 |
|||
 |
|||
|
|||
 |
|||
 |
S T U D E N T H A N D B O O K
Chapter 5: Living in Community This chapter is designed to be a window into daily life at Rosedale so that you know what to expect when you arrive on campus. We are committed to being a place where students can step out of their normal routines for a time of spiritual and intellectual growth. We have crafted our community standards to help achieve that objective. The primary rule that we have is that we love one another. Everything we do and say should be characterized by our love for Christ and others. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law” (Rom 13:8). Private Worship You are encouraged to spend regular time in private worship, Bible reading, and prayer. Dorm living often creates a challenge for students to find time to be alone with Jesus, so try to be proactive: make a schedule with your roommate for time alone in the room, go to the prayer rooms located around campus, or spend time alone with God outdoors. Chapel Chapel is an opportunity for you to worship with the RBC family. Chapel is scheduled every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and may include faculty addresses, spiritual formation services, music and worship, and guest speakers. A short time on Thursday afternoons is set aside for smaller assigned prayer groups. We do not have a regularly scheduled chapel service on Tuesdays, with the exception of special conferences and events. We would invite you to spend this chapel period in a time of private prayer and worship. As an RBC student, you will be expected to regularly attend our chapel services. Resident students will need to sign-in at the beginning of each service. We understand that there will be times when you will need to miss a service, and you will be able to take four chapel skips per semester and two during the winter term without penalty. Additional skips will result in some form of disciplinary action. Sunday Observance We believe that Sunday is a special day for worship, rest, and rejuvenation. It is a day meant to replenish the soul. Students need to attend a local church in the morning. Later in the day or evening, students are free to choose a local church for the evening service, attend the evening service on campus or engage in other meaningful corporate soul-shaping activities. To be meaningful, we expect the activity to be at least one hour in duration. Examples of such activities include but are not limited to: prayer walks, reading groups, small-group Bible studies or Christian concerts. If you have any questions, see your RD or the Dean of Students. We also recognize that there is a broad range of understanding about how Christians should observe Sunday. At RBC, we ask students to maintain a quiet atmosphere on campus by observing a 2:00—4:00 p.m. quiet time in the dorms and not doing unnecessary shopping on Sundays. Counseling From time to time, students require assistance to work through personal issues in their lives. The dean of students and women's mentor along with various faculty and staff members are available to provide pastoral care and counseling to you in a time of need. If your needs require more time or expertise than we can provide, the dean of students can help connect you with a professional counselor. Special Services & Conferences Evangelical Anabaptist Symposium Each year, during the fall semester, RBC hosts a symposium on the advancement of an engaged and evangelical Anabaptist faith. Students are welcomed to participate in the entire event as their schedule allows, and are expected to attend the Thursday and Friday evening sessions, in addition to normal chapel times. Spiritual Enrichment Meetings During the winter term we host our annual Spiritual Enrichment meetings. These sessions provide a focused opportunity to allow the Holy Spirit to refresh, challenge, and convict us as we grow into the likeness of Jesus. All students need to attend these sessions, so please plan accordingly. Missions Conference We hold our annual Missions Conference during our spring semester. In this event, you will be challenged to consider ways that you can be involved in reaching a lost world for Christ. You will also be able to discuss opportunities for short and long-term missions with representatives from many mission organizations. All students need to attend these meetings, so please plan accordingly. Camp Day Camp representatives come to campus during our winter term and spend one special chapel service sharing ways in which you can get involved in their programs. This is a great opportunity to find a ministry opening for the upcoming summer. Community Standards The college has developed the following community standards to create a nurturing campus environment. Our goals are to foster a dynamic faith in Jesus, encourage spiritual growth, and build godly character. We believe that our lives should reflect Christ, and ask that our students keep that in mind both on and off-campus. The Student Life Department of RBC has been given the responsibility of ensuring that the campus environment remains a nurturing, positive and safe place for all. Community standards are in effect from the students' time of arrival on campus until they vacate their rooms and leave campus at the end of their enrollment period. Tobacco Rosedale Bible College prohibits the use of tobacco products by its students both on and off campus. However, students actively trying to break a nicotine addiction should work with the dean of students to find a satisfactory plan to assist the student in helping to break that addiction. Drugs & Alcohol Rosedale Bible College prohibits the non-medicinal use of drugs and alcohol, and, the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by its students. This prohibition applies to behavior both on-campus and off-campus. The