Policies
Each camper, staff member and volunteer is responsible for reading and honoring the policies of ACU Leadership Camps. Any camper, staff member or volunteer who fails to honor the policies of ACU Leadership Camps will be subject to dismissal from the camp community.
As a community of character, Abilene Christian University seeks to educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world. Through ACU Leadership Camps, ACU extends that educational process to pre-university students. Participation in ACU Leadership Camps is participation in a rich community of faith, guided by expectations of Christian character. This influences the way we treat one another and conduct ourselves as individuals and groups both on and off the campus.
General Policies:
- Follow the leadership of the Camp Directors and designated camp staff members.
- Conduct themselves in a manner that contributes to the unity, compassion, and safety of each member of the camp community. Safe behavior is expected of all campers and staff. Any camper or staff member who presents a risk to themselves or others within the camp community may be dismissed from camp at the discretion of the Director. No horseplay pranks or practical jokes endangering others will be tolerated.
- Acknowledge and follow the camp schedule, participating in all planned activities. Campers and staff should not wander off on their own, but should remain in scheduled activities at all times.
Specific Policies:
• All campers are required to pay a $75 non-refundable deposit at the time of registration. This deposit allows us to make reservations for summer housing, food service and hire summer staff. Each camper may cancel their registration prior to 48 hours before the start of their camp session and receive a refund for any additional paid funds. Campers who fail to attend camp or do not give 48 hours notice of their cancellation will forfeit all paid funds.
- Acknowledge and honor the ACU dress code in daily choices of attire.
• Appropriate clothing for a variety of activities is necessary. Modesty is expected.
a.Extremes are not acceptable, including halter tops, tank tops, bare midriffs, and short and/or revealing skirts and shorts.
b.Shorts and skirts must be mid-thigh or longer.
• Clothing with inappropriate advertising, pictures, and/or sayings that are contrary to the mission and Christian standards of ACU is prohibited.
• Camp staff are responsible for implementation of these expectation
• Campers, staff and volunteers will be asked to return to their room and change any clothing that fails to honor these guidelines.
- Secure and protect personal property.
• Campers and staff should lock their residence hall doors whenever they exit their rooms and keep their keys with them at all times.
• Our camper housing at ACU Camps is in university residence hall rooms. Each room has two beds, two dressers, two desks and closet space for two residents. We place campers two to a room, with a specific roommate if both request one another, or with someone of a similar age in the same camp if no roommate is requested. It is against our safety requirements and fire code to place more than 2 persons to a room (including mattresses on the floor).
• Each camp day is full and our programming is focused on equipping each camp participant for his/her spiritual journey. We trust that God is at work in each heart and we commit ourselves to “protect the environment”. That means we do everything we can to create an intentional setting where campers and staff can focus as much of their attention in praise time, each small group time and each planned activity…without the distractions that often come outside of this week-long camp community.
• To honor our commitment, we encourage campers to leave their cell phones at home. For those who feel they must bring a cell phone to camp, we require that the cell phone be left in the residence hall during daily camp activities. Campers may return to their room to make or receive cell phone calls or texts during their scheduled free time each day. If a camper uses his/her cell phone outside of the residence hall, it will be taken up by a staff member and returned at free time.
We ask campers and parents to partner with us to preserve the camp community for the rich times of spiritual focus that come at every age and stage of life.
• Campers and staff may take pictures for personal use only. Since we have some campers who request that we do not allow their images to be made public in pictures or videos, campers and staff should not post any camp pictures or videos to any kind of public site, such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. The Leadership Camps photographer and videographer will provide group pictures, special event pictures and a video of each session that are available for purchase during online registration and at the conclusion of each camp session.
- Visitors during camp sessions
• For the protection of our campers, we operate each ACU Camps session as a “closed campus”. Non-camper visitors (including group leaders, parents, siblings, friends or other family members) are not allowed in the campers’ residence halls. In the event of an emergency, parents requesting access to visit a camper should contact the Camp Office.
- Refrain from the use or possession of illegal drugs, alcohol, tobacco or other controlled substances.
• Any staff, volunteer or camper who violates this policy is subject to immediate dismissal from the camp community.
- Operate motor vehicles according to stated policy.
• Only designated adult staff members will operate motor vehicles during camp sessions. Campers who drive themselves to camp will be asked to register their vehicle and refrain from driving for the duration of the camp session.
