GPS Monitoring of Dartmouth Vehicles and Motorized Equipment
Summary of Policy
Campus Services vehicles are equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) which monitors vehicle and other motorized equipment location and operation. Access under certain circumstances to data collected from the system promotes operational efficiencies, public safety, and the safety of college property.
Policy Statement
The college recognizes that employees have a reasonable right and expectation of privacy, while maintaining the right to electronically monitor the location of college owned vehicles and equipment.
Since it is policy to equip Campus Services vehicles and motorized equipment with a GPS, employees should consider any vehicle they are in or motorized equipment they are operating as being recorded for location and operation.
Operational Efficiency
The college will not purposely review GPS records to identify mistakes or misconduct, however designated managers are required to regularly review recorded GPS data to promote operational efficiencies.
Unsafe Operation and Equipment Tampering
For up to one (1) year from the date they are collected, data records may also be used to corroborate or verify information:
- about employee conduct that is received by the college;
- on automatic notifications from GPS settings that flag unsafe operation, including but not limited to speeding, lack of seatbelt use, hard acceleration, hard braking, and collisions;
- to investigate an attempt to remove, disable, or otherwise tamper with a GPS device installed on a Campus Services vehicle.
Ramifications
When it is revealed that an employee may have engaged in conduct violative of this policy or acceptable business practices, a designated management team shall evaluate all relevant information, including input from the employee. In determining whether corrective action is warranted, consideration shall be given to the nature, severity, and frequency of the violation(s).
Should a review for the purpose of operational efficiencies reveal that an employee is not following standard procedures or assigned tasks, Campus Services management may share that information with the employee to resolve the situation.
In instances where a record indicates that discipline may be appropriate and it involves a union employee, the union will be contacted before the employee, unless doing so would interfere with the investigation.
The management team shall report unsafe vehicle operation that results in discipline of an employee to Transportation Services, for additional review under Dartmouth's Driver Policy.