2012 Summer Programs Catalog

Residential Sites - Student Life

The following information applies to students attending Young Students residential sites:

Introduction

In addition to their course work, our students enjoy a rich experience outside the classroom. They live on campus under the supervision of resident assistants (RAs) and participate in a variety of afternoon and weekend activities. More importantly, they get to know other students like them—students whose interests are diverse and who share their exceptional academic abilities and love of learning. Lasting friendships develop as students learn from each other both in and out of the classroom. Throughout the residential program, we focus on helping students have a good time in a safe, supervised environment.

CTY students come from many different backgrounds and have a wide variety of opinions and beliefs. At CTY, we believe that engaging such diversity is part of the educational experience that the program provides, and we encourage students to embrace the opportunity to learn from others who are different from themselves.

Although helping students have a positive social experience is important to us, prospective students should know that their primary goal while enrolled in the program is to succeed in their academic endeavors. Students unable to make academics their first priority should not attend our program.

Supervision

While students are ultimately responsible for their own conduct, administrative, instructional, and residential staff all work together to provide clear guidelines and careful supervision. Outside class, students are supervised by RAs, who are typically college students selected on the basis of related work or volunteer experience, academic record, recommendations, and performance in an interview. RAs live with the students in the residence halls, providing support and encouragement, enforcing rules, and fostering a safe and inclusive community. The RAs, as well as instructors, teaching assistants, and administrators, are prepared to help students adjust to the academic demands of the program and to the experience of being away from home.

Housing

Students live on single-sex halls with their RAs and are not permitted to visit opposite-sex halls. Bathrooms are shared. Most rooms are doubles, but on occasion, students are assigned to singles or triples. When possible, students sharing a room will be of similar age and in the same or a related class. However, we cannot guarantee a particular housing arrangement. Although we will consider roommate requests, we cannot promise to accommodate them.

Each RA group has approximately 15 students. The RA group is an important part of the residential experience as it provides students with a sense of identity and belonging within the larger CTY community.

Daily Schedule

We strive to create an academic community that provides daily opportunities to build relationships within an intellectually challenging curriculum and exciting recreational program. Students are required to attend all classes and activity periods.

The exact schedule varies by site; however, students generally attend class from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with short morning and afternoon breaks and a longer break for lunch. Between the end of class and lights-out, students attend recreational activities, return to class for a 90-minute session, have dinner, and enjoy additional activities. Each day concludes with a hall meeting. Lights-out is at 9:30 p.m.

Afternoon Activities

When students are not in class, they attend activities planned and supervised by the resident assistants. The RAs’ goal is to offer a variety of activities so that all students can find something they enjoy doing each day. Activities range from the standard fare of board games, athletics, and arts and crafts to the more unusual (e.g., The Search for Kermit).

Facilities

Facilities vary by site, but may include a gymnasium, tennis courts, outdoor fields, a pool, and music practice rooms. These facilities are shared with other programs and are supervised by our staff only during scheduled activity periods. For these reasons, individual training programs and practice schedules cannot be accommodated. Students are not permitted to use campus weight rooms or aerobic equipment.

Weekends

All students participate in a full schedule of on-campus recreational and social activities during the weekends. Activities are planned and supervised by the RAs and administrative staff, and include sports, games, and special events. Students can look forward to their weekends being filled with events such as socials, talent shows, carnivals, movie nights, and scavenger hunts. Students also have down time in the mornings to catch up on laundry or just relax and talk with friends. Some students choose to attend religious services. The weekend includes a mandatory 90-minute class session on either Friday afternoon or Sunday evening, depending on the site.

July 4

On July 4^th, students attend classes and activities as usual. The site may recognize the holiday with a picnic or other special event for the students to participate in.

Visits

Weekend all-site activities allow students to establish friendships and forge strong connections within the CTY community. These activities are often considered by students to be highlights of their experience. With that in mind, we discourage families and friends from visiting students and taking them off campus. In our experience, homesickness is often intensified by visits from parents. However, parents are permitted to pick up their children for off-site visits, which we will help coordinate.

Student Site Information Packet

After enrollment, students receive a site information packet that includes additional information about policies and facilities at the site to which he or she has been assigned.

Expectations for Student Conduct

We expect our students to meet the highest standards of behavior, both in personal deportment and in dedication to academic pursuits. To this end, students must adhere to the Center for Talented Youth Honor Code, which requires them to uphold personal and academic integrity, respect the ideas and property of others, and ensure that those around them do the same. In addition, students are expected to:

• strive to do the best academic work possible
• respect individuals of different races, cultures, religions, genders, sexual orientations, ages, disabilities, and national origins
• behave in a friendly, cooperative, and responsible manner toward all persons in the program community and in the larger school and local communities
• attend all class sessions, meals, activities, and meetings
• take responsibility for their own work and actions
• cooperate with adult supervision
• observe all rules for student conduct.

We cannot accommodate students who are unwilling or unable to meet these expectations. At each site, students learn about our standards for behavior, including site rules. While specific rules vary somewhat from site to site, community standards throughout our programs are basic and consistent. They include a commitment to academic integrity, respect for all members of the community, regard for the basic rules of physical safety, and cooperation with adult supervision.

Students may be dismissed from the program for any of the following reasons:

• not attending to their academic work in a satisfactory manner
• cheating, plagiarizing, or committing other acts of academic dishonesty
• being in restricted areas of campus, or leaving campus, unaccompanied by a staff member
• being on an opposite-sex hall
• leaving their halls after lights-out
• stealing or vandalizing property
• keeping prescription or over-the-counter medication in their possession (for limited exceptions see Medical Information)
• possessing or using tobacco, alcohol, or drugs
• engaging in bullying, hazing, or harassing behavior
• not cooperating with adult supervision
• undermining the safety or wellbeing of self or others (including threats).

No tuition refunds will be made to students dismissed from the program. If a student damages property, the cost of repair or replacement is added to the student’s account balance.

Prohibited Items

The following items must not be brought to the sites:

• weapons of any kind (including pocket knives, martial arts devices, and toys resembling weapons)
• any flame-producing devices (including matches, lighters, and firecrackers)
• high energy drinks such as Red Bull, Monster, and Amp
• role-playing game books or other items associated with role-playing games
• trading cards
• pets of any kind
• televisions, computer/video games, or DVDs
• bicycles, skateboards, roller blades, skates, scooters, or shoes with wheels
• water guns
• halogen lamps, refrigerators, or cooking devices
• staff lanyards from current or previous summers.

In addition to the list above, we reserve the right to confiscate for the length of the program any items that, in our judgment, demonstrate the potential for distracting students from the goals of the program, or that pose undue risk to property or to the safety and wellbeing of people.

Technology at the Sites

Our sites have very limited computer access for students. CTY ensures that students have computer access when necessary for academic purposes, and our instructors expect hand-written work. In order to maximize community engagement and to minimize distractions, CTY limits the use of computers, cell phones, mp3 players, and other technologies. Students do not have access to the Internet or e-mail while in the program.

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