use of wine within the context of an officially-recognized Communion service is an exception to this policy. Student participation in the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol may result in immediate dismissal. Participation in behavior that is not illegal, but prohibited at RBC—i.e., the non-medicinal use of drugs and alcohol—will result in disciplinary action decided upon by the Student Life Council. A decision to dismiss a student for violation of this policy must be ratified by the president of the college, or by joint action of the academic dean and dean of students in the absence of the president. Rosedale Bible College will cooperate with local, State and Federal law enforcement agencies by providing information on the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs or alcohol by its students. Students cited for a violation related to the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol must notify RBC within 48 hours of the incident. Weapons For the safety and security of our students and campus, we prohibit guns, ammunition, explosives (including fireworks), knives, martial arts weapons, paintball equipment (including ammo), and any other weapon. These items are not to be brought onto campus or stored in student vehicles. Multi-use tools, like the “Leatherman,” and small kitchen knives are permitted. Violation of this policy will lead to disciplinary action that may include confiscation of the weapon, up to a $100 fine, and/or other disciplinary action. Damage RBC is committed to providing quality facilities and equipment for the enjoyment of our campus community. Christian honesty and integrity make it your responsibility to report and pay for any damage that you may have caused either accidentally or otherwise. The resident director will have damage report forms for you to use. Dating/Courtship At times, students may enter into a dating/courtship relationship while at college. A relationship with someone of the opposite gender should be characterized by purity and mutual respect, and should not interfere with the couple’s spiritual and intellectual development. Also, since dating/courting affects the entire campus community, please respect your fellow students by following these guidelines as a minimum standard:
We request that you follow these Action Steps to assist in developing a healthy relationship:
We reserve the right to help students manage their relationship if it is marked by immaturity, excessive time alone, and physical contact; if it negatively impacts student life; or if there are other factors that merit intervention. Personal Computers We invite you to bring your computer along with you to campus to aid you in your school work. While computers are a profound blessing, they can also serve as a distraction to relationship-building and to completing academic requirements. In addition, computers can also pose temptations. The following guidelines have been established to help students:
Using computers in a way that violates RBC policies will jeopardize your computer privileges. If you find yourself struggling with these policies, please talk with someone on the student life staff. We want to help you comply with our standards. Entertainment and Media A variety of wholesome entertainment options are available both on campus and in the area. Students are encouraged to participate in activities that are uplifting and do not detract from their spiritual and intellectual growth. We understand that Christians hold many different views on involvement with media and entertainment. In order to provide an atmosphere of harmony and a campus environment conducive to spiritual growth and maturity, the following guidelines have been established concerning media and entertainment. Entertainment For the sake of our Christian witness and spiritual wellbeing, students are to refrain from participation in:
Music Music as creative expression should be celebrated and enjoyed, and can be a powerful tool for praising God. Historically, music has always played an important part in the Rosedale experience, both formally and informally. Rosedale students are encouraged to enjoy everything positive that music has to offer. Since people have profoundly different musical preferences, only Christian or instrumental music may be played audibly, at low volume, on campus (exceptions may be made for certain RBC-sponsored social events). Elsewhere on campus students are to use headphones when listening to music. The guiding principle is that students should not assume that others wish to hear their music of choice. Like any creative expression, music can also be corrupted. Music that includes vile language, graphic sexual or violent imagery, and sexual innuendo is not permitted while enrolled at RBC, either on or off-campus. Also, music groups that are characterized by lyrics and/or messages that are in conflict with Christian principles are not permitted on campus. RBC reserves the right to require students to remove unacceptable music from the campus. While RBC is in session students may only attend concerts that are Christian or are instrumental in nature. Movies We believe that the images we place before us and the ideas we entertain are shaping us. We also believe that we are created to be in community. Therefore, we think it is wise and it can be spiritually significant to enter a season of abstaining from watching movies or TV shows in homes, in your room, and at the theater because of the images and the time entertainment consumes. Students commit to abstain from watching movies at the theater and on campus and from watching TV shows on campus while they are enrolled. Official breaks (Fall, Thanksgiving, Spring, Easter) are not included in this commitment. However, we do not call for a total theater fast. Students are allowed the following theater visits per school term (passes cannot be carried over from term to term): Fall Semester - 2 movie theater passes We believe a major role of the Holy Spirit is to provide discernment, and everyone one of us needs discernment on how to live in this world as followers of Jesus. To encourage the development of discernment, we are asking students to do the following:
