............................................................................................................
BENEDICTINE COLLEGE
STUDENT HANDBOOK
Effective August 1, 2024
I
TABLE OF CONTENTS
BENEDICTINE HERITAGE .................................................................... 1
OUR FOUNDERS ................................................................................. 1
CO-SPONSOR: MOUNT ST. SCHOLASTICA MONASTERY ..................... 2
CO-SPONSOR: ST. BENEDICT'S ABBEY ............................................... 3
THE MISSION OF BENEDICTINE COLLEGE .......................................... 3
BENEDICTINE COLLEGE VALUES ....................................................... 4
STATEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION ............................................... 6
TITLE IX STATEMENT ........................................................................ 6
FALL 2024 ACTIVITIES AND ACADEMIC CALENDAR .......................... 7
SPRING 2025 ACTIVITIES AND ACADEMIC CALENDAR....................... 8
CALENDAR OF HALL OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS ................................ 8
QUICK RESOURCE GUIDE TO COLLEGE
OFFICES & STAFF ......................................................... 9
ADMISSIONS ...................................................................................... 9
ALUMNI RELATIONS .......................................................................... 9
ATHLETICS......................................................................................... 9
BUSINESS OFFICE-STUDENT BILLING ................................................ 9
BENEDICTINE COLLEGE MISSION & MINISTRY .................................. 11
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER .............................................................. 11
DEAN OF THE COLLEGE ................................................................... 11
STUDENT LIFE OFFICE ..................................................................... 12
FINANCIAL AID ................................................................................ 13
FOCUS ............................................................................................ 13
SPO ................................................................................................. 13
ADVANCEMENT ............................................................................... 14
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE .................................. 14
PRESIDENT'S OFFICE ........................................................................ 14
RESIDENCE LIFE .............................................................................. 14
OFFICE OF ACADEMIC RECORDS AND REGISTRATION ...................... 15
STUDENT RECORDS AND FERPA ..................................................... 15
STUDENT ACTIVITIES ....................................................................... 15
SERVICES TO STUDENT & COLLEGE
COMMUNITY ................................................................ 16
ACADEMIC ADVISING ...................................................................... 16
ALUMNI RELATIONS ........................................................................ 16
ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT .................................................................. 17
II
ATHLETIC FACILITIES ...................................................................... 18
ATHLETIC TRAINING ........................................................................ 19
CAMPUS DINING SERVICES .............................................................. 19
COLLEGE MISSION & MINISTRY ...................................................... 22
CAREER DEVELOPMENT................................................................... 26
CHECK CASHING AND MONETARY TRANSACTIONS ......................... 26
CIRCUIT NEWSPAPER ....................................................................... 27
COMPUTER SERVICES ...................................................................... 27
CONFERENCE ROOM AND CLASSROOM RESERVATIONS ................... 27
COUNSELING CENTER ...................................................................... 27
CRISIS HOTLINE INFORMATION ........................................................ 28
STUDENT PREGNANCY INFORMATION.............................................. 29
FELLOWSHIP OF CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY STUDENTS (FOCUS) ........ 29
DISABILITY SERVICES AND ACCOMMODATIONS ................................ 29
IDENTIFICATION CARDS ................................................................... 30
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SERVICES ......................................... 31
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT AMBASSADORS ............................... 32
STUDY ABROAD ............................................................................... 32
ESL PROGRAM ................................................................................ 32
INTRAMURALS ................................................................................. 32
LIBRARY .......................................................................................... 33
LOST AND FOUND ............................................................................ 34
MAILROOM ...................................................................................... 34
OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT ............................................................. 35
IKON COPY CENTER ....................................................................... 35
THE RAVEN STORE .......................................................................... 35
RAVEN YEARBOOK .......................................................................... 35
REFUND POLICY FOR TUITION, ROOM, BOARD AND FEES ................ 36
SECURITY ........................................................................................ 43
STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES ........................................................... 43
STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER .............................................................. 46
TECHNOLOGY AND INFORMATION SERVICES ................................... 46
SELECTED ACADEMIC POLICIES .......................... 47
ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT ................................................................ 47
PROCEDURE FOR PROCESSING AN ALLEGATION………………48
CONSEQUENCES AND DUE PROCESS……………………..……49
APPEAL PROCESS……………………………..………………50
GOVERNANCE .............................................................. 49
STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION (SGA) ................................ 49
III
CLUBS AND COLLEGE RECOGNIZED ORGANIZATIONS ..................... 50
CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS ........................................................... 50
STATEMENT ON CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS ................................. 50
REGISTRATION OF NEW GROUPS ..................................................... 51
OFFICERS/MEMBERSHIP................................................................... 52
STUDENT ACTIVITIES ............................................... 52
SOCIAL ACTIVITY GUIDELINES ........................................................ 52
RESIDENCE LIFE & HALLS ...................................... 53
RESIDENCE HALL GOVERNMENT ..................................................... 55
RESIDENCE HALLS & STAFF ............................................................ 55
KREMMETER HALL, LEGACY HALL, CAMPUS HOUSES, ROW
HOUSES ........................................................................................... 55
ST. GABRIEL HALL………………………………………58
ELIZABETH HALL ............................................................................. 56
WOLF AND LEMKE HALLS ............................................................... 57
MCDONALD HALL ........................................................................... 57
NEWMAN HALL ............................................................................... 57
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE HALL.................................................... 58
ST. JOSEPH HALL ............................................................................. 58
ST. MARTIN MEMORIAL HALL ......................................................... 58
ST. MICHAEL HALL ......................................................................... 59
ST. SCHOLASTICA HALL .................................................................. 59
TURNER HALL ................................................................................. 60
STUDENT LIFE POLICIES & PROCEDURES ........ 60
ACCEPTABLE USE OF TECHNOLOGIES .............................................. 60
ALCOHOL AND DRUG POLICY .......................................................... 65
CAMPUS HOUSING POLICY .............................................................. 65
COMPLAINT AND GRIEVANCE POLICY ............................................. 66
E-MAIL NOTIFICATION POLICY ........................................................ 69
EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN ......................................................... 69
FUNDRAISING POLICY ...................................................................... 69
GENERAL NON-DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT POLICY
AND PROCEDURES ............................................................................ 71
ROOMS & FACILITIES POLICY FOR STUDENTS WITH PHYSICAL
DISABILITIES.................................................................................... 72
IDENTIFICATION ............................................................................... 73
MISSING PERSON POLICY................................................................. 73
MOTOR VEHICLE POLICY ................................................................. 74
IV
PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOTAPING .................................................. 75
PRIVATE ROOM POLICY ................................................................... 75
ROOM DRAW SYSTEM ..................................................................... 76
SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURES .......................... 78
SOLICITATION .................................................................................. 78
TOBACCO-FREE POLICY................................................................... 79
WEAPONS POLICY ............................................................................ 81
RESIDENCE HALL POLICIES & PROCEDURES .. 81
ADHESIVES & WALL ATTACHMENTS ............................................... 81
APPLIANCES ..................................................................................... 81
BICYCLES......................................................................................... 82
BOARD AGREEMENT ........................................................................ 82
CABLE SPLICING .............................................................................. 82
CAMPUS ATTIRE .............................................................................. 82
CANDLES/CHEMICALS/OPEN FLAMES.............................................. 83
DAMAGE TO COLLEGE PROPERTY POLICY ....................................... 83
DAMAGE TO PERSONAL PROPERTY POLICY ..................................... 84
DAMAGE TO SAFETY EQUIPMENT POLICY ....................................... 84
DEFACING DOORS, WALLS, BULLETIN BOARDS................................. 84
ENROLLMENT FEE............................................................................ 85
FIRE ALARMS .................................................................................. 85
FIREARMS, EXPLOSIVES, DANGEROUS MATERIALS ......................... 85
FIRE EVACUATION PROCEDURE ....................................................... 85
GUESTS AND VISITORS .................................................................... 86
HIV POLICY ..................................................................................... 87
HOUSEKEEPING ................................................................................ 88
HOVERBOARDS ................................................................................ 88
ACTIVITIES THAT ARE INAPPROPRIATE IN THE RESIDENCE
HALLS .............................................................................................. 88
KEYS................................................................................................ 89
LAUNDRY FACILITIES ...................................................................... 89
LOUNGE FURNITURE ........................................................................ 89
LOFTS .............................................................................................. 89
MAINTENANCE PROBLEMS .............................................................. 89
MARRIED COUPLES HOUSING .......................................................... 89
MICROWAVES .................................................................................. 90
MISTREATMENT OF STAFF ............................................................... 90
OCCUPANCY POLICY........................................................................ 90
PETS................................................................................................. 90
POSTING POLICY .............................................................................. 90
V
QUIET HOURS .................................................................................. 91
REFRIGERATORS .............................................................................. 91
REMOVAL OF BELONGINGS .............................................................. 91
ROOF/LEDGE ................................................................................... 92
ROOM ASSIGNMENT POLICY ............................................................ 92
ROOM CHANGES .............................................................................. 92
ROOM DEPOSIT POLICY ................................................................... 92
ROOM INSPECTION ........................................................................... 93
SPRINGFEST POLICY......................................................................... 93
STORAGE ......................................................................................... 94
CAMPUS SECURITY REPORT............................................................. 94
THEFT POLICY ................................................................................. 94
TORNADO EVACUATION PROCEDURE .............................................. 95
TRASH, IMPROPER DISPOSAL OF ...................................................... 95
VACATION HOUSING ........................................................................ 95
VISITATION POLICY ......................................................................... 96
WINDOWS, SCREENS, AND BLINDS .................................................. 97
STUDENT COMMUNITY CODE &
DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES ................................. 98
STUDENT COMMUNITY CODE .......................................................... 98
STUDENT CONDUCT EXPECTATIONS ................................................ 98
PROHIBITED CONDUCT………………………………………………102
STUDENT COMMUNITY CODE’S
DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES ............................... 102
DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES .......................................................... 102
STUDENT CONDUCT BOARD .......................................................... 103
APPEALS PROCESS FOR MAJOR VIOLATIONS ................................. 104
SANCTIONS .................................................................................... 106
RISK ASSESSMENT ......................................................................... 107
INTERPRETATION AND REVISION ................................................... 109
MAINTAINING DISCIPLINARY RECORDS ......................................... 109
BC TRADITIONS ......................................................... 110
BEANIES ........................................................................................ 110
BED RACES .................................................................................... 111
THE MEDAL OF ST. BENEDICT ....................................................... 111
ALMA MATER: O LORD OF EV’RY BLESSING ................................. 112
THE RAVEN FIGHT SONG ............................................................... 112
THE RAVEN LOGO ......................................................................... 113
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Benedictine Heritage
Benedictine College is a four-year, Catholic, Benedictine, residential,
coeducational college that provides an exceptional liberal arts education for
students of all backgrounds and faiths. Our peaceful, wooded campus is located
on the bluffs overlooking the Missouri River in Atchison, Kansas.
For over 1500 years, the Benedictine spirit has influenced the work and
worship of men and women throughout the world. In 1856, at the request of the
Most Rev. John B. Miege, S.J., Vicar Apostolic of Leavenworth, two
Benedictine monks arrived in Atchison with the intention of founding a
Benedictine school of higher learning for the people of Kansas. St. Benedict’s
Abbey was officially founded in 1857, and the monks opened a boarding
school with six students in 1858.
The following year, 1859, St. Benedict’s College was officially opened with
sixteen students enrolled. From the beginning, the classical course served to
prepare candidates for the priesthood, while the commercial course satisfied
other needs of the pioneers. On June 13, 1868, the college was incorporated
under the laws of Kansas and empowered to confer degrees and academic
honors. After 1915, St. Benedict’s gradually abandoned the traditional
academy, greatly enlarged the curriculum, and became an accredited liberal arts
college in 1927.
Seven Benedictine sisters arrived in Atchison in 1863 to begin a school for the
townspeople. St. Scholastica’s Academy for young women opened on
December 1, 1863, with forty-four students. In 1877 the sisters purchased Price
Villa, now called St. Cecilia’s, and moved from their location near St.
Benedict’s to the present site of the Mount St. Scholastica Monastery. There the
sisters continued their academy and in 1924 Mount St. Scholastica’s Junior
College was opened. The junior college soon became a senior college and in
1932 it conferred its first bachelors’ degrees. In 1934 Mount St. Scholastica
College was fully accredited by the North Central Association.
Over the years, the monks and sisters cooperated in their educational ventures,
ultimately merging the two colleges on July 1, 1971, to form Benedictine
College. During the years since then, Benedictine College has formed its own
identity, one steeped in the history and tradition of its parent institutions.
Our Founders
Our Founders, Saints Benedict and Scholastica gave everything to follow
Christ in the monastic life. They were twins born into a wealthy family around
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480 A.D. near the town of Norcia, Umbria, Italy. Their parents were faithful
Christians who gave them a sound education and solid spiritual formation.
Disturbed by the immoral conduct of fellow students in Rome, St. Benedict left
and went to a place named Subiaco that became his hermitage. During this time
a raven would bring him food. He worked, prayed, read, and studied there for
several years before founding a monastery at Monte Cassino, an abandoned
Roman fortress. Taking possession of the fortress, St. Benedict dedicated a
chapel to St. Martin of Tours and St. John the Baptist. In this monastery he
performed miracles, wrote a Rule, and challenged his disciples to follow Christ.
Moments before his death, St. Benedict received the Eucharist, raised his hands
to God, and made a final offering of his life.
St. Scholastica consecrated herself to God at an early age. She established a
monastery for women at Plombariola, near Monte Cassino. As the first
Benedictine nun she followed the Rule and was Abbess of her community
where she excelled in teaching her disciples to follow Christ. St. Benedict had a
vision of St. Scholastica’s soul leaving her body and entering heaven in the
form of a dove. The dove is a Christian symbol for her.
The earthly remains of Saint’s Benedict and Scholastica rest together at the
High Altar of Monte Cassino’s Basilica Church under the Latin inscription,
which translates, “St. Benedict and St. Scholastica were never separated in the
spirit during their life nor are their bodies separated in their death.” This brother
and sister are patrons of the Benedictine Order and Benedictine College; may
each of us follow them in humble service to God.
For further information about our patrons read the Rule of St. Benedict, and the
Dialogues of St. Gregory the Great. It is possible to visit the Abbey of Monte
Cassino and St. Scholastica Monastery to this day following a short trip from
Rome.
"These people fear the Lord, and do not become elated over their good deeds;
they judge it is the Lord's power, not their own, that brings about the good in
them."
-St. Benedict, RB Prologue: 29
_________
Co-Sponsor: Mount St. Scholastica Monastery
Prioress: Sr. Mary Elizabeth Schweiger, OSB 913-360-6200
www.mountosb.org
The Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kansas, are a
community of Benedictine women devoted to a communal life of prayer, work,
and hospitality lived according to the Rule of St. Benedict. The Benedictine
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Sisters serve God's people in various ministries according to their individual
gifts.
Co-Sponsor: St. Benedict's Abbey
Abbot: Rev. James Albers, OSB 913-367-7853
www.kansasmonks.org
St. Benedict's Abbey in Atchison, Kansas is the third monastery founded in the
American Cassinese Congregation of Benedictine monks. They seek to be
Benedictine in culture, Catholic in faith, and Evangelical in words, works, and
deeds. In our early years, colleagues from our motherhouse at St. Vincent
Archabbey, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, dubbed us the "Kansas Monks." We monks
wear this label with pride and wish to foster faith, education, and culture in the
land and local church of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.
The Mission of Benedictine College
Benedictine College is an academic community sponsored by the monks of
St. Benedict's Abbey and the sisters of Mount St. Scholastica Monastery. The
college is governed by an independent Board of Directors. Heir to the
1500 years of Benedictine dedication to learning, Benedictine College in its
own time is ordered to the goal of wisdom lived out in responsible awareness of
oneself, God and nature, family, and society. Its mission as a Catholic,
Benedictine, liberal arts, residential college is the education of men and women
within a community of faith and scholarship.
As a Catholic college, Benedictine College is committed to those beliefs and
natural principles that form the framework of the Judeo-Christian tradition, and
it is committed further to those specific matters of faith of the Roman Catholic
tradition, as revealed in the person of Jesus Christ and handed down in the
teachings of the Church. The College embraces students and faculty from all
faiths who accept its goals, seeking in its members a personal commitment to
the ideals and principles of a spiritual life and the expression of these in
worship and action. Benedictine College promotes the growing involvement of
religious and laity in the church's ministries.
As a college founded on the Benedictine tradition, Benedictine College
inherits the themes handed on to us by the Benedictine family: peace, the
balance of activity and contemplation, and the glorification of God in all
undertakings. With the ideal of a common life vitalized by the spirit of St.
