2013- 2014 Employee
Employee Policy Manual 20132014 Table of Contents Board Policy Statement................................................................................................................... 5 Message from the President ............................................................................................................ 6 History of R-MA ............................................................................................................................. 7 R-MA Vision, Mission, and Educational Philosophy..................................................................... 9 Vision .......................................................................................................................................... 9 Mission........................................................................................................................................ 9 Educational Philosophy .............................................................................................................. 9 R-MA Organizational Chart ......................................................................................................... 10 Employment Information .............................................................................................................. 11 Equal Employment Opportunity ............................................................................................... 11 Definitions of Employment....................................................................................................... 11 Conflicts of Interest................................................................................................................... 12 Orientation of New Employees ................................................................................................. 12 Employee Duty Status............................................................................................................... 12 Harassment Policy .................................................................................................................... 12 Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco Policy........................................................................................... 13 Compensation and Salary Administration .................................................................................... 15 Timekeeping Policy .................................................................................................................. 15 Standard Work Hours ............................................................................................................... 15 Overtime Pay ............................................................................................................................ 16 Attendance, Pay and Time off Policies ......................................................................................... 16 Employee Attendance ............................................................................................................... 16 Holiday Pay............................................................................................................................... 16 Vacation Pay ............................................................................................................................. 17 Vacation Entitlement ................................................................................................................ 17 Sick Leave/Pay.......................................................................................................................... 19 Personal Leave .......................................................................................................................... 20 Leave of Absence ...................................................................................................................... 20 FMLA ....................................................................................................................................... 20 Jury Duty................................................................................................................................... 21 Military Leave ........................................................................................................................... 21 Bereavement Leave ................................................................................................................... 22 Performance Evaluations .............................................................................................................. 22 Employee Performance Review and Evaluation Process ......................................................... 22 Faculty Performance Evaluation Process.................................................................................. 22 Policies Regarding Conduct .......................................................................................................... 23 Fair Treatment ........................................................................................................................... 23 Personnel Records ..................................................................................................................... 23 Disclosure of Confidential Academy Information .................................................................... 23 Information Systems Policy ...................................................................................................... 24 Social Media Policy .................................................................................................................. 24 2 Campus Security ....................................................................................................................... 25 Discipline .................................................................................................................................. 25 Termination of Employment ..................................................................................................... 26 Lay-off and Recall Policy ......................................................................................................... 27 Employee Responsibility, Conduct and Discipline .................................................................. 27 Employee Relationships with Students..................................................................................... 28 Upper School Supervision .................................................................................................... 29 Middle School Supervision ................................................................................................... 30 General Benefits for Full-Time Employees .................................................................................. 30 Medical Insurance ..................................................................................................................... 30 Dental Insurance ....................................................................................................................... 30 Life Insurance ........................................................................................................................... 31 Long Term Disability Insurance ............................................................................................... 31 Flexible Spending Accounts ..................................................................................................... 31 AFLAC ..................................................................................................................................... 31 Retirement Plan ......................................................................................................................... 31 Matching Component to the Retirement Plan ....................................................................... 32 Tax Deferred Annuity – 403(b) ............................................................................................ 32 Academy Housing ..................................................................................................................... 32 Tuition Remission ..................................................................................................................... 33 Educational Assistance ............................................................................................................. 33 Professional Development ........................................................................................................ 34 Employee Conferences, Training and Seminars ....................................................................... 35 Employee Meals........................................................................................................................ 35 General Operating Information ..................................................................................................... 35 Daily Announcements ............................................................................................................... 35 Purchasing Procedures .............................................................................................................. 35 Photography Procedures ........................................................................................................... 36 Incoming and Outgoing Mail .................................................................................................... 36 Gifts from Parents, Vendors, or Contractors ............................................................................ 36 Employee Dress Code ............................................................................................................... 37 Inclement Weather and Attendance .......................................................................................... 39 Cutting and Removing Trees on R-MA Property ..................................................................... 40 Clinical Counselor .................................................................................................................... 40 Safety and Security ....................................................................................................................... 40 Safety Committee...................................................................................................................... 41 Exposure to Blood-borne Pathogens & Epi Pen locations........................................................ 41 Fire Alarm Procedures .............................................................................................................. 41 Transporting Students ............................................................................................................... 42 Drivers of Academy Vehicles ................................................................................................... 42 Academy Field Trips................................................................................................................. 42 Academic Policies ......................................................................................................................... 43 Accreditation ............................................................................................................................. 43 Faculty Licensure ...................................................................................................................... 43 3 Faculty/Academic Staff Members and Professionalism ........................................................... 43 Faculty Members and Department Chairperson ....................................................................... 44 Faculty and the Dean or Principal ............................................................................................. 44 Faculty/Academic Staff and President ...................................................................................... 45 Faculty/Parent Relations ........................................................................................................... 45 Responsibilities of the Faculty .................................................................................................. 45 Chapel ....................................................................................................................................... 47 Weekend Duty – Upper School ................................................................................................ 47 Discipline .................................................................................................................................. 47 Responsibilities ......................................................................................................................... 48 Demerits .................................................................................................................................... 48 Cadet Development ................................................................................................................... 49 Discipline Referrals .................................................................................................................. 49 Mentoring .................................................................................................................................. 50 Grading Policy .......................................................................................................................... 50 Academic Honor Roll ........................................................................................................... 51 Changing a Grade ................................................................................................................. 52 Make-up Work/Absences...................................................................................................... 52 Incomplete Grade .................................................................................................................. 53 Grade Reports ....................................................................................................................... 53 Calculating Grade Point Averages ........................................................................................ 53 Syllabus/Lesson Plans/Curriculum Guide ................................................................................ 54 Homework................................................................................................................................. 55 Testing....................................................................................................................................... 55 Miscellaneous Policies .................................................................................................................. 55 Political Affiliations .................................................................................................................. 55 Copyright Act............................................................................................................................ 56 Freedom of Speech ................................................................................................................... 56 Appendix A - Upper School – Daily Class Schedule ................................................................... 57 Appendix B - Middle School Daily Schedule............................................................................... 60 4 Board Policy Statement The Randolph-Macon Academy Board of Trustees is responsible for the major policies of the institution, which are promulgated in the Board of Trustee Policy Manual. The Policy Manual is available to employees and is located in the library and on the R-MA website. Day-to-day operations are considered functions of the President and his/her staff. The Board hires and supervises the President; he/she hires and supervises the senior staff officers, and the faculty and staff. The Employee Manual is a guide for the operation of Randolph-Macon Academy and is provided to each employee via the website. This manual supersedes Faculty and Staff manuals of the Middle and Upper Schools. This manual is to be based upon the Board of Trustees Policy manual and is to be updated annually. It will contain specifics which apply to all employees. The Employee Manual may be supplemented as necessary by departments, offices, and shops. Those supplements are to be published, authenticated by supervisors, and a copy made available to the Director of Human Resources for record and file. The Director of Human Resources is responsible for the content and maintenance of the Employee Manual. The President will approve the Annual reissue of the manual. 