Community Expectations
Students play a central role in defining and developing a healthy, vibrant, positive community at HMI. At the beginning of the semester, the students, faculty, and staff meet in our first Community Meeting to brainstorm Community Expectations that will guide student behavior throughout the semester. By being involved in the creation of the Community Expectations, students feel a greater ownership over their HMI experience. They are also more willing to support each other in meeting the expectations and to discuss situations when the expectations are not being fully met.
Ultimately, for a community like ours to work well, simply meeting the requirements (going to class, handing in work on time, doing your chore in the morning) is not enough. Students identify this early on and work hard in supporting each other in creating an exceptional community.
Major School Rules
In addition to the Community Expectations, HMI requires students to uphold the Major School Rules. These rules arise from three basic principles and aim to promote an inclusive environment where all students can achieve their potential, allow us to offer students levels of independence to maximize learning, and help us manage the risks inherent with hosting 40-50 adolescents each semester in our residential and wilderness environment. Essentially, by adhering to the below rules, we are asking HMI students to be honest, respectful, and responsible. We think these are the key ingredients necessary for a successful semester.
Be Respectful
- Respect others’ belongings
(No stealing) - Respect our facilities and resources
(No willful destruction of property) - Respect each others’ full selves and well-being
(We affirm people’s identities in our language and actions, and we respect people’s personal and physical boundaries)
Be Responsible
- Live nicotine free
(No use or possession of nicotine products) - Live substance-free
(No use or possession of alcohol or drugs) - Abstain from sexual activity
- Be where you are supposed to be
(No unknown locations)
Be Honest
- Be academically honest at all times
(No plagiarism or cheating) - Be truthful at all times
(No lying)
Please know that we put careful thought into each of our rules. We believe that they are of the utmost importance in supporting and promoting the well-being of each of our students. In the weeks leading up to the semester, we share handbooks with both students and families to ensure there is a broad understanding of not only how the semester functions, but why we do things the way we do. These handbooks also go into greater depth about how we handle disciplinary situations on campus.
Given the amount of student independence, limited length of our program, and the remote areas in which we travel, we must have full confidence that our students can be trusted to uphold these expectations. We go over the rules with the students in great detail during the first couple of days on campus and then again once they return from the first expedition.
If you have questions about how HMI upholds community norms, expectations, and Major School Rules, please contact our Directors of the Semester (semesterdirector@hminet.org).