Benedict, the members of the Benedictine College community can share work
and prayer in common, faithful participation in the life of the community,
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attentive openness to the Word of God, deep concern for issues of justice and
peace, and the pursuit of moderation, hospitality, and care for the gifts of
creation.
As a liberal arts college, Benedictine College is dedicated to a liberal arts
education by means of academic programs based on a core of studies in the arts
and sciences. Through these programs, the college guides students to refine
their capacity for the pursuit and acquisition of truth, to appreciate the major
achievements in thought and culture, and to understand the principles that
sound theoretical and practical judgment require. In addition, the College
provides education for careers through both professional courses of study and
major programs in the liberal arts and sciences. As an essential element in its
educational mission, Benedictine college fosters scholarship, independent
research and performance in its students and faculty as a means of participating
in and contributing to the broader world of learning.
As a residential college, Benedictine College supports and encourages the full
development of its students through a community life that expresses and
proclaims the worth and dignity of each individual. In a caring and supportive
atmosphere, students are helped to develop a sense of meaningful purpose in
life and encouraged to participate in programs that promote sound bodies,
emotional balance, and dedication to the welfare of others.
"The mission that the Church, with great hope, entrusts to Catholic universities
holds a cultural and religious meaning of vital importance because it concerns
the very future of humanity.”
John Paul II, Apostolic Constitution on Catholic Universities
Benedictine College Values
Jesus Christ – We believe in the love of Jesus Christ and the faith reveal to,
and handed down by, the Roman Catholic Church. A Raven is Christ-
Centered. Christ-Centered. Ravens understand that everything they have is
a gift from God and seek to offer it back with good zeal. “The love of Christ
must come before all else.” RB 4:21
Community – We believe in service to the common good, respect for the
individual, virtuous friendship, and the beatitudes. A Raven is Collaborative.
Collaborative Ravens create a spirit of teamwork. “No one is to pursue what he
judges better for himself, but instead, what he judges better for someone else.”
RB 72:7.
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Hospitality – We pledge to uphold the dignity of every human person from the
beginning of life to its natural end. A Raven is Hospitable. Hospitable
Ravens welcome others with authenticity and warmth. “All guests who present
themselves are to be welcomed as Christ.” RB 53
Listening – We believe seeking counsel and listening should lead to wise
resolution and action. A Raven is Engaged. Engaged Ravens listen and serve
the needs of others. Listen “with the ear of your heart.” RB P:1.
Prayer and Work – We believe our Ora et Labora cooperates in God’s plan to
make all things new. A Raven is Faithful. Faithful Ravens discern God’s
will, work hard to accomplish it, and courageously defend their beliefs. “That
in all things God may be glorified.” RB 57:9.
Stability – We believe in a commitment to one’s vocation in a daily rhythm of
life following St. Benedict and St. Scholastica. A Raven is Steadfast.
Steadfast Ravens can be trusted to fulfill their commitments and are marked by
resiliency, integrity, and character. “Never swerving from his instructions, we
share in the sufferings of Christ to also share in his kingdom.” RB P:50
Conversion of Life – We believe conversatio, a commitment to personal
conversion or growth, positively transforms life. A Raven is Joyful. Joyful
Ravens provide a positive witness to the Gospel. “Your way of acting should
be different from the world’s way.” RB 4:20.
Love of Learning – We believe rigorous scholarship in the liberal arts, rooted
in the monastic tradition, leads to the discovery of truth. A Raven is
Thoughtful. Thoughtful Ravens are lifelong learners who analyze problems,
gather appropriate information, and make prudent decisions. “We intend to
establish a school for the Lord’s service.” RB P:45
Stewardship – We believe the Lord God made all things and called them good.
A Raven is Competent. Competent Ravens maintain high expectations for
themselves, and exhibit diligence with the goods and duties entrusted to them.
“More will be expected of those to whom more has been entrusted.” RB 2:30.
Excellence through Virtue – We believe that a daily discipline and practice of
virtue leads to learning, freedom, and greatness. A Raven is Committed to
Greatness. Ravens are committed to greatness and approach all things with
class and professionalism, and constantly strive for success and excellence.
Show “them all that is good and holy more by example than by words.”
RB2:12.
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Statement of Nondiscrimination
Benedictine College, motivated by its Catholic, Benedictine identity,
recognizes the inherent value and dignity of all members of the human family.
The College values equal opportunity and seeks racial, cultural, and ethnic
diversity. The College prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of
race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, age, ancestry, disability, status as a
veteran, marital status, parental status, genetic information, or any other
classification protected by law. The College maintains its Catholic character
but is open to persons of all religious faiths who respect the Mission Statement,
Vision and Commitment Statements, and College Values as adopted by the
Board of Trustees. The College does not discriminate on the basis of religion,
except to the extent that applicable laws and constitutional provisions respect
its right to act in the furtherance of its religious objectives.
The College fully accepts the beliefs and teachings of the Catholic Church with
regard to sexual conduct as set forth by the Magisterium of the Catholic
Church. Consistent with these teachings, the College does not discriminate on
the basis of an individual’s sexual orientation without regard to conduct or
other actions that undermine the College’s Catholic identity.
The following position has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the
College’s nondiscrimination policies: Patrick VanKirk, Human Resources
Director, Cray-Seaberg Hall, Room 314, 913-360-7326,
Additionally, the following individual has been designated as the employee
responsible for coordinating the College’s compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act: Jennifer DuLac,
Student Success Center, 913-360-7517, [email protected].
Title IX Statement
It is the policy of the College to comply with Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972 and its implementing regulations, which prohibit
discrimination based on sex in the College’s educational programs and
activities. Title IX and its implementing regulations also prohibit retaliation for
asserting claims of sex discrimination.
The College has designated the following Title IX Coordinator to coordinate its
compliance with Title IX and to receive inquiries regarding Title IX, including
complaints of sex discrimination:
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Dr. Sean Mulcahy
Vice Provost
Student Success Center, 101
1020 N. 2nd Street
Atchison, Kansas 66002
Tel: 913-360-7965
Email: [email protected]
A person may also file a complaint of sex discrimination with the United States
Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights regarding an alleged
violation of Title IX by visiting:
www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintintro.html or by calling 1-800-
421-3481.
Fall 2024 Activities and Academic Calendar
Aug. 10, 9am-12pm Returning & Transfer VB, MSC, WSC, & FB Arrive*
Aug. 16, 11am-1pm Student Leaders Arrive*
Aug. 17, 9am-12pm New Fall Athletes and New Honors, All XC, Marching
Band, Cheer, Dance Arrive*
Aug. 24, 10am-2pm New Students Arrive*
Aug. 24-27 New Students Orientation (ROC Week)
Aug. 25, Noon-2pm Returning Students Arrive (Halls Open) *
Aug. 28 First Day of Classes
Sept. 2 Labor Day (Classes in Session)
Sept. 3, 9:30am Opening All School Mass & Convocation
Sept. 27-29 Family Weekend
Oct. 4 Oktoberfest
Oct. 14-20 Homecoming
Oct. 15 Fall Midterm
Oct. 24-27 Fall Break
Oct. 28 Classes Resume
Nov. 1, 3pm All Saints Day, All School Mass
Nov. 14-16 CAB Event
Nov. 27, 10am Residence Halls Close for Thanksgiving Break
Nov. 27-Dec. 1 Thanksgiving Break
Dec. 1, Noon Residence Halls open from Thanksgiving Break
Dec. 2 Classes Resume
Dec. 10 Last Day of Classes
Dec. 11 Study Day
Dec. 12, 13 & 16, 17 FINALS
Dec. 18, 10am Residence Halls close for Christmas Break
8
Spring 2025 Activities and Academic Calendar
Jan. 12, Noon Students Arrive (Residence Halls open at Noon) *
Jan. 15 First Day of Classes
Jan. 20 Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Classes in Session)
Feb. 10, 10am Feast of St. Scholastica, All-School Mass**
Feb. 15 Mother-Son/ Father-Daughter Banquet and Dance
Feb. 22 Scholarship Ball
Mar. 4 Spring Midterm
Mar. 5, 3pm Ash Wednesday, All-School Mass**
Mar. 8, 10am Residence Halls close for Spring Break*
Mar. 8-16 Spring Break
Mar. 16, Noon Residence Halls open from Spring Break*
Mar. 17 Classes Resume
Mar. 21 Feast of St. Benedict, No All-School Mass
Mar. 28-30 Little Siblings Weekend
Apr. 2 or 9 Discovery Day (Evening Classes Only)
Apr. 12 Spring Formal
Apr. 17-21 Easter Break (No Classes, Residence Halls Open)
Apr. 22 Classes Resume
May 2, 3 Springfest
May 6 Last Day of Classes
May 7 Study Day
May 8, 9 & 12, 13 FINALS
May 14, 10am Residence Halls close for Summer Break*
May 16, 4:30pm Baccalaureate Mass**
May 17, 10am Commencement
May 18, 10am Graduates depart Residence Halls*
June 13-15 Alumni Weekend…Come back to the Alma Mater
*Students and families are asked to respect arrival and departure dates and
times for Breaks and Holidays.
**Located in Abbey Church
Calendar of Hall Openings and Closings
Aug. 24 Saturday 9am-2pm Halls Open to New Students
Aug. 25 Sunday, Noon-3:00pm Halls Open to Returning Students
Nov. 27 Wednesday, 10am Halls Close for Thanksgiving Break
Dec. 18 Wednesday, 10am Halls Close for Christmas Break
Jan. 12 Sunday, Noon Halls Open for Spring Semester
Mar. 8 Saturday, 10am Halls Close for Spring Break
Mar. 16 Sunday, Noon Halls Open from Spring Break
May 14 Wednesday, 10am Halls Close for Summer Break
May 18 Sunday, 10am Graduates Depart Residence Halls
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Students must exit their residence hall by 10am. Students needing to stay over
break periods or for commencement services need to receive approval and
make arrangements with the Student Life Office. There is a $75 per day/night
charge for students who stay for reasons not related to a college-sponsored
function. Please see the college’s policy on page Vacation Housing.
Quick Resource Guide to College Offices & Staff
Admissions
Pete Helgesen, Dean of Enrollment Management Ext. 7479
The offices of Admissions are located on the second floor of St. Benedict’s
Hall. Students seeking readmission to Benedictine College after an absence of
one semester or longer should contact the Admission Office to apply for re-
admission.
Alumni Relations
Joanne Huey, Director of Alumni Relations Ext. 7675
St. Benedict Hall 202
The Alumni Relations Office serves as a liaison alumni/alumnae, families, and
friends of the College. This office develops programs and special events to
maintain and strengthen lifelong ties between Benedictine College and its
alumni/alumnae, family, and friends.
Athletics
Charles Gartenmayer, Athletic Director Ext. 7583
Amino Center [email protected]
Business Office-Student Billing
Kay Gerhardt, Bursar Ext. 7410
Cray Seaberg Hall, Room 317 k[email protected]
Megan Crowley, Cashier Ext. 7403
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The Student Billing Department is part of the College Business Office, which is
managed by the College Controller as directed by the Chief Business Officer of
the College. The Billing Department is located in the College Business Office
and is responsible for student billing and collections, oversight of payment
plans, student loan refunds generated from Title IV funds or overpayments, and
collections of Perkins loan accounts.
Benedictine College is proud to provide the kind of quality education and
collegiate experience you are seeking. In return, you are expected to pay for
this service in a responsible and timely manner by paying your bills in full or
enroll in a monthly payment plan approved by Student Billing. Payment
deadlines and policies are outlined in detail on the Student Billing web page at
www.benedictine.edu and in the College Catalog. Each student is responsible
to review and be familiar with the information.
• Failure to pay the balance due in full and/or to enroll in an
approved installment tuition payment plan (IPP) by required
deadlines may result in additional charges to the student as well as
jeopardize the student’s enrollment. Students are required to
maintain their accounts in current status in order to proceed in the
registration process each term. The College also reserves the right
to hold student records and diplomas until the student’s account
has been settled.
• Benedictine College reserves the right to assess monthly interest
charges, late charges, administrative charges, collection costs up
to 50% of the outstanding principal and interest, attorney fees, and
any other costs associated with or which accrue due to the
delinquent status of a student and/or payment plan account.
Delinquent accounts may also be referred to collection agencies.
Students are encouraged to take advantage of the Student Billing “Open Door”
policy whenever questions or concerns arise regarding individual financial
situations. It is the goal of Student Billing staff to work closely with students
and families to manage the students’ financial obligations as well as the
College’s fiscal stewardship in a responsible, respectful, and timely manner.
Billing staff are available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
to discuss your accounts. You may also call 913-360-7403 for assistance or to
schedule a personal appointment.
Benedictine College Mission & Ministry
Office email: [email protected] Office phone: Ext. 7735
Megan Ryan, Director of College Ministry Ext. 7349
St. JPII Student Center, Upper Level [email protected]
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Fr. Ryan Richardson, LC, Chaplain Ext. 7655
St. JPII Student Center, Upper Level [email protected]
Fr. Brett Taira, LC, Assistant Chaplain Ext. 7735
Fr. Christian Schewnka, Assistant Chaplain [email protected]
St. JPII Student Center, Upper Level Ext. 7735
Patricia Oliver, Coordinator of Youth Outreach Ext. 7406
St. JPII Student Center, Upper Level [email protected]
James Thibodeau, Summer Events Specialist Ext. 7349
TBD, Coordinator of Evangelization Ext. 7690
St. JPII Student Center, Upper Level [email protected]
Adrian Charles, Coordinator of Catechist Ext. 7312
St. JPII Student Center, Upper Level [email protected]
TBD, Administrative Assistant Ext. 7735
Cassi Coyle, Coordinator of Missions & Service Ext. 7611
Kasey Kaimann, Coordinator of Love and Responsibility Ext.7345
Chief Business Officer
Stan Sluder, Chief Business Officer Ext: 7413
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Provost of the College
Dr. Kimberly Shankman, Provost Ext: 7413
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Sr. Linda Herndon, OSB, Senior Vice Provost Ext: 7553
Dr. Sean Mulcahy, Vice Provost Ext. 7965
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Student Life Office
Office email: [email protected] Office phone: Ext 7500
Dr. Linda Henry, Vice President of Student Life Ext. 7520
Dr. Joseph Wurtz, Dean of Students Ext. 7507
Eli Pruneda, Director of Residence Life Ext. 7500
St. John Paul II Student Center 204 [email protected]
Eric Burghart, Director of Student Conduct Ext. 7500
Teresa Dea, Assistant Housing Coordinator Ext. 7500
Catherine Kluempers, Director of Student Activities Ext. 7500
St. John Paul II Student Center 204 [email protected]
Annie Sullivan, Asst. Director of Student Activities Ext. 7580
Hannah Spellman, Administrative Assistant Ext. 7545
Since its founding, the College has held the residential experience as one of the
four pillars of its mission. The residential experience at Benedictine College
prepares students for the reality of the world with skills needed to work with
others and to live in communities large and small.
Living on campus is a great way to make lifelong friends and get involved in
student activities. Being surrounded by other students means there is always
someone around to share pizza, study or catch a movie. The Benedictine
family stands together with a strong sense of community that makes a world of
difference.
Benedictine College is a place where success is measured on a human scale,
where people nurture other people, and where life and learning reach far
beyond expectations through our four pillar mission to be Catholic,
Benedictine, liberal arts, and residential.
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Financial Aid
Tony Tanking, Director of Financial Aid Ext. 7485
All students accepted for admission to Benedictine College are eligible to
receive financial assistance. Ninety-eight percent of our students receive some
form of financial aid. Aid is available through Institutional Merit Scholarships,
Institutional Need-based Grants, Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental
Educational Opportunity Grants, Kansas Grants (Kansas residents only), Work
Study, Federal Student and Parent Loans and Private Alternative Loans. The
College Installment Tuition Payment Plan assists families in budgeting college
costs over monthly payments as well.
Please contact Barbara Portenier (ext. 7484) regarding your financial aid
questions. Our goal is to create a financing plan that will work for you.
FOCUS
Fellowship of Catholic University Students
St. JPII Student Center, Upper Level Ext: 7611
All students are invited to join this Christian leadership training program where
fellowship and small group Bible studies and a growing friendship with Jesus
Christ. If interested email, call, or stop to say hello.
SPO
Saint Paul’s Outreach
St. JPII Student Center, Upper Level Ext: 7611
Advancement
Kelly Vowels, VP for Advancement Ext: 7414
St. Benedict Hall 203
The Office of Institutional Advancement oversees alumni, special events,
fundraising (Annual Fund, capital campaigns, endowment building, estate
planning/planned giving), marketing, and communications activities.
In order to meet its operating costs, Benedictine College must seek private gifts
to supplement the tuition and fees paid by students and help the college
maintain a high-quality educational program and living environment.