5 Message from the President Dear Randolph-Macon Academy Employees, Welcome to Randolph-Macon Academy! I am delighted that you have chosen to join our team for School Year 2013-2014. Your hard work, dedication and teamwork will allow us to reach our goals. Remember the key to the Academy‘s success will be the degree to which our students succeed – when they do well our institution prospers. Thus, our focus is on students, their well being and their success. This Handbook is important. It provides valuable information on our programs, policies, and procedures. Guidance and suggestions are provided on a variety of subjects. I ask that you read the Handbook and refer to it for guidance. Best wishes for a happy and successful year! Most sincerely, Maurice H. Forsyth Major General, USAF, Retired President 6 History of R-MA The driving force to establish a school in Northern Virginia was Dr. William W. Smith, President of Randolph-Macon College. His dream was to have college preparatory schools to serve as feeder schools to Randolph-Macon College which had been established sixty years earlier. Dr. Smith had been successful with an earlier experiment of the Virginia Conference when the first Randolph-Macon Academy was established at Bedford, Virginia. Randolph-Macon Academy at Front Royal opened its doors in 1892 with twenty-six acres of land and a building of the same style and equal magnificence to the R-MA at Bedford. Classrooms, dining hall, living quarters for students and faculty, and indoor toilet and bathroom facilities were all included inside the lofty arched hallways and massive towers. Due to the economic recession of the 1890‘s, only forty-two boys enrolled in the fall of 1892. However, the early decades of the Twentieth Century marked relatively steady growth. There was increased emphasis on athletics and a nationalistic movement as a result of World War I which influenced the direction of the Randolph-Macon Academies. A Military Feature was added in 1918. It was a declared advantage, and two teachers attended government-sponsored training and a cadet corps was organized. The Military feature and later the National Defense Cadet Corps continued a part of the R-MA program for many years. In April of 1922 the total indebtedness was paid. A separate gymnasium building (later known as Rives Hall) had been added to the physical facilities, making way for the swimming pool to be built in the space that the gymnasium had previously occupied. By 1925 the enrollment had passed the 200 mark. Disaster struck on the night of January 10, 1927, when fire of undetermined origin completely destroyed the main building. Miraculously there were no deaths. After the fire, homeless students and faculty were taken into the homes of Front Royal residents. Classes continued to meet in churches and other buildings of the town while work on the new building was begun. A monumental reconstruction effort made it possible for students to move into the new structure in October 1927. R-MA had not fully recovered from the devastating fire when it was dealt another blow by the greatest economic depression the nation has ever known. By 1932 the enrollment had dipped to 78 students. The Bedford Academy closed at the end of the 1932-33 school year, and all students in both institutions attended at Front Royal. Both the economic recovery nationwide and the onset of World War II contributed to an era of expansion. In 1954, the three Randolph-Macon institutions officially and legally separated themselves from each other. Soon after, the Academy Executive Committee purchased adjacent property to expand the campus to 90 acres. Growing enrollment increased the need for additional space for an enlarged faculty and led to the building of a house for the president, a four-unit apartment house, four new faculty houses, and the purchase of seven houses for faculty quarters 7 on Villa Avenue, Main and First Streets. Melton Gymnasium was dedicated in 1956, and the old gymnasium was converted to classroom use. Also during this period, the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church embarked upon a major capital funds campaign for the support of all of the Randolph-Macon schools, and the Academy received sufficient funds to build a 500 seat chapel. During the 1970‘s, enrollment declined dramatically. The Civil rights legislation, the sexual revolution, the women‘s liberation movement and the anti-war sentiment challenged the structured environment as well as the military program and the conventional standards of social behavior which had long been an integral part of Academy life. Measures were taken to meet the demands for change without compromising traditional values and standards. R-MA was able to win a contract from the United States Air Force to install a Junior ROTC program, which replaced the old NDCC program. The Board of Trustees embraced a total non-discriminatory policy to include religion, race, sex and national origin. At the end of the 1970‘s, the financial situation was so acute that four of the faculty houses, and some of the real estate was sold. By the end of the decade, enrollment had dropped to 118 students with only 85 boarding. During the 1980‘s and early ‘90‘s, R-MA expanded to a 135 acre campus with seven major buildings. The Fulton Building houses the music department, mechanic and maintenance shops, Crow Hall houses the AFJROTC and Flight departments, mathematics, foreign language, and science classrooms and laboratories. Turner Hall provides dormitory space for girls and dining facilities capable of seating more than 500. A Middle School Complex was constructed, and opened in the fall of 1995, with the dormitories, classrooms, an activities center, a gymnasium, and a cafeteria for R-MA‘s younger students. The Academy also owns a hangar at the Front Royal-Warren County Airport, which houses two airplanes. On November 9, 1995, disaster struck again when a fire broke out on the third floor of Sonner Hall. While there were no injuries, the third and fourth floors of the North Wing were demolished, and the rest of the building suffered major water damage. By the end of November, students were back in their classes. The building is now named Sonner-Payne Hall and is fully air-conditioned with each room equipped with a telephone and has two network computer connections. In 1997, the Academy entered a new era when Major General Henry M. Hobgood, USAF (Retired) took the helm as Randolph-Macon Academy‘s ninth Chief Executive Officer. In the fall of 2000, a ten-classroom addition was added to Crow Hall. In 2002, a new maintenance building was constructed behind the Fulton Fine Arts Building. Enrollment reached an all-time high during the 2001-02 school year, with 508 students matriculating. In 2009, Fulton Hall was constructed where the rifle range was previously located. This building is an ultra-modern classroom building where over half of the classes are taught at R-MA. Each classroom is equipped with Smart Board technology and state-of-the art teaching capabilities. 8 In 2013, Major General Maurice H. Forsyth, USAF (Retired) was hired as Randolph-Macon Academy‘s tenth Chief Executive Officer. The Academy had previously been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and added an accreditation by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools. The Randolph-Macon Academy heritage remains strong and the school is poised to meet the demands of a new century with a clear vision. R-MA Vision, Mission, and Educational Philosophy Vision Randolph-Macon Academy is the co-ed college-preparatory, military school of choice in the world for families seeking a values-based, academically challenging, structured environment. Mission Randolph-Macon Academy develops students of academic achievement, integrity, leadership, and responsible citizenship, prepared for success in life. Educational Philosophy The R-MA community (students, faculty, staff, parents, trustees, and alumni/ae) believes that every student at R-MA is curious and capable. Our positive interaction and personal attention inspire the students‘ curiosity and confidence to learn throughout their personal and professional lives. We believe that the personal attention of the teacher makes the difference in the classroom. We believe parents, teachers, and administrators help students succeed by working together on academic aspirations, leadership, self-reliance, character development and service to others. We heartily believe students do their very best when they are known, respected, and encouraged. 9 R-MA Organizational Chart Board of Trustees President Executive Assistant Dir Human Resources CFO Vice President of Development Director of Enrollment Management Commandant Director of Accounting Director of Development Dir Admissions and Financial Aid Director of Residential Life US Assistant Dean Lead Teachers Maintenance Supervisor Director of Photography Director of Alumni Affairs Director of Public Relations Director of Student Services Dept. Heads Dorm Counselors Grounds Supervisor Bookstore Manager Director of Planned Giving Director of Flight Faculty Kitchen Supervisor Director of AFJROTC Librarian Housekpg Supervisor Director of Nursing College Counselor Information Technology Manager Uniform Sales Mgr Cadet Activities Supervisor 10 Upper School Academic Dean Middle School Principal Director of Services Employment Information Equal Employment Opportunity R-MA provides equal opportunity in employment to all employees and applicants for employment. No person will be discriminated against in employment because of race, religion, color, genetic disposition, sex, age, national origin, or disability. This policy applies to all terms, conditions, and privileges of employment including, but not limited to, hiring, introductory period, compensation, benefits, educational assistance, layoff and recall, employee facilities, termination, and retirement. Definitions of Employment An applicant for employment is an individual who submits a formal Application for Employment with the Academy. An individual who submits a resume or makes an inquiry regarding a position is not an applicant unless a formal Application for Employment is submitted. The hire date is the date the employee actually begins working. The anniversary date is the date used for determining benefit accruals such as vacation and pension. It may differ from the original hire date if there are periods of loss of work (layoff, separation, leave of absence, etc.). Employment contracts and pay summaries specify that all employees are AT WILL employees, under Virginia law. No employee is authorized to offer employment other than AT WILL employment. All employee contracts and employee agreements are in writing and signed by the President. All employment is contingent upon successful background checks. Employees must have their fingerprints taken and submitted on an approved fingerprint form. This will then be submitted to the State of Virginia and the FBI for clearance to work. Volunteers must also have a successful background check prior to performing any volunteer activities at the Academy. Full-time employment is considered to be an employee who regularly works more than thirty hours per week. Part-time employment is considered to be an employee who regularly works less than thirty hours per week. Temporary employment is considered to be an employee hired either on a full-time or part-time basis for a short period of time. Exempt employment is considered to be an employee who is exempt from the overtime provisions of the State and Federal laws and who does not receive overtime compensation. Not all salaried employees are exempt employees. Non-exempt employment is considered to be an employee who is eligible to receive overtime pay. A salaried employee is an employee who is paid a salary instead of an hourly wage. Not all salaried employees are exempt from overtime pay requirements. 11 The President executes written annual employment agreements with Senior Staff, faculty, and other employees as appropriate. All new employees and all present employees, promoted to a new job, are to be carefully monitored and evaluated for an initial introductory period on the job of at least three months. After satisfactory completion of the introductory evaluation, such employees will be evaluated on an annual basis. Compensation is to be nondiscriminatory and to the extent possible, competitive with rates being paid for similar jobs by other employers in the community. Compensation decisions must take into consideration R-MA's overall economic condition and competitive position. Pay raises are managed by the President and the Director of Human Resources. Conflicts of Interest It is the Academy‘s policy to avoid an employment situation that could result in a conflict of interest or compromise sensitive Academy information. As such, relatives or members of the same household may not be employed in positions that may have a reasonable possibility of conflict of interest or that may weaken internal control procedures. Under no circumstances may relatives or members of the same household have supervisory responsibilities of another family member. The Academy will normally not employ relatives of Board members on a fulltime basis. Exceptions will be approved by the Academy President. Orientation of New Employees New employees will receive benefits information from the Director of Human Resources. New employees will also receive orientation to the Academy from a faculty or staff sponsor and special orientation at the start of school in-service. Employee Duty Status Employees are to provide a good example for all students. Whenever employees are on campus, regardless of scheduled work hours, they are considered to be in a duty status with regard to conduct, dress, appearance, language, and supervision of cadets. Employees must also protect students from foreseeable harm and conduct. Harassment Policy R-MA promotes a productive work environment and does not tolerate verbal or physical conduct by any employee that harasses, disrupts, or interferes with another's work performance or which creates an intimidating, offensive, or hostile environment. 12 Employees are expected to act in a positive manner and contribute to a productive work environment that is free from harassing or disruptive activity. No form of harassment will be tolerated. The nature of private schools places our reputation at stake daily. Any action which jeopardizes our trust and confidence will have an adverse effect on our ability to accomplish our mission. Sexual harassment destroys a positive working climate and intimidates those who are harassed. Sexual harassment will not be condoned at R-MA among the faculty, staff or students. Sexual harassment is defined as: Any demand or sexual inference connected with an employee's job; verbal or nonverbal sexual innuendos, threats, insults, jokes about specific traits, sexual propositions, suggestive or insulting noises, obscene gestures, inappropriate physical body contact, or coercing of any sexual activity; Any unwelcome sexual advances or request for sexual favors as a term or condition of an individual's employment, or when this conduct is used as a basis for employment decisions; furthermore, when such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance creating an intimidating, hostile, and an offensive working environment; Any employee who believes that a supervisor's, another employee's, or a nonemployee's actions or words constitute unwelcome harassment has a responsibility to report or complain about the situation as soon as possible by following the grievance procedure outlined in this manual. Such report or complaint should be made to the employee's supervisor, the appropriate senior staff officer, or the Director of Human Resources. After appropriate reporting of an alleged violation, an inquiry will be conducted by an impartial party. Employees are required to cooperate in any inquiry. A timely resolution of each complaint is to be reached and communicated to the parties involved. Retaliation against any employee for filing a complaint or participating in an investigation is strictly prohibited. Any employee, supervisor, or manager who is found to have engaged in harassment of another employee will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, depending on the circumstances, up to and including termination. Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco Policy The Academy is a drug and alcohol free zone. The use, sale, dispensing, distribution, possession, or manufacture of illegal drugs and narcotics, on or off campus, by any employee will be grounds for dismissal. In addition, employees are prohibited from the use of alcohol, on campus or off campus, when in the presence of R-MA 13 students, or when such activities adversely affect job performance, job safety, or R-MA's reputation in the community. Unless mandated by state or local law, the Academy will ensure that alcoholics or drug abusers whose current use of such substances prevents them from performing their jobs or who would constitute a direct threat to the property or safety of others will not be hired. Employees will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination, for violations of this policy. Supervisors should report immediately to the appropriate senior staff officer any action by an employee who demonstrates an unusual behavior pattern. The senior staff officer will determine whether the employee should be examined by a physician and/or tested for drugs and alcohol. Employees believed to be under the influence of drugs, narcotics, or alcohol will be required to leave the premises. Employees who use legal drugs or narcotics during work, and have any reason to expect such use may affect their ability to perform their work, must report this fact to their supervisors. The supervisor will then make a determination as to whether the employee should be able to perform the essential functions of the job safely and properly. Employees who are experiencing work-related or personal problems resulting from drug, narcotic, or alcohol abuse or dependency may request, or be required to seek, counseling help. Required counseling is kept confidential and may not have any influence on performance appraisals. Job performance alone, not the fact that an employee seeks counseling, is to be the basis of all performance appraisals. Employees must notify their supervisors of any criminal conviction for a drug violation occurring in the work place within five days of the conviction. Employees are also required to notify supervisors of any serious incidents with the law (i.e. arrests, etc.). Any employee who is abusing drugs or alcohol may be granted a leave of absence to undertake rehabilitation treatment. The employee will not be permitted to return to work until he presents certification to the senior staff officer that he/she is capable of performing his/her job. Failure to cooperate with an agreed-upon treatment plan may result in discipline, up to and including termination. Participation in a treatment program does not insulate an employee from the imposition of discipline for violations of this or other R-MA policies. The Academy provides a work environment that promotes productivity and the well-being of its employees. Use of tobacco products represents a health hazard, which can have serious consequences both for the user and the non-user. The potential for exposing young people at an early age to the addictive nature of tobacco products and the use of tobacco products by employees in the presence of students is unacceptable. 14 The use of tobacco products is prohibited anywhere on the R-MA premises, or at any time off Academy property when in the presence of R-MA students. For purposes of this policy, tobacco includes smoking a cigar, cigarette, or pipe, or the use of tobacco products for chewing, etc. The personal on-campus residences of faculty/staff are exempt from the tobacco/alcohol rules, unless otherwise specified by the Academy President. To protect other residents, the Academy President may declare certain community residences, such as apartment houses, non-smoking. Compensation and Salary Administration Timekeeping Policy Nonexempt employees are required to complete an individual time record showing the daily hours worked. Time records cover one workweek and must be completed by the close of each workday. The following should be considered when filling out time records: Employees will record their starting time, time out for lunch, time in from lunch, quitting time, and total hours worked for each workday; Employees are not permitted to clock in or begin work before their normal starting time or to clock out or stop work after their normal quitting time without the prior approval of their supervisor; Employees are required to take scheduled lunch or meal breaks; Employee time records will be checked and signed by the supervisor involved. Unworked time for which an employee is entitled to be paid (paid absences, paid holidays, or paid vacation time) should be entered by the supervisor on the time record. Unapproved absences will not be considered as hours worked for pay purposes. Supervisors will inform employees if they will not be paid for certain hours of absence; Clocking in for another employee or falsifying of any time record is prohibited and may be grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Personnel employed in executive, administrative, and professional capacities are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Such employees are not required to fill out hourly time records but must account for daily attendance. In addition, exempt employees will not receive overtime compensation, but may be eligible for compensatory time-off, if authorized by management. Standard Work Hours The President establishes specific working periods and working hours as required to ensure the smooth and regular operation of the Academy. Senior staff officers may designate alternative hours as necessary to meet mission needs, in coordination with The President. Faculty are required to be present and ready to accept students into the classroom ten minutes prior to the scheduled commencement of class. 