Summer Academy More Information

Residence Halls 

The Academy is a residential program that requires all students to reside in the College dormitories. Our residence hall assignment rotates yearly, so our exact accommodation types can change, but in general students will share a room and/or suite with 1–3 other students. Bathrooms are shared by suite mates. (There is an option on our application to specify your gender identity, and you will be housed accordingly.) In some years, we also have a small number of single rooms (with a shared hallway bathroom) available. The residence halls are air-conditioned, and each room offers a twin bed, desk, and dresser for each student. Students must provide their own bed linens (XL twin sheets, blanket, pillow) or choose the $50 bedding fee. Each residence hall also has a social room with a television, a laundry facility (with detergent provided), and a kitchen with a microwave. (Some residence halls also have a stove available for cooking purposes.)  

At registration each student will be issued an electronic entry fob that unlocks the main residence hall door and a key that unlocks the individual room. These items will be attached to a lanyard with the student’s identification badge; each student is independently responsible for those items and is required to keep them with them at all times. It is also the responsibility of the student to make sure their dorm room is always locked. The College is not responsible for the loss, damage, or theft of any student’s personal property, including, but not limited to, computers, cell phones, or jewelry. 

Curfew is at 10:00 pm each evening. Nightly check-in is required. After curfew, students are free to make use of the common rooms or other spaces within their own residence hall, but they are not allowed outside of their individual residence hall except in cases of emergency. Additionally, doors to individual rooms are not allowed to be closed if anyone not assigned to that room is present inside the room, and individuals should never be on a floor assigned to a gender other than their own.  

Students are expected to keep their dormitories (rooms, hallways, social rooms, courtyards) and other social areas clean of trash. Upon check-out, students must leave their rooms in undamaged, clean condition and must return their key, entry fob, and ID badge. Failure to do so will result in cleaning and/or replacement charges of $25 (each) to the student's account. Transcripts and evaluations are withheld for unpaid accounts. 

Meal Plan  

The Academy participates in the College Dining Services meal plan. A buffet-style meal with vegetarian and gluten free options is served in the Rhodes main dining hall three times a day, and students may eat as much as they wish at each meal. Since mealtimes will be one of the opportunities we have to share information quickly with all participants, students are required to attend each meal even if they don’t wish to eat. (Students with particular dietary restrictions should note these requirements on their medical release form.) Between meals, the cafeteria is closed, but students will have the opportunity to purchase snacks from the Rhodes Bookstore or from vending machines located around the campus. Snacks will also be provided at most social events and also at curfew each night.  

Computer Labs and Internet Access 

Students are strongly encouraged to bring a laptop, as many professors use Canvas online for course readings and assignment submission. However, students are also permitted to use the college computer labs in Barret Library 8:30 AM–5 PM weekdays. Printer paper, if needed, is provided by the College and can be requested from your instructor. 

Students will have access to the internet via the Rhodes server. There are various wireless access points around campus, including in the residence halls. While students are given free access to the technological services necessary for a successful completion of the program, the Academy expects that its students abide by College’s computer access policies. Students are prohibited from engaging in actions that lead to unauthorized access by persons outside the College or Academy, acts that solicit unauthorized services, and actions that lead to a disruption to service within the network. 

Unauthorized Access: Unauthorized use/access includes giving a valid username and password to any unauthorized individual, business, or agency outside of the Rhodes community. Accounts and passwords are not to be shared. 

Unauthorized Services: Users must not run unauthorized servers, including but not limited to DNS, DHCP, email, file sharing, print, video or audio streaming, web, peer-to-peer, or other application services. Such services disrupt and in some cases disable central services. 

Denial or Disruption of Service: Users must not deny or disrupt or attempt to deny or disrupt service to other users by means of excessive consumption of resources, distribution of computer “worms” or viruses, excessive computing load or deliberately causing the failure of any system resource, including email, bandwidth, or web services. Uses of computer resources that may cause excessive network traffic are prohibited.  

A full, online version of the policies can be found in the Rhodes College Student Handbook. 

Other Campus Facilities 

A fully equipped recreation center with state-of-the-art weight and exercise machines will be available for your use. Tennis and basketball courts, indoor and outdoor tracks, and a swimming pool are also available (as are many other athletic facilities). Bring whatever equipment you will need (tennis racket, swimsuit, etc.). 

Music practice rooms will also be open for use by participants. Pianos are present in several of these rooms, but students should feel free to bring their own instruments as well.  

Off-Campus Activities 

Unless it is done as part of an Academy-sponsored and -supervised activity, no venturing outside the gates of the Rhodes campus is allowed. This is a zero-tolerance policy, and any student found to be off campus without permission will be immediately dismissed from the program without any refund of program fees.  