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Revenues are generated every year to help provide scholarships and grants to
academically promising and/or financially strapped students. Monies received
are the result of building long-term relationships with key constituents and
providing opportunities for supporting the Benedictine College mission and
goals.
Campus improvements, the library, academic programs, equipment,
renovations, and many other components of the college’s operating budget are
supported by gifts from alumni/ae, parents, and friends.
Marketing and Communications Office
Thomas Hoopes, VP of College Relations Ext: 7529
Steve Johnson, Director of Marketing and Communications Ext: 7415
St. Benedict Hall 200 [email protected]
The Office of Marketing and Communications manages the college brand and
all internal and external communications, including media relations, social
media, and Internet content. It ensures that all communication is consistent,
promotes the college and helps the public better understand Benedictine’s
mission. The office produces press releases, the Raven Review magazine,
newsletters, advertising, videos and other collateral for the college and its
various departments.
President's Office
Stephen D. Minnis, President Ext: 7400
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Amanda Gibson, Executive Assistant Ext: 7400
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Sue Durkin, Executive Director of Events and Hospitality Ext: 7401
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Floor, Ferrell Academic Center [email protected]
Residence Life
Eli Pruneda, Director of Residence Life Ext. 7500
This office provides an abundance of programs and services that enrich each
student's experience and foster personal growth. It is responsible for the 12
residence halls and several houses on the College's 110-acre campus. St.
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Martin’s Memorial Hall and St. Scholastica Hall are home to freshmen women,
and Turner Hall and Newman Hall are home to freshmen men. Elizabeth Hall
and McDonald Hall house upperclassmen women. St. Joseph Hall, St. Michael
Hall, and St. Gabriel Hall house upperclassmen men. Our Lady of Guadalupe
Hall houses freshmen, sophomore, junior and senior women. The Legacy
Apartments, Campus Houses, and Row Houses house junior and senior women
and men in separate buildings. Living in residence halls, students prepare
themselves to become responsible community members through Christian
intellectual, social, spiritual, and emotional maturation.
Office of Academic Records and Registration
Cray Seaberg Hall 312
Office email: [email protected]
Office phone: Ext 7550
Charlie Peitsch, Registrar
Kathleen Spencer, Assistant Registrar
Sebastian Fuentes Branas, Office Coordinator
Students' academic records are kept in the Office of Academic Records and
Registration. Dropping or adding classes, declaring majors and minors, and
assistance with questions regarding student records are some of the actions that
may take place there.
Student Records and FERPA
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is a federal
law affording students certain rights with respect to their education records.
Under FERPA, students have the right to access to their education records
within 45 days of a request and, except in certain circumstances, College
personnel may not disclose information from students’ education records
without written consent from the student. For the College’s full Educational
Rights and Privacy Policy, please refer to:
https://coursecatalog.benedictine.edu/us-governmental-compliance-statements/.
Grades are available on Raven Zone at midterm and at the end of the semester..
Student Activities
Catherine Kluempers, Director Ext: 7580
Annie Sullivan, Asst. Director of Student Activities Ext. 7580
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The Office of Student Activities seeks to develop the whole person through
extracurricular organizations and activities. The Benedictine College Student
Government Association (SGA), Campus Activities Board (CAB), and Raven
Orientation Camp (ROC) are organized by and overseen by the Student
Activities Director. The office of Student Activities also processes event
requests for all student-initiated activities on campus.
Services to Student & College Community
"Let all the rest serve one another in love.”
-St. Benedict, RB 35:2
Academic Advising
Dr. Sean Mulcahy, Vice Provost Ext. 7965
Sheila Gartenmayer, Academic Advisor Ext. 7968
Your faculty advisor will assist you with overall curriculum planning, specific
course selections, monitoring academic progress, etc., and provide you with
information on curricular and co-curricular opportunities related to your college
goals.
If you cannot locate your academic advisor contact the Student Success Center.
If you need a change of an advisor, please consult the Office of Academic
Records & Registration and they will provide assistance.
Alumni Relations
Joanne Huey, Director of Alumni Relations Ext. 7675
Office of Alumni Relations - This office serves as a liaison between
alumni/ae, families and friends of the College. This office develops programs
and special events to maintain and strengthen lifelong ties between Benedictine
College and its alumni/ae, families and friends.
Alumni Association – All persons who have completed a minimum of 30
credit hours at Benedictine College or one of its parent institutions are members
of the Benedictine College Alumni Association. The Benedictine College
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Alumni Association's history dates back to 1898 with the founding of the
Alumni Association of St. Benedict's College, one of the parent institutions of
Benedictine. The primary goal of the Benedictine College Alumni Association
is to promote and enhance the welfare of Benedictine College by establishing a
mutually beneficial relationship between the College, and its alumni/ae,
families and friend of Benedictine College.
Alumni Association Board –The Benedictine College Alumni Association
Board represents and serves all alumni of Benedictine College; promotes the
mission and strategic plan of Benedictine College; and supports and develops
Benedictine College traditions. The BC Alumni Association, which our Board
represents, is composed of all graduates and attendees of St. Benedict's
College, Mount St. Scholastica College, and Benedictine College. Our Board
meets at least 3 times per year.
Spirit of Giving- The Spirit of Giving is a quarterly magazine highlighting the
philanthropy and generosity of the Benedictine Community.
Athletic Department
Amino Center Ext: 7564
Intercollegiate - The Athletic Department provides social events for the entire
college campus and fosters the development of community among the campus,
local area and constituency. Students are admitted to all regular season varsity
sports without admission charge with a student ID. Benedictine College
currently competes in the Heart of America Athletic Conference and is a
member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
Intercollegiate sports for both men and women have a solid winning tradition at
Benedictine College.
The athletic arena provides an extension of the education of the student-athlete.
Participation in intercollegiate athletics provides a learning laboratory for each
student. Benedictine College offers a balanced sponsorship of sports for men
and women. The athletic program for men includes baseball, basketball,
football, soccer, wrestling, lacrosse, marching band, track and field/cross
country. The intercollegiate sports for women are volleyball, basketball,
soccer, softball, lacrosse, marching band and track and field/cross country.
These teams have been very successful in the Heart of America Athletic
Conference, and many members of these teams have earned All-Conference,
All-Region, and All-American honors, not to mention the many Scholar
Athletes Benedictine has produced. Raven athletics has a tradition of
excellence.
COACHING STAFF
Head Football Coach: Joel Osborn ............................................................. x7542
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Men’s Soccer Coach: John Sosa ................................................................. x7374
Women's Soccer: Hunter Nail .................................................................... x7549
Men's Basketball: Ryan Moody.................................................................. x7587
Women's Basketball: Chad Folsom ............................................................ x7380
Volleyball: Victoria Hurtt .......................................................................... x7377
Baseball Coach: Eric Peterson .................................................................... x7376
Softball Coach: Paul Hunt .......................................................................... x8550
Cross Country and Track & Field: Jacob Connealy ................................... x7563
Wrestling: Gregory Barner ......................................................................... x7562
Men’s Lacrosse: Billy Dineen .................................................................... x7330
Women’s Lacrosse Clare Hanson: ............................................................. x7332
Intramurals: Adam Gardner .............................................................. x7177, 7760
Athl. Dept. Administrative Asst.: Kendra Brull ......................................... x7553
Athletic Facilities
Amino Center - Adjacent to the football practice field at the northwest end of
the campus, this building was completed in the summer of 1990. It contains
weight rooms, showers, and dressing areas, and offices for members of the
athletic department.
Baseball Field - Located at the north end of campus, the field and stands are
the site for all home baseball games and some summer games sponsored by
outside organizations. This is an intercollegiate field for team use only.
Haverty Center Fitness Center - The fitness center is located in the Haverty
Center and open to Benedictine College varsity sports.
Larry Wilcox Stadium - Located at the north end of campus, the football
stadium is the site of all home football games. This is an intercollegiate field
for team use only.
Murphy Recreation Center – Located just south of the Raven Memorial Park
and open to all Benedictine College students. “The Murph” is a 42,000 square-
foot facility full of ball courts, weight and aerobics rooms, and strength and
conditioning equipment. The recreation center has everything a Raven needs to
lead an active, healthy lifestyle.
Old Gymnasium - Centrally located on campus, this building is used both for
intramural and recreational activities. This building contains the wrestling
room, athletic offices, two handball courts, and an isometrics room. Varsity
basketball and volleyball games are played in the Ralph Nolan Gymnasium in
the Student Union. The college bookstore, and the Raven Roost are situated on
the ground floor and serve the campus community from this central location.
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Racquetball Courts - These are located in the Old Gymnasium. They are
open to all Benedictine College students and faculty.
Ralph Nolan Gymnasium - Located in the Student Union, the Ralph Nolan
Gymnasium is the home of the volleyball and men and women's basketball
teams.
Sand Volleyball Courts - Located in front of McDonald Hall, the sand
volleyball courts serve the recreational needs of the student body.
Legacy Field- Located on the south side of campus, the soccer field is the site
of all men/women's soccer games and men/women’s lacrosse games. This is an
intercollegiate field for team use only.
Softball Field- Located on the north side of campus, the softball field is the site
of all home softball games. This is an intercollegiate field for team use only.
Tennis Courts - The four tennis courts located at the north end of campus are
available to the College Community.
Track - The football stadium features a rubberized track that is open to the
College Community.
Volleyball Courts - The volleyball courts are located in the Ralph Nolan
Gymnasium. This is the site of all home volleyball games.
Athletic Training
Patrick Hodapp, Head Athletic Trainer Ext: 7150
Mother Teresa Center, 211 [email protected]
Campus Dining Services
Jerrod Soza, Resident District Manager Ext. 7594
Benedictine College Dining Hall [email protected]
Benedictine Dining takes pride in the quality of the food and service we give to
our campus community. Our staff is dedicated to the mission of the college
and has a great understanding of what today’s college students need as well as
helping expose them to new and varied menus.
The College offers the following four meal plans:
18-meal plan + $300 annual Dining Dollars
• 18 meal swipes per week
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• $150 Dining Dollars per semester.
14-meal plan + $500 annual Dining Dollars
• 14 meal swipes per week
• $250 Dining Dollars per semester
12-meal plan + $300 annual Dining Dollars
• 12 meal swipes per week
• $150 Dining Dollars per semester
7-meal plan + $300 annual Dining Dollars
• 7 meal swipes per week
• $150 Dining Dollars per semester
All freshmen are required to be on the 18-meal plan. Upperclassmen residents
can choose from the 18-meal, 14-meal, or 12-meal plans. Upperclassmen
residents in apartments, row or campus houses may select from the 18, 14, 12,
or 7-meal plans. Meal plans reset on Sunday.
Additionally, off-campus students may purchase any meal plan or a Block 60
+200 Dining Dollars (100 per semester), which allows them to eat 60 meals at
campus dining facilities throughout the semester.
Dining Dollars may be used at all campus dining locations. These include the
Dining Hall, the Grille at the Roost, The Nest, Holy Smokes at Benedettos, and
the Holy Grounds and Café 62 Coffee Shops. Meal plan swipes may be used at
the Dining Hall, Grille at the Roost, and Holy Smokes at Benedetto’s.
We also offer a Raven Bucks Account. This is a declining balance account and
is great for any student. You may open a Raven Bucks account online at
www.benedictine.edu or by stopping by the Business Office located in Cray
Seaberg Hall and depositing money into this account.
Dining Hall
The Dining Hall is the traditional on-campus dining experience where you can
use a meal swipe and spend time over breakfast, lunch, or dinner with friends
and classmates. The Dining Hall features different concepts such as Classic
Kitchen, Global Fare, Local Deli, Greens, Jump Start, Sweet Shop, Sauce &
tone, Season’s Harvest and A-Zone. Students may use their Meal Card, Dining
Dollars, Raven Bucks, or credit cards.
The Dining Hall hours of operation are the following:
Monday – Friday:
Breakfast 7:30 AM – 9:30 AM
Continental Breakfast 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Lunch 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM
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Light Lunch 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Dinner 4:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Saturday & Sunday:
Brunch 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Light Lunch 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Dinner 4:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Note: The Dining Hall will be open from 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM for studying
while the new library is being built.
Late Night
Located in the Haverty Center Roost area.
Monday – Thursday: 9pm-11:30pm
Haverty Center
The Haverty Center is home to the Raven Roost, the Grille at the Roost, Holy
Grounds, and the Campus Store. The seating area of the Raven Roost is open
24 hours a day. It is equipped with TV’s, a fireplace, and plenty of room for
studying and visiting with friends. The Center features wireless internet access.
Holy Grounds
“Student run from the Grounds up.” Holy Grounds is a student operated coffee
shop that offers a wide variety of specialty drinks including coffees, lattes,
smoothies, teas, cappuccinos, and pastries. Come sit and enjoy a cup of your
favorite coffee with friends in a relaxed atmosphere. Accepts Dining Dollars,
cash, credit card or Raven Bucks.
Monday-Thursday 7:30am-11:30pm
Friday 7:30am-5:00pm
Saturday 9:00am-5:00pm
Sunday 11:00am-11:30pm
The Grille at the Roost
Located in the Haverty Center, offering juicy burgers, grilled or crispy chicken
sandwiches, French fries, and hand-spun milkshakes. Students may use a meal
swipe, dining dollars, raven bucks and credit card.
Monday-Thursday 11:00am-11:00pm
Friday 11:00am-8:00pm
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed
Café 62
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Café 62 is located on the second floor of Ferrell Academic Center. It offers
your favorite coffee drinks, smoothies, hot sandwiches and fresh pastries.
Monday-Friday 7:30am-3:00pm
Saturday & Sunday Closed
The Nest (Convenience Store):
Located in the top of the John Paul II Student Center, makes it easy to quickly
grab a meal before or after a class. Students will find sandwiches, wraps,
salads, snacks, bottled beverages and frozen food for stocking your dorm room
or a quick bite on the go. Students may use your Dining Dollars, Raven Bucks
or cash.
Monday-Friday 8:00am-11:00pm
Saturday & Sunday 8:00am-8:00pm
Holy Smokes at Benedetto’s
Holy Smokes at Benedetto’s is located in the Cray-Seaburg Hall, featuring
barbeque classics like BBQ Pork, BBQ Brisket, BBQ Chicken, Mac & Cheese,
coleslaw, corn muffins and more! Meal swipes, dining dollars, raven bucks and
credit cards are accepted here.
Monday – Friday 11:00am-3:00pm
Monday-Thursday 5:00pm-7:00pm
Saturday & Sunday Closed
(closed Friday nights of home football games)
"The brothers should serve one another. Consequently, no one will be excused
from kitchen service unless he is sick, or engaged in some important business of
the monastery, for such service increases reward and fosters love.
-St. Benedict, RB 35:1-2
Benedictine Catering
Benedictine Catering is ready to serve the campus community. We do our best
to accommodate last-minute orders, but of course it is always best to give us as
much advance notice as possible. To request food items for your next event,
place an order through Cater Tracks or call extension 7388 for assistance.
Benedictine College Mission & Ministry
Office email: [email protected] Office phone: Ext. 7735
"We believe that the divine presence is everywhere."
-St. Benedict, RB 18:1
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Motto
Transforming lives in Christ ---Romans 12:2 and John 15:4
Benedictine College Ministry exists to transform lives in Christ through His
Church, by living in community with the students and those affiliated with
Benedictine College and guiding them on their journey of intellectual, personal,
and spiritual formation. Benedictine College Ministry aims to form men and
women who are joyful in their vocation, leaders in their communities,
competent in their profession, mature in their faith, virtuous in their decisions,
and dedicated to serving the global human family by building a culture of life
and civilization of love for the glory of God.
Through the work of Benedictine College Ministry, the Catholic Church on
campus, graduates will bring Christ and his Church's mission to all aspects of
culture, especially the family, social, economic, religious, and new sectors of
society. Ultimately our goal is to help students experience eternal happiness
with the Trinity in heaven.
Purpose
The purpose of College Ministry is to meet the religious and spiritual needs of
the student body through the teachings of Jesus Christ in the context of the
Roman Catholic Church. The goal of College Ministry is to help students
become well-rounded individuals by encouraging integration of faith into all
aspects of their lives.
The fruit of faith integration shows itself in the academic, social, moral and
spiritual life, and contributes to the psychological and physical well-being of
the person. True faith integration informs reason and enables the person to
make better choices in their own life as well as in the ways they affect the lives
of those around them. Faith-integrated persons are an asset to their employers,
who are provided with a highly ethical individual that has made their
relationship with Jesus Christ the primary relationship of their life.
College Ministry is very similar to any other parish in its function and structure.