15 For support staff, which includes but is not limited to secretarial and clerical staff, custodial, maintenance and security personnel, full-time employment is eight hours per day, five days per week with one hour or less for lunch per day, or as adjusted by agreement with the staff members and supervisor. Overtime Pay Non-exempt employees are eligible to receive overtime pay per state or federal wage and hour regulations. Overtime must be approved IN ADVANCE by the responsible senior staff officer. Overtime is carefully managed with the focus on minimizing its use. Overtime resulting from arbitrarily clocking in/out is not allowed. Attendance, Pay and Time off Policies Employee Attendance Regular attendance and punctuality are expected of all employees. If an employee cannot report to work, the employee must notify the immediate supervisor no later than 30 minutes before the start of the employee‘s scheduled workday. Leaving a message with another employee is NOT considered proper notification. If an employee fails to report to work or to contact his/her supervisor, then the Academy will assume that the employee has abandoned the work position and may consider this a voluntary separation of employment. If an employee is out sick for more than three days a doctor‘s documentation will be required to return to work. Holiday Pay Full-time hourly and staff employees are entitled to receive the following days as holidays: New Year's Day Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Eve Christmas Day A holiday that occurs on a Saturday or Sunday generally will be observed by R-MA on either the preceding Friday or following Monday. Full-time employees are eligible to receive their regular rate of pay for each observed holiday. Part-time employees are eligible to receive holiday pay only for holidays on which they would normally be scheduled to work, and only for their regularly scheduled number of hours. 16 Temporary employees, introductory employees, and employees on leaves of absence or on a layoff are not eligible to receive holiday pay. If a holiday occurs during an employee's vacation period, the employee will be given an additional day of paid vacation or pay in lieu of the additional day. If the employee elects the additional day, it may be taken at the beginning or end of the vacation period. It is recognized that some employees may wish to observe, as periods of worship or commemoration, certain days, which are not included in R-MA's regular holiday schedule. Accordingly, employees who would like to take a day off for such reasons may be permitted to do so if the employee's absence from work will not result in an undue hardship on the conduct of R-MA's business and if the employee's supervisor approves. Employees may use accrued vacation days or they may take such time off as an unpaid, excused absence. The President may schedule work on an observed holiday, as he deems necessary. Normally, work on an observed holiday will be paid as if the day were a regularly scheduled day. In addition, employees will be given the option of receiving their holiday pay or a "floating" holiday to be taken, with the prior approval of their supervisor, at another time during the year. Vacation Pay The established vacation year is the calendar, January 1 through December 31 each year. Vacations are accrued or earned based on the employee‘s length of service, their position, and on the time worked during the preceding calendar year. Accrual of vacation begins from the date of employment. Employees may not take vacation until they have been employed for 6 months. Faculty, CLS‘s, and any others that are off when the students are off and here when they are here do NOT accrue vacation. Full-time employees are entitled to paid vacation, based on consecutive years of service in accordance with the following schedule: Vacation Entitlement Years of Service Staff Hourly Directors/Sr. Staff 1 Year…………………………….. 2 weeks 1 week 3 weeks 2 Years……………………………. ---------2 weeks -----------5 Years……………………………. 3 weeks --------3.5*weeks 10 Years…………………………………………… 3 weeks 4 weeks 15 Years…………………………… 4 weeks --------------------20 Years……………………………………………………………………. 4.5* weeks *.5 weeks = 3 days 17 Employees will accrue vacation by hours. Hourly wage employees will be granted vacation depending on the average number of hours worked weekly. Employees may accumulate vacation to a maximum of forty days (8 weeks) for staff salaried employees, and 240 hours (30 days) for hourly wage employees. Any vacation in excess of the maximum accrual will be lost. Exceptions must be approved by the Academy President. Leave balances may be given (transferred) to employees with serious health/family issues. Each case will be individually evaluated by the Academy President and documentation filed in the Human Resource office. Employees are required to complete and submit their vacation request forms to their immediate supervisor no less than two weeks prior to the start of vacation. Supervisors will then submit the request to the appropriate senior staff officer with their recommendation for approval or disapproval after verifying with Finance the number of days accrued and remaining for the employee are accurate. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring adequate staffing levels. When a conflict of schedules occurs, the immediate supervisor is responsible for resolving the vacation scheduling conflict based on the needs of the department and seniority. Employees, who change their vacation plans after the vacation schedule has been set, may lose their seniority consideration. Any time an employee is absent from work for ½ day or more, the supervisor must report this absent to the Finance Department. This absence may be charged against vacation accrued, unless the employee is granted compensatory leave or uncompensated leave under an established leave policy. The senior staff officers are responsible for determining the compensation or no compensation based on the circumstances. Vacation days will NOT be paid out in cash, except as follows: When employment is terminated by either the employee or the employer with a proper resignation or notification in writing at least two weeks (2 week) prior to departure, and the notice is acknowledged and accepted by the employee‘s senior staff officer, the employee may take his/her accrued vacation before separation from employment, or the employee will receive vacation pay for any unused vacation accrued at the time of departure. If a salaried employee is terminated for cause, or leaves before fulfilling the terms of his/her contract and does not provide at least a two week (2 week) notice in writing to his/her immediate supervisor, accrued or unused vacation will not be granted or paid. If an hourly employee is terminated for cause, or does not provide at least a two-week (2 week) notice in writing to his/her immediate supervisor, accrued or unused vacation will not be paid or granted. 18 If an employee owes outstanding debt to the Academy, accrued vacation or unused time will be used to render payment on this debt prior to issuing any remaining pay to the employee. Payments will then be paid in accordance with the policy. Sick Leave/Pay Sick leave is defined as leave taken by eligible employees who are absent from their jobs for the following reasons: Personal disability due to illness or injury; exclusion of the employee from RMA by its medical advisor because of the employee's exposure to a contagious disease; because the President or senior staff officer, acting on the advice of R-MA's medical advisor and/or the employee‘s health care provider, judges the employee to be medically unable to adequately perform his duties. Employees are eligible for sick leave if they are employed on a full-time basis, i.e., working at least forty hours per week. Sick leave does not include absence due to illness of a member of the employee's household unless the employee has been exposed to a contagious disease and has been placed on sick leave by a senior staff officer. Eligible employees will accrue one day for each month worked, which will be cumulative not to exceed sixty days. A sick leave absence will begin when the employee reports the absence. A sick leave day, once begun, may be reinstated as a working day with the approval of the appropriate senior staff officer. Whatever the claims of disability, no day of absence will be considered to be a sick leave day when the employee has engaged in or prepared for other gainful employment, has participated in concerted work stoppage or has engaged in any activity which would raise doubts regarding the validity of the sick leave request. Supervisors are responsible for the accurate and timely reporting of sick leave to the Director of Human Resources for employees under their supervision. The creation of deficit leave balances is not allowed, except as approved by the Director of Human Resources and the responsible senior staff officer. Persons discharged, resigning, or for any reason terminating employment at R-MA are not entitled to reimbursement for sick leave, whether or not the leave has been accrued. 19 Personal Leave Employees are eligible for two (2) personal leave of absences that do not fall under other leave policies. The two (2) personal leave days are to be used within the contract year for faculty and corresponding school year (9/1 – 8/31) for full time staff and hourly employees. Employees will be allowed two days (2 days) personal leave without deduction from salary. Employees are required to submit a written request form to their immediate supervisor thirty days (30 days) prior to the leave date. This form is to be submitted to their immediate supervisor for approval or denial recommendation and forwarded to the senior staff for approved or denied and signature, prior to submission to the Finance Department. Finance will verify the number of personal days allowed, prior to issuing any payments. Employees are responsible to keep record of their personal days for accuracy. The immediate supervisor or the senior staff may deny personal days that may have a negative impact on the student schedule, the department schedule, or the academic schedule. There may be times when the thirty days (30 days) notification is not feasible due to circumstances. The senior staff officer will make the decision to approve or deny any exceptions. There may be special events that require staff or faculty to be present on campus, such as family weekends, graduation or exam weeks. We will not accommodate personal days around these events. Any exceptions to the personal day policy must be approved and authorized by the President. Senior staff members may authorize personal leave request according to the policy only. Leave of Absence Leaves of absence without compensation may be taken under certain circumstances. Uncompensated leave is defined as an absence from work, which an employee takes without pay. An employee may take uncompensated leave when the reasons for the required absence do not comply with the provisions of vacation, compensatory leave, personal leave, sick leave, or funeral leave. Uncompensated leave must be approved in the same manner as for other authorized absences. Failure to acquire permission for uncompensated leave may subject the employee to discipline, loss of pay, and/or termination. FMLA The Academy complies with the Family Medical Leave Act. FMLA requires covered employers to provide up to 12weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to eligible employees for certain family and medical reasons. Employees are eligible if they have worked for R-MA for at least one year, 20 and for 1,250 hours over the previous 12 months. FMLA permits employees to take leave on an intermittent basis or to work a reduced schedule under certain circumstances. Unpaid leave will be granted for any of the following reasons: to care for the employee's child after birth, or placement for adoption or foster care; to care for the employee's spouse, son or daughter, or parent who has a serious health condition; for a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the employee's job; or to permit a spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin to take up to 26 workweeks of leave to care for a member of the Armed Forces, including a member of the National Guard or Reserves, who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy, is otherwise in outpatient status, or is otherwise on the temporary disability retired list, for a serious injury or illness. FMLA leave may also be taken for any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the spouse, or a son, daughter, or parent of the employee is on active duty (or has been notified of an impending call or order to active duty) in the Armed Forces in support of a contingency operation. In certain circumstances, certain kinds of paid leave may be substituted for unpaid leave. An employee is required to provide advance leave notice and medical certification (if applicable). Taking of leave may be denied if requirements are not met. The employee ordinarily must provide 30 days advance notice when the leave is ''foreseeable.'' R-MA may require medical certification to support a request for leave because of a serious health condition, and may require second or third opinions and will require a fitness for duty report to return to work. For the duration of FMLA leave, R-MA will maintain the employee's health coverage under our group health plan. Upon return from FMLA leave, most employees will be restored to their original or equivalent positions with equivalent pay, benefits, and other employment terms. The use of FMLA leave will not result in the loss of any employment benefit that accrued prior to the start of an employee's leave. For questions regarding this type of leave, please see the Director of Human Resources. Jury Duty Employees will be granted leave with pay to serve jury duty when required by law. Employees are to notify their supervisors when they receive notification from the Court. Typically, the Academy normally does not support exemption requests for jury duty. Employees will not be penalized in any way for serving on jury duty or as a subpoenaed witness. For each day of jury duty or witness duty, employees must report their schedule for the next day, and must report to work or suffer loss of pay when excused for half a day or more. Employees should submit to their supervisor a record from the county stating the number of days served. Military Leave Provided two weeks advance notice is given, employees will be granted leaves of absence for participating in military reserves field training exercises which is typically two weeks. 21 Bereavement Leave Employees are permitted to be absent from work for up to three working days due to the death of the employee's immediate family member which is defined as spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandparent or grandchild. To help employees maintain their income during these absences, RMA will provide compensation according to the guidelines below. Senior staff must approve leave requests made through the employee's immediate supervisor. Leave taken without senior staff‘s approval and beyond three days will be charged as follows: Hourly wage employees -- without pay; salaried employee‘s eligible for vacation -- vacation days; Faculty -- charged against salary on a prorated basis. Regular part-time employees who work thirty or more hours per week are eligible to receive compensation for funeral leave on the same basis as full-time employees, but only for their regularly scheduled hours. Part-time employees working less than thirty hours per week and temporary employees are not eligible for compensation for funeral leave, but may take unpaid absences if approved by the appropriate senior staff member. Performance Evaluations Employee Performance Review and Evaluation Process The periodic evaluation of administrative and support personnel is necessary to enable the Academy to monitor the effectiveness and competence of personnel, to ensure continued professional growth, and to promote efficient job performance. Completed evaluations are considered confidential. Supervisors, in completing evaluations, will prepare a written appraisal of each employee's job performance as of 30 June each year. The supervisor and employee will meet and discuss the evaluation. The employee will be given the opportunity to examine the evaluation and make written comments about any aspect of it. The employee and supervisor will then sign and date the evaluation and forward it to the responsible senior staff officer who will authenticate the form and provide it to the Director of Human Resources. The President will review and endorse each staff evaluation. Faculty Performance Evaluation Process Faculty members are to be evaluated annually. The Academic Dean and Middle School Principal or their assistants will observe teacher and complete the standard faculty evaluation form. A compilation of the annual evaluation is provided in June of each year to the Academy President for review/comment. Faculty evaluations are maintained by the Dean or Principal in a notebook form. Completed evaluations are considered confidential. 