II. General Information

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as to satisfy other requirements of the Deans Office. Unannounced periodic drug testing may also be a condition of continued enrollment at the Academy. Agreement to submit to such counseling and testing will be obtained from the student and their family. Any costs associated are the responsibility of the family. If students or parents/guardians refuse to submit to drug or alcohol testing, it is viewed by the Academy as an admission of guilt.

Involvement with any of the more serious drugs (Massachusetts Drug Laws Class C or above) will likely result in dismissal on the first offense.

If a student voluntarily indicates they are struggling with a substance problem and request assistance, such information is treated confidentially and is not considered disciplinary. However, standard policies and procedures are followed for any subsequent substance use following this voluntary admission. A student may not voluntarily admit to substance use as a means to circumvent disciplinary procedures already in progress. We believe this policy represents healthy, productive support of students struggling with substance issues, and we trust parents/guardians will join us in this endeavor.

Illegal Drugs Defined – The term “illegal drug” includes any controlled substance not legally obtained, prescribed drugs not being used in the prescribed dosage or for the prescribed purpose, including drugs prescribed legally for someone other than the person using them, steroids and/or any other performance-enhancing substances. The term further refers to other substances (e.g. mail-order stimulants or pills, nitrous oxide, glue, etc.), which are used for other than their intended purposes.

Sale or Distribution of Substances – The sale or distribution of illegal substances is regarded as a serious danger to the health and safety of the community. Students found to be involved in the sale or distribution of illegal substances while within the school’s jurisdiction will likely be dismissed from WMA.

II. General Information

A. Communication to Parents/Guardians

At the Academy, we believe students, parents/guardians, faculty and staff work together to complete the educational process. We encourage frequent communication between parents/guardians and faculty. Email is often the best way to reach faculty. Email addresses and phone numbers of faculty are available on the website.

Our website - www.wma.us - provides an additional means of communication. Calendars, schedules and current press releases are all posted here. Photos of events on campus can be found on the website as well. A weekly electronic newsletter informs parents/guardians of upcoming events.

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B. The Advisor Program

Every student is assigned a faculty or staff member as their advisor. Parents/guardians should feel free to contact the advisor whenever they wish. The advisor is responsible for helping advisees meet the academic and social expectations of WMA. They are also the main contact and first resource for parents/guardians and students. Students should bring situations of an academic nature, (i.e., proposed course withdrawals, test failures, homework problems, etc.) to the attention of their advisors prior to seeing the Deans Office about these matters. Advisors may, from time to time, set limits or take disciplinary action when deemed appropriate. A formal time is set aside each week for advisees to meet with their advisors.

C. Spiritual Life

As members of a school community whose goal it is to work with the whole student, we seek ways to develop the mind, body and spirit of our students. We are a nondenominational community, and therefore encourage our students to pursue opportunities they feel are appropriate.

D. Safety & Security

WMA employs security officers who secure and patrol the campus during evenings and overnight hours. Our school and security department have an open and cooperative relationship with Wilbraham Police and Fire departments, which are two miles from campus and do an excellent job keeping us all safe and secure.

All buildings are secured with AMAG security electronic access systems requiring all students to carry a swipe device to gain entry. This system is on 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A campus-wide, closed-circuit video recording system provides footage of public spaces, dormitory entrance doors, parking lots and outside areas.

E. Campus Emergencies

WMA has a complete and tested crisis management plan, which was designed specifically for the unique needs of our college-style, high school campus. No plan can cover the extent of possible emergencies at a school, but our plan has been continually revised and updated with our experience and with the input of professional crisis response consultants. We will continue to revise it as appropriate.

We do not publish our plans, because to make them public knowledge would be counterproductive to keeping our students safe. Yet questions can be directed to the Dean of Students. In the event of a major crisis on campus, families should follow the updates and directions via text alerts and/or email.