College Ministry is responsible for planning all campus liturgies, as well as
making available sacramental preparation (Confirmation, Marriage) to baptized
Catholics and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) for students
interested in coming into the Catholic Church. College Ministry works to
provide students of all faiths with opportunities for evangelization, retreats,
works of mercy in the community, education in the Faith, vocation
discernment, as well as building Christian fellowship between students through
social and faith-oriented events.
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To get involved in planning College Ministry activities and events, call or come
by the College Ministry office in the St. JPII Student Center.
Vision
Benedictine College Ministry will be the national model for Catholic college
ministry reflecting bold identity reaching the entire campus by striving to help
students become apostles and transform the culture for Christ. We strive to be
one of the top five Catholic college ministry programs at the international level.
Sacramental Offerings
Sacrament of the Eucharist
Student Masses:
Sunday – Abbey Church, 8am (EF),10am and 8pm
Mon-Fri. – Abbey Church, 5:30pm
St. Benedict’s Abbey Masses:
Monday-Saturday 12:10pm
Sunday Mass 10am
Mount St. Scholastica Choir Chapel Mass:
Sunday 10:15am
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
Abbey Church – 7:00pm to 8:00pm Saturday
St. Benedict's Parish – 24 hour adoration daily sponsored by College Ministry
Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick
Students who are facing a serious illness or surgery are encouraged to make
arrangements to receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick with the
Chaplain of the college or another priest on campus.
Sacrament of Reconciliation or Penance
The Sacrament of Reconciliation, or Penance, is available at regular times on
campus, as well as by appointment with priests on campus. Regular times for
Reconciliation are as follows:
Sundays: Weekdays:
9:00 – 9:50am: Abbey Church 4:00 – 4:50pm: Abbey Church
7:00 – 7:50pm: Abbey Church
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Saturdays:
11:00 – 11:40am: Abbey Church
3:00 – 3:50pm: Abbey Church
By Appointment:
Fr. Ryan Richardson, LC [email protected]
Sacrament of Marriage
Couples preparing for marriage should first contact the pastor of the church
where the wedding will take place to familiarize with the guidelines and Pre-
Cana preparation timeline specific to that Diocese. In general at least six
months should be allowed for planning. Couples wanting marriage preparation
at Benedictine College may contact the chaplain soon after making initial
contact with their home pastor.
Natural Family Planning
NFP is a method for couples wanting to achieve, space, and avoid pregnancy
based on awareness of fertility cycles. It is a method consistent with Catholic
Christian moral teaching and is taught to students preparing for marriage. It is
recommended that engaged persons attend the training course as a couple. A
certificate of completion is awarded at the end of training for persons to present
at the parish where they plan to be married. Please see the Marriage
Preparation section under Student Health Services. For educational
information on the science of Natural Family Planning (NFP) see: The Gift
Foundation at www.giftfoundation.org or One More Soul at www.omsoul.com.
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
The Rite of Christian Initiation prepares students to receive the Sacraments of
the Roman Catholic Church. Students who would like to receive the
Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, or the holy Eucharist may contact the
chaplain and the campus ministry team.
Post-Abortion Healing
If you’ve been involved in an abortion, or know someone who has, you are not
alone. Resources are available for assistance. Please come to the Student Life
Office, College Ministry, and/or the Student Health Center to begin your
healing. Additional local resources include:
Project Rachel: (913) 621-2199, [email protected]
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Daily Prayer Schedule for the Divine Office
St. Benedict's Abbey:
Morning Prayer 5:45am Monday - Saturday, 6:30am Sundays
Mid-Day Prayer 11:45am Monday – Saturday, 12:05pm Sundays
Evening Prayer 5:00pm weekdays, 5:45pm Saturdays, 5:00pm Sundays
Holy Hour for Vocations with Compline 7:00pm Saturdays
Mount St. Scholastica:
Morning Praise 7:00am Monday - Friday, 8:45am Saturdays, 9:30am Sundays
Mid-Day Praise 12:25pm daily
Evening Praise 5:30pm weekdays, 5 pm Saturdays and Sundays
It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the
will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be ground down by
mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to
improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more
fraternal. It is He, Christ!”
-Pope John Paul II
World Youth Day 2000
Career Development
Jennifer Dittemore, Director Ext: 7578
Student Success Center [email protected]
Career Services provides career counseling, career assessments, and guidance
regarding internships and the job search. Job listings for part-time jobs, full-
time jobs and internships are provided through “The Raven Walk” at
ravenwalk.benedictine.edu. The Raven Walk also serves as an online mentoring
and networking platform where students can connect with alumni and mentors
in their industry of interest.
Career-related workshops are presented each semester covering topics such as
resume and cover letter preparation, interviewing, choosing a major, and
more! Career Services coordinates special events such as Employer Recruiting
Visits, Alumni/Student Networking Events, Mock Interviews, Professional
Headshots, and Alumni Panels.
Check Cashing and Monetary Transactions
Business Office, Cray Seaberg Hall, Third Floor Ext: 7403
We recommend you establish a banking relationship with one of the local
banks – all of which have student-priced account options, or you may use the
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Campus ATM (provided by the UMB Bank) located on the lower level of the
Student Union; several other ATMs are located throughout the City of Atchison
and students may always withdraw cash as part of a Wal-Mart transaction.
The College Business Office handles Student Billing as well as Student Payroll
and is responsible for issuing student refunds (from credit balances generated
on student accounts) and student pay.
Adding Raven Bucks to your student ID card On-line
To add cash to your Raven Bucks, go to the Benedictine College Home page at
www.benedictine.edu. You will then want to log into your RavenZone account.
Once you are logged in you will see on the right-hand side of the main page,
“One-Card-Raven-Bucks”- select this link, you will be brought to all your
personal information. Click “ADD CASH” and follow the prompts.
Circuit Newspaper
Annalucia Duggan and Shelby Bland, Managing Editors
The Circuit
Quinn McCullough, Managing Editor
The Raven Yearbook
Cray-Seaberg Hall, Room 101 Ext: 7390
The Circuit is Benedictine College's student newspaper. It is published every
two weeks during the academic year. The Raven Yearbook is published each
year.
Computer Services
See Technology and Information Services
Conference Room and Classroom Reservations
Corey Hollis, Events & Hospitality Logistics Coordinator Ext. 7699
Ferrell Academic Center, Basement Offices [email protected]
To reserve all conference rooms and classrooms, please contact Sue Durkin. __
Counseling Center
Holly Black, LMSW, Director Ext. 7621
1201 N. 2
nd
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Sam Meier, MA, LPC Ext. 7621
1201 N. 2
nd
Danielle Reeves, MA, LPC Ext. 7621
1201 N. 2
nd
Jennifer Cavin, MA, LCPC Ext. 7621
1201 N. 2
nd
Shannon Mize, MA, LPC Ext. 7621
1201 N. 2
nd
Sophia Kopacz, Office Manager Ext. 7621
1201 N. 2
nd
The Benedictine College Counseling Center's purpose is twofold: (1) Provide
quality assessment and personal counseling services to students and staff, and
(2) offer any other support services that might aid students in their academic
pursuits or personal adjustment on campus.
The Counseling Center staff, all licensed in Kansas, follow the same standards
and procedures as other mental health agencies—confidentiality, assessment,
and counseling. Referrals to other community practitioners or services may be
made should problems require intensive and/or long-term psychological
assistance or be life threatening. There is no extra charge for any College
Counseling services. Appointments are made by filling out a confidential
Counseling Request Form, available in the Student Health Center, located at
1201 N. 2
nd
St.
Crisis Hotline Information
Resources that are available to the public in a crisis situation are listed below.
-AIDS Hotline 800-342-2437
-Alcoholics Anonymous 913-384-2770
-Catholic Charities Counseling Services 800-227-3002
-Child Abuse/Parent Helpline 800-332-6378
-Narcotics Anonymous 888-751-6262
-National Suicide Hotline 988
-Poison Control Center 800-332-6633
-Pregnancy (24 hr. helpline) 800-712-HELP
-RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest Nat. Net.) 800-656-HOPE
-Self Injury Hotline 800-DON’T-CUT
-Sexual Assault (24 hr. hotline) 800-367-7075
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Student Pregnancy Information
Benedictine College is committed to the teachings and moral values of the
Catholic Church and will support students who become pregnant. Consistent
with its belief in the dignity of the human person, the college encourages
students who do become pregnant to continue their studies and to retain their
campus housing.
Each of the counseling staff are available as a confidential contact to assist
students in finding whatever resources are needed and/or provide professional
counseling services. Our counselors can be contacted for a consultation by e-
mail at [email protected] or by phone at (913) 360-7621. Referrals for
prenatal health care and other supportive services will also be made available
through the Counseling Center, Student Life Office, Ministry Office, and/or
Student Health Center as necessary and requested.
Additional local resources include:
Wyandotte Pregnancy Clinic: 913-287-8287,
Advice & Aid Pregnancy Centers: 913-962-0200 or http://adviceandaid.com
24/7 Helpline: 1-800-712-HELP
PregHelpCenters.com
Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS)
St. JPII Student Center, Upper Level Ext: 7611
FOCUS is a national Catholic campus outreach program which helps college
students discover the one thing that can make a great difference in these crucial
years: a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the Church.
Rooted in Pope John Paul's vision for the new evangelization, FOCUS was
born at Benedictine College in 1998 and has gone on to help thousands of
college students grow in faith and fellowship while learning Christian
leadership principles that have a real impact on their lives. Through small
group Scripture study and large group leadership training, students turn to the
Scriptures and Christian tradition for vital principles on which they can build
their lives.
Accessibility Services and Accommodations
Student Success Center Ext: 7517
Jennifer DuLac, Director of Accessibility Services [email protected]
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Benedictine College complies with ADA requirements for reasonable
accommodation for individuals with disabilities that may affect their
performance in the classroom. Contact Jennifer DuLac, Accessibility Services,
for more information.
Hours for Accessibility Services Office:
Monday-Friday: 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Identification Cards
Student Life Office Ext: 7500
St. JPII Student Center 204 [email protected]
Upon registration, each new student is issued an identification card with his or
her photograph. Replacement for a lost ID card can be printed for a fee, which
can be paid in cash or charged to the student’s account. If the original is found,
it becomes the property of the College. The ID card needs to be validated for
use in the second semester.
This card serves as an activity ticket for all students and will admit them to
school sponsored sport and fine art events. The same card also serves as a meal
ticket and use of laundry machines for those students who board at the college,
access to gain entrance into a residence hall, avenue for Raven Bucks to be
used, and allows students use of the college library.
International Student Services (ISS) Team
The International Student Services (ISS) Team is comprised of faculty and staff
members across several departments of campus, who work together to support
the overall success of international students by providing assistance in a variety
of areas, including:
• Enrollment, advising, and academic affairs
• Immigration status / visa maintenance
• Transition to life in the United States and at Benedictine College
• Meaningful interactions with domestic students
• Services necessary to meet the special needs of international students
Before arrival on campus, the ISS Team is available to help students prepare
for their experience at Benedictine College. Once on campus, ISS is prepared to
provide assistance as it relating to American culture, academics, or the
community in general throughout international students’ time at Benedictine
College.
Jennifer Dittemore, Director of Career Services Ext. 7578
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Mary Margaret Mulvaney, Asst. Director of Admission/International Ext. 7538
St. Benedict Hall, 2
nd
Floor East [email protected]
Makinzie Burghart, Director of Undergraduate Admission Ext. 7469
Charlie Gartenmayer, Director of Athletics Ext. 7583
Amino Center [email protected]
Charlie Peitsch, Registrar Ext/ 7551
Dr. Joseph Wurtz, Dean of Students Ext. 7500
St. JPII Student Center, 204 [email protected]
Catherine Kluempers, Director of Student Activities Ext. 7580
Annie Sullivan Ext. 7580
St. John Paul II Student Center 204 asullivan@benedictine.edu
International Student Ambassadors (ISA) Ext. 7500
St. JPII Student Center 204 [email protected]
Mission
As International Student Ambassadors at Benedictine College, it is our mission
to foster a successful learning environment and to build up the BC community
by aiding the success of international students at Benedictine College. We seek
to meet this goal by being a resource for international students, whether degree-
seeking or exchange, and advocating for their needs. Additionally, ISA hosts
international events for all students, staff, alumni, families, and guests to
contribute to the cultural enrichment of the college and the cultural expression
of international students.
Membership Requirements
Any student wishing to learn more about the International Student
Ambassadors should contact the Director of Student Activities at
913-360-7580.
Description
International Student Ambassadors host events to promote a multinational
Benedictine College Community, and to create opportunities for international
students to express their cultural heritage and share their unique background
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with the larger BC Community. In addition, ISA leaders receive feedback from
international students about any issues or concerns to the appropriate staff or
faculty member.
Study Abroad
Daniel Musso, Director of Study Abroad Ext: 7975
Benedictine College encourages students to engage in educational experiences
abroad as part of their academic plans. Studying abroad helps:
• Better understand other cultures as well as our own
• Enhance foreign language learning
• Open the door to new career options
• Prepare to live in a global society
• Create goodwill for our country around the world
• Contribute to build a peaceful world
The Study Abroad Office assist students during the stages of the study aboard
experience. These stages include searching for the best option, applying to a
program, preparing for international study and returning to campus. Options
available to Benedictine College students include our campus in Florence and
exchange programs in nearly 50 countries. For more information visit
www.benedictine.edu/international/study-abroad.
ESL Program
Dr. Daphne McConnell, International Student Advisor Ext: 7586
Benedictine College’s English as a Second Language (ESL) program provides
students with intermediate and advanced levels of language instruction in order
to prepare students for full-time status. Academics are emphasized throughout
the ESL curriculum; academic listening and note-taking, public speaking,
academic writing, and field, library, and electronic media research are
integrated into the appropriate skill areas of listening and speaking, reading,
writing, and structure. Academic advising is provided to students prior to
declaring a major area of study.
Intramurals
Adam Gardner, Director Ext: 7177
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More than seventy percent of the students at Benedictine College participate in
intramural sports. The activities are selected to serve the interests of a wide
range of men and women students. For the women there is team competition in
basketball, volleyball, softball, flag football, indoor soccer, and sand volleyball.
For men there is team competition in basketball, volleyball, softball, flag
football, indoor soccer, and sand volleyball. There are also co-recreational
leagues in basketball, soccer, sand volleyball, softball, volleyball and ultimate
frisbee. Individual activities include tennis, racquetball, 3-point shooting, pool,
ping-pong, chess and checkers.
Library
Darla Meyer, Co-Director of the Library Ext: 7516
Sr. Kathleen Flanagan, OSB, Co-Director of the Library
& Outreach Librarian Ext. 7510
Temporary office near Student Success Center kflanagan@benedictine.edu
Hannah Garstecki, Interlibrary Loan Ext: 7609
Temporary office near Student Success Center h[email protected]
Steven Gromatzky, Electronic Resources & Special Collections Ext: 7511
Wanda Adams, Serials & Government Documents Ext: 7610
Temporary office near Student Success Center wadams@benedictine.edu
Lois Farrell, Academic Library Assistant Ext: 7513
Circulation Desk Ext: 7608
Library Hours Monday – Thursday..............................................7:30am-9:00pm
Friday............................................................................................7:30am-5:00pm
Saturday......................................................................................12:00pm-5:00pm
Sunday........................................................................................12:00pm-9:00pm
The library provides valuable services and resources to assist the students
throughout their years of study at Benedictine College. These services include
information literacy and research assistance, interlibrary loan, photocopying,
printing, and scanning.
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A new library is under construction, from fall of 2023 through spring of 2025.
During this time students will have access to online resources which include
over seventy databases and 300,00 e-books. In addition to these resources, they
will be able to initiate interlibrary loans through the online catalog and
WorldCat/FirstSearch. The professors have hand-picked the available reference
materials. These are in the room just south of the Dining Hall. The room will be
staffed by a librarian and student workers who will help students with research
and resources.
Library Web Page: http://www.benedictine.edu/library
Lost and Found
Student Life Office Ext: 7500
St. JPII Student Center 204
Found articles should be turned in at the Student Life Office in the Student
Union. Students who have articles lost or stolen should report the loss to the
Student Life Office.
Mailroom
Kelly Flynn, Supervisor Ext: 7225/7444
1301 North 3
rd
Monday – Friday…………………………………...…………..8:00am-5:00pm
U.S. Mail Service is delivered once a day. This delivery includes registered,
certified, and insured mail as well as letters, packages, Express mail,
magazines, and newspapers. Student mailboxes are located in the lower level
of the Student Union. If a student receives a package, a package slip will be
placed in the student's mailbox. Once a package slip is placed in a student's
mailbox, the student can take it to the mailroom along with their student ID or
driver's license to pick up the package.
The mailroom can do meter postage but does not have stamps or envelopes
for purchase. Packages can be weighed for mailing out of town.