22 Policies Regarding Conduct Fair Treatment An employee who feels he or she has an appropriate grievance may bring the grievance to the attention of his or her immediate supervisor, who is to investigate the grievance, attempt to resolve it, and give a decision to the employee within a reasonable time. If the employee is dissatisfied with the decision or if the grievance involves the employee‘s immediate supervisor, he or she may appeal to the senior staff officer, who may take the matter to the President. The President will take the necessary steps to review and investigate the grievance and will then issue a written, final, and binding decision. If a grievance involves impropriety on the part of the President, after informing the senior staff officer, the complaint should be filed in writing to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Final decisions on grievances will not be precedent-setting or binding on future grievances unless they are officially stated as R-MA policy. Information concerning an employee grievance will be held in confidence. Supervisors and other members of management who investigate a grievance are to discuss it only with those individuals who have a need to know about it or who are needed to supply necessary background information or advice. Personnel Records R-MA will maintain confidential personnel records for all employees. Typically, personnel records will contain the following documents: copies of contracts/employment agreements, pay changes, tax forms, benefits enrollment forms, and the employee‘s resume. Access is given on a business ―need to know‖ basis only. No personnel record is to be removed from the Human Resource Office. Personnel records are maintained in a locked cabinet with limited access. Employees may review their personnel records upon written request. Employees must notify the Director of Human Resources of any changes in their address, phone number, name or dependents. Disclosure of Confidential Academy Information Employees with access to confidential Academy information must use discretion to protect the confidentiality of the information. Proprietary information which is available to employees by reason of their employment must be held in the strictest of confidence. The authority to release information is granted by the President of the Academy. Unauthorized disclosure of confidential information will subject the employee to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment and possible legal action. Communication to the press is authorized to be released by the Director of Public Relations in coordination with the President of the Academy. Any events that need to be published must be authorized and released by the Director of Public Relations. 23 Faculty, staff and administration are encouraged to seek out positive stories about R-MA people and events. Noteworthy student successes and human interest stories are particularly useful in presenting the Academy in the most favorable light to the public. Suggestions and ideas should be provided to the Director of Public Relations. Information Systems Policy The Academy computer systems shall not be used for the storage, creation or distribution of any disruptive or offensive messages, including offensive comments about race, gender, disabilities, age, sexual orientation, pornography, political beliefs, or national origin. Employees who receive any emails with this content from any Randolph-Macon Academy employee should report the matter to their supervisor. Academy resources may be used for personal emails provided the system is not abused. Sending chain letters, joke emails, virus or other malware warnings and mass mailings from a RandolphMacon Academy email account is considered abuse and is prohibited. These restrictions also apply to the forwarding of mail received by a Randolph-Macon Academy employee. Use of the Randolph-Macon Academy mailing lists such as [email protected], [email protected], etc. is subject to meeting certain guidelines. Mail is to be of a business or professional nature, and applicable to all members on such list. Personal use of the mailing lists is prohibited. For example, advertising for sale items is prohibited; however, asking for assistance with a duty schedule is acceptable. Use of the lists should be limited so that the subject pertains to the majority of the list members. Randolph-Macon Academy employees shall have no expectation of privacy in anything they store, send or receive on the Academy‘s computer systems. Any electronic messages sent or stored on Randolph-Macon Academy‘s computers become the property of the Academy. Randolph-Macon Academy may monitor messages without prior notice. Any employee found to have violated this policy may be subject to disciplinary action as appropriate and determined by supervision. Social Media Policy With the rise of new media and next generation communication tools, the way in which Randolph-Macon Academy employees communicate internally (with colleagues and students) and externally (with vendors, parents, etc) is important to the accomplishment of our mission. Thus, this policy addresses our responsibilities when dealing with multi-media and social networking sites (MySpace, Facebook, Yahoo! Groups, YouTube, Twitter, etc.), blogs, wikis, and any other site where text can be posted. All of these sites will be referred to as ―Internet postings‖. 24 General Guidelines: (1) Internet postings may not disclose any confidential information. This is particularly important when discussing student matters on any online site. (2) When discussing R-MA, you must insert that this is your own view and not the view of the R-MA administration or anyone else at R-MA. (3) Think twice before posting. A good measure of whether something is appropriate is to ask yourself, ―would this Internet posting impair my ability to work with my colleagues, parents, students, on a collegial basis? Would it make anyone mentioned feel uncomfortable? Would I like to see this on the front page of the Washington Post?‖ If the answer to any of these is yes, then do not make this type of posting. (4) Remember your audience. Be aware of how your posting might impact them, and be respectful of the entire audience. Don‘t insult, use obscene language, or behave in any way that would embarrass, demean, or shed a bad light on R-MA in any manner. It might be helpful to ask yourself if you would say this to someone in the office. If the answer is no, then please do not make this type of posting. (5) Post accurate information. You are personally responsible for the content that you publish. There are several items that you need to be aware of: postings can last infinitely in history and you can make corrections to information but generally cannot retract postings. You can be subject to liability if your postings are found defamatory or harassing. (6) Be respectful. Remember that Internet postings could encourage comments or discussion of opposing ideas. Responses should be carefully considered in light of how they would reflect on the Academy and on you personally. If you have questions about whether a post is appropriate, please contact your senior staff member. Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination. Campus Security The Academy is obligated to provide a secure and safe campus for the protection of employees, students, parents, and guests. All employees share in the duty to keep the campus safe and secure. The goal is for students to have a safe environment to learn and grow. Discipline All employees are expected to comply with R-MA's standards of behavior and performance. Any noncompliance with these standards must be remedied. The Academy operates on the concept of 25 progressive discipline actions. This means that the first violation is typically handled by verbal counseling and if not remedied then through a written reprimand. If an employee is not meeting R-MA's standards of behavior or performance, the employee's supervisor may meet with the employee to discuss the matter, inform the employee of the nature of the problem and the action necessary to correct it, issue written counseling or reprimands as necessary. A copy of such documents will be placed in the employee‘s personnel file. Supervisors will ensure the employee‘s rights to due process. In cases involving serious misconduct, or any time the supervisor determines it is necessary, such as a major breach of policy or violation of law, the procedures above may be bypassed. The supervisor may, in coordination with the Director of Human Resources, suspend the employee immediately and, if appropriate, recommend termination of the employee. An investigation of the incidents leading up to the suspension will be conducted to determine what further action, if any, should be taken. Employees may or may not receive or accrue employee benefits during the suspension, based on the President‘s determination. The President will review and approve all recommendations for termination before any final action is taken. Termination of Employment Termination of employment at R-MA may take place because of an employee's resignation, discharge, or retirement; the expiration of an employment contract unless it is renewed; or a permanent reduction in the work force. Discharge can be for any reason not prohibited by law. Termination and discharge procedures are only guidelines and do not constitute a legal contract between R-MA and its employees. In addition, specified grounds for termination are not allinclusive since the President may terminate employment for any reason not prohibited by law. Employees are expected to give written notice of their intent to resign. Four weeks is desirable; two weeks is required. Failure to give written notice may result in forfeiture of non-vested benefits and ineligibility for re-employment. Employees who are absent from work for three consecutive days without being excused or giving proper notice will be considered as having voluntarily resigned. Notice of involuntary terminations will be handled carefully and discretely, preferably in a private meeting including the employee to be terminated, the immediate supervisor, and another member of management. All terminations must be approved by the President before any final action is taken. Supervisors of terminated employees are responsible for securing the return of all R-MA property, such as keys, tools, uniforms, instructional materials, etc. Terminated employees who are accountable for nonexpendable property must account for all such property prior to their last day. Terminated employees who live in R-MA housing must have their quarters inspected and cleared before they leave. If the employee owes R-MA any money, or is responsible for any lost 26 or damaged property, or if quarters must be cleaned by R-MA personnel, such accounts are to be settled as originally agreed or by deduction from final pay, unless prohibited by law. Terminated employees will receive their final pay once they have completed the above requirements; this should occur on or before the next regularly scheduled payday. Lay-off and Recall Policy If, because of adverse economic or other conditions, the President must reduce employment, layoffs and recall from layoffs will be conducted consistent with operational requirements of the Academy. A reduction in work force will be based on pay, performance, and needs of the Academy. Employees selected for a layoff will be given notice as is required by law or as is reasonable under the circumstances. Employees will be informed of the reason for the layoff and any rights they have to appeal their selection for layoff. The Human Resources office will assist laid-off employees with relocation and benefits information. Employees who are laid-off will be maintained on a recall list for six months or until the President determines the layoff is permanent, whichever occurs first. Removal from the recall list terminates all job rights the employee may have. While on the recall list, employees should report to the Director of Human Resources if they become unavailable for recall. Employees will be recalled according to need, classification, and ability to do the job. Employee Responsibility, Conduct and Discipline Certain rules and regulations regarding employee behavior are necessary for the efficient operation of R-MA and for the benefit and safety of all employees and students. Conduct that interferes with operations, that discredits R-MA, or that is offensive to customers or coworkers will not be tolerated. Employees are expected at all times to conduct themselves in a positive manner so as to promote the best interests of R-MA. Such conduct includes, but is not limited to: Reporting to work punctually as scheduled and being at the proper workstation, ready for work, at the assigned starting time; Giving proper advance notice whenever unable to work or report on time; Complying with all R-MA safety and security regulations; Wearing clothing appropriate for the work being performed; Refraining from the use of tobacco products on R-MA premises; Maintaining work place and work area cleanliness and orderliness; Treating all R-MA faculty, staff, students, parents, and other persons in a courteous manner; Refraining from behavior or conduct deemed offensive or undesirable, or which is contrary to R-MA's best interests; 27 Performing assigned tasks efficiently and in accordance with established quality standards; Cooperating with R-MA investigations. The following conduct is prohibited and will subject the individual involved to disciplinary action, up to and including termination: The reporting to work under the influence of illegal drugs and narcotics or the use, sale, dispensing, of illegal drugs and narcotics on or off R-MA premises; The reporting to work under the influence of alcoholic beverages or possession of alcoholic beverages on R-MA premises (Except in personal on-campus residents); The use of profanity or abusive language; The possession of personal firearms or other weapons on R-MA property (Except in personal on-campus residents); Insubordination or the refusal by an employee to follow management's instructions concerning a job-related matter; Fighting or assault of another person; Theft, destruction, defacement, or misuse of R-MA property or of another employee's or customer's property; Gambling on R-MA property; Falsifying or altering any R-MA record or report, such as an application for employment, a medical report, a time record, an expense account, an absentee report, etc. Threatening or intimidating coworkers, security guards, customers, or guests; Use of tobacco products on R-MA premises (Except in personal on-campus residents); Engaging in any form of sexual conduct; Engaging in any form of harassment Personal conduct which brings discredit to the Academy. This is not intended to be an all-inclusive listing. Any violation of R-MA's policies or any conduct considered inappropriate or unsatisfactory may, at the President‘s discretion, subject the employee to disciplinary action. Employee Relationships with Students Faculty and other employees serve as role models for the students. They are encouraged to have nurturing/helpful relationships with students. However, faculty/staff members may not be the ―friend‖ of a student. Employees may not share personal/private information about themselves with a student. Employees may not expose a student to an adult environment or situation. This includes inappropriate movies, parties, restaurants, and other so-called forms of adult entertainment. 28 To preclude any preferential treatment or the appearance of such (whether real or perceived) and to prevent the inappropriate faculty/staff/student relations, faculty and staff members must refrain from: Promoting disagreement among students with school policies or faculty decisions. Having students visit in faculty/academic staff houses or apartments except at social events pre-arranged and cleared with the Dean/Principal or other senior staff officer. Transporting students in faculty/academic staff members' vehicles off-campus for social events, shopping or any other activities not pre-arranged with the Dean/Principal. Permitting a student to operate a faculty/academic staff member's vehicle. Loaning money or personal property belonging to the faculty/academic staff member. Seeking special favors from students, such as cleaning personal property, baby-sitting, or other functions that make the faculty/staff member obligated in some manner to the student. Becoming involved in personal counseling behind closed doors, which could be misconstrued and may place a faculty/academic staff member in a compromising position. Giving gifts to a student from a faculty/academic staff member's personal resources, as well as showing partiality or too much attention to a given student. Allowing students to possess/obtain keys to any R-MA facilities or vehicles. ‗Looking the other way‘ if they see a student breaking any of the school rules. Entering in private chat rooms with students or parents. Taking students off campus without proper sign out. Taking students off campus must be aware of the male/female presence (i.e. a male teacher may not take one female student off campus and a female teacher may not take one male student off campus). Only exception to this is the flight program. Refrain from giving out personal information to students (i.e. addresses, personal emails, personal home/cell phone numbers, etc.) unless there is an absolute emergency. May not contact students on their personal cell phones or personal websites unless it is for business (school related) reason. May not receive pay for goods or services to R-MA students for any reason. This includes academic assistance beyond our standard programs, food, laundry services, etc. Tutoring for pay is allowed, if authorized, in advance, by the Dean/Principal. Transportation is allowed for pay, if arranged by Student Services. Any other actions that would bring discredit upon the faculty/academic staff member, the student, or Randolph-Macon Academy. Upper School Supervision Cadet Life Supervisors serve two roles: as dorm supervisor, and as resident advisor/counselor. The responsibilities demand that each CLS serve as both a disciplinarian and counselor. CLS‘s must develop a thorough understanding of the military structure and AFJROTC program at RMA. They also fill the role of parent, mentor, and a positive role model for the students. Cadet 29 Life Supervisors are to be present in the dorm or on their flights whenever the students are there. Normal hours of work will include lunch meal as required and from 3:30 pm until 11:30 pm daily. CLS‘s also share weekend responsibilities to be free every other weekend and otherwise have the same vacation times as students and teachers. The CLS schedule may change based on the mission needs of the Academy. Middle School Supervision Middle School dorm counselors provide supervision for dorm students and are responsible for maintaining a pleasant, nurturing, and structured environment. During the students‘ free time, Middle School teachers are required to assist the dorm counselors in providing supervision for the campus. Each teacher will be assigned an area to supervise. Although this is the students‘ free time, this is a time where the rules are to be enforced. Some areas that will require supervision include: the gym, the courtyard/outdoor basketball pad, the dormitory and the homework lab. General Benefits for Full-Time Employees The Academy will provide its full-time employees with certain benefits. Information and summary communications intended to explain these benefits are furnished to all plan participants and beneficiaries on a timely and continuing basis. The President reserves the right to modify, amend, or terminate its benefit plan as it applies to all current, former, and retired employees. The Administrator of the benefit plan has the discretionary