application, financial need, destination country and length of trip. Further information here.

For some students, long day trips or overnight travel away from support networks can be an issue; you are strongly encouraged to think about how you will manage your mental and physical health during the study tour or field activity.

Study tour and field activities frequently involve extended periods of work and leisure time spent with other people, resulting in limited time alone or privacy. If you feel you would benefit from time alone or in a quiet location during the trip, you should discuss the options with the course convener. 

You should be aware that the University's insurance policy does not cover pre-existing conditions. Please contact the convenor before the study tour or field activity to discuss any medical conditions that may be difficult to manage; for example, it is sometimes possible to help store equipment or arrange cold storage of medication, if required.

Some international destinations require you to get appropriate immunisations before the trip. You will need to consult your doctor before travelling and organise any required immunisations.

If you need to miss part of the study tour or field activity due to health or other reasons, you can ask the convenor about alternative assessment arrangements.

You must act in a professional, respectful and responsible manner at all times, in accordance with the ANU Student Code of Conduct. If you do not meet these expectations, you may be asked to leave. 

If you are unsure about the expectations or think your behaviour might be misinterpreted, please talk to the course convenor. The convenor can clarify the expectations and work with you to ensure the any stakeholders you encounter aren't inadvertently left with the wrong impression.

Workload will vary by activity; please consult the convenor for information about what tasks are expected, the time frame, and availability of time and facilities to rest.

If you perceive that the activities described by the convenor might be challenging for you, you are encouraged to discuss what options might be available.

Many field-based teaching and learning activities require appropriate clothing, which you should carry with you to suit weather conditions and in case of changing weather (e.g. jumper, jacket, rainwear, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen. Any specialist protective clothing (safety helmets, high visibility vests and sturdy boots) will typically be provided.

Please talk to the course convenor if you may have difficulty wearing particular protective clothing or may otherwise need individualised protective clothing.  You can be excluded from a field activity by the academic supervisor if you do not carry adequate personal protective clothing or do not comply with requests from staff to wear allocated specialist attire.

During a field activity, you may need to observe and interpret visual features in the environment. If you require visual features to be described to you by someone else, please discuss this with the course convener prior to the start of semester.

You may need to walk over rough surfaces, walk distances, and climb flights of stairs to visit local areas of cultural significance or to make measurements and collect data. 

If you find it difficult to complete these tasks, please discuss your options with the course convener prior to the activity.

To maximise learning, you may need to take notes in the field; you may be able to choose how to take notes, including using electronic devices or recording verbal observations.

If you find it difficult to complete these tasks, other students may be able to assist you; please discuss your options with the course convener prior to the activity.

You might need to listen to content delivered by staff whilst in the field (outside). While collecting field data, you may need to listen, discuss and coordinate with other students in a small group. You may be required to navigate on-site language immersion, or conduct intellectual and everyday cultural interactions with native speakers in overseas destinations.

If you think that you may have difficulty doing this, please discuss this with the course convener prior to the start of semester.

There are often pre-scheduled time commitments that the field activity organisers need to maintain; staff will continually evaluate activities with respect to the program and provide information to you about what time is available for each activity.

Your responsibility is to acknowledge and respect this need to manage the time. When working in small groups, you and the other students in the group will need to perform the required tasks within the time available.

You may design and work on group research projects; the group may work together to choose a topic, develop research questions, choose appropriate data collection methods, collect data, analyse the data and present the results. 

Staff members may be available to help you develop the relevant skills at the beginning of the field activity, guide you through the process and help with any difficulties you encounter. However, you may need to be comfortable contributing to group decision making, developing solutions to open ended problems and following an evolving and flexible trip schedule. 

If you're concerned about these aspects of the project work, please talk to the convener. The convener can suggest ways you can prepare prior to the trip and investigate options to provide you with additional support during the field activity.

You are expected to display values and behaviours consistent with the ANU Student Code of Conduct and the Code of Practice for Teaching and Learning, including:

• treating everyone with courtesy and respect;
•  engaging in conduct that is respectful of differences, including cultural or religious perspectives;
• not acting in a manner that is discriminatory, harassing, sexually harassing, bullying, or engage in any form of interpersonal, psychological, sexual or physical violence;
• refraining from behaviour that may harm the reputation of the ANU;
• responding positively to reasonable instructions given by a University staff member or employee;
• actively participating in all scheduled activities, including completion of reading, practice and other activities and preparations required to fully realise learning opportunities; and
• recognising that many learning experiences are collaborative and that it may be necessary to be excluded from some activities when students have not prepared at the necessary standard communicated by teachers in advance in order to avoid negatively impacting the learning of others.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are prepared to travel and participate fully in this course, including ensuring that you:

• obtain formal approval to travel by the relevant deadline to ensure you are covered by the University’s travel insurance policy;
• review in advance all ANU travel insurance policy documents and are aware of key insurance contacts and information should you require any medical assistance during your travel. Should the ANU travel insurance not be sufficient for your individual needs and circumstances, it is your responsibility to obtain suitable insurance cover prior to travel;
• make all your own travel arrangements outlined as required by the course convenor;
• have access to sufficient funds to cover meals and incidental expenses during the course;
• consult your medical practitioner as early as possible for any travel medicine or immunisation requirements;
• check any current travel advice and register your trip with Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through: https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/;
• arrange visas, if required, to enter [insert destination/s] and any other countries you may transit through; and
• understand that if any emergencies or unforeseen circumstances arise during the course, ANU reserves the right to inform your emergency contact person and request their assistance.