All mail and packages addressed to students should indicate campus mailbox
number to facilitate the sorting and delivery of mail. Please do not include
room number. The return to sender address on all student-originated mail
should include campus box number.
Students need to be sure to turn the dial on their mailboxes so that the latch
completely re-locks. Partially turning the latch for easy access at another time
can also give a stranger easy access to a student's mail.
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Students are strongly encouraged to check their mailbox regularly.
Operations Department
Matt Fassero, Director Ext: 7421
1301 North 3
rd
The College operations staff handles all repairs on campus. Reports of needed
repairs in residence halls should be submitted to the Residence Hall Director
who will notify Operations of the problem. Problems in other buildings should
be reported directly to the Operations Department.
IKON Copy Center
Kelly Flynn, Manager Ext: 7225
1301 North 3
rd
Street [email protected]
Entrance to the IKON Copy Center is located on the north entrance of the
building.
The Raven Store
Pat Kuckelman, Manager Ext. 7448
The Raven Store is your official supplier of Benedictine College spirit gear,
school supplies, faith merchandise and more. Shop 24/7 online at
http://benedictineravenstore.com.
Campus Store Hours
Monday – Friday 9:00-4:00pm
Thursday 9:00am-6:00pm
Saturday 11:00am–3:00pm
*Special Event weekends TBA
Raven Yearbook
Cary-Seaberg Hall, Room 108 Ext. 7390
The Raven is Benedictine College's student yearbook. The yearbooks are
distributed on campus in September. Yearbooks for seniors who graduate in
May will be mailed home in August.
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Refund Policy for Tuition, Room, Board and Fees
Kay Gerhardt, Bursar Ext: 7410
Cray Seaberg Hall, Room 314 [email protected]
In-School Refunds Generated From Overpayment or Loan Credits
The College Business Office processes student refund checks generated from
overpayment of charges or from credits generated by financial aid,
scholarships, and loans. Federal guidelines are followed regarding receipt of
loan proceeds and refunds.
If I anticipate a credit balance on my account due to Financial Aid, what
are my options for receiving the refund?
You have two options: you may request a refund or request the funds be held
and applied to your next semester balance. If you want the funds to be held
until the next semester, please email the Business Office at
I want a refund. How can I receive my credit balance?
Once all the funds are received and posted to your account, your credit balance
will be available generally within 5-7 working days, but no later than 14 days.
Students are encouraged to sign up for electronic refunds, as described below.
Student refunds will not occur prior to the start of the semester in order to meet
enrollment verification guidelines. Priority processing will be given to those
students participating in direct deposit/electronic refunds:
1. You may opt to receive your refund via direct deposit to a bank
account of your choosing through e-Refund, which can be set up
through the third party vendor TouchNet, accessible through the
“View and Pay my Account” link on RavenZone. Then choose the
Electronic Refunds link to enroll. Care should be taken by the student
to enter the banking information accurately, in order for the eRefund
to be successfully processed.
2. This is the College’s preferred method of disbursing all student
refunds:
a. Direct deposit is safe, secure and quicker than paper
checks.
b. You do not have to wait for a paper refund check to arrive
at your home address.
c. You do not have to worry about getting to the bank before
it closes, as when you deposit a paper check.
d. There is protection against theft or loss.
3. You may request a paper check refund that will be mailed to your
home address. Refund checks should be cashed promptly, as checks
over 180 days (approximately 6 months) are considered stale-dated
37
and may be voided and returned to the federal government, per
Federal Title IV regulations.
Can an eRefund (direct deposit) be made to any bank?
Benedictine College can direct deposit to any U.S. financial institution with
electronic funds transfer capabilities, as most banks participate in the electronic
funds transfer network. Contact your bank if you have any questions about the
bank’s ability to accept direct deposit.
How will I know when funds have been deposited in my bank account?
Notification will be sent to your Benedictine student email account.
How do I enroll in eRefund?
Log into your RavenZone account, and go to “Student Finance” on the upper
left hand side. This will take you to an overview of your balance. On the right-
hand side of the overview, click on the “Make a Payment” link. This link will
direct you to Benedictine’s third-party provider secure web page, TouchNet,
where you need to click on “Electronic Refund” link” – from here you can
follow the prompts to get signed up, it only takes a few minutes. If you
anticipate a refund, please enroll as soon as possible. The student is solely
responsible for entering the correct banking information, so please double
check what you enter.
Can my parents get their PLUS loan refunds through direct deposit?
This functionality is not currently available; however, Benedictine will
continue to work toward making this a possibility.
Refund Policy
To receive any refunds or adjustments from the Business Office, the student
MUST follow these procedures to officially withdraw/drop from a class. After
classes begin, to be considered for any potential refunds or adjustment on the
student’s tuition statement from the Business Office, the student MUST follow
these procedures to affect an official withdrawal/drop from class:
1. For a reduction of credit hours, complete the change of schedule
process as directed by the Office of Academic Records and
Registration.
2. For withdrawal from a residence hall or board contract, obtain
approval from a Residence/Student Life officer and complete a
written withdrawal form in that office.
3. For total academic withdrawal, complete a written withdrawal form
in the Office of the Director of the Student Success Center and the
Student Life Office. These offices will notify the Office of Academic
Records and Registration, and the Registrar will obtain the student’s
last date of attendance in class. The withdrawal date and the date of
last attendance both impact the calculation of any potential refund,
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tuition adjustment, or aid adjustment, as further explained in the
section titled “Government Regulations for Adjustments, Refunds
and Repayment of Award Monies under the Title IV Program.”
Fees
Individual course fees, as well as any program fees, will not be refunded once
the semester begins.
Tuition Adjustments/Refunds
Undergraduate students who drop individual courses but remain enrolled as
full-time students (12 to 18 credit hours) will not see a change in the full-time
tuition charge. For the first six class days of each semester, a change in status
from full-time enrollment to part-time enrollment (less than 12 credit hours)
will impact charges as well as eligibility for financial aid. Part-time students
are not eligible for certain financial aid; contact Financial Aid Office for further
information. After the sixth-class day of the semester, there will be no change
in tuition charges or financial aid when dropping classes that cause a student to
go from full-time to part-time enrollment status; the student’s enrollment status
“freezes” for the purpose of charges as well as receipt of financial aid. When
part-time students drop individual courses after the sixth-class day, tuition
charges related to the dropped class will be prorated based on the date the
student officially drops the course, according to the Tuition Adjustment
schedule below.
Students whose status changes from part-time to full-time after the first six
days of the semester but during the time period allowed to “add” classes will
see a change in charges.
Tuition overload charges: There is an additional per credit hour tuition overload
charge if a student is given permission to take more than 18 credit hours in a
semester. The student will be charged the full per credit hour tuition overload
rate regardless of when the student moves into the overload status. Tuition
overload changes will be refunded based on the date the student officially drops
the overload course, according to the Tuition Adjustment schedule below.
When enrollment status changes, students are encouraged to meet with Student
Billing in the Business Office to understand how charges will be affected and
with the Financial Aid Office for a clear understanding of how aid may be
affected.
When a student withdraws from, tuition charges will be adjusted following the
schedule below. Overload tuition charges will be refunded at the same rate as
other tuition charges. Students should request a withdrawal form from the
Director of the Student Success Center, in order to begin the official
39
withdrawal (exit) process. Tuition charges will be adjusted once the
withdrawal date is recorded in the Office of Academic Records and entered into
the student’s record.
Tuition Adjustments
Week Ending (Friday, 5:00 p.m. CST) Percent Refunded
1
st
partial week of semester 95%
1
st
full week of semester 90%
2
nd
full week of semester 75%
3
rd
full week of semester 50%
To 20
th
day each semester 25%
After 20
th
day No Adjustment
Summer Session Tuition Adjustments
4 Weeks, Session 1 & 2
6 Week Session
8 Weeks, Entire Summer
80% Refund
Session days 1 and 2
Session days 1–3
Session days 1 through 4
40% Refund
Session days 3 and 4
Session days 4–6
Session days 5 through 8
No Refund
Session day 5 and
following
Session days 7
and following
Session day 9 and
following
A student who registers for a summer class but does not ever attend the class
and does not drop the class before the first day of the session will be charged a
$50 Nonattendance fee. For students taking an online class, logging into your
class is considered as attending the class for one session.
The college also partners with other academic consortiums to offer additional
online classes to Benedictine College students, allowing students the
opportunity to improve their Benedictine GPA and enhance or maintain
academic progress toward their degree. The consortium classes offered have
been reviewed and approved by the Benedictine College Registrar. Students
that enroll in these classes take a class taught by a partner institution and
transfer the credit and the grade back to Benedictine College. These classes are,
generally, very compact in nature and have various start dates. As a result, they
have a tuition refund policy different that Benedictine’s published policy stated
above. Refer to refund timeline below.
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Tuition Refund Timeline for Consortium Classes
Tuition Refund
Drop class
BEFORE
Day 1 of class
100%
Drop class Day 1 or Day 2 of class
80%
Drop class
AFTER
Day 2 of class
No refund
Never drop class, administratively dropped from class
by Teaching Institution
WITHIN
drop period.
Tuition reversed 100%
charged $50 non-attendance fee
Never drop class, administratively dropped from class
by Teaching Institution
AFTER
drop period.
No refund
Tuition Adjustment-Refunds, for Students in the Master of Business
Administration (MBA) program:
Tuition for MBA students is charged on a per-course basis; tuition refunds are
calculated in the same manner, using the tuition refund percentages shown
below. Course fees are nonrefundable once class begins. It is the responsibility
of the student to notify the college of the student’s intent to withdraw from a
course. Tuition charges will be adjusted once the withdrawal date (defined as
when the student notifies the college) is recorded in the Office of Academic
Records and Registration and entered into the student's official college record.
MBA students are encouraged to discuss financial consequences of withdrawal
with Financial Aid & Student Billing before withdrawing. MBA Students who
do not attend and do not notify the college before the start of class will be
charged $50 Nonattendance Fee.
MBA Program Fall and Spring Semester Tuition Adjustments
Calculated on a Per-Course Basis
Percent Refunded
Prior to start of class
100%
First week of class
90%
Second week of class
75%
Third week of class
50%
Fourth week of class
25%
After fourth week of class
No adjustment to tuition
MBA Program Summer Session Tuition Adjustments
Calculated on a Per-Course Basis
% Refunded
41
First week of class
80%
Second week of class
40%
After second week of class
No adjustment to tuition
For Graduate Education Students: Students should refer to the Refund and
Withdrawal Policy as stated in the Graduate Education Program Handbook
given to them at orientation.
Room and Meal Adjustments/Refunds
A student signs a contract with the Student Life Office for each full academic
year regarding his or her campus residency status while attending Benedictine
College. Rooms and meal plans are assigned and charged to a student’s account
by semester. Refunds for the semester may be given as long as a student
provides written notice of withdrawing from college at least one full week prior
to the start of classes, and the basis for cancellation meets the criteria as defined
by Student Life Office. This gives the college the opportunity to make the
space available to other students. In cases of this type of notification, all of the
room and meal plan charges are refunded.
From the week classes are scheduled to begin, room charges are refunded on a
pro-rata basis up to and including the 20
th
Day of the semester; after this date,
no refunds for room charges will be awarded. Meal plans are refunded on a
pro-rata basis. The eligible refund period for room and board begins the day
after the student has moved out of the dorm and also returned all keys to the
residence director.
Student Account Credit Balance Refunds
To assist in offsetting the cost of attendance when a student withdraws,
financial aid will be earned and repaid according to the Government
Regulations for Adjustments, Refunds and Repayment of Awarded Monies
under the Title IV Program described below.
It is possible that a student who withdraws may still have an outstanding
balance payable to Benedictine College after institutional charges and
financial aid have been adjusted. Students should meet with the Financial
Aid Office to understand the financial aid adjustments to their account,
and should also meet with Student Billing in the Business Office to
understand the adjustment process and to make payment arrangements
for any remaining balances.
Government Regulations for Adjustments, Refunds and Repayment of
Awarded Monies under the Title IV Program (Financial Aid)
42
Students are awarded financial aid at the beginning of each academic term with
the expectation that student will complete the entire term requirements. When
students withdraw from the College prior to the end of an academic term, the
student’s educational charges billed by the institution, and the financial aid
previously awarded/disbursed to the student’s billing account may require
adjustment. Adjustments to the students’ financial aid are based upon
withdrawal adjustment/refund guidelines of the US Dept. of ED. For
withdrawing students receiving financial aid, adjustments to aid will be based
on the last date of class attendance and as set forth in The Federal
Refund/Adjustment Policies contained in the provisions of the US Dept. of ED
relating to financial aid received, and is summarized below. Students are
encouraged to meet with the Financial Aid Office for clarification of the impact
of individual situations.
Federal regulations require the use of the Return of Title IV Funds policy to be
used for all students receiving any type of federal aid when calculating the aid a
student can retain after withdrawing. This policy relates to Federal Pell and
SEOG Grants, Federal Direct student loans, and Parent PLUS Loans. At
Benedictine College, the same policy will be used for state, institutional, and
outside aid sources.
These regulations govern the return of aid disbursed for a student who
completely withdraws from a term or payment period. During the first 60% of
the period/semester, a student “earns” aid in direct proportion to the length of
time the student remains enrolled. The percentage of time the student remained
enrolled determines the percentage of disbursable aid for that period the student
has earned. The percentage of the period the student remained enrolled is based
upon the number of days the student was enrolled, in comparison to the total
number of days available within the applicable academic term (divide the
number of days enrolled by the total days in the enrollment period, or
semester). A student who remains enrolled beyond the 60% point earns all aid
for that academic term.
If a student has not earned all of the federal aid received to date at the point of
withdrawal, funds will be repaid in the following order:
1. Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
2. Federal Direct Subsidized Loan
3. Federal Direct PLUS Loan
4. Federal Pell Grant
5. Federal SEOG Grant
6. State grant and scholarship funds
7. Institutional aid
8. Scholarships from outside sources
Government Regulations for Cash Refunds to Students Awarded Monies
under the Title IV Program
43
The Benedictine College refund policies, or any portion thereof, is subject to
change without notice due to subsequent changes in federal regulations that
apply to the college policy. With the federal schedule directing return of
borrowed federal loans first, it is very likely the student who withdraws will
still have an outstanding balance with the institution.
Government Repayments
If a withdrawing student received financial aid in excess of direct costs (tuition,
fees, room, and board), a percentage of this aid may have to be returned. The
amount will depend on how many days the student was enrolled and the
amount of aid received. Details should be discussed with the Financial Aid
Office.
Security
Danny Fairley, Chief of Security
1301 North 3
rd
Street Ext: 7256 or 360-8888
The Benedictine Department of Safety and Security is committed to ensuring
the safety and welfare of students, faculty, staff and visitors 24 hours a day.
Contracting with Allied Barton, a private security firm, the department’s goal is
to provide a safe environment where all members of the Benedictine
community may learn, live, teach and work.
The Department of Safety and Security is located at 1301 North 3
rd
Street, near
the Operations office. The department is open and provides protection and
services, 24 hours a day. All of the Allied Barton officers are trained in general
security practices, standard first aid, and CPR. Security Officers will provide
an escort to anyone on campus after dark.
Student Health Services
Laura O’Grady, RN, Director Ext. 7117
215 M Street [email protected]
Natalie Kenney, LPN Ext. 7117
Benedictine College Student Health is staffed by a full-time Director/Nurse, a
part-time LPN, and a part-time Nurse Practitioner who is available at least four
hours daily. Hours are posted on the RN's voice mail 913-360-7117. For after-
hour care there are many options including contacting your health provider or
one of the doctors at the Amberwell Atchison Clinic’s 913-367-2131 between
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9:00am and 5:00pm. The Amberwell Atchison Emergency Room is available
24 hours daily.
Services in Student Health include assessment/medical diagnosis and treatment
of minor illnesses and injuries, blood pressure checks, tuberculosis skin testing,
strep and mono testing, glucose testing, crutches for loan, suture removal,
maintenance allergy injections, tobacco cessation, COVID 19 symptoms, health
education, and referrals to other health professionals, as needed. All student
health services are free to students and are strictly confidential. Limited
amounts of over the counter medications and first aid supplies are available to
the student without cost. A flu shot clinic will be offered in the fall at a
reasonable cost
The student shares responsibility in maintaining wellness. A healthy lifestyle,
including a balanced diet, regular exercise, and adequate sleep will enhance
one's health.
Excuse notes: The BC Student Health Service does not give excuse notes for
missed classes. However, written verification will be given for a student seen
in the health office. Absences are counted toward the total allowed absences in
a class. Students should notify their professor if they cannot attend class due to
illness or to an extended illness.