authority to determine eligibility for benefits and to interpret the plan's terms. Medical Insurance There are two medical plans available. Both are provided by Sentara Healthcare. The first plan is called the Optima 2000 PPO Plan. Coverage is available from a preferred network of providers, coast to coast and will also cover for services received while on international travel. Benefits are provided on both an In-Network and Out-of-Network basis. The second plan option is called the Optima Vantage Plan. This plan covers In-Network services only. Coverage is available for the employee and eligible dependents with premiums paid on a pre-tax basis. Randolph-Macon Academy shares the premium cost with employees based on an annual determination by the Administration. Enrollment is possible at the beginning of the month following the hire date for full-time staff employees, the beginning of the month following ninety days of employment for full-time hourly employees, and during our annual open enrollment, or upon a qualifying status change event. Dental Insurance Dental Insurance is provided through Delta Dental and is the Delta Dental Premier Plan. Covered expenses include Preventive, Basic and Major Services with premiums paid on a pre-tax 30 basis. Enrollment is possible at the beginning of the month following the hire date for full-time staff employees, the beginning of the month following ninety days of employment for full-time hourly employees, and during our annual open enrollment, or upon a qualifying status change event. Life Insurance A group term life insurance benefit is provided at one times the employee‘s base salary with 100% of the premium paid by the Academy. Optional life coverage up to five times the employee‘s base salary is available at the employee‘s cost. This coverage is provided by Principal Life Insurance and covers Common Carrier and Accidental Death and Dismemberment protection. Enrollment in the Academy‘s provided plan is automatic. Optional coverage is fully paid by the employee. Voluntary options include spouse life and child life insurance. Long Term Disability Insurance The Academy extends the offer of long term disability insurance through Principal Life Insurance. This plan provides sixty percent income protection if an employee is disabled beyond ninety days. This is a voluntary program and the cost is borne by the employee. Flexible Spending Accounts The Academy provides a flexible spending account (FSA) program that allows employees to deduct money from their paycheck and creates a special account that is protected from taxes. The money in a FSA account can be used for eligible health care and dependent care expenses incurred by the employee, spouse, and dependents. FSA accounts are exempt from federal taxes, Social Security (FICA) taxes and, in most cases, from state income taxes. The plan year is July 1 through June 30th. The health care flexible spending account maximum is $2,000 per plan year and the dependent care flexible spending account maximum is $5,000 per plan year. AFLAC Randolph-Macon Academy extends the offer to participate in six of AFLAC‘s plans at group rates. Cancer insurance, short-term disability, accident Insurance, intensive care, specified health event plan, and hospital protection are available at the employee‘s cost. Rates vary based on the plan options selected. Retirement Plan VALIC Retirement Plan is offered and funded by Randolph-Macon Academy to all eligible employees at the rate of 3% of annual salary. Participation begins on completion of one year of service in which the employee worked at least 1,000 hours and must work a minimum of 20 hours per week and be 18 years of age. Participants become fully vested in their accrued benefit upon completion of 3 years of service. 31 Matching Component to the Retirement Plan The Academy offers an additional component to the retirement plan that matches employee‘s contribution dollar for dollar up to a maximum of 4% of annual cash salary. The minimum an employee can contribute is 1% of annual cash salary. All part-time and full-time employees are eligible to participate. The matching portion of the plan is vested upon completion of 3 years of service, providing all other requirements are met. The employee contribution is always 100% vested. Tax Deferred Annuity – 403(b) Under Section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code, employees of educational institutions or taxexempt organizations can set aside money for retirement on a pre-tax basis. The employee decides the amount of money to contribute to the program during each pay period, up to the IRS maximum allowed. The amount the employee contributes is deducted from pay before federal, state and local income taxes are taken out. With Randolph-Macon Academy‘s 403(b) program, the employee can invest in a choice of investment options through salary reduction contribution. Randolph-Macon Academy deducts contributions from pay, as elected by the employee, and forwards the money to VALIC, our designated investment company. Academy Housing Arrangements for faculty/staff housing are made by contractual agreement between the faculty/academic staff member and the President. Questions about housing should be directed to the Director of Human Resources. Faculty/Academic Staff members who live in dormitory apartments on the Academy campus are not to use the garbage and/or trash containers in the hallways outside the student rooms for their personal refuse. Persons living in Turner Hall will place their garbage in a refuse room on the first-floor level. Persons living in Sonner-Payne Hall will place their trash in the container at the compactor, which is located across from the grounds/maintenance building below the football field. Employees living in campus housing are allowed to have one animal per household for multifamily dwellings or dorm apartments (i.e. apartment building, dorm, houses that are separated into apartments.) Employees living in single family dwellings may have up to two animals. Animals may not exceed fifty pounds in weight. The Academy does not allow any aggressive breed of dogs in any of our housing. R-MA employees may not cohabit with other non-family members while living in Academy housing. 32 Employees may paint faculty/staff housing, however, any walls painted must be returned to the original paint color prior to checking out of Academy housing. Tuition Remission Tuition remission is primarily intended to attract and retain faculty members. This benefit may be made available to certain staff members, if space is available. Within limits established annually by the President, one dependent child of a full-time, salaried employee may attend Randolph-Macon Academy as a day student at no tuition cost to the employee. Priority is given to full-time faculty members. Also, within limits established annually by the President, additional students of the same family may attend at 50% tuition remission level. Books, fees, and uniforms will be the financial responsibility of the parents. The R-MA Bookstore and Uniform Store will give employees a ten percent discount on all purchases. Employees‘ children must complete the admissions application process, meet all admissions standards, and be accepted by the Admissions Committee to take advantage of this program. Educational Assistance Randolph-Macon Academy may elect to reimburse full-time regular employees for education costs for courses or programs of study approved by the Academy. The essential criterion is that the approval of education funds must meet the mission needs of the Academy. The approval for reimbursement will be dependent upon the course or program of study and its relevance to the employee's current or future potential position at R-MA. Approval for the entire program of study must be obtained prior to commencement of the first course in the program. If the employee is seeking approval only for a course (and not an entire program of study) then approval must be obtained prior to commencement of that course. If an employee is seeking reimbursement for a course, the course must be job related. If the employee is seeking reimbursement for a program of study, the program must be job related. Courses may not interfere with the employee‘s hours of work. Reimbursement will normally be made at 50% of the employee‘s tuition costs. The cost of books and incidentals are not covered. All employee applications will be reviewed to determine if the criteria is met for reimbursement. There is no limit to the number of credit hours eligible for reimbursement per semester. Employees are encouraged to be prudent in the selection of the number of courses attempted each semester. Employees must be actively employed by the Academy when reimbursement is sought. Employees must satisfactorily complete the course work to be considered for reimbursement. The coursework must be taken from an Accredited Institution. 33 For reimbursement of either an individual course or a program of study, a Tuition Reimbursement Agreement must be signed and approved prior to reimbursement of any tuition expenses. Reimbursement requests must be filed with R-MA within 30 days of the end of each Academic year. Requests filed beyond the 30 day period will not be honored. Should the employee leave the Academy prior to completing one full year of employment after the course or program of study is completed, the employee agrees to reimburse 100% of the costs that the Academy has paid for the coursework or program of study. For an individual course, the date used is the date that the actual course is completed. For the program of study, it is the date that the last course was completed and reimbursement to the Academy includes all costs that that Academy paid on the employee‘s behalf for the entire program of study. Professional Development Randolph-Macon Academy places high value on professional development for faculty and staff members. We view professional development as a means of maintaining/improving credentials, achieving certification for specific tasks and improving professional qualifications. We recognize that professional development has the additional benefit of motivating employees to achieve their best and improving morale as well. As with all programs during difficult economic times, it is necessary to prioritize. In this regard, the following represent our general priorities for school year 2013-14. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) Faculty – for licensure purposes Support staff – for job/task certification/licensure Staff – for job essential qualifications Faculty – for growth and development – eg. Advanced degrees in their functional area Staff – for growth and development – eg. Advanced degrees in their functional area For all – conferences, seminars, and meetings that contribute to improve awareness and growth and development In addition to Academy funding, we will continue our policy of supporting faculty and staff members using their own funds set aside for professional development. These funds will be considered tax-deferred. The amounts are at the discretion of the employee. We want to get the most mileage possible from available resources. Thus, the following guidelines apply: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) Participate in free public educational opportunities Attend day conferences/meetings when possible Make use of web conference opportunities Avoid up-scale hotels. Use local, good quality, moderately priced accommodations Travel via R-MA vehicles and in groups when possible Send a representative and have that person brief/train others Make maximum use of VAIS offerings Make use of local community college offerings 34 9) Attend offerings at other private/public schools, when invited. Ask others to attend sessions sponsored by R-MA 10) Seek non-traditional opportunities, such as accreditation team participation for growth and development Employee Conferences, Training and Seminars Randolph-Macon Academy encourages its staff and faculty to continue with academic, vocational training and seminars to maintain knowledge that directly relates to their professional discipline, and will enhance job performance. R-MA will consider reimbursing a portion of tuition or fees based upon mission contributions. Employee Meals The Academy believes that the cafeteria is an area where reinforcement of etiquette and proper manners takes place between students and faculty members. Thus, the Academy encourages faculty and staff to dine with students when on campus. The cafeteria provides a teaching opportunity for faculty and staff who are expected to follow R-MA rules and correct students who do not. Faculty/Academic Staff members may have their families join them for meals. All arrangements must be confirmed in advance with the Finance Office. Occasional meals are at no cost; financial arrangements are required for regular and reoccurring meals. General Operating Information Daily Announcements Daily Announcements are the official notice of events and announcements. The Daily Announcements are published by the Commandant‘s Office and Middle School Academic Office every weekday when the students are on campus. The daily announcements may be used for routine announcements, dress code for the day, athletic events, publicity for upcoming events, cadets leaving early for special events, off-campus activities and other announcements of interest for cadets, faculty and staff. Faculty announcements are separate and are sent out by the Academic Office in the Upper and Middle Schools. Purchasing Procedures Employees are responsible for following established procedures regarding advance approval via a purchase order for purchases, and for providing receipts as proof that the purchases were incurred. Reimbursement vouchers are normally filed within one week of purchase. 35 Photography Procedures The mission of the photography department at R-MA is to: (a) Market R-MA in the most positive way, and (b) Support the internal photography needs of the school. Other services are not considered mission essential. The Academic Department is responsible for the school yearbook. The Editor will be a cadet leader. The Middle School follows the same pattern. Yearbook classes, if offered, will be taught by the Academic Department and be a graded elective subject. The Photography Department will not perform any personal work for employees. The R-MA photographer may offer two internships for students who are seriously interested in photography. There will be a curriculum and grades will be issued. The interns are to be interviewed and accepted by the Director of Photography prior to the class schedule being finalized. All internal work accomplished by the R-MA photographer, except in support of the R-MA publicity/marketing programs, will be accompanied by an approved purchase order. Purchase orders will follow the normal processes for other similar spending decisions. Sponsors, coaches, and others needing photographic services are responsible for coordinating schedules, arranging photo shoots and the dress of the students. This is to be done in coordination with the Photography Department. If possible, a member of the military department is to accompany students for this official photo. The shoots for various activities will be scheduled in advance and students notified of the time, date, etc. The shoots will be accomplished as scheduled. Students absent for other than emergency reasons or sickness will not be rescheduled. Incoming and Outgoing Mail Academy mail is received and distributed daily by the Upper School Student Services. Outgoing mail is collected daily from the reception area in Sonner-Payne hall and in the Middle School Academic Office. Gifts from Parents, Vendors, or Contractors The Academy discourages the acceptance of gifts by faculty or staff members from students and parents or the giving of gifts to individual students. Staff members may accept only gifts of ―nominal value‖ from students or parents. Nominal value is typically considered $25 or less. Under no circumstance will a faculty or staff member accept a cash gift. Gifts that do not meet the above criteria are to be returned to the donor with a polite letter or given to the Development Office or Human Resource Office for proper disposal. 36 Gifts from staff members to individual students are strongly discouraged. However, appropriate gifts to a group (such as educational materials to a class), may be appropriate, as determined by the senior staff officer in the giving staff member‘s chain of authority. Senior staff officers may approve acts of generosity or gratitude to individual staff members under special circumstances. For example, the presentation of token gifts to retiring members of the staff who have rendered outstanding service and who have earned the high regard of other staff members and the Academy Community. Employee Dress Code As professional educators, we are role models for the students and we represent the Academy by the way we present ourselves to our constituents and to the community. Below are guidelines to be followed while serving at the Academy as a part-time or full-time faculty or staff member. Male Dress Combinations 1. Formal Blazer: consisting of grey slacks, white long-sleeved dress shirt, R-MA school tie, and navy blue blazer with school patch and nametag. Worn with dark hard-soled shoes and dark socks. 2. Business-Professional: consisting of business-professional slacks, long-sleeved shirt, tie, and blazer, sports coat or suit jacket. No cargo-style clothing, denim, corduroy, or casual wear. Worn with hard-soled shoes and dark socks. No dock-siders, tennis shoes, or sandals. A sweater vest or vest may be worn in cold weather, as well as an overcoat/raincoat. 3. Casual: consisting of R-MA logoed polo shirt, slacks (not denim or corduroy) in a solid color, such as black, khaki, white, blue, or brown, with closed-toe casual shoes, such as tennis shoes. Shirts are tucked in. An R-MA logoed jacket or coat may be worn in cold weather. Female Dress Combinations 1. Formal Blazer: consisting of grey pants or skirt, white blouse, and navy blue blazer with school patch and nametag, with dark hard-soled shoes and dark socks or hose. 2. Business-Professional: Business-professional pants, skirts, or dresses—i.e. not denim, corduroy, cargo pants, or casual wear o Skirts and dresses should not be more than 1 inch above the knee o Sun dresses, beach dresses, and spaghetti-strap dresses are inappropriate o Skirts and dresses should not be slit or tight-fitting o Culottes and skorts are not appropriate Appropriate shirt, blouse, shell, or sweater o Should not be low-cut, expose cleavage, or be made of sheer material o No t-shirts, halters, spaghetti straps, or camisoles 37 o Sleeveless blouses and shells as appropriate o Bras straps should not show through o Vest or sweater vest may be worn during cold weather. Bulky sweaters with a casual look are not appropriate No bared midriffs or shoulders Closed-toed shoes, with socks or hose o If dresses or skirts are worn, pantyhose should also be worn o No flip-flops, slippers, tennis shoes, or sandals 3. Casual: consisting of R-MA logoed polo shirt, slacks, skirt or capris (not denim or corduroy) in a solid color, such as black, khaki, white, blue, or brown, with closed-toe casual shoes, such as tennis shoes. Shirt will be tucked into pants. An R-MA logoed jacket or coat may be worn in cold weather. Use of Dress Combinations 1. Formal Blazer will be worn as directed by the President, Dean, or Principal, and is typically worn for more formal off-campus trips and major campus events and activities. 