As Los Rios moves to online classes, the Assumption of Risk Waiver for Classes and Activities Form GS-89 has been updated as of May 2020 with the following instructions.
New Protocol
The new protocol is to use the electronic PDF form, which may be electronically signed and stored.
This form is required for all students in courses and activities that are more than just lectures. This includes courses and activities where faculty ask students to engage in physical activities or lab activities in class (when Los Rios returns to in-person classes) or at their homes (for online courses with activity components).
If students choose not to execute the form, then they may not enroll in these courses.
Electronic Signing
Best practices indicate that the form should be electronically signed by the student within the Canvas shell. This may be done by using a program like Adobe Sign or by having the student type their name on the form.
When this is done in the Canvas shell, it gives Los Rios evidence that the student who either clicked on the Adobe Sign button or typed in their name is the student who agreed to waive their rights, because it will come from a space that requires them to enter a username and a password.
In rare cases where the waiver cannot be used in the Canvas shell, use the district student email system to send and receive the form.
Note: Original signatures or scanned copies of original signatures sent through district email are still acceptable.
Learn about signing PDFs electronically
Explaining the Risks/Activities
Faculty must explain the risks inherent in the activities they want their students to participate in during the first class session. For this form to be held valid by a court, the students must "knowingly" and "intelligently" waive their rights. In other words, they must know what they are giving up.
This is why faculty should continue to deliver information about the risks inherent in the activities they are asking the students to perform (for example, mixing chemicals can cause noxious fumes or start fires; wearing safety glasses is required; exercising has risks of injuries, such as sprained ankles; and so on).
Form Storage and Retention
The completed electronic forms should be kept in the online environment and may not be destroyed until the third college year after they were created.