Professional Excellence Standards

We seek to graduate young men and women who are “independent, creative and responsible.” To that end we have adopted the following standards for professional excellence that are applicable to all employees at the school. These are intended to ensure that we are fully attentive to the safety of our students, that we are working intentionally to encourage their healthy development, and that we are fully aware of our professional roles and responsibilities.

In observing the points below, we should always keep in mind four guideposts and use them as our behavioral compass when interacting with students and colleagues: roles, boundaries, power and accountability.

• We accept our responsibility to establish and maintain healthy, respectful boundaries with students and colleagues.
• We act within our professional roles and model the Academy’s mission for students and colleagues.
• We place student safety and interests first and accept responsibility for the impact our actions have on all members of the community.
• We lead by example and use our power and influence over students to promote their well-being, independence and healthy development.
• We respect student privacy and maintain appropriate confidentiality.
• We report any concern we have about a student’s health and well-being, and we seek the advice of the Academy’s leadership as necessary.
• In our interactions with students and colleagues, we maintain a relentlessly positive attitude, in action and spirit, and we work intentionally to create a culture that promotes the dignity and respect of all.
• We communicate with transparency, honesty and mutual respect.
• We work collaboratively and with persistence and resiliency to accomplish these shared goals.
• We support one another in the effort to meet these standards, we take action if someone is behaving inconsistently with them, and we communicate concerns about possible misconduct to the Academy’s leadership.