CCESL Van Rental

The CCESL vehicles may be used by faculty, staff, and students who are employed by WCU. Use of the CCESL vehicles is FREE for activities that are connected to designated service-learning courses or courses that are working directly with a community partner on a community-identified need. Courses, campus departments, and registered student organizations may use the vehicles for free if they are working directly with a community partner on a community-identified need.

The vechicles may be used for free by courses, departments, and registered student organizations that work on a community-identified need but not directly with the partner if their service work serves the public greater good. Examples could include nature cleanups, trail maintenance, environmental data collection for public databases.

The CCESL vehicles may be used for non-community engagement purposes for a fee. See the associated fees outline in the “What Are the Costs/Fees Associated with Use of the CCESL Van?” section below.

To reserve one or more vehicles, 

• Complete the online CCESL Vehicle Reservation Request Form at least (14) days PRIOR to the requested reservation date.  
  • NOTE: You must complete a separate form for EACH activity for which you are requesting the use of a vehicle.  If you are requesting a vehicle for the same activity on multiple dates, you should only submit ONE form.  
  • NOTE: To complete the form, you will need the following info:
    • Name and contact info of all intended vehicle drivers *only employees of WCU (faculty, staff or students) are authorized to drive a WCU owned vehicle, including the CCESL vehicles.  Drivers MUST be currently employed by WCU.   
    • Name of Department/Course and Section/Instructor (if applicable)
    • Name of Program/Organization (if applicable) 
    • Number of people riding in each vehicle (including the driver)
    • Physical addresses of pick-up and drop-off locations
    • Name and address of destination
    • Purpose and brief itinerary of the activity for which the vechicle is being reserved
    • Which vehicle you are interested in: 12-passenger van or 8-passenger SUV

Once we receive your request, we will contact you via email within (3) business days to confirm availability of your requested date/time and finalize payment details (if applicable). 

Scope of FREE CCESL Vehicle Use

Use of the CCESL vechicles is FREE for activities that are connected to designated service-learning courses or courses that are working directly with a community partner on a community-identified need. Courses, campus departments, and registered student organizations may use the vehicles for free if they are working directly with a community partner on a community-identified need.

The vehicles may be used for free by courses, departments, and registered student organizations that work on a community-identified need but not directly with the partner if their service work serves the public greater good. Examples could include nature cleanups, trail maintenance, environmental data collection for public databases.

The CCESL vehicles can be used to travel anywhere within the state or North Carolina or within a 300-mile radius of Western Carolina University for a paid fee.

Scope of Charged CCESL Vehicle Use

The CCESL vehicles may be used by faculty, staff, and students for WCU affiliated activities that do not relate to community engagement. Examples could include experiential education trips, field trips, or departmental outings. The CCESL vehicles can be rented for $75 per day, per vehicle.

The CCESL vehicles can only travel within the state of North Carolina or a within a 300 miles radius of Western Carolina University. The requesting department/organization is responsible for covering any gas costs during the trips and they must return the vehicle with at least ¾ tank of gas.

Additional Fees

• If the van is not returned in a clean, appropriate condition, a $45 cleaning fee will be charged to the requesting department/organization responsible for the reservation. This cleaning fee is at the discretion of CCESL and may be higher depending on the extent of the vehicle condition when returned.
• If the vehicle or vehicle key is not returned by the time agreed upon during the reservation confirmation, a $125 late fee will be charged to the requesting department/organization. If unexpected events arise that may make you late, communicate with the CCESL staff to inform them in these events in a timely manner.
  • Weekend rentals will have until Monday at 10am to return their vehicle key. The vehicle still needs to be in the Belk parking lot at the end of the reserved time.
• If the vehicle is not returned with a ¾ full gas tank, a $100 refueling fee will be charged to the requesting department/organization.
• If a requestor cancels their vehicle reservation less than 48 hours to the reserved start time, a $25 cancellation fee will be charged to the requesting department/organization.
• If a requestor does not show up to pick up the vehicle key for their reservation and does not communicate with CCESL staff about a reservation cancellation, the requesting department/organization will still be charged for the entirety of their original reservation.

Any intended driver of a CCESL vehicle must meet the eligibility requirements and follow the directives outlined in University Policy 30. 

• Any employee compensated through university payroll office working and receiving a paycheck from the state of North Carolina for wages or salary to include administrators, faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students is eligible.
• Drivers must possess a valid driver's license and complete the Motor Pool vechilce driver safety course prior to making any trip.
• Any accompanying passenger may assist in driving only if that individual satisfies the definition of "eligible driver" as described above and has taken the Motor Pool course.
• All drivers and passengers must follow the WCU Vehicle Safety and Operations Protocol while using the CCESL vehicles.