2. Business-professional will be worn for day-to-day duties. 3. Casual will be worn for non-classroom activities such as coaching, intramural supervision, night study hall duty, and weekend duties. It is also the official summer school faculty uniform. It may be worn on other occasions as directed by the President, Dean, or Principal. General Guidelines for All Combinations All items must be pressed, clean, and in good repair Shirts are to be buttoned and shirt-tails tucked in Conservative make-up for women One pair of earrings for women/no earrings for men Minimum amounts of jewelry Hair should be neat and clean with no sharply contrasting dye Men‘s hair and facial hair should be neatly trimmed Nails should be trimmed and clean. If fingernail polish is worn, it should be of a conservative color No visible piercings or tattoos No head covering, except for religious observance (unless in casual uniform, when an RMA cap may be worn) Retired Military - Retired military personnel may opt to wear the uniform as applicable. All uniforms listed in AFI 36-2903 are authorized for wear when appropriate. Duty uniform should normally be the blue shirt (Long sleeve blue shirt and tie required between Thanksgiving Holiday and Spring break). The AFJROTC staff will wear the Military uniform daily. 38 Summer Dress Code for Staff - The staff is allowed to ―dress down‖ for the summer months, except during special events such as Open Houses, where normal standards apply: Men may wear open-collar shirts with pressed slacks. Slacks may be made of cotton, but must be pressed. T-shirts or other shirts without a collar may not be worn. Jeans, tennis shoes, and shorts may not be worn except while participating in athletic or field events, cleaning, or other similar activities. Women may wear casual dresses, slacks, or dress shorts. Tennis shoes, T-shirts, and jeans may not be worn except for during athletic or field events, cleaning, or other similar casual activities. Male faculty members who are part of the Admissions staff will wear shirts and ties, and women in the Admissions staff will wear commensurate dress/slacks. Summer Dress Code for Faculty- During the summer months, faculty should wear polo-type, open-collar shirts with ―Randolph-Macon Academy‖ embroidered on the front. Khaki slacks/skirts/shorts are to be worn. Jeans and tennis shoes, and shorts may not be worn except while participating in athletic or field events, cleaning, or other similar casual activities. Visiting faculty are not required to purchase R-MA logo items and may wear alternatives in good taste. Hourly Employees - After the ninety day probation period has been reached, R-MA will provide hourly employees with uniforms. Hourly employees are responsible for wearing their uniform each day and for the upkeep of the uniforms. After separation from R-MA, hourly employees must return the uniforms on their last day of employment. If uniforms are not returned, employees may be charged for the value of the uniforms. Policy on Body Piercing - Employees may not display any visible body piercings. This includes, but is not limited to, tongue rings, eyebrow rings and nose rings. Male employees are not permitted to wear earrings or other body piercings of any type. General Rule of Thumb - If in doubt about what dress is appropriate, employees should dress such that the students would think the employees have out-dressed them. Inclement Weather and Attendance As a boarding school, Randolph-Macon Academy must continue to operate around the clock during periods of adverse weather. Accordingly, certain employees are designated as ―essential‖ personnel and are expected to report for work during inclement weather conditions. Essential personnel are defined as all Senior Staff, faculty, food service, housekeeping, maintenance, building and grounds, medical, student supervision, security, communications, and student services personnel. ―Nonessential‖ personnel are all other persons who handle administrative matters that do not relate to the immediate well being of the students. Teamwork and dedication are essential to provide adequate care and supervision for our students during adverse weather conditions. The absence of essential personnel burdens co-workers with 39 extra tasks and inordinately long working hours. Because this situation could lead to improper supervision of students, we expect all essential personnel to report to work unless weather conditions are so hazardous that they may jeopardize the safety of the employee or his/her family. All non-essential personnel are expected to make every prudent effort to report to work during inclement weather. Overnight accommodations, in the dorm, are available at no charge. Cutting and Removing Trees on R-MA Property Typically R-MA will employ the services of a professional tree service company to cut and/or remove trees on Academy property. Pruning or cutting/removing of trees by non-R-MA personnel is not permitted, other than by a professional tree service company. Academy employees, other than grounds keeping and maintenance personnel, must obtain written permission from the Director of Services to cut or remove a tree on Academy property, and may only cut or remove those trees that are specifically approved in writing. Anyone requesting to cut and/or remove trees on R-MA property must be bonded and ensured, and hold R-MA harmless for any and/or all accidents or damage that might occur as a result of their actions during the cutting and/or removing of trees. Approved employees must have a minimum of two adults present during all cutting and/or removing of trees and conform to all generally accepted safety practices within the tree service industry. Clinical Counselor For many of our boarding students, it is challenging to be away from their major support system. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the Commonwealth of Virginia is employed by Randolph-Macon Academy to work with students individually or in group sessions. The clinical counselor provides therapeutic counseling, which includes the student and the parents/legal guardians in treatment planning, and monitoring progress towards of goals and objectives. These services are confidential. Any faculty or staff noticing a change in a student‘s behavior that is concerning should notify the clinical counselor immediately. Referrals for counseling are made in several ways. The Admissions Office may refer students as a condition of acceptance to R-MA. Teachers and staff may ask that a student be referred to a clinical counselor because of troubling behavior. The nursing staff might refer a student because of suspected psychological problems. The office of student services may require counseling for student‘s problems or may require counseling for cadets with substance abuse issues, anger control problems, or to request mediation sessions. Safety and Security The Academy complies with all applicable federal, state, and local health, environmental and safety regulations, and is committed to provide a work environment free from recognized hazards. Employees are expected to comply with all safety and health requirements whether established by Academy or by federal, state, or local law. 40 Safety Committee The mission of the Safety Committee is to achieve and maintain a safe environment for Academy employees, students and visitors. The Safety Committee tracks safety-related suggestions and reports of hazards or other information directly from all persons involved in the operations of the Academy that would help in creating a safe work environment. They identify unsafe work practices and conditions, and recommend appropriate remedies. They ensure that both operations and facilities are inspected at least annually, that safety hazards are identified, and corrective measures are recommended as appropriate. They establish procedures for investigating all safety-related incidents, including injury accidents, illnesses and deaths, for the purpose of recommending corrective action necessary to prevent similar events from recurring. Minutes are prepared for each Safety Committee Meeting and are maintained in a central location. If an employee would like to report a safety concern to the safety committee, emails may be sent to [email protected]. Exposure to Blood-borne Pathogens & Epi Pen locations Blood-borne pathogens are microorganisms that are present in human blood that can cause disease in humans. R-MA has a procedure for handling contaminated waste that could be considered exposure to blood-borne pathogens. All employees responsible for handling contaminated waste are required to wear disposable gloves. After the gloves are discarded, immediate hand washing is necessary. In the case of large blood or body fluid spills, the use of personal protective equipment may be necessary (these items may be obtained from the Housekeeping Department or the Nursing staff.) For exposure to large amounts of contaminated fluids or spills, the employee needs to see the Nursing staff. The employee will then need to complete a report with Human Resources and be seen by the Occupational Health Department. If the incident occurs at a time when the Occupational Health Department is closed, then the employee will be referred to the Warren Memorial Hospital Emergency Room. The nurses will assign and monitor the shelf life of epi pens. They will be in the following locations: medical clinic, Upper School girls dorm office, CLS resource room in boys dorm, student services, athletic office, Upper and Middle School dining halls, Middle School main office, Middle School dorm clinic office, and on every R-MA bus, minibus and van. Fire Alarm Procedures In the event of a fire, R-MA employees are to sound the alarm and alert others in the building. If time permits, personnel who are located at or near a fire will close all windows and doors in the area so that they can eliminate drafts and confine the fire. Evacuate the affected area quickly and in an orderly manner and bring the students to the area designated by the Fire Marshall (see Fire Evacuation Plan below) and await roll call and further instructions. When the fire alarm sounds, all personnel should evacuate the building by way of the most direct route in accordance with the fire evacuation instructions that are posted at the various locations 41 throughout the buildings. All personnel will then proceed to their assigned assembly areas in an orderly manner for proper accounting. Once the "all clear" has been received, all personnel may return to their respective work, classroom, or dormitory areas. Transporting Students Student safety is paramount. No student will be transported in the back of a pick-up truck or any open vehicle. Seat belts must be worn at all times. No students will be allowed to leave the Academy grounds without notifying Student Services in the Upper School and the Middle School Academic Office in the Middle School. All trips must be preapproved through the appropriate senior staff officer. Drivers of Academy Vehicles Employees who use Academy vehicles must provide a copy of their current Virginia driver‘s license and driving record to the Director of Services. An approval must be received by the Director of Services prior to anyone driving any Academy vehicles. Only properly authorized employees may operate Academy vehicles. Academy vehicles shall be used exclusively for Academy business. They may not be used for personal errands. Anyone driving a bus with more than 15 passengers must have a valid Virginia Class B commercial driver‘s license with a passenger endorsement. Before each trip, the driver must complete a transportation request and receive approval prior to picking up any vehicle. After approval, the driver may pick up the keys and inspect the vehicle with a maintenance worker. After the trip, the driver must leave the vehicle in the same condition in which it is received. Clean out all trash and collect any other materials that do not belong in the vehicle. Academy Field Trips For purposes of this policy, a "field trip" shall be defined as any journey by a group of students away from Academy premises, under the supervision of a teacher, which is an integral part of an approved course of study and conducted for the purpose of supporting that course of study. A field trip may be conducted for the purpose of: supplementing and enriching classroom techniques by providing learning experiences in environments outside the Academy; developing new interests among students; helping students relate Academy experiences to the experiences of the world outside the Academy; bringing as many of the community's resources -- natural, artistic, industrial, commercial, governmental, and educational -- as possible within the realm of the student's learning experience; affording students the opportunity to study real things and real processes in their actual environment. 42 All proposed field trips which are not an approved part of an accepted course of study in the Upper School or Middle School must be individually approved by the Academic Dean or Middle School Principal respectively. Students on field trips shall remain under the supervision of the Administration and the Academy and are subject to its rules and regulations. No staff member in the Upper School or Middle School may recruit or seek out students of the Academy for such trips within the facilities of the Academy without permission of the Academic Dean or Middle School Principal. The Academic Dean and Middle School Principal shall have procedures prepared for the execution of field trips for the Upper School and Middle School respectively. To obtain a CDL qualified driver, the person initiating the trip is to notify the transportation department ten days prior to the trip. In no case will an unqualified person drive an Academy vehicle. Academic Policies Accreditation Randolph-Macon Academy is accredited by: The Virginia Association of Independent Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The University Senate of the United Methodist Church R-MA has memberships in: The National Association of Independent Schools, The Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States, The Virginia Association of Military Schools and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Faculty Licensure Licensure of all faculty members is a requirement for employment at Randolph-Macon Academy. Licensure enhances the stature and qualification of the faculty member. It is the responsibility of the teacher to contact the Dean‘s office or the Principal‘s office in the Middle School to pursue the steps necessary to obtain licensure or licensure renewal. Faculty members not in compliance with this policy have three years from hire/receipt of this manual to do so. Failure to obtain licensure or make a good faith effort to do so may result in termination of employment. Official transcripts and documentation of licensure must be given to the Dean‘s/Principal‘s Office. Faculty/Academic Staff Members and Professionalism Every faculty member should be available to assist other faculty members who need help. Faculty members should honor signed messages, student passes, and the other documents from other faculty members. If a faculty member finds anything as unacceptable, the matter should be settled between the faculty members without involving the students. Unresolved issues should 43 be brought to the attention of the Dean through the Department Head or through the Principal at the Middle School. No faculty/academic staff member should be openly critical of other faculty/academic staff members. Such remarks reveal a poor professional attitude and reflect badly upon our school. A faculty member who tutors a member of his/her class roster will not accept payment for tutoring services. Accepting payment for tutoring those students who are members of a faculty member‘s class roster are considered a conflict of interest. A faculty/academic staff member or academic department should not try to bring pressure of any kind on another faculty/academic staff member or department, particularly in regard to students who have been restricted from participating in athletics or other activities. It is important that a professional image be projected at all times at the Academy. This professional image can be greatly enhanced by addressing other administrators, other faculty, and staff by their appropriate title(s). Address others by their appropriate military ranking, such as Master Sergeant., Chief, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel or General. Some persons should be addressed by means of their job title, such as Dean/ Principal, Chaplain, or Coach. If these titles don‘t apply, you should use other appropriate titles, such as Dr.; Mr.; Mrs.; Miss; Ms; or sir or ma‘am. Using the appropriate titles to address another faculty/academic staff member is especially important while talking to your colleagues in the presence of students or visitors. Less formal greetings may be used while not in the presence of students. It is important that we model and reinforce these Academy customs and military courtesies so that we provide a positive example for our students. Faculty Members and Department Chairperson In the Upper School, Department Chairpersons act as administrative assistants to the Academic Dean in matters pertaining to their departments. They also help teachers within a department, coordinate the school program, advise school policy, and act as leaders in the programs of their departments under the direction of the Dean. Upper School teachers are expected to work with the Department Chairperson to meet their needs, both in and out of the classroom. Matters that cannot be resolved with the Department Chairperson will be brought directly to the attention of the Dean. This would include, but would not be limited to, items such as curriculum changes, course content, and the changing of textbooks and supplemental material. Faculty and the Dean or Principal The Academic Dean is responsible for the supervision of the faculty in the Upper School. The Principal is responsible for the supervision of the faculty in the Middle School. The Dean and the Principal, under the direction of the President, shall establish the academic program and see that it is carried out appropriately. Teachers are expected to keep the Dean or Principal advised of 44 their program, to seek his/her direction, and to ensure the orderly maintenance of the learning process via the Department Chairman. Faculty/Academic Staff and President The President will fairly consider all properly presented needs and concerns from faculty/academic staff members. Matters that need resolution that requires action on the part of the President will be taken first to the Department Chairman and a major staff member, e.g., the Academic Dean or the Principal. If these persons are not able to satisfy the need of the faculty member, the major staff member will schedule an appointment for the faculty/academic staff member with the President and provide the President with a written statement of the unresolved issue(s). If necessary, an appointment will be arranged with the President. Faculty/Parent Relations One of the great successes of our school is our ability to maintain effective communication with parents. It is important to make contact early and as often as possible with all your students‘ parents. However, it is even more critical to inform students‘ parents if their child is showing signs of poor academic performance. It is important to notify the parents before each show date/or 9-week grading period. Direct communication with the parents of poorly performing students should average at least once every 2.5 weeks. When parents ask about their child‘s performance in school, these inquires need to be answered within twenty four hours. Responsibilities of the Faculty This following list of responsibilities covers many aspects of faculty life at Randolph-Macon Academy: Meet all contractual obligations. Check mailboxes (including e-mail) as often as possible. E-mail should be checked before, during, and after each workday. Initiate communication with the appropriate administrator(s) whenever a situation develops (academic, personal, or disciplinary) which could potentially be detrimental to a student‘s well being if left unattended. Never make physical contact with a student other than what would normally be considered acceptable or necessary. Consult the Department Head and the Dean or Principal before incorporating any controversial instruction relating to politics, religion, or moral issues into discussions that may or may not be part of the course curriculum. Refrain from sarcasm with students and fellow workers. Never criticize students or other faculty members in the presence of students. One of the tenets of professionalism is to give criticism in private to an individual and then only to the action or behavior that warrants criticism. Steer away from openly criticizing people and from ―back-biting.