Students participating in the ATSU-Truman Healthcare Academy enjoy a rich experience outside the classroom. They live on campus under the supervision of resident staff and preceptors and participate in a variety of activities.  More importantly, they get to know other students—students whose interests are diverse and who share their exceptional academic abilities, love of learning, and enthusiasm for the healthcare profession.

Throughout the residential program, we focus on helping students have a good time in a safe, supervised environment. Although helping students have a positive social experience is important to us, prospective students should know that their primary goal while enrolled in the program is to succeed in their academic endeavors. Students unable to make academics their first priority should not attend our program.

Supervision

While students are ultimately responsible for their own conduct, administrative, instructional, and residential staff all work together to provide clear guidelines and careful supervision. Outside class, students are supervised by the directors and preceptors. Preceptors are either current students or graduates of Truman State University. In addition, ATSU and Truman have faculty and staff who dedicate their week to this program to oversee all aspects of the day. Additional supervision is provided by our preceptors, some of the best students at Truman.  Preceptors are recruited for their expertise in health science disciplines and/or from our education programs.  Preceptors will live on the same halls as the students while attending the program, providing support and encouragement, enforcing rules, assisting in the classroom, assisting staff and conducting recreational programs.

Administration

 

Jana Arabas

Residential Life Rules

• During the Academy, students must remain on the Truman campus unless accompanied by a preceptor, a staff member, or a parent or guardian.
• The following are prohibited: alcoholic beverages and illegal drugs; cigarettes, tobacco products, e-cigarettes, vaping products, matches, candles, and incense; coffee pots and other cooking appliances; tampering with fire equipment; and damage to University property. Students who possess or use alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs, or any type of vaping/tobacco products will be immediately dismissed from the Academy.
• Students are expected to behave in a mature manner. They will be expected to show respect to the faculty, staff, fellow students, and themselves. Students who use disrespectful or obscene language is not tolerated.
• Rules are discussed with the students on the first day of the Academy.
• Any student who is unable to meet expectations will be asked to leave. The Academy reserves the right to dismiss a student without refund for disruptive, unsafe, or violation of any rules/expectations.  Parents will be responsible for any and all costs associated with early return home due to dismissal, including (if applicable) airfare, ground transportation to the airport, and staff expenses.

Academic Discipline

Students are expected to work to the best of their abilities. The students who excel at the Academy are those who take responsibility for their own education and have a genuine desire to learn. An exceptional level of maturity and emotional stability is essential to succeed in this fast-paced environment.

Students who demonstrate a lack of effort in the classroom or who engage in disruptive behavior will work with their instructor(s) to resolve the situation. If inappropriate academic behavior persists, a conference may be held involving the student, the Director, and the Dean of the Academy. The Academy reserves the right to dismiss a student without refund for lack of effort or disruptive behavior in class.  Parents will be responsible for any and all costs associated with early return home due to dismissal, including (if applicable) airfare, ground transportation to the airport, and staff expenses.

Attendance Policy

In order for students to receive the full academic benefits of the Academy, they must remain on the campus for the entire one-week session.  We believe strongly that completion of the whole program is a primary objective of attendance.  While activities such as athletics, recitals, and scholastic competitions are worthwhile on their own, they divert students’ attention from a student’s ATSU-Truman Healthcare Academy classroom experience when they are in conflict.  Because the academic experience is intensive, students are normally not able to “catch up” if they miss any class time.  Because many class assignments employ group work, lab partners, and so forth, a student’s absence may also significantly impact the work of others.  Students will not be permitted to leave the Truman State campus for activities not associated with the Academy.  The only exceptions will be for medical or family emergencies as determined by the Dean.  Students who leave the Academy for any other reason will not be allowed to return.  For a variety of reasons, including fairness in the application of this policy, appeals of this policy not grounded in medical or family emergencies will not be considered.

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

• Possessing or using tobacco, alcohol, or drugs (students possessing any of these items will be immediately dismissed from the Academy);
• Not attending to their academic work in a satisfactory manner;
• Cheating, plagiarizing, or committing other acts of academic dishonesty;
• Being in restricted areas of campus, or leaving campus, unaccompanied by a staff member, preceptor or  parent/guardian;
• Being in an opposite-sex wing of the residence hall;
• Leaving their halls after lights out;
• Stealing or vandalizing property;
• Keeping prescription or restricted over-the-counter medication in their possession (see Medications for limited exceptions);
• Bullying or hazing;
• Undermining the safety or well-being of self or others (includes threats).