Immunization Requirement Policy: All new, transferring, and international
students, regardless of age, must submit an accurate immunization history with
validated proof of immunity signed by their health care provider before or
immediately upon arrival to campus. If the student fails to submit an
immunization history form with valid proof of immunity, he or she will be
notified in writing of being in noncompliance with the immunization
requirements and will be placed on administrative hold until the non-compliant
status has been resolved by the student.
Each student is expected to submit a pre-registration health history,
immunization history, and proof of health/accident insurance. Benedictine
College does not provide school health insurance for students.
The student is required to provide documentation of the following:
Immunity to measles, mumps, and rubella by one of the following:
1. Two Shots of MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella).
2. Immunity to measles, mumps, and rubella by blood titer.
3. Two shots of measles, one shot of mumps, and one shot of rubella
vaccine.
4. Physician documentation of disease history to measles and
mumps. (Note: disease history for Rubella is NOT acceptable.)
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5. Immunity to measles/mumps/rubella is NOT required if born
before January 1, 1957.
Freedom from tuberculosis documented by one of the following:
1. Completion of the tuberculosis screening questionnaire and
process contained in the pre-registration "Benedictine College
Student Health Form".
2. Negative TB skin test report done within the past 12 months in the
United States or in Benedictine Student Health. Those with
positive skin tests will be referred for a chest x-ray and treatment
recommendations.
3. Negative chest x-ray report. A physician-documented summary of
any treatment received should be submitted with the student's
health history form.
4. History of TB, date diagnosed, and physician documentation of
completed treated. Include physician summary of names of
medications received and number of months treated.
A completed and signed "Benedictine College Student Health" form is
required for all students. Meningitis Vaccine is now required for all
incoming freshmen.
Other requested information:
·Date of last Td (Tetanus/diphtheria) booster, (A booster is needed
every 10 years to protect the student against tetanus should a "dirty"
injury occur; dates if DPT series.)
·Dates of Hepatitis B series.
·Other immunization dates: varicella, meningococcal, or others
received.
·Copy of insurance card, front and back.
"Care of the sick must rank above and before all else, so that they may truly be
served as Christ, for he said: ' I was sick and you visited me.'"
-St. Benedict, RB 36:1-2
Communicable Diseases: In the event of a disease outbreak on campus, those
individuals who have elected not to be immunized or those who have not
provided health records may be treated as susceptible to the disease and may be
barred from the Benedictine College campus and all avenues of participation,
until such time as it is specified by the Atchison County Health Department and
Benedictine Student Health Services that the student may no longer be
susceptible. This time period could involve weeks to months. No costs will be
refunded to the student in the event that the student is not able to attend class
because of lack of immunization.
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Natural Family Planning – While Natural Family Planning training is
provided by Campus Ministry, it relates directly to the reproductive health of
men and women. Natural Family Planning helps couples achieve or postpone
pregnancy by observing the natural signs of fertility in a woman’s
cycle. Dioceses throughout the United States often require training in the
method prior to marriage. For Sacramental Preparation, please contact College
Ministry.
Student Success Center
Dr. Sean Mulcahy, Vice Provost/Director Ext: 7965
The Student Success Center, located near the Dining Hall, provides support,
advice, and enrichment to help students meet their academic and professional
goals.
The Center provides academic assistance, including academic advising,
disability services, tutoring, test proctoring, and help with study skills and time
management strategies.
Career Services is available to help students with resumes, interviewing skills,
career assessment, internships, networking experience and Career Fairs.
Graduate school support can help you examine graduate or professional school
options, prepare for exams such as the GRE, LSAT, GMAT and MCAT, seek
national fellowship and post-baccalaureate scholarships, and navigate the
graduate application process.
Disability Services complies with ADA requirements for reasonable
accommodation for individuals with special needs that may affect their
performance in the classroom.
Center for Student Support and Engagement
Tyler Shephard, Director Ext. 7973
The Center for Student Support and Engagement’s mission is to foster an
environment that is accepting and conducive to academic success for students
from all backgrounds. Center functions will assist students in overcoming
barriers to success academically, socially, personally, and spiritually. The
Center teaches students study habits, time management skills, and how to
successfully navigate their higher education experience for historically
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marginalized populations. The Center’s initiatives are in accord with the
college’s mission and its strategic priorities related to diversity.
Technology and Information Services
Charles Welte, Director Ext: 7372
Help Desk Ext. 7777
You can submit a work order via: [email protected] or contact the
Help Desk at Ext. 7777.
Selected Academic Policies
"The love of Christ must come before all else. You are not to act in anger or
nurse of grudge. Rid your heart of all deceit."
-St Benedict, RB 4: 21-24
Please refer to the College Catalog to view all academic policies:
https://coursecatalog.benedictine.edu/academic-regulations-procedures/
Academic Misconduct
Procedure for Processing an Allegation of Academic Misconduct
Benedictine College endorses the principles of academic honesty. Any
academic misconduct is contradictory to the purposes and welfare of both the
student and the college. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to,
cheating on examinations; plagiarizing; failing to properly document sources
either intentionally or unintentionally; turning in work prepared by another
source, falsifying data and documents; or gaining or giving unauthorized access
to assessment materials.
It is expected that the student will behave in a manner consistent with the
values of Benedictine College in interactions in an academic context both
inside and outside of the classroom. Should a student engage in inappropriate
or aggressive language or behavior in relationship with faculty, or disruptive
behavior in or out of the classroom, a faculty member may document the
incident with the Associate Dean and the student may be subject to appropriate
sanctions.
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Consequences
A first offense of academic misconduct, whether intentional or unintentional,
generally will result in an “F” or a zero grade for the assignment, examination,
or project connected to the academic misconduct and will be reported by the
instructor to the Associate Dean who then will report this to the student’s
advisor. In a particularly egregious case of misconduct the instructor may
consult with the Associate Academic Dean to apply a penalty of “F” for the
course, or a more severe penalty. If the penalty is the assignment of a final
grade of “F,” the student will no longer be permitted to attend the class and will
not be permitted to withdraw from the class, regardless of when the offense
occurs. The “F” will then become part of the student’s permanent record.
A second offense for a given student– assuming that the student has been notified
of the first offence – over his or her entire time as a student at Benedictine
College, will result in a meeting with a review panel consisting of the Assistant
Dean of Student Success, a member of the Student Affairs Committee, and
another faculty member of the student’s choice. This panel will decide on a
course of action based on all reported instances of the student’s academic
misconduct, which generally results in a failing grade in the class. Additionally,
depending upon the magnitude of the academic misconduct, the student may be
suspended or be subject to dismissal from the college. A third or later offense
will result in a meeting with a panel consisting of the Dean of the College, the
Associate Dean, and a faculty member of the student’s choice. This panel will
decide on a course of action based on all reported instances of the student’s
academic misconduct with a maximum penalty of dismissal from the college.
Due Process
In any allegation of academic misconduct, students have the right to appeal the
allegation if they believe they are not guilty or to appeal the punishment if they
believe it to be excessive. This process is coordinated by the Associate Dean. In
an appeal, an ad hoc committee consisting of three full-time faculty members,
one of whom may be nominated by the student, independently considers the
evidence, and each makes a recommendation regarding the appeal. The Dean of
the College considers the evidence, the recommendations of the ad hoc
committee, and makes the decision regarding the appeal.
The student may appeal the decision of the Dean of the College to the President
within five business days from the time of the notification of the Dean’s
decision. A detailed description of this process is available from the Associate
Dean.
Due to the importance of dispositions and accreditation requirements, the due
process procedure for Education graduate programs contains additional steps.
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Governance
"As often as anything important is to be done in the monastery, the abbot shall
call the whole community together and himself explain what the business is;
and after hearing the advice of the brothers, let him ponder it and follow what
he judges the wiser course."
-St. Benedict, RB Prologue 3: 1-2
Student Government Association (SGA)
St. JPII Student Center 202 Ext: 7492
Mission - The Benedictine College Student Government Association upholds
the dignity of each student and promotes the general welfare of the student
body through representation, communication, and Christ-like servant
leadership.
Vision - The Benedictine College Student Government Association strives to
provide effective student services, to address student concerns, and to help
administration develop solutions that positively affect student life.
Philosophies
• We will influence the policy and direction of the college through
representation and committees.
• We will maintain a professional and accomplished SGA, in
accordance with the mission and students of Benedictine.
• We will be respected for our ability to accomplish goals.
• We strive to train our student leaders with the most recent time
management and leadership techniques.
• We will model servant leadership.
• We will exhibit strong and effective communication with students
and administration.
Executive Committee
President: Jeffrey Schremmer
Vice-President: Luke Palmer
Treasurer: Joey Lyngdal
Director of Communication: Gabe Jones
Director of Clubs and Organizations: Lillian Gardner
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Class Officers
Senior Class Officers Junior Class Officers
4 Senators TBD 4 Senators TBD
Sophomore Class Officers Freshman Class Officers
4 Senators TBD 4 Senators TBD
Clubs and College Recognized Organizations
Clubs and Organizations
Students are encouraged to form and join organizations that contribute to the
development of the whole person. The College, with the student government,
provides many opportunities for cultural growth. Nationally known speakers,
lecturers, players, and musicians appear on the campus each year. Regularly
scheduled student recitals, the Atchison Community Concert series, a regular
program of professional performing arts events and film series sponsored by
the Convocations Arts Committee, and the opportunity to hear prominent
educators and artists who appear in the greater Kansas City area also serve to
enrich the lives of the students.
Students enjoy a full, coordinated social schedule of activities. Activities
include barbecues, athletic games (soccer, football, volleyball, baseball,
softball, basketball), Homecoming, Spring Formal, bands, theater
performances, and a social justice week.
In addition, there are many clubs and organizations including national honor
societies, social and religious organizations, and service clubs. Early in the
year students have the opportunity to become acquainted with the full range of
organizations, their functions, and activities.
Statement on Clubs and Organizations
Benedictine College reserves the right to register groups of Benedictine
students who wish to create formal organizations.
Benedictine's policy is to encourage free discussion of moral issues as part of
the educational process. Benedictine College grants official recognition to
those organizations whose purposes and goals, activities and programs are
consistent with the educational mission of the College and with a Catholic and
Benedictine institution of higher education. To that end, student organizations
must not, in any way, be contrary to or partake in activities contrary to the
teachings of the Catholic Church.
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Registration of a student organization by Benedictine College is an
acknowledgment that the organization has complied with registration
procedures. The College will grant all rights and privileges accorded to every
registered organization. Registration of a student organization implies that the
College approves the organization's constitution and bylaws.
Registration does not indicate or imply that the College endorses the views of
the organization's membership, or the views expressed at meetings. The
individuals involved are solely responsible for any views held or expressed.
Only student organizations which maintain good standing as officially
registered student organizations by following all applicable policies and
procedures will be authorized to use College facilities or services, or be
permitted to identify themselves directly or indirectly, with the College's name
or credit. The College reserves the right to review the activities of student
organizations and to monitor compliance with college policies.
The authority to officially register student organizations is under the Executive
Director of Clubs and Organizations, the Director of Student Activities, and the
Dean of Students. All student organizations are directly responsible to these
individuals in the Student Life Office.
A registered student organization shall be defined as a group of Benedictine
students joined together in the pursuit of a common purpose. Student
organizations are open to all students without regard to race, creed, sex,
national origin, or any other classification protected by law, though the College,
in maintaining its Catholic character, may protect its religious freedom in
accordance with applicable laws and constitutional provisions allowing the
College to act in furtherance of its religious objectives.
Registration of New Groups
A group of five or more Benedictine College students may apply for
registration through the Student Government Office. The proposed
organization must submit the following:
• An application form which includes the proposed name of the
organization, a statement of purpose and the name of an advisor who
is a member of the Benedictine faculty, staff, or administration. The
official name may not include the name "Benedictine College."
• A list of officers and members for the proposed organization.
• A constitution and by-laws.
• Signature approval from the Executive President of Student
Government Association, the Director of Student Activities and the
Director of Clubs and Organizations.
• An annual review on the above items as well as the organization's
activities.
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Officers/Membership
All members must be currently enrolled students of Benedictine
College. Groups may offer membership to Benedictine College faculty,
administration, alumni or staff on an associate member basis. Associate
members may not hold office or vote.
The officers/editors of all student organizations must be in good standing (not
on academic or disciplinary probation) at the time of their election or
appointment and throughout their terms of office. Officers are required to be
enrolled in at least ten credit hours each semester during their term of office. A
student is considered to be in good academic standing as defined by the policy
of the college.
Student Activities
Social Activity Guidelines
Only recognized college organizations, clubs, or the Student Government
Association may sponsor student activities. Events are to be consistent with the
College’s four-pillar mission. The Student Activities Director must pre-
approve such activities.
Direct responsibility for the proper functioning of a social event belongs to the
officers of the promoting organizations. Failure to maintain commonly
accepted standards of social conduct will subject the sponsoring organization to
censure by the Student Government Association or by the College.
Emphasis is placed on the following specific regulations:
1. At least one faculty or staff member or administrator must be present
at all events.
2. The sponsoring organizations must maintain sufficient personnel to
maintain an orderly atmosphere.
3. All campus advertising for social events must be in good taste and be
approved by the Student Government Association or Student
Activities Director.
4. Signs posted to advertise social events shall be in compliance with
the Posting Policy found on pg. 90 in the Student Handbook.
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Campus Activities Board (CAB)
St. JPII Student Center, 204 Ext: 7492
Mission
The Benedictine College Campus Activities Board cultivates a strong
community by welcoming new students into the community and by hosting
dynamic and hospitable events for students, staff, alumni, families, and guests
that uphold and strengthen the identity and traditions of Benedictine College.
Vision
The Benedictine College Campus Activities Board strives to uphold
Benedictine values by preserving existing traditions and expanding upon new
ideas through memorable events and experiences for all members of the
Benedictine College community.
Campus Activities Board Co-Presidents
Margaret Halpin
Landon Kent
Membership Requirements
Any student wishing to learn more about the Campus Activities Board should
contact the Director of Student Activities at 913-360-7580.
Sponsored Activities and Events include:
Fall Opening Weekend Activity
Family Weekend
Homecoming
Mid-Semester Concert
HER Weekend
Spring Opening Weekend Activity
Mother-Son/Father-Daughter Weekend
Little Sibs Weekend
Spring Formal
Springfest Weekend
Residence Life
Eli Pruneda, Director of Residence Life Ext: 7500
St. JPII Student Center 204 [email protected]
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Benedictine College has a rich tradition in residential living. Our residential
tradition is rooted in the Benedictine Order who founded the first universities in
Europe and established the first residence hall or dormitories near these
monastic centers of Catholic education as early as the 5th century. A residence
hall becomes a home to students who are welcomed because, in them, Christ is
received (Rule of St. Benedict, 53:15). Today, residentially is the fourth pillar
in the College's four-part mission and students who grow in friendship and
fellowship with one another in their residence halls best express it.
The residential experience at Benedictine College supports and encourages the
full development of students through a community life that expresses and
proclaims the worth and dignity of each individual. In a caring and supportive
atmosphere, students are helped to develop a sense of meaningful purpose in
life and encouraged to participate in programs promoting sound bodies,
emotional balance, and dedication to the welfare of others.
The college residential program provides a variety of facilities and competent
personnel to assist the student in mental, physical, spiritual, and social
development. The residence halls are administrated by the Student Life Office,
Residence Directors (RDs) and Resident Assistants (RAs) who have been
trained to respond to crisis situations with skill, efficiency and sensitivity.
Regulatory policies are established to the extent necessary to insure
consideration for the time, privacy and value system of each resident, the total
community, and the goals of Benedictine College. RDs and RAs also serve to
enforce college regulations. Therefore, the Dean of Students, Director of
Residence Life, and residence hall staff is authorized to enter rooms when they
suspect there is evidence of a violation of college regulations, or for the
purpose of maintenance and emergencies. Maintenance staff is authorized to
enter rooms for the purpose of maintenance.
A Catholic University pursues its objectives through its formation of an
authentic human community animated by the spirit of Christ. The source of its
unity springs from a common dedication to the truth, a common vision of the
dignity of the human person and, ultimately, the person and message of Christ
which gives the Institution its distinctive character. As a result of this
inspiration, the community is animated by a spirit of freedom and charity; it is
characterized by mutual respect, sincere dialogue, and protection of the rights
of individuals. It assists each of its members to achieve wholeness as human
persons; in turn, everyone in the community helps in promoting unity, and each
one, according to his or her role and capacity, contributes towards decisions
which affect the community, and also towards maintaining and strengthening
the distinctive Catholic character of the Institution.
-John Paul II, Apostolic Constitution on Catholic Universities
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Residence Hall Government
The purpose of Residence Hall Government is to foster involvement of the
residents of Benedictine College in all areas of residence life: hall council, hall
activities, homecoming, etc. and to foster a relationship between the residential
students and various campus groups like intramurals, Campus Ministries, etc.
