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As we continue to prepare for another academic year, we want to provide you with more information and set expectations regarding SGA vehicle rentals. The structure of renting SGA vehicles is going to look different this year.
As a reminder, submitting a request to rent an SGA vehicle does not guarantee that we can accommodate your request. Please be prepared and plan ahead well in advance of when you need to travel. Our office will not be able to accommodate last-minute requests.
We recommend that you submit a spending request for a blanket purchase order with Hertz and/or Enterprise if your club depends on 12-passenger vans for travel throughout the year.
Ultimately, your safety is our utmost concern. Last year, we stretched the limits of our fleet’s ability, and we cannot continue to do so this year.
The structure of renting SGA vehicles is going to look different this year.
Our fleet of vehicles is aging, and we do not have the option to buy all-new vehicles. As we said, your safety is our utmost concern. Therefore, we are having to place distance limits for specific vehicles. Due to these limits, there will be:
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2 SGA vans that can travel 2000 miles round trip.
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2 SGA vans that can travel 1500 miles round trip.
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2 SGA vans that can travel 1000 miles round trip.
- 2 SGA vans that can travel only within Chittenden County.
In addition, to ensure equity, SGA RSOs can only request 1 van per trip.
Submitting a request to rent with us does not guarantee that we can accommodate your request.
SGA has more RSOs and more rental requests for weekend trips than we have vehicles. Additionally, different RSOs have different needs for the same vehicles (for example, towing trailers or hauling large pieces of equipment, not just 12 passengers). Our intention is to establish and maintain an equitable rental process, and, at the same time, we need to acknowledge that there are various levels of need.
Plan ahead in advance of when you need to travel.
The timeline we’ve been using for the last two years may not be as reasonable to adhere to this year. Maintenance of our vehicles may take longer than expected. Five weeks between submitting a request to rent and actually getting the keys is a long time during which anything can happen that could take a vehicle offline.
Our office is unable to accommodate last-minute requests.
This year, your RSO may need to rely more heavily on alternate means of transportation, including buses, trains, and planes. Those modes of transportation will require a separate spending request. Given the anticipated increase in these types of requests, our office will need plenty of lead time to accommodate those requests. Submit requests early!
Again, we recommend that you request a blanket purchase order with Hertz and/or Enterprise if your RSO depends on 12-passenger vans for travel.
We understand that this new structure may change some of your RSOs operating procedures. However, making a change was necessary to ensure we keep students safe and provide equal and equitable services for all RSOs. If you have any questions regarding the new SGA vehicle request process, please feel free to contact us at uvmsga@uvm.edu.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work together to navigate these necessary changes in our vehicle rental process and policy.
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