Students will be given a warning of possible dismissal for the following reasons:

• Students who use disrespectful or obscene language;
• Students who demonstrate a lack of effort in the classroom or who engage in disruptive behavior;
• Inappropriate behavior or violations of rules.

The Director will refer students involved in repeated or serious incidents to the Dean, who serves as the head disciplinarian. The Dean has the authority to dismiss students based on inappropriate behavior inside or out of the classroom. Students expelled from the Academy will not receive a refund.

Student Activity Time

Each morning before class, students have the opportunity to participate in exercise supervised by preceptors.

Evening activities on some days will mix subjects from the Academy with fun and energetic experiences.  Other evenings will feature recreational activities such as basketball, volleyball, as well as non-athletic options. When the schedule permits, students will also have access to the Student Recreation Center, though the Rec Center has limited hours in the summer.

Students are required to participate in an activity. Not all days will involve academically-linked activities and ample time will be made available for general recreation, or just relax and talk with friends.

Living On Campus

Housing

Students live with their preceptors in single-sex floor or wing of a residence hall on the Truman campus. Each housing group has approximately 8-16 students who live nearby. Your Preceptor for your housing group will participate in the Academy activities.  They will also hang out with you after curfew and help you get to know each other and feel comfortable here at ATSU-Truman Healthcare Academy.

Students will be given room assignments when they check in. Most students are assigned to double rooms, but we cannot guarantee a particular housing arrangement.  We do not take roommate requests, however to the extent possible, students are assigned roommates of a similar age. West Campus Hall bathrooms are in suites, which means four students of the same sex will be sharing a bathroom.

About West Campus Suites Residence Hall

Room Furnishings

The University furnishes most rooms with bunkable/loftable beds, standard twin-sized mattresses (36” x 76”), a dresser or drawers to share between residents, closets or wardrobes, and window mini-blinds. All residence hall rooms have a desk with drawer space for each resident. You may want to bring a mattress pad or “eggcrate” foam padding, bed linens, pillow, light blanket, and clothes hangers.

Residents using extension cords are strongly encouraged to use grounded 3-prong, 15-amp minimum, extension cords and/or surge protectors. All electronics or appliances must be UL approved and in good, working condition. Please refer to the “Things to Bring” and “Things NOT to Bring” lists below when considering what electrical devices to bring.

Things to Bring

What to Bring Checklist (PDF)

Student IDs

Students will receive a meal card at orientation on Sunday, but not a formal ID card.  Students should keep this card available for all meals.

Meals

All meals beginning Sunday lunch during check-in through Friday dinner on the day of check-out will be provided by the University.  No cooking is allowed in the residence hall rooms.

The dining services on campus offer a wide selection of food at every meal, and their menus are varied enough to accommodate:

• vegan/vegetarian
• Vegetarian Meals: Meatless entrees are available on the regular menu. The meatless entrees may contain animal products (milk, cheese, eggs).
  • Students who prefer not to eat animal products may choose from items on the regular menu and the salad bar.
  • Special, non-animal-product menu plans are not available.
• gluten free
• other dietary needs
  • If your student requires other special dietary needs or has food allergies, please contact us at least two weeks before you arrive so that we can plan for these needs and provide food services with this information.
• Specific Food Allergies:
  • Please provide details on the Medical Information Form.
  • Most students with food allergies manage by selecting from the variety of items available on the regular menu and salad bar.
  • If a student’s food allergies include reactions to airborne allergens (such as hypersensitivity to peanuts) please note this on the form but also contact us two weeks prior to your arrival so that we may provide this information to food services.

Keys

Student rooms are required to be locked at all times.  Students are issued a room key when receiving their room assignment.  This key is the student’s responsibility.  There is a $30 fee for a lost/missing key.

Library

Students will have limited privileges in Pickler Memorial Library to items such as computers, computer labs, and reference material. Students may not, however, check books out of the library due to the short duration of the program.

Mail

In most instances, because of the short duration of the Academy, mail not strategically sent prior to the student’s arrival on campus will have a significantly diminished probability of arriving at a meaningful time.

Email

Each student is given a network user ID within the first few days of arrival, but this doesn’t constitute an e-mail account.  Students are allowed to check their own e-mail during free time by using the computers in the campus library or the hall lounges.

Telephone

The best times to reach students are 7 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. and 10:15 p.m. – 10:45 p.m. weekdays. So that students can receive adequate sleep, please refrain from calling students after lights out 11 p.m. or before 7 a.m.

Cell Phones

It is essential for students to be focused in class, engaged in activities, or sleeping at night, therefore, while we allow students to keep their personal cell phones, the use of these phones will be asked to be limited during activities. ATSU-Truman Healthcare Academy assumes no responsibility for the loss or damage of cell phones, or for the misuse of cell phones, including exceeding plan limits or use by unauthorized persons.