The goal of each residence hall government is to help build authentic
community, with the four-pillar mission (Benedictine, Catholic, Liberal Arts,
Residential) of the College in mind.
Residence Halls & Staff
A Residence Director (RD) lives in and guides the community-centered life of
each hall. The Residence Assistant (RA) is a current undergraduate who aids
the RD as a member of the hall staff. RAs live on each floor and are available
to assist students as they adjust to College. RDs and RAs take special interest
in the growth of students and coordinate activities in the hall that support the
mission of the College. These activities include developing and implementing
our Family Model programming. For a virtual tour of each hall go to the
following website: www.benedictine.edu
Kremmeter Hall, Legacy Hall, Campus Houses, Row Houses
Erika McDonnell, Resident Director Ext: 1700
Email……………………………...[email protected]
RA Office ...................................... Ext. 1702
Resident Assistant:
Bethany Harris
Jeanne Stephenson
Monica McCoy
Isabella Paoletti
Mary Sienkiewicz
Anna Campbell
Oscar Shingledecker
Justin Post
Kremmeter Hall Apartments were built in 2008 and named in honor of the first
prioress of Mount St. Scholastica Monastery. Legacy Hall was named to honor
the many legacy families who have supported Benedictine College throughout
the years. Legacy Hall also houses a beautiful lounge for the residents, two
classrooms, staff offices and a meeting room. The Campus Houses are college-
leased houses on campus. These residences offer students an atmosphere that
feels closer to home but still within the Residence Life Program of Benedictine
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College. Students interested in applying to live in one of these houses should
contact the Student Life Office before Room Draw each year. The Row
Houses contain a full kitchen with modern equipment, a complete laundry
room, two and a half bathrooms, dining table, chairs, three bar stools, living
room sofa, one coffee table, desks and dressers.
_______
St. Gabriel Hall
John Kenney, Residence Director Ext: 6985
Email…………………………………………………[email protected]
RA Office ...................................... Ext. 8201
Resident Assistants:
Anthony Espinosa
Gabriel Maday
Jacob Schoenwalder
James VanKirk
Landon Cannard
St. Gabriel Hall opened in the fall of 2023. The hall houses 120 sophomore and
junior men. St. Gabriel Hall is located just north of St. Michael Hall and has
designed of brick and limestone exterior with high ceilings and large windows
to create a bright and inviting space.
Elizabeth Hall
Julia Fassero, Residence Director Ext: 1200
Email……………………………...[email protected]
RA Office ....................................... Ext.1044
Lounge ......................................... Ext. 1160
Resident Assistants:
Emma Moorhead
Maria King
Matelyn Newman
Rose Palermo
Jane Meganck
Claire Natsche
Elizabeth Hall is a modern residence hall with a rich history. The Hall's history
begins with its construction as the first Abbey in the Western Territory by the
priests and brothers of the Benedictine Order in 1893. Built under the
patronage of King Ludwig I of Bavaria, the Hall is Romanesque in its
architecture. Today, the Hall takes its name from the Jim and Zibbie Ferrell
family of the well-known Kansas City Corporation, Ferrell Gas. The Ferrell
family's generous support of the College is an extension of their love for
Atchison, education, and western monastic culture. As a modern residence
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hall, Elizabeth Hall will foster residentially, house undergraduates and hall
staff, and offer the amenities of contemporary student life.
Wolf Hall & Lemke Hall
Kenneth Howard, Residence Director Ext. 7791
Email………………………………………………...khoward@benedictine.edu
RA Office…………………………Ext. 1702
Resident Assistants:
Sean Maddock
Braden Stewart
David Sutherland
Joseph Anderson
William Crawford
The Wolf Hall Apartments were built in 2008 to provide apartment style living
for our juniors and seniors. Wolf Hall was named in honor of the first abbot of
St. Benedict Abbey. Lemke Hall Apartments were built in 2014 and named in
honor of Fr. Henry Lemke, one of the college’s founding fathers. These two
halls house a total of 178 students.
McDonald Hall
Mollie Rawls, Residence Director Ext: 7788
Email……………………………...[email protected]
RA Office ...................................... Ext. 1410
Scroll Center................................. .Ext. 1411
Resident Assistants
Nicole Harrington
Grace Balsamo
Noelle Beach
Josie Jansen
Elizabeth Geist
Completed in 1965, McDonald Hall is a suite style residence hall with semi-
private bathrooms. It houses upper-class women (mostly sophomore) and is
named after the late Abbot Cuthbert McDonald who was abbot of St.
Benedict’s Abbey from 1943-1962.
Newman Hall
Luis Corral, Residence Director Ext: 1750
Email…………………………………………………..[email protected]
Office ............................................ Ext. 1898
Lounge .......................................... Ext. 1899
Resident Assistants:
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Joe Green
Donovan Harris
Alan Kerschen
Will Benson
Bryce Gray
Completed in 1967, Newman hall is a carpeted residence hall with semi-private
bathrooms. It houses freshmen and sophomore men and is dedicated to Blessed
Cardinal Newman of Oxford England.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Hall
Chelsey Connealy, Residence Director Ext: 7688
Email…………………………..[email protected]
Office…………………………..Ext. 7689
Resident Assistants:
Abigail Barrett
Karina Hernandez
Lucia Patti
Brooklyn Caskey
Grace Lindemann
Theresa Sharma
St. Joseph Hall
Nick Koester, Residence Director Ext: 6985
Email……………………………...[email protected]
Office ............................................ Ext. 8535
Lounge .......................................... Ext. 8536
Resident Assistants:
Paul Krebs
Alex Lynch
Joseph Lyngdal
St. Joseph Hall was the first residence hall built on campus and provides private
and non-private rooms for up to thirty-five upperclassmen. It is dedicated to St.
Joseph, patron saint of fathers and the Church.
St. Martin Memorial Hall
Ginny Fuentes, Residence Director Ext: 1500
Email……………………………...[email protected]
Office ............................................ Ext. 1622
Lounge .......................................... Ext. 1606
Resident Assistants:
Sandra Bradley
Abigail Starrs
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Ella Biggins
Erin Donnelly
Morgan Vehige
St. Martin’s Memorial Hall was completed in 1952 in memory of the fifty
alumni who gave their lives in the service of their country during World War II.
A plaque in the Hall Staff Office is inscribed: “This Memorial Residence Hall,
erected A.D. 1950, is dedicated to our alumni who fought in World War II.
They courageously faced death to defend the God-given rights of man. The
names of those who made the supreme sacrifice together with the dates of their
attendance at St. Benedict’s College are inscribed on this roll of honor.” St.
Martin’s Chapel is on the ground floor. The Hall houses freshmen women.
St. Michael Hall
Nick Koester, Residence Director Ext: 6985
Email…………………………………………………[email protected]
RA Office ...................................... Ext. 6986
Resident Assistants:
Jack Figge
Nathan Melchior
Jacob Ortiz
Joshua Molina
Samuel Buerschen
St. Michael Hall opened in the fall of 2012. The hall houses 150 sophomore
and junior men. St. Michael hall is a beautiful addition to Benedictine’s strong
history of residentiality. The building design, with brick and limestone exterior,
high ceilings and large windows, creates a bright and inviting space. Students
will notice cohesive elements that tie St. Michael Hall to campus community.
St. Scholastica Hall
Dorothy Rombach, Residence Director Ext: 8000
Email………………………………………………drombach@benedictine.edu
RA Office ...................................... Ext. 8002
Lounge .......................................... Ext. 8001
Resident Assistants:
Emmalee Cockerill
Madeleine Ingram
Maria Glatz
Mia Lee
Danielle Hehmann
Allison Higgins
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St. Scholastica Hall represented the first new residential construction on the
campus in more than 40 years when it was opened in 2005. The facility is four
stories tall and contains approximately 36,000 square feet, with room for 141
freshman and sophomore women. It follows the remodeled Ferrell Hall in
design standards, with a brick exterior and limestone accents. In addition to the
bedrooms, it also includes two classrooms and a signature “lighthouse” tower.
The name honors St. Scholastica, twin sister of St. Benedict, as well as one of
the college’s founders, Mount St. Scholastica College.
Courtney S. Turner Hall
Michael Ruiz, Residence Director Ext. 8250
Email……………………………...[email protected]
RA Office ...................................... Ext. 8401
Lounge .......................................... Ext. 8402
Resident Assistants:
Donald Gerle
John Paul Doyle
Brody Joachims
Christopher Coyne
Jayde Albanez
Turner Hall was built in 1957 and is a freshman male dorm that houses St.
Augustine Lounge in honor of St. Augustine of Canterbury, OSB. It is named
after Courtney S. Turner, an Atchisonian, whose Turner Trust helped the
college in its most critical times over the past couple of decades.
Student Life Policies & Procedures
Acceptable Use of Technologies
Accountability for Technology Administration
Technology and Information Services (“TIS”) Department is responsible for
the maintenance and operation of all College-owned computers and computer
peripherals.
Technology and Information Services assigns IDs and passwords to each
employee and student for access to the network, student records, and
email. TIS fully supports the applications that employees and students need to
complete academic assignments. Network access is available in all
Benedictine College buildings and facilities.
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Residence Hall residents must use their own Ethernet cable to access the LAN
line network from their rooms.
TIS assigns priority to academic technology to ensure computer labs and
classrooms are operational at all times. TIS will provide technical advice and
support for students’ PCs on a “time-available” basis.
Employees should not load their own software package(s), public domain
software, shareware or non–business applications (i.e., games) on the College’s
computers without expressed permission from the Technology and Information
Services personnel.
Ownership and Right to Access
Because the College owns its computers, related technology, and network,
users have no legitimate expectation of privacy with respect to their use of such
and the College reserves the right to access data contained within at any time
with or without prior notice.
Computer Back-ups
All users of the system should be aware that e-mail and other electronic
information stored on the main system is backed-up regularly and may be
subject to subpoena.
All critical data must be backed-up on a regular basis…
Wireless Access
TIS have enabled wireless access in each dormitory and academic
building. Students may not install or operate any wireless device anywhere on
campus. Applications that require high network capacity, such as P2P, are
prohibited. Otherwise, there is no restriction on internet access.
Copyrights – Technology
Federal law prohibits the transmission (sharing) of copyrighted materials
without express written permission from the copyright holder. Copyrighted
works (including but not limited to original writings, software, movies and
music) may not be shared on the College network without written permission of
the copyright holder.
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The College believes that it has selected software that best suits its business
needs. All software packages are subject to review from time to time. All
software packages on college-owned computers shall be licensed to the
College.
Software that is loaded on hard disks may not be duplicated for use on any
other computer. Many products are serial numbered, and no two computers
should have software with the same serial number. Employees should only use
software in accordance with licensing agreements when installed and in use on
local area networks or when attempting use on multiple machines.
The College prohibits employees from making copies of any College supplied
software for use outside of Benedictine College facilities. Any unauthorized
duplication of licensed software is a violation of Federal Copyright Law.
Peer-to-Peer File Sharing
It is a violation of copyright law to use file sharing software (e.g., BitTorrent,
KaZaA, Limewire, etc.) to download music, movies, and other copyrighted
material without permission from the copyright holder.
All network traffic is subject to monitoring procedures conducted by the IT
Department for purposes of determining compliance with college
policies. Outside parties also actively monitor the internet to find incidents of
illegal file sharing and may notify the College of such activity. When such a
notification is provided by an outside source, the College may disable a
person’s network access until the situation is resolved.
If a campus community member is found to have illegally shared files over the
College’s network, the full range of disciplinary sanctions are available (along
with the civil and criminal penalties the person may be subject to), including:
• Indefinite or permanent loss of computer privileges and network
access.
• Denial of future access to the College’s IT resources.
• All disciplinary sanctions are available pursuant to the Student
Community Code.
• Dismissal from the College; and/or
• Legal action.
Alternatives to illegal downloading include, but are not limited to, iTunes,
Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu.
Summary of Penalties for Violation of Federal Copyright Laws
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Those who engage in copyright infringement place themselves individually at
risk of civil and criminal liability. As a general matter, a person who is found
liable for civil copyright infringement may be ordered to pay actual damages or
“statutory” damages in an amount of not less than $750 and not more than
$30,000 per work infringed. For a “willful” infringement, damages may be
awarded by a court up to $150,000 per work infringed. Courts can also assess
costs and attorneys’ fees, in its discretion. See 17 U.S.C. §§ 504 and 505.
Also, “willful” copyright infringement can result in imprisonment of up to five
years for a first-time offense and additional fines. See 17 U.S.C. § 506 and 18
U.S.C. § 2319.
Network Usage Policies
The network is to be used as a tool to advance the mission of Benedictine
College and is not available for unrestricted use for any other purpose. The
following policies address the proper use of Benedictine College’s network.
Authorized Hardware and Software Only
• The College network is primarily available for academic and
administrative use only.
• Benedictine College reserves the right to restrict access to any service
detrimental to the Benedictine College’s technology resources or
primary function. Attempts to bypass these restrictions will be
considered a violation of this policy.
• Unauthorized networking equipment (such as routers and wireless
access points, etc.) is prohibited from use on the network. Network
services and wiring may not be modified or extended beyond its
intended use. This policy applies to all College network infrastructure
and services.
• Audio, video and game servers are allowed on hardwire (non-
wireless) networks. However, due to network bandwidth concerns,
these servers may be disconnected without notice if the performance
of the College’s networks is adversely affected. In addition, all use
must comply with existing copyright laws.
• Equipment that is defective, malfunctioning, compromised, used
inappropriately, or inadequately configured will be disabled without
prior notification.
Protection against Viruses and Computer Attacks
• Unauthorized hardware and/or software used to detect and/or exploit
network vulnerabilities are forbidden on Benedictine College
networks.
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• Users are responsible for security and privacy precautions to protect
against computer viruses and other computer attacks, which may
result in loss of data, unintentional release of personal information, or
negative impact on Benedictine College’s technology services.
Failure to take these prudent steps could result in the offending
computer or account being removed from the network.
• MS Windows users must install and enable Trend Micro Office Scan
anti-virus software to minimize risks to personal computers and the
network. The college provides Trend Micro to employees and
students at no charge.
Authorized Access Only
• For security reasons, Benedictine College requires users to log on to
access the campus networks and Internet. Users are prohibited from
attempting to circumvent the authentication systems. In addition, users
should not attempt to hide their identity or impersonate another's
identity while on the College network.
• Network users are responsible for any network activity linked to their
user account. Passwords should be secure and should not be shared
with anyone (including family, co-workers, and friends). Users who
believe that another person is using their account should notify
Benedictine College’s TIS immediately and change their password.
• Users of the Benedictine College network may not provide access to
resources on the local network to anyone outside of the Benedictine
community for any purpose unless accomplished by means approved
by Technology and Information Services.
• Forgery or other misrepresentation of one's identity via electronic or
any other form of communication is prohibited regardless of intent.
• Benedictine College does not allow network users to run unauthorized
SMTP, DHCP, FTP, or other network services on any network
segments.
• Computer names, computer descriptions, and messages broadcast
across the network must not be defamatory, lewd, or obscene.
• Unauthorized registration of a domain to a Benedictine College IP
address is prohibited. This includes but is not limited to direct DNS
resolution and DNS aliasing.
• Users may not manually assign an IP address to any network device.
Doing so may disrupt connectivity for other users.
File Sharing
• Files may be shared on the local network. All shared resources on
Benedictine network, wireless and other workstation computers must
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be protected with a secure password. Any sharing of resources
without a password must be authorized by TIS.
• Violation of these policies will result in loss of service and further
disciplinary action.
Alcohol and Drug Policy
The College prohibits the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of drugs and
alcohol by students on the College’s property or as part of any of the College’s
programs and activities. Alcohol or drug use that violates the law and/or
College policy may subject a student to both institutional and legal sanctions.
Notwithstanding, under certain conditions, the use of alcohol by students on
campus is appropriate. To access the College’s full Student Alcohol and Drug
Policy, please refer to:
http://www.benedictine.edu/about/policies/alcohol-drug.
Campus Housing Policy
Benedictine College has a four-year residency requirement. All traditional
undergraduate Benedictine College students are required to live on campus and
must apply for housing through the Residence Life Office every year, including
those who qualify for automatic exceptions to living on campus. If a student
drops to part-time status at any time during the semester, they may be asked to
leave their residence hall. The Residence Life Office must approve any
exception to this policy.
As permitted by federal law (see 34 C.F.R. § 106.32(b)), Benedictine College
requires students to live in separate residence halls that are designated by
sex. Benedictine College does not allow residence hall selections based on
gender identity or transgender status.