‖ Faculty/Staff may have pets on campus, but not in the administrative buildings, academic 45 buildings or in the dining halls. Pets may not roam at large, must always be leashed, and must always be under control of their owners. The owners are responsible for all damages that are caused by their pets. The school reserves the right to require the removal of any pet judged to be a danger or a nuisance to the community. Pets are allowed in the faculty/staff houses and apartments (see the Academy housing section for details). The owners of the pets should care for the clean up after them, and no faculty/staff member shall be allowed to keep more than one pet at once on campus. All pets must be immunized and tagged as prescribed by the laws of the Commonwealth and the local community. All faculty/academic members who own automobiles are expected to meet the requirements of the laws of the Commonwealth and the local community with regard to proper registration and inspection. Faculty/staff members must also register their vehicles with Student Services to obtain window decals, which will authorize the driver‘s parking on campus. Everyone should drive very cautiously on campus with the full knowledge that there are many children who will be walking on the roadways. Faculty/Academic Staff members who live on campus may have houseguests. The length of stay of a houseguest that exceeds more than a few days must be requested in writing to the President, who will notify the faculty/academic staff member of his/her approval or disapproval. Unmarried faculty/staff members, particularly those who live in the dormitories, must realize the limitations that are placed on them when they are living in close proximity with the students. Because they are considered as role models for the students, those faculty/staff members will be limited in their ability to have houseguests. Do not alter an apartment/home, classroom, and other like school property in any way without first receiving written permission from the appropriate person(s). Contact the Dean or Principal (who may contact parents) at the outset, if it is envisioned that his/her further involvement may become necessary if a problem with a student persists. Use tutorial for remediation of academic deficiencies/failures only. Tutorial is not be used as a punishment. Report absences/tardiness through FAWEB or if the internet is down, then please call the Academic Office at 540-636-5486 or 540-636-5215. The office will be running attendance checks approximately ten minutes into class. Absent students will be verified through the nurse‘s office and student services and marked excused or unexcused as required. Refer students who need to be counseled for personal adjustment and other guidancerelated functions to the Upper School Academic Office or to the Middle School Academic Office. Temporarily confiscated personal items from a student are returned. Unauthorized items, such as matches, knives, and fireworks, should be confiscated and turned in to the Commandant‘s Office in the Upper School and to the Middle School Academic Office in the Middle School. Do not allow students to be in the hallway without your permission and without a pass. You are responsible for any student who has been authorized a pass to leave the classroom. 46 Chapel Randolph-Macon Academy hosts students from around the world with various religious backgrounds. It is important that we acknowledge and respect these differences while at the same time maintain our Christian foundation and church affiliation with the United Methodist Church. In the Upper School, Chapel is held on Monday mornings and for the Middle School, Chapel is held on Thursdays afternoons. Faculty is required to attend and staff is strongly encouraged to attend. Weekend Duty – Upper School Faculty members are assigned weekend duty throughout the academic year. Before registration begins each semester, every Upper School faculty member will be given the opportunity to select two Saturdays and two Sundays to perform a duty. Choice of weekends will be based on the faculty members‘ seniority at the academy. Weekend Duty schedules are posted in the Academic Office. Weekend duty will begin at 1100 on Saturdays and ends at 2200 on Sundays. The rotating evening study hall team will perform duty on Friday evenings between 1700 and 2230. Duty team members work for the Officer in Charge (OC), who acts for and in place of the Commandant. The primary duties of the OC is to ensure that Randolph-Macon Academy students are adequately supervised on weekends and evenings in a healthy and safe environment and that appropriate major staff are notified in a timely manner of problems that may affect the students. The OC represents the Commandant to ensure the oversight and welfare of all boarding cadets of the R-MA Upper School in matters of discipline. Discipline It is the policy of the President of R-MA that the amount of discipline required to alleviate a problem should be no more than what is necessary to affect a change in behavior. Academic evaluation will not be used as a form of discipline and will not be affected by disciplinary action. One of the goals of R-MA is to promote self-control on the part of students as individuals and also as a part of the student body. The rules of the Academy will be made clear and students will be held responsible for their behavior. The faculty/staff plays a vital role in helping students learn through both their mistakes and their successes. Successful teaching requires good discipline, which should begin on the first day of school. One of the requirements of good discipline is a classroom management plan, which is announced on the first day of class and which clearly sets out the faculty member‘s expectations, along with the consequences if the student fails to comply. Coaches, activity sponsors, dormitory supervisors, and other faculty/staff members should follow this guidance in all areas of school life. 47 Under no circumstances will a faculty/staff member administer corporal punishment. Striking or slapping a student or using any other physical force for any reason other than to restrain a student from doing bodily harm to himself/herself, someone else, or physical property, is prohibited. Profane, degrading, and demeaning language should never be used towards or in the presence of students. Responsibilities Faculty may write disciplinary referrals for students who misbehave in the classroom and submit them to the Academic Dean. It is expected that the faculty will have punishment procedures in place to handle most of the infractions encountered from the classroom management plan. Once a faculty member accepts the fact that he/she has exhausted all methods of discipline at his/her disposal and is no longer able to control the student, and/or if the offense is so serious that they believe that the student should be removed for the safety and welfare of the student or other members of the class, the faculty member will telephone the Academic Dean or Assistant Dean‘s Office in the Upper School and the Middle School Academic Office in the Middle School and request that the student be removed from the class. The Academic Office or Middle School Academics Office will then remove the student from the classroom. As soon as the faculty member has a free period, he/she should write an explanation of the event and send it in person or by e-mail to the Dean or Assistant Dean or the Middle School Academic Office. The Commandant will become involved in classroom conduct matters only as referred by the Academic Dean. Under those circumstances the Dean is to notify the Commandant of the issue and recommend the solution (punishment). Demerits In the Upper School, demerits are issued for minor infractions. These infractions will be determined by the Commandant, Director of Residential Life or their designated representatives. Generally, these infractions will include any violation of the Cadet Manual. Being repeatedly late for class, defiance and/or disrespect to faculty or staff, and/or profanity will result in immediate tours. Gross defiance or disrespect to faculty or staff may (depending on the nature of the offense) result in cadet development. The Commandant will determine if an offense merits immediate tours or possible hearing before the Discipline Review Committee. For every five demerits earned in a seven day period (Friday 4 pm to Friday 4 pm), a cadet will earn one tour. Likewise, any increment from 5 up to the next multiple of 5 will be rounded back to the previous tour total. For example, a cadet with 4 demerits in a week gets no tours. A cadet with 5 demerits earns one tour. A cadet who earns 6 to 9 demerits earns 1 tour, but 10 demerits is 2 tours, 15 is three tours and so on. 48 Tours are assigned for accumulating more than five demerits in the Upper School only. A tour consists of one hour of detention study hall. Tours may also include physical activity as deemed appropriate by the Cadet Development Supervisor. Tours are an incentive for cadets to follow rules. Tours are scheduled from 6:00 pm through 9:00 pm Friday nights and from 8:00 am through 11:00 am on Saturday mornings. Cadets will wear Duty uniform for tours. Cadet Development Cadets who violate a major school rule are subject to dismissal. However, on-campus cadet development may be assigned as an interim step toward correcting behavior. Upper School - The Discipline Review Committee (DRC) will inquire into each serious incident and determine appropriate consequences. The DRC will summon cadets at their own discretion to appear before the DRC to answer any allegations made against them. On-campus cadet development may be up to ten days in duration. Middle School - If the Middle School Academic Office receives a discipline referral, the assistant principal or his designee may briefly meet with the student and/or teacher and assess the situation. When warranted, the student will be assigned lunch detention or a Friday afternoon physical training (PT) session. Other consequences will be implemented as warranted, to include: curtailment of privileges and free time; restriction to campus; and/or a conference with the administration and/or parents. Only the Academic Office can assign lunch detention. In some cases, serious discipline issues may be dealt with using the restriction program. Students are assigned to restriction for one to ten days. Restriction decisions are made by the DRC, with recommendation to the Principal. The restriction program consists of a point card monitoring system wherein students are awarded points for their demeanor and behavior during the day. It also includes a loss of free time through morning and afternoon physical training sessions, solitary meals, and detention. Boarding student privileges are curtailed. Discipline Referrals The mission of R-MA is to educate our students; therefore, all reasonable steps should be taken to avoid the dismissal of the student without compromising our standards. R-MA will provide discipline, guidance and counseling to students to correct unacceptable behavior. Students who break major school rules or show a pattern of chronic misbehavior may be beyond the Academy‘s ability to correct and may adversely influence other students. Such cases may result in the dismissal of the student. The Commandant or Middle School Principal will present the findings to the Academy President for their approval/disapproval. Only the Academy President has the authority to dismiss a student. 49 No student will be dismissed without notice of violation(s), an explanation of the evidence in support of those violations, and an opportunity to appear before the DRC to present evidence to the contrary. Students may request a member of the faculty/staff to appear before the DRC on their behalf to offer pertinent information about their situation or to provide a character reference. Parents/guardians will be notified as soon as possible when their son/daughter has committed an offense that may require their child‘s dismissal. This procedure is applicable except when, in the judgment of the Commandant or Middle School Principal, the cadet is posing a present danger to persons or property or is disrupting the academic process, in which case the student may be sent home first and then provided a subsequent opportunity to appear before the Commandant or Middle School Principal and have any case for dismissal presented to the Academy President. Mentoring Each teacher will be assigned a mentoring group by the Mentoring Coordinator. It is the responsibility of the Mentor to guide, counsel, and teach his/her mentees about being successful at Randolph-Macon Academy and in life. The Mentor‘s specific responsibilities include but are not limited to communicating regularly with the mentee‘s parents, checking on the mentee‘s progress in class, coordinating tutoring or special assistance for the mentee, and acting as counselor for the mentee throughout his or her career at Randolph-Macon Academy. The Mentoring Coordinator will outline activities and discussion points to facilitate the weekly meetings; however it is incumbent upon the Mentor to ‗connect‘ with each student in his or her group and provide them with an enriching experience. Mentors are assigned from the faculty and certain staff members. All faculty personnel are expected to have a mentoring group. New faculty members will have a reduced mentoring load. Staff mentors typically come from the senior staff and directors. Other individuals may be asked to serve based on their background and experience. Some staff members may be exempted because of travel and duty requirements. The appropriate senior staff supervisor will make these determinations. Mentors may take their mentees off campus for meals or other approved entertainment; however, such activity may occur no more than monthly and must always be during non-academic time. Grading Policy Grading procedures shall be related directly to stated learning goals and individual achievement of stated learning goals shall be the only basis for grades. Effort, participation, attitude, and other behaviors shall not be included in grades, but shall be reported in the comment section. Late summative assignments (grading of the learning) shall be handled as follows: - Assignments handed in late if penalized shall not exceed 10% per day to a maximum of 30%. Assignments will not be accepted after the third day past the 50 due date. - If a student receives a zero because of not turning an assignment it by the late date, teachers must notate the missed deadline in FAWEB. - Teachers may exempt students from penalties. - Care should be taken to ensure that penalties if used do not distort achievement or motivation. Incomplete formative assignments (grading for learning) will be handled as follows: - Work not submitted will be identified with a blank space until the student has been assigned to Friday Night Study Hall (FNSH). - Students are expected to complete all required work and will be given opportunities to do so through tutorials and Friday Night Study Hall. - A zero or an ―M‖ cannot be placed in the grade book until the student has been assigned to FNSH. - Students who are absent due to excused absences have 7 days to complete the make-up work. Teachers should not assign students with an excused absence to FNSH until after the 7 day make-up policy has been fulfilled. - In determining grades, teachers must decide whether they have sufficient evidence of achievement. If not, the grade recorded shall be Incomplete. Incompletes not reconciled two weeks after report cards are sent home will be recorded as zeros. Teachers shall mark and/or provide feedback on formative assessments. Formative assessment marks shall not be included in student grades until the teacher is sure that the students have a true understanding of the concepts or ideas being taught. Homework is not to exceed 15% of the marking period grade and class work is not to exceed 25% of the marking period grade. Where repetitive measures are made of the same or similar skills, the more recent marks shall replace the previous marks for grade determination. Second chance assessment opportunities shall be made available to students; students shall receive the highest, most consistent mark, not an average mark for any such multiple opportunities. Grades shall be weighted carefully to ensure the intended importance is given to each learning goal and to each assessment. Teachers shall provide to students and parents a written overview of assessment, including grading in clear, easily understandable language during the first week of classes. Academic Honor Roll Randolph-Macon Academy has a two-division Honor Roll that is published at the end of each quarter. The President‘s List requires a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 4.00 or higher. The 51 Dean‘s List requires a GPA between 3.30 and 3.99 in the Upper School and the Principal‘s List requires a GPA between 3.5 to 3.99 in the Middle School. Marking System 98-100 92-97 90-91 88-89 82-87 80-81 78-79 72-77 70-71 68-69 62-67 60-61 0-59 = = = = = = = = = = = = = A+ A AB+ B BC+ C CD+ D DF Unweighted Weighted 4.3 4.0 3.7 3.3 3.0 2.7 2.3 2.0 1.7 1.3 1.0 0.7 0.0 4.8 4.5 4.2 3.8 3.5 3.2 2.8 2.5 2.2 1.8 1.5 1.2 0.0 A final grade in each course is based on the four grading periods per academic year. When a course is repeated, the higher final average is used in calculating the cumulative average. Each Honors and Advanced Placement course has 0.5 points added to the grade upon the successful completion of the class. Changing a Grade After a grade has been recorded on official transcripts, it cannot be changed without the written approval of the Dean or Middle School Principal. An error in a grade must be corrected no later than two weeks after the beginning of the subsequent grading period. The student should not be penalized as a result of a faculty member‘s error in grading. Therefore, after two weeks, any correction to a grade will be in the student‘s favor. Make-up Work/Absences An excused absence for a student may include, but is not limited to, a death in the family, personal or family illness, athletic activities, class trips, college visits, prearranged passes, etc. Only the Dean or Middle School Principal may determine what consists as an excused/unexcused absence. For record-keeping purposes, class absences due to an on-campus suspension will be ―excused.