ATSU-Truman Healthcare Academy Administrative Office:
(660) 785-5384

By FAX – ATSU-Truman Healthcare Academy Administrative Office:
(660) 785-7202

Family Visits

During the session, we prohibit family and friends from visiting students and taking them off campus. Students are only in session for one week and their activities are tightly programmed.  The exception to this is immovable medical appointments.  However, given the short nature of the program, we strongly encourage families to avoid scheduling any such appointments during the Academy period.  If a student leaves the campus for such an appointment with someone other than a parent/guardian at any time during the Academy, we must have a completed “Authorization to Visit/Take Student off Campus” form on file and they must be 18 or older. In addition, parents, guardians, or anyone checking a student out of the residence hall must provide the staff member with a photo ID.  Similarly, Academy time is not an appropriate time for visits by girlfriends or boyfriends.  Such visitors WILL be turned-away.

While visiting students, parents are only permitted to be in the main lounge of the residence hall and may not visit students’ rooms.  This provides all students with a higher level of security because they know to contact a staff member immediately if they see someone they do not know in the student housing section of the building.  Your reason for being there, while perfectly innocent, may inadvertently result in campus police being called.

Custody Issues

Please indicate any issues you believe we should be made aware of and provide copies of pertinent legal documentation.

Health Services and Insurance

The Assistant Director is responsible for the Health and Wellness of students while in attendance.  They will be the point of contact with parents/guardians about any health issues their children may be experiencing.

The Academy has an arrangement with a local physician to care for its students. Whenever possible, the Assistant Director will contact parents before the Academy takes their child to the physician; however, sometimes notification may occur afterwards.

Emergency medical services are available at Northeast Regional Medical Center. All students must submit medical history forms and a copy of their health insurance card, which the Assistant Director will keep on file. Students will be responsible for any co-payment at the doctor’s office, hospital, or pharmacy at the time of the service. Those students with long-standing medical conditions should request their physician forward relevant information to the ATSU-Truman Healthcare Academy.

Medications

All student medications must be turned in to the Assistant Director upon check in. The Assistant Director will supervise students bringing medications. These include prescriptions and over-the-counter medicine such as Tylenol, allergy medicine, and cold medicine. NO medications are allowed to be kept in student rooms (with the exceptions of inhalers, epi-pens, and similar rescue medications, which shall be approved on a case by case basis).

Students must self-administer the medication, as directed by the parent or physician, and the Director or Assistant Director will log all medications taken. We do make available, upon request by the student, common over-the-counter medications in the Med Room. Parents are strongly advised to note any allergies or potential drug interactions with prescribed medications on their child’s medical form. In addition, parents are urged to have a conversation with their children, before they come to ATSU-Truman Healthcare Academy, about any over- the-counter medications they feel comfortable/uncomfortable with their child selecting.

Exception:  Parents may authorize their children to retain maintenance medications, provided the medications have no potential for abuse, and missed or discontinued dosages present no risk. A waiver of responsibility is required.

Please Note:  While both the Director and Assistant Director are scholars in the health science discipline, neither is a nurse or medical professional.  Health decisions beyond those involving parental instructions will begin with the student, where simple decisions are possible, and end with parents/guardians and local physicians.

Laundry

Washers and dryers are available in the residence hall at no cost. Given the short duration of the Academy, students may be able to plan to avoid the use of laundry facilities.  Students will only have time for their laundry during activity/free time and need to plan ahead for their laundry needs.  While the machines are at no cost, students needing to use the laundry facilities will need to bring their own supplies (detergent, etc.)

Religious Services

Generally speaking, the schedule of ATSU-Truman Healthcare Academy will likely preclude attendance at any religious services during the program.  However, students whose religions have specific needs during the week (such as Wednesday night or Friday morning prayers), should let our staff know.  Depending on the availability of staff and the scheduling of classes, we are more than happy to meet your needs.

Personal Belongings/Lost and Found

Students are responsible at all times for the safe keeping of their personal belongings. We urge students to label all of their belongings, including clothing, with their first and last names. ATSU-Truman Healthcare Academy is not responsible for theft or other loss of, or damage to, students’ personal belongings, including athletic equipment and musical instruments. When considering whether to bring an expensive item, families may wish to investigate possible coverage under their own homeowner’s or renter’s insurance. In general, we recommend that students leave valuables at home.

The Academy will maintain a lost and found box. Clearly labeled items are the most likely to be successfully returned. The Academy cannot be responsible for items left behind at the end of session.