Regardless of whether a student lived on or off campus or in one residence hall
or another during the previous year, he or she must reapply for housing every
year. Students should not sign any lease agreements for off campus housing
before completing the Room Draw procedure or receiving written approval
from the Residence Life Office. A student who enters into a lease agreement
prior to Room Draw and without written approval does so at his or her own
risk.
Exemptions from Campus Housing Policy
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A student who fits into one or more of the following categories can apply for an
exemption from the Campus Housing Policy and from participating in the
Room Draw process. Applications are available in the Student Life Office.
Even if a student meets one of the following exempt statuses, students must still
apply to receive an exemption from the housing policy and receive written
approval to live off-campus from the Residence Life Office. Any student who
moves off campus without written approval may still be required to live on
campus.
• Non-Traditional Student
• 23 years of age or older on or before the first day of the academic
year. Verification is required in the form of a Driver’s license.
• Live with parents or a legal guardian in the Atchison area (30-mile
radius). Verification is required in the form of a letter from a parent
or legal guardian.
• Married. Verification is required with a copy of a marriage license.
Married students may not live in single student housing.
• Member of the Benedictine Order or another religious order.
Verification is required from a religious superior.
• Full-time Employee of the College. Verification required from the
College Business Office.
• Dependent child or children. Verification is required with a copy of a
birth certificate.
• December graduate and/or Fifth year senior social class standing.
Verification is required from the Registrar's Office.
• Studying abroad in a college recognized program. Verification from
professor required. Commuter status is recognized for the duration of
the program only.
• Have lived in the Atchison area and was not enrolled in the college
for at least one year. Verification required. Please provide the name,
address, and phone number of a previous landlord as well as a
photocopy of your lease or tenant agreement.
Transfer students only: Transferred to the college and previously lived off
campus on your own at your previous college or university for a period of at
least one year. Verification required. Please provide the name, address, and
phone number of a previous landlord as well as a photocopy of your lease or
tenant agreement.
Complaint and Grievance Policy
Benedictine College is committed to treating all students fairly and
respectfully. The College’s policies that apply to students are published
annually in the Benedictine College Catalog and in the Benedictine College
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Student Handbook. These publications are available on-line on the Benedictine
College website at Student Complaint and Grievance - Formstack.
In an instance of perceived violation of a college policy, a student may file a
complaint. This policy provides two avenues for pursuing a complaint: an
Informal Resolution Procedure and a Formal Resolution Procedure. Students
may utilize either or both procedures.
This policy is intended as an avenue of redress when a student has a general
complaint against the College or an administrator of the College that is not
clearly encompassed by another College policy. If a student has a complaint
dealing with conduct explicitly covered by another policy, such as sexual
harassment, the explicit policy (in the example, the Sexual Harassment Policy
and Procedures) will apply.
Informal Resolution Procedure
The student arranges a meeting with the person involved with the complaint
and/or with the direct supervisor of the person involved.
For example, a student who perceives that he or she has been graded unfairly
on an assignment should meet with the faculty member who assigned the grade.
In this example, the meeting with the faculty member may be followed up with
a meeting with the department chair or the original meeting might be with the
department chair.
Another example would be a complaint to the Student Life Office involving a
Resident Director. The student would meet with the Resident Director or the
Director of Residence Life and attempt to resolve the issue in this way.
If the informal process does not resolve the complaint, the student may utilize
the formal complaint procedure.
Formal Resolution Procedure
A formal complaint is in writing and sets forth a statement of the issue, the
College policy or procedures violated, and the specific remedy sought.
The complaint is normally submitted using an online form found on the
Benedictine College website on the Student Complaints page. The complaint
can also be submitted on paper to the Office of Assessment & Institutional
Research (Library 210) and it will be forwarded to the appropriate office if you
are not aware of where to submit it.
Many areas already have specific ways to handle complaints that closely
parallel the steps specified below. In cases such as these, a formal complaint
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will be directed to the appropriate person and the previously approved appeal
process will be followed.
LEVEL 1
Normally, the person to whom the complaint has been submitted (the
investigator), conducts, within seven (7) business days of receiving the
complaint, a formal conference with the student, permitting her or him to
provide any necessary relevant information.
The investigator confers with the other person or persons involved and
conducts an additional investigation as he or she deems necessary.
Normally, a written recommendation is sent within seven (7) business days of
the first formal conference. The recommendation is sent to the student and the
other person or persons who are directly involved. The written recommendation
states the background information, the rationale for the recommendation, and
the recommended action, if any.
Copies of the original complaint and the written recommendation are kept for a
minimum of five years.
LEVEL 2
If any of the parties involved in the complaint do not feel it is adequately
resolved in Level 1, they may submit a written appeal within fourteen (14)
business days of receipt of the Level 1 recommendation to the direct supervisor
of the person who wrote the recommendation. The written appeal must specify
the conditions that s/he believes were not adequately or appropriately taken into
consideration in Level 1.
Normally, the supervisor holds a hearing within fourteen (14) business days of
receipt of the appeal or complaint and a written recommendation is sent to the
student and others within fourteen (14) business days of such hearing.
In cases of appeals to Level 2, copies of the original complaint and the Level 1
and Level 2 written recommendations are kept for a minimum of five years.
LEVEL 3
Except in the case of a complaint against the President, where the Board of
Directors has final authority, written appeals of the Level 2 recommendation
must be submitted to the President within fourteen (14) business days. The
written appeal must specify the conditions that s/he believes were not
adequately or appropriately taken into consideration in Level 2. The President
makes the final decision. Normally, the President's written decision is sent to
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the student and other parties within fourteen (14) business days of receiving the
Level 3 appeal. In cases of appeals to Level 3, copies of the original complaint,
the previous written recommendations, and the final decision are kept for a
minimum of five years.
E-mail Notification Policy
College students are responsible for all information and notifications
communicated from the College via their student e-mail accounts (i.e.,
[email protected] addresses). In order to comply with this policy,
students are encouraged to check their student e-mail accounts on a daily basis.
The student e-mail system shall be the College’s official means of e-mail
communication with all students. The assigned e-mail address will not change
during the student’s career at Benedictine College. Students are allowed to
forward their Benedictine e-mail to their personal e-mail accounts if they prefer
to do this.
It is imperative that students understand that the majority of information will be
communicated to them via their college assigned e-mail account while they are
students.
Emergency Response Plan
Benedictine College recognizes the need and the importance of effective
emergency management, which includes prevention, intervention, and campus
safety for all members of the college community. We expect all members of the
community to actively embrace and participate in the approved emergency
management policies and procedures.
The Benedictine College Emergency Response Plan is online, and can be found
in two different locations:
1. Resources Page, http://www.benedictine.edu/academics/resources
2. Under Campus Security in the left-hand navigation,
http://www.benedictine.edu/about/facilitiesconferencing/campus-
security. This section is located under the About section.
Fundraising Policy
Benedictine College student clubs and organizations are required to register
their fundraisers, whether they are to be conducted on or off campus, with the
Student Government Office. Fund raisers may be registered by filling out and
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submitting the Benedictine College Event/Fundraising Request Form to the
SGA Office two weeks days in advance of the fundraiser.
Fundraisers that are to be conducted in conjunction with athletic events must
also conform to the Athletic Department Solicitation Policy.
All fundraisers must conform to Benedictine College’s mission and be subject
to the rules and regulations of Benedictine College, as they are represented in
the Student Handbook and elsewhere.
Though not limited to the list below, fundraisers must adhere to the following:
• Fundraising projects must be administered in accordance with college
policies governing advertising, posting, and soliciting.
• All door-to-door solicitation and selling within the residence halls by
commercial salespersons is prohibited. Likewise, no fundraising
flyers, advertisements, coupons, etc. may be placed under the doors
or hung on doorknobs in any residence hall.
• In certain circumstances a student club or organization may be given
limited permission to conduct a sale or promotion in a lobby or other
approved space. In these cases, permission must be secured, in
advance, from the Residence Director.
• Promotional materials that are not officially college-sanctioned may
not be handed out to students on the College campus, either outside
or inside buildings. In addition, these promotional materials may not
be placed on cars in the College parking lots.
• Any advertising and publicity materials must include name of
sponsoring organization, product or service being sold, purpose for
which the profit will be used, and location of the activity.
• If a student club or organization wishes to do a bake sale or sale of
other foods for a fundraiser, all items sold must be baked by the
organization or its members. No pre-purchased items may be sold
unless they are purchased through Aramark or unless prior
arrangements have been made with the Student Life Office.
• If you are creating an item to sell, e.g., T-shirts, you must get your
design approved by the Director of Student Activities. All designs
must conform to the Benedictine College branding guidelines.
Student clubs and organizations: Fundraisers by recognized student
organizations will follow these steps:
• Secure permission from the Student Life Office by completing the
online SGA event request form located on the Benedictine College
Student Life website.
• Secure permission from the head of the department affected by the
sale (see Athletic Department Solicitation Policy for details
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surrounding athletic events and facilities or contact the athletic
department at 913-360-7360).
Any official college designee has the ability to terminate any fundraiser or
solicitation activity that is in violation of this policy.
General Non-Discrimination and Harassment Policy and
Procedures
"Do not repay one bad turn with another. Do not injure anyone, but bear
injuries patiently. Love your enemies. If people curse you, do not curse them
back but bless them instead."
-St. Benedict, RB 4: 29-32
Benedictine College will not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment.
Discrimination or harassment is strictly prohibited on college property, in all
academic programs and extracurricular activities, and at college-sponsored
events and activities, regardless of whether or not the event takes place on
college property. This General Non-Discrimination and Harassment Policy and
Procedures is not intended to govern complaints involving claims of sexual
harassment occurring in the College’s educational programs and activities will
be governed by the Sexual Harassment Policy and procedures outlined in the
Student Handbook, as applicable.
Benedictine College takes all claims of discrimination and harassment very
seriously. Students engaging in such acts will be subject to discipline as
outlined in this Student Handbook. Regarding other persons, the College will
take action appropriate and necessary to prevent recurrence, which may include
banning such persons from college property.
Other Inappropriate Conduct
Conduct that does not constitute prohibited discrimination or harassment under
the law or under any of the College’s policies still may be inappropriate for the
College community. Even if the College determines an individual’s behavior
does not rise to the level of prohibited discrimination or harassment under this
policy, the College may impose appropriate disciplinary action. As a general
rule, disciplinary action will be imposed under this paragraph if the College
believes the behavior or conduct was inappropriate, unprofessional,
objectionable, inconsistent with reasonable rules of conduct, inconsistent with
the spirit of the College’s harassment-free and discrimination-free philosophy
or policy or is not in the best interest of the College or its students.
Reporting a Complaint
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Any student who has a question, concern or complaint of discrimination or
harassment is encouraged to bring the matter to the attention of the Vice
Provost. If the question, concern or complaint involves the Vice Provost, or if
the student is not comfortable discussing the matter with the Vice Provost, the
student may bring the matter to the immediate attention of the Dean of Students
or any College Administrator.
Investigation
All reports of discrimination and harassment will be promptly and thoroughly
investigated according to the appropriate College procedure based on the status
of the alleged perpetrator (e.g., complaints of non-sexual misconduct against a
student will be addressed pursuant to the Student Community Code). The
College will act to ensure that any improper conduct ceases immediately, and
corrective action is taken to prevent a recurrence. Any student who violates this
policy will be subject to the full range of correction action, up to and including
termination/expulsion. The College will inform the complaining student of the
resolution of the complaint as appropriate.
No Retaliation
Benedictine College prohibits retaliation against anyone who reports or assists
in making a good faith complaint of prohibited harassment or discrimination
and/or who cooperates in any harassment or discrimination investigation.
Prohibited retaliation may include, but is not limited to, intimidation, threats,
coercion, or discrimination against any such individual. If the College
determines that a student has violated this policy, appropriate disciplinary
action will be taken against the student, up to and including
termination/expulsion.
Rooms & Facilities Policy for Students with Physical Disabilities
Certain residence halls on campus are better suited to accommodate the needs
of students with disabilities and, thus, students with physical disabilities may be
prioritized in these residence halls based on the circumstances. If you have any
type of physical disability, you are encouraged to contact the Office of
Accessibility Services at 913-360-7517 and set up a meeting to discuss options
and accommodations.
If it is determined that a student with a physical disability needs to live in a
particular room or floor of a residence hall, other students who have been
assigned to the needed room may be moved at the discretion of the Resident
Life Office.
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Identification
All members of the Benedictine College community are required to present
proper identification upon the request of college officials, including campus
security officers. This policy applies any time an individual is present on
college property or attending a college-sponsored event.
Missing Person Policy
This policy establishes procedures to be followed at Benedictine College in the
event that a residential student is reported missing and of the option to provide
confidential contact information for a person to be notified in the event the
student is officially reported as missing as required by the Higher Education
Opportunity Act of 2008.
• Anyone believing a student residing in campus housing may be
missing should report that to the following: Vice President of
Student Life, Campus Security, Director of Residence Life, or any
College official.
• When a student is officially reported missing, the Vice President of
Student Life will initiate an investigation into the welfare of the
student if the student has been absent from campus for more than 24
hours without a known reason. This investigation will include a
good-faith effort to make contact with the student or an emergency
contact using any information the student has provided to
Benedictine College for this purpose. The Vice President of Student
Life will gather all essential information about the student from the
reporting person and from the student’s acquaintances. The Vice
President of Student Life will then contact the Dean of Students and
Campus Security. Appropriate campus staff will be notified to aid in
the search for the student. If the actions are unsuccessful in locating
the student or it is apparent immediately that the student is missing,
the Vice President of Student Life or appropriate designate will
contact the Atchison Police Department to report the student as a
missing person and they will take charge of the investigation.
• Within 24 hours of a determination that the student is missing, the
Vice President for Student Life will make a good-faith effort to
contact any emergency or confidential contact identified by the
student. If a reported missing student is under the age of 18 and is
not emancipated, the Vice President for Student Life also will
immediately make a good-faith effort to contact the custodial parent
or legal guardian of the student. Regardless of the age of the student,
the College will also notify local laws enforcement within 24 hours
of the determination that the student is missing.
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• In addition to registering a general emergency contact, students will
be informed and given the opportunity during each semester
registration process to register confidential contact information to be
used by the Vice President of Student Life in the event that student is
determined to have been missing for more than 24 hours. To register
this information, students can go to emergency contact information
registration on the BC website and follow the directions indicated.
This information will remain in effect until changed or revoked by
the student and will be accessible only to authorized campus official
and may not be disclosed except to law enforcement personnel in
furtherance of a missing person investigation.
For purposes of this policy, a student may also be considered to be a “missing
person” at any time prior to the expiration of 24 hours the person’s absence is
contrary to his/her usual pattern of behavior and unusual circumstances may
have caused the absence. Such circumstances could include, but not be limited
to, a report or suspicion that the missing person may be the victim of foul play,
has expressed suicidal thoughts, is in a life-threatening situation, or has been
with persons who may endanger the student’s welfare.
Motor Vehicle Policy
The need of a motor vehicle on campus is not essential, however students may
be permitted the use of a vehicle on campus pending availability of parking
spaces. All vehicles on campus MUST be registered with the Operations
Department. Registering your vehicle allows you the right to park on campus
but does not guarantee you a parking space. All vehicles must be registered
within five days of the first day of the semester. Failure to comply with these
rules will result in a fine. Any vehicle ticketed for not properly displaying a
valid parking permit will be issued a $100 ticket for the first offense. Once a
valid permit is obtained, the first ticket will be waived. Subsequent tickets in
the amount of $100 for not displaying a valid parking permit will not be
waived. Visitors may park in visitor parking stalls or request temporary parking
permits through the Operations Department.
A copy of the traffic and parking regulations will be issued when registered or
may be picked up in the Operations Department. Parking lots are patrolled, and
the regulations are strictly enforced. Tickets are issued 24 hours per day, seven
days per week. Fines must be paid via credit card, debit card, or online check
payment through The Permit Store. Tickets must be paid within 30 calendar
days from the date of the ticket. Tickets may be appealed within 14 calendar
days from the issuance date of the ticket. Tickets that have not been paid or
appealed within this time frame will result in an additional late fee of $10 per
ticket. Toward the end of the semester, all unpaid ticket fees will automatically
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be added to student accounts and may result in a financial hold being placed on
a student account until paid in full. All appeals will be charged a $10
administrative fee. A student appeal board will hear the appeal and render a
ruling. All appeal board decisions are final. All fees must be paid within 14
days following the decision of the Appeals Board. Failure to do so may result
in the vehicle being immobilized or impounded which will result in the
assessment of additional fees.
Any vehicle that receives a third ticket when the first two remain unpaid or any
vehicle that violates this policy in a manner that is egregious may be deemed an
“Excessive Violator” and is subject to immobilization, towing, and/or
impoundment. Excessive Violator vehicles may be immobilized with a wheel
boot