‖ Upon the student‘s return to class, he/she must obtain from each teacher all assignments, quizzes, tests, and other relevant material that was missed in his/her absence. If the student does not make up missed assignments within seven (7) school days from that date, the teacher will record an ―F‖ for all missing assignments that have not been turned in. 52 In both excused and unexcused absences, it is solely the student‘s responsibility to coordinate make-up quizzes and tests with the teacher. For an unexcused absence, the student will be referred to the DRC for disciplinary action. Incomplete Grade The ―Incomplete‖ grade will be used in the event of a student‘s extended absence and/or if the student has been given extended time to complete required assignments. A teacher must obtain permission of the Dean or Middle School Principal before issuing a grade of ―Incomplete.‖ After 10 school days from the date of the Dean‘s/Middle School Principal‘s approval of the grade, the ―Incomplete‖ is translated to an ―F.‖ Grade Reports At the end of each grading period, reports will be sent home to the students‘ parents/guardians, informing them of their student‘s progress in class. The grade report will indicate the letter grade. It will also serve as the basis for awarding Honor Rolls (Quarterly only) and academic awards. At the conclusion of the first two weeks of the first grading period, as part of the students‘ placement procedure, the instructor will submit to the Department Chairperson or Middle School Principal a list of students who are having difficulty in the class. In the Upper School, the Assistant Dean and the Department Chairperson or Middle School Principal in the Middle School will review the list and suggest a change in placement for the student(s) (if deemed necessary), and will notify the teachers, parents, and students. With each grade report, the faculty will submit a listing of students with a grade of ―D‖ or below to the Academic Office, with an analysis of each student‘s performance and any recommended action that needs to be taken. Any student who is failing two or more courses will not be allowed to miss any academic classes or study halls for any reason. If the student discovers an error with his/her grade(s), then the student is responsible for contacting the appropriate instructor(s) and requesting that the grade(s) be reviewed. If the student has notified his/her teacher that an error has occurred and the teacher refuses to change it, the student may appeal the decision in writing, and submit the appeal to the Dean or Middle School Principal‘s office. Calculating Grade Point Averages Semester Grade Point Average - Add the semester grade from each class, and then divide by the number of classes to calculate a semester grade point average. Cumulative Grade Point Average - Add all the year-end grades. Then divide by the number of total classes to calculate a cumulative grade point average. 53 Calculations Any credit awarded prior to Grade 9 will be calculated with the Grade 9 semester grade point averages. This needs to be done by hand. A final grade in a new summer school class will be added into the previous school year. Example 1: If a transcript has only year-end grades listed, and a final grade of A+ is earned in a new summer school Algebra I course, add an A+ to the year-end grades for the school year that has just ended. Then recalculate a new year-end cumulative grade point average. This needs to be done by hand Example 2: If semester grades are listed on the transcript where the new grade will be substituted, put the appropriate grade in for each semester. Then recalculate the semester grade point average and a new year-end grade point average. This needs to be done by hand. A final grade in a repeat summer school class will result in the higher grade replacing the lower grade in the same course and replacing the grade in the year-end average of the year the original course was taken. Example: A repeat summer school final grade of A+ in Algebra I will replace an F in Algebra I in the year that the original course was taken. This grade will be re-averaged with the rest of that year‘s cumulative GPA. This needs to be done by hand. Calculating grade point averages from other institutions: When the other institutions provide no grading scale, Randolph-Macon Academy will give the highest possible grade on the corresponding R-MA scale. While re-calculating a semester grade point average by hand, you need to add the 0.5point addition for each Honors or AP class. Syllabus/Lesson Plans/Curriculum Guide Each teacher must compose a syllabus by semester for his/her course. He/she should submit it to the Department Chairs or Middle School Principal during the week of Fall In-Service (for the first semester) and during first semester exam week (for the second semester.) The syllabus is created for a one semester duration. The Department Chairman or Middle School Principal will maintain a copy of the Curriculum Guide. The faculty member will familiarize himself/herself with and adhere to the Curriculum Guide when planning his/her lessons and syllabus, to include ordering supplies, equipment, and audio-visuals that are pertinent to the curriculum. When the faculty member wishes to change this curriculum, he/she should submit a written request to the Department Chairman or Middle School Principal for approval. In the Upper School, the Department Chairman will then obtain the Dean's written approval prior to making the change(s). The faculty member formulates lesson plans and programs of study, to include reading assignments, homework, tests, quizzes, papers, labs, lab reports, and audio-visuals, and lists lesson objectives, goals, outcomes and measures. The daily lesson plans will be prepared at least 54 one week in advance of the sessions that are being taught. On Friday afternoon of each week, the faculty member will turn in a copy of his/her lesson plans for the next week to the Department Chair or Middle School Principal. The faculty member should adhere to the scheduled lesson plan. The daily lesson plan should also be of sufficient detail to permit use by a substitute teacher when the teacher is absent. Homework Homework assignments are an integral part of the academic program. Homework should be used to reinforce a particularly important part of a lesson. Homework is to be graded in a timely manner and returned to the student promptly in order to be used as reference material for future quizzes and/or tests. Homework should not be used as ―busy work‖ or as punishment. It should be understood that students have a full load of classes. Make certain that an appropriate amount of homework is assigned so that your assignments as well as those of others can be completed during the students‘ Night Study Hall or Middle School Homework Lab. In the Upper School, if a student‘s homework assignment(s) are not completed, the teacher should assign the student to Tutorial until the work is completed. Testing The major goal of testing is to accomplish better teaching and better learning by giving feedback to the faculty and the student regarding his/her progress toward the stated learning objectives. Tests and materials should clearly relate to the material being taught. Testing objectives should include: Giving the student an opportunity to review and evaluate which areas need improvement. Determining which materials need re-teaching and retesting. Encouraging overall planning of courses by the faculty member. Giving opportunity for the faculty member to evaluate his/her own progress. Providing opportunities for the faculty member to evaluate the student‘s progress and the faculty member‘s proficiency in teaching. Providing an additional activity for measuring the student‘s achievement. Miscellaneous Policies Political Affiliations Employees have a right as citizens to engage in political activities. Guidelines for employees who intend to engage in political activities follow: 55 No employee will engage in political activities on Academy property or time unless permission has been granted for that purpose under the Board of Trustee‘s policy for the use of facilities. Political circulars or petitions may not be posted or distributed in the Academy except through the mail. The collection of and/or solicitation for campaign funds or campaign workers is prohibited on Academy property. Requiring students to write, address, or distribute political materials is forbidden. The distribution of political materials to students is forbidden. Academy employees who hold elective or appointive offices other than that of state legislator or county offices are not entitled to time off from their Academy responsibilities incident to such offices, except as such time may qualify under the leave policies. Employees who absent themselves from their assigned duties without permission will be deemed absent without permission. Copyright Act Randolph-Macon Academy complies with all applicable requirements of Title 18 of the Copyright Act of 1992. All employees and students who use computing and other resources owned by R-MA are to be made aware that reproducing and distributing copyrighted work is illegal and against the policy of this Academy. Employees and students should also be made aware of the penalties that may occur for violation of the Copyright Act and of this policy. R-MA will not be responsible if any employee or student violates the Copyright Act while using computing or other resources owned by R-MA, or if the violation originates from an R-MA computer or network, the violation occurs in performance of R-MA work, or the original access rights were granted under the auspices of R-MA. Freedom of Speech Employees have a right as citizens in a democratic society to speak out on issues of public concern. When those issues are related to the Academy, however, the employee‘s expression must be tempered by the interests of the Academy. The Board of Trustees adopts the following guidelines to help clarify and, therefore, avoid situations in which the employee‘s expression could conflict with the Academy‘s interests. The employee should: State clearly that his or her comments represent personal views and not necessarily those of the Academy. Refrain from comments that would cause conflict among co-workers, administrators or officials of the Board or Academy. Not make abusive or personally defamatory comments to or about Academy policies or procedures, students, co-workers, administrators, or officials of the Board or Academy. Never threaten or harass anyone connected with the Academy. 56 Appendix A - Upper School – Daily Class Schedule Class Day (Monday) 0630 - Rise 0715 - Breakfast 0745 - Morning Formation 0800 - Chapel 0845 - Recall 0850 - 1st Period 0935 - Recall 0940 - 2nd Period 1025 - Recall 1030 - 3rd Period 1115 - Recall 1120 - 4th Period 1205 - Recall 1215 - Lunch 1255 - Recall 1300 - Tutorial 1325 - Recall 1330 - 5th Period 1415 - Recall 1420 - 6th Period 1505 - Recall 1510 – 7th Period 1555 - Recall 1600 – Athletics/Intramurals 1300 - Tutorial 1325 - Recall 1330 - 6th Period 1415 - Recall 1420 – 7th Period 1505 - Recall 1510 - Mentoring/Drill (Alternate Tuesdays) 1555 - Recall 1600-1800 - Athletics/Intramurals Class Day (Wednesday) 0630 - Rise 0715 - Breakfast 0745 - Morning Formation 0800 - 1st Period 0930 - Recall 0935 - 3rd Period 1105 - Recall 1110 - 5th Period 1240 - Recall 1250 - Lunch 1330 - Recall 1335 - Tutorial 1400 - Recall 1405 – 7th Period 1535 - Recall 1550-1800 - Athletics/Intramurals Class Day (Tuesday) 0630 - Rise 0715 - Breakfast 0745 - Morning Formation 0800 - 1st Period 0845 - Recall 0850 - 2nd Period 0935 - Recall 0940 - 3rd Period 1025 - Recall 1030 - 4th Period 1115 - Recall 1120 - 5th Period 1205 - Recall 1215 - Lunch 1255 - Recall Class Day (Thursday) 0630 - Rise 0715 - Breakfast 0745 - Morning Formation 0800 - 2nd Period 0930 - Recall 0935 - 4th Period 1105 - Recall 1110 - 6th Period 1240 - Recall 1250 - Lunch 1330 - Recall 1335 - Tutorial 57 1400 - Recall1405 - Special Events/Guest Speakers/Drill 1535 - Recall 1550-1800 - Athletics/Intramurals Monday - Thursday Evening 1820 - Evening Formation 1830-1900 - Dinner 1900 - Free Time 1925 - Recall 1930 - Night Study Hall 2100 – Residential Life Curriculum (Monday only) (No Bell) 2130 – Restricted to Assigned Flight Area/Hall 2225 – Call to Quarters (Room) 2230 – Lights Out 2300 – Senior Lights Out (No Bell) 58 Daily Schedule (Continued) Class Day (Friday) 0630 - Rise 0715 – Breakfast 0745 – Morning Formation 0755 – Mentoring 0825 – Recall 0830 - 1st Period 0915 - Recall 0920 - 2nd Period 1005 - Recall 1010 - 3rd Period 1055 - Recall 1100 - 4th Period 1145 - Recall 1150 - 5th Period 1235 - Recall 1245 - Lunch 1325 - Recall 1330 - 6th Period 1415 - Recall 1420 - 7th Period 1505 – Recall 1515 - Retreat Formation Saturday 1015 - Rise 1100 - Brunch 1230 – Town Leave 1730 – Dinner (Optional) 1830 – Town Leave Ends 2200 – CQ to Dorm Follow Friday Evening Schedule Sunday 0915 – Worship Services (Optional) (No Bell) 1015 - Rise 1100 - Brunch 1230 – Town Leave 1730 – Dinner (Optional) 1830 – Town Leave and Weekend Pass Ends 1900 – Senior Sign-in/ Food Deliveries Terminated Follow Weeknight Schedule Friday Evening Schedule 1530 – 1700 Tours 1530 – Town Leave Begins 1530 – Weekend Pass Begins (No Bell) 1730 – Dinner (Dinner Optional) 1800 - 2000 –Friday Night Study Hall (In Library) 1830 – Town Leave Ends for Freshmen 2030 – Town Leave Ends and CQ to Dorm 2230 – CQ to Assigned Flight Area/Hall 2300 - CQ to Dorm Room 2310 - Lights Out 2330 - Senior Lights Out (No Bell) 59 Appendix B - Middle School Daily Schedule Morning Schedule Wake-Up Breakfast Flag Raising Monday Mentoring Period 1st Period 2nd Period 3rd Period 4th Period Lunch Tutorial 5th Period 6th Period 7th Period Sports Practice SIP Study Hall Tuesday 1st Period 2nd Period 3rd Period 4th Period 5th Period Lunch Tutorial 6th Period 7th Period Intramurals/SIPSH Sports Practice SIP Study Hall Wake-up, Breakfast, and Flag Raising times are the same Monday through Friday. . 6:30 am 7:15 am – 7:45 am 7:50 am 8:00 am -8:45 am 8:50 am – 9:35 am 9:40 am -- 10:25 am 10:30 am -- 11:15 am 11:20 am – 12:05 pm 12:10 pm – 12:45 pm 12:50 pm -- 1:25 pm 1:30 pm – 2:15 pm 2: 20 pm – 3:05 pm 3:10 pm – 3:55 pm 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm 4:15 pm – 5:30 pm Day students may checkout at 4:15 pm Monday – Thursday 8:00 am -8:45 am 8:50 am – 9:35 am 9:40 am – 10:25 am 10:30 am -- 11:15 am 11:20 am – 12:05 pm 12:10 pm – 12:45 pm 12:50 pm – 1:25 pm 1:30 pm – 2:15 pm 2:20 pm – 3:05 pm 3:10 pm – 4:10 pm 3:10 pm – 5:00 pm 4:15 pm – 5:30 pm 60 Wednesday 1st Period 3rd Period 5th Period Lunch Tutorial 7th Period Intramurals/SIPSH Sports Practice SIP Study Hall 8:00 am -- 9:30 am 9:35 am --11:05 am 11:10 am -- 12:40 pm 12:45 pm – 1:20 pm 1:25 pm – 2:00 pm 2:05 pm -- 3:35 pm 3:40 pm – 4:10 pm 3:40 pm – 5:00 pm 4:15 pm – 5:30 pm Thursday 2nd Period 4th Period 6th Period Lunch Tutorial Chapel Mentoring Intramurals/SIPSH Sports Practice SIP Study Hall 8:00 am -- 9:30 am 9:35 am – 11:05 am 11:10 am –12:40 pm 12:45 pm – 1:20 pm 1:25 pm -- 2:00 pm 2:05 pm – 2:35 pm 2:40 pm – 3:25 pm 3:30 pm -- 4:10 pm 3:30 pm -- 5:00 pm 4:15 pm – 5:30 pm Friday Tutorial 1st Period 2nd Period 3rd Period 4th Period 5th Period Lunch 6th Period 7th Period End of Week Assembly Detention/PT/FASH 8:00am – 8:25am 8:30 am – 9:15 am 9:20 am – 10:05 am 10:10 am – 10:55 am 11:00 am – 11:45 am 11:50 am – 12:35 pm 12:45 pm – 1:25 pm 1:30 pm – 2:15 pm 2:20 pm – 3:05 pm 3:10 pm – 3:25 pm 3:30 pm – 4:00 pm Evening Schedules Monday – Thursday Flag Lowering Dinner Study Hall Free Time (Monday and Thursday) Life Skills (Tuesday and Wednesday) Halls Close Lights Out Checkout begins at 3:30 pm 5:35 pm 5:45 pm – 6:15 pm 6:30 pm – 7:45 pm 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm 8:00 pm – 8:45 pm 9:00 pm 9:30 pm 61 Weekend Schedule This weekend schedule is frequently adjusted for special events such as athletic contests and field trips, but in general, the schedule printed below is used. Each Friday an up-to-date weekend schedule is posted in the dorm. If you wish to sign up for any special activities or weekend trips, see the Weekend Activities Supervisor. Friday 3:30 – 5:00pm 5:15 pm 5:30 pm 7:00 – 9:00 pm 7:00 – 8:30 pm 10:00 pm 10:30 pm Free Time, Homework Lab, Disciplinary Consequences, & Checkout begins Assembly at Flag Pole Dinner at the Upper School Supervised Town Trips Study Hall for those on Academic Probation All students report to their own hall Lights out Saturday 10:00 am 10:45 am 12:00 – 5:00 pm 5:30 pm 9:30 pm 10:30 pm Wake-up Brunch at Upper School Weekend Activities Dinner at Upper School All students report to their own hall Lights out Sunday 10:00 am 10:45 am 12:00 – 5:00 pm 5:30 pm 8:00 pm 7:00-8:30 pm 9:00 pm 9:30 pm Wake-up Brunch at Upper School Weekend Activities Dinner at Upper School All boarding students should be checked in Study Hall/Quiet Time All students report to their own hall Lights out 62
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