How to log in the movie will be covered during orientation. We understand that there may be occasions when you will have the opportunity to watch a movie in someone's home or in another setting. On these occasions, it is our expectation that the film does not violate Christian principles and that the head of the household or one of the parents has given his or her blessing to the movie being viewed. We are serious about this policy. We want RBC to be a time of withdrawing from the influences of the world so that you can be a blessing to that world. In light of this, any violation of this policy will result in a $25 fine. Exceptions: RBC library DVD's may be watched on personal computers and in the library. Groups wanting to watch a library movie may request that one be shown in a classroom. Requests should be submitted in writing to the Dean of Students in advance of the desired show time. In cases where the Student Life Department deems a particular film to have significant redeeming value, students may be permitted to see it in the theater. Video Games RBC is a place to build deep relationships with God and other people. Spending disproportionate amounts of time gaming can seriously hinders relationship-building and the learning process. RBC has chosen not to allow game boxes and other similar gaming devices on campus. Computer equipment designed solely for gaming should not be brought to campus. Television Again, in the interest of time management and to limit the negative influence of media on campus, RBC does not provide TV's for regular student viewing. Also, televisions, VCR's, and DVD players are not to be brought to campus by students (computer DVD drives are acceptable however we request that DVD's are not brought to campus.). Also, we request that students backup and remove from your computer downloaded TV shows and/or movies before coming to campus. Occasionally RBC will show sporting events on campus that are deemed of interest to a large cross-section of our students. As a general rule we will show the Super Bowl, the Elite 8 of the March Madness college basketball tournament, and a few key college football games of interest. Summer and Semester Breaks While you are not required to follow the particular student handbook guidelines while on semester break or during the summer, your status as a student may be jeopardized if your conduct during this time away violates biblical absolutes and principles. During semester breaks RBC may ask students who represent the college through participation in Chorale or other RBC-sponsored groups or events to follow some or all of the RBC community standards. Dress Standards As a Christian institution, RBC is committed to promoting the principles of modesty, propriety, and decorum in its dress standards. Since our students come from various backgrounds with differing understandings of what constitutes appropriate dress, the following guidelines have been established to ensure a campus environment that is acceptable and comfortable across our student constituency. We affirm the authority of parents and home congregations, and students are encouraged to also abide by the standards of their home or church where applicable. RBC student life staff will take necessary corrective action with students who fail to adequately follow these dress guidelines. Casual Dress Standard (after class hours): Men: Hair: Should be relatively short (i.e. your ears and collar should not be completely covered). Hair should not be dyed an unnatural color and styles like Mohawks and ponytails should be avoided. Pants/Shorts: Shorts should come to around the top of the knee. Pants or shorts should be comfortably loose fitting and underwear should not be exposed. When leaning forward or stretching, the back or stomach should remain covered. Pants should not have holes or tears. Shirts: Shirts, including gym attire, need to have sleeves. See-through material is to be avoided. Clothing should not have words or images that run counter to Christian principles. Footwear is to be worn when inside all buildings—dorms excluded. Women: Hair: Hair should not be dyed an unnatural color and should not be styled in exotic fashion (i.e. spiked). Pants/shorts: Shorts should come to around the top of the knee. Please avoid:
Dresses/skirts: Slits should not extend above the top of the knee. Dresses and skirts should cover the knee when sitting. Shirts/Blouses: Tops need to have sleeves. Avoid low-cut necklines and shirts that allow skin to show when raising your arms. No cleavage should be exposed while in any position. Material is not to be sheer or see-through. Clothing should not have words or images that are at variance with Christian principles. The use of make-up and other cosmetics should complement one’s appearance while not obviously drawing attention to it. Footwear is to be worn when inside all buildings—dorms excluded. Jewelry and Tattooing: RBC affirms the Bible’s teaching that beauty does not come from outward adornment of the body, but from the heart. In recognition of this and because we are committed to providing an atmosphere where people from diverse backgrounds are comfortable with our standards, we have chosen to limit the wearing of jewelry to the following:
While enrolled at RBC students may not engage in any body piercing or tattooing. Students who arrive on campus with a tattoo should attempt to dress in such a way as to cover the tattoo when in public. |
||