Elon Academy Cultural Guidelines (The EA Way)

The Elon Academy is a collaborative community dedicated to fostering a supportive and thriving environment for all its members. We expect everyone to contribute to the collective effort of building, honoring, maintaining, and sustaining the community’s overall health and vitality. Central to the Elon Academy Honor Code are the principles of responsibility, respect, integrity, and honesty. This code encompasses valuing and respecting diverse identities and perspectives. We firmly believe that acknowledging and affirming students’ race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and abilities is essential for cultivating an engaged and committed community.

The core values upheld by Elon Academy align with the principles outlined in Sean Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens.” These principles embody the ideals that define our expectations:

  • Be Proactive: Take initiative and assume responsibility for your actions and choices. Utilize available resources, ask questions, and seek assistance when needed.
  • Begin with the End in Mind: Commit both mentally and physically to the principles, values, relationships, and goals that are most significant in your pursuit of higher education.
  • Put First Things First: Prioritize decisions based on what is most important, occasionally practicing delayed gratification.
  • Think Win-Win: Approach interactions with a mindset that seeks mutual benefit and respect for all parties involved.
  • Be Self-Aware: Recognize your strengths and weaknesses, and actively work towards personal improvement.
  • Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood: Listen attentively with the intent to understand others, and communicate your own perspective with respect and clarity.
  • Synergize: Collaborate effectively to achieve greater outcomes collectively.

Any behavior, whether inside or outside of the classroom (on or off the Elon campus), that is inconsistent with our values and expectations undermines the health and vitality of our community. To clearly delineate behaviors that are detrimental to the Elon Academy community, we have established the following guidelines. These guidelines are intended to foster positive life habits and support each scholar in achieving greater success.

The following behaviors, which are considered non-negotiable, will result in immediate consequences. Items highlighted in bold will lead to immediate dismissal from the program. Faculty, staff, and mentors are required to report any instances of non-negotiable behavior and are not authorized to negotiate with scholars regarding these matters.

  • Illegal Drugs
  • Underage Alcohol or Tobacco Use
  • Violence
  • Bullying
  • Stealing
  • Gang Activity
  • Dishonesty (plagiarism, cheating, lying, etc)
  • Unreceptive to repeated feedback

In addition, during the College Access Phase I Summer Program the following non-negotiable behaviors will result in immediate consequences (immediate consequences up to immediate dismissal from the program)

  • Weapons (on campus)
  • Sexual Activity (includes kissing)
  • Being where you are not supposed to be
  • Cell Phones (not allowed during the Residential Summer Program and turned off during Saturday Program and Non-residential Summer Activities.)
  • Televisions, computers, gaming systems, DVDs, or a device that can access the Internet are not allowed during the Summer Program (mp3 players that DO NOT have the capability to connect to the Internet are acceptable).  If you are uncertain about the appropriateness of a device, please check with an Elon Academy staff member BEFORE the summer program.

Throughout the College Access Phase I portion of the Elon Academy program our expectation is that each scholar will give 100% of their effort to realizing their dream of going to college.  The following behaviors would indicate less than 100% commitment:

  • Repeatedly exhibiting behavior that interferes with a teacher’s teaching, one’s own, or the learning of others.
  • Not giving 100% effort, inside and outside of class and/or not completing assignments adequately.
  • Talking in class at inappropriate times.
  • Accessing irrelevant internet sites or social networking at inappropriate times.
  • Not following classroom or Elon Academy rules (Saturday Program is considered a classroom).
  • Posting or sharing inappropriate content on social media and posting pictures of Elon Academy community members without permission.
  • Earning a final grade below a C during the school year without making a good faith effort (tutoring available at school, academic coaching by Academy staff) to remedy the situation.
  • Failing to respond to phone calls, emails, letters, and text messages in a timely fashion.

Elon Academy’s Honor Code

Elon Academy’s Honor Code is the cornerstone of our collective accountability, encompassing Honesty, Integrity, Respect, and Responsibility. Any student engaging in behaviors highlighted in bold will face immediate dismissal from the program. Students who violate policies and protocols during the Elon Academy summer program for a period of 24 hours or more will be required to submit a written letter of recommitment to the Honor Code and Elon Academy expectations in order to be considered for re-admittance. The staff will review this letter to assess the student’s eligibility for returning to campus. Throughout the academic year, students who breach policies and protocols may be placed on probation or assigned additional responsibilities to reinforce their commitment to the program and understanding of the Honor Code.

Elon Academy abides by the Elon Honor Code.

Mandated Reporting

The Elon Academy values the role that family plays in the life of each scholar. We recognize that a healthy and stable family life can contribute to academic success. The Elon Academy hopes to strengthen not only the academic lives of our scholars, but also their relationships with their family and the larger community. The safety and welfare of our scholars is also a primary concern. As such, the Elon Academy and its faculty, staff, and mentors are mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect under North Carolina law. If any member of the staff receives a report of, suspects, or finds evidence of abuse or neglect toward a scholar they are legally required to report this to the Alamance County Department of Social Services (DSS). All reports of abuse or neglect will be taken very seriously by staff.

The County’s DSS website defines abuse as, “The harmful mistreatment by a parent, guardian or caretaker, which may be physical, emotional, or sexual in nature.” Neglect is defined as, “Continued failure to provide for a child’s basic needs, which may be medical, educational, physical, or emotional in nature.” The identity of the reporter and all information shared will be kept confidential. Further information on the topic, as well as reporting procedures may be found on the DSS website.

The Elon Academy understands that family life and relationships can be stressful given the many demands placed on a family unit these days. Financial concerns, child-care problems, and job pressures are just a few of the challenges a typical family will face. Learning to manage stressors in a healthy and productive way is an important life skill that families can pass on to their children. The Elon Academy hopes to be part of this learning process and lead both the scholar and the family to greater success. The Elon Academy provides free, confidential counseling to both scholars and families in the program, and can also assist with referrals to community agencies that may be of benefit. For more information on these services, please contact us at (336) 578-6109 or elonacademy@elon.edu.