On the other hand, during the two weeks of the program, there will be various optional outings to local attractions. Transportation is provided by the Academy, and most of these excursions will be free of charge, but there may indeed be a few such occasions that involve an admission fee (typically $8–$15). By signing the Statement of Responsibility, the student’s parent grants permission for the student to travel off campus in this way. 

Social Rules and Regulations 

 
Students at the Academy are expected to familiarize themselves with and comply with the rules and regulations outlined in both the Rhodes College Student Handbook and this website. The College and Summer Academy reserve the right to dismiss a student for any violation of these rules and regulations or policies. In particular, the Academy upholds a zero-tolerance policy for violations involving a) alcohol or drug use or possession, b) crossing gender boundaries in the residence halls or being found in the room or on the hall of a member of the opposite sex, c) leaving campus independent of Academy excursions, d) receiving non-Rhodes community visitors, and e) weapon possession. Any such dismissal from the Academy will be without refund and without academic credit. Each student and his or her parent must sign the Statement of Responsibility for enrollment clearance before the student will be permitted to attend the Academy. 

Diversity Statement 

A diverse learning community is a necessary element of a residential liberal arts education.  The members of the Rhodes College community are committed to creating a community where diversity is valued and welcomed. To that end, Rhodes College does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, color, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and national or ethnic origin and will not tolerate harassment or discrimination on those bases. 

Smoking Policy 

The Rhodes Summer Academy is a non-smoking program; this includes cigarettes, vapes, and Juuls. 

Campus Safety and Visitors 

 
The goal of the Academy is to offer students a true pre-college experience, complete with residential living, college-level coursework, and social activities. To accomplish this and to provide a cohesive group experience, students are asked to remain on campus throughout the program (with the exception of program-organized field trips that will offer an opportunity for students to see particular sites in the larger Memphis community). 

Because the Academy bears legal responsibility for the well-being of each of the participants, students are not permitted to leave campus except on official Academy trips. The Academy does not permit local students to return home for family events, meals, or activities, except in emergency circumstances. This is due to the tight schedule of the program, and in order that the Academy remain fair to other students. Similarly, in accordance with Rhodes College security policies, visitors, including parents, are allowed on campus only during drop-off and pick-up periods at the beginning and end of the program. (Parents may, however, contact the Academy’s Director in order to arrange for items to be dropped off for participants.) Students who drive to the Academy will be asked to relinquish their keys for the duration of the program. 

Rhodes College’s main campus is enclosed by a gated fence, and leaving campus outside of the program’s trips is a violation of policy and grounds for dismissal without refund.   

The telephone number for the Campus Safety office is (901) 843-3880. 

Illness and Medical Emergency 

Before registering at the Academy, each student must provide a signed copy of the Health Information form. Because the vast majority of students attending the program are minors, the Academy must present health information to medical professionals in the event of an illness or injury so that the student can be treated. Also, prior to attending, students must submit a copy of their health insurance card indicating coverage. Students and their parent/guardian must verify that their plan provides for both emergency health care and in-patient care including room and board, hospital services, and surgeon fees in the Memphis, TN, area. Should a student need health care services while attending the program, they are responsible for payment of all fees for medical treatment not covered by their health insurance plan.  

Student medical needs will be assessed initially by staff. If a student needs major or emergency medical attention, staff will contact the student’s Emergency Contact, and the student will be transported to the nearest hospital emergency room. In the case of transport, staff will have access to the Health Information form and a copy of student health insurance card. 

If a student is significantly ill, injured and/or in need of major medical treatment, the student will be withdrawn from the program and will need to depart the college within 24 hours. If a student requires hospitalization, their parent/legal guardian or emergency contact must arrive at the hospital within 24 hours of admission. Students withdrawn from the program based on health issues will be refunded on a pro-rata basis consistent with our refund policy. 

If health information needs to be updated in the days before the Academy, please contact us directly. 

Emergencies 

In the event of an emergency on campus, the Rhodes Campus Safety office handles all responses in conjunction with the Director and other administrative staff. 

In the event of a campus emergency such as power outage or inclement weather, the Rhodes Campus Safety alert system will notify all Academy staff members. 

Emergency Protocol for Students: There are several emergency responders on campus. Students should contact the first available responder in the order below: 

1. Contact an RA. 
2. If an RA is unavailable, contact Campus Safety 901-843-3880. 
3. Campus Safety will contact either the on-call residential staff, or the Director 

Emergency Protocol for Parents and Legal Guardians: Families may contact the Rhodes Summer Academy in a variety of ways, depending on the day and time: 

1. 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM weekdays: the RSA administrative office (901-843-3201). 
2. 4:30 PM – 9 AM weekdays and 24 hours weekend: Campus Safety (901-843-3880). 
3. Campus Safety will notify the on-call residential staff and/or the Director, who will in turn contact your child. 

As part of enrollment clearance, all students and their families will be required to submit a Family Emergency Response Plan, which will include information about emergency departure from Rhodes prior to the end of the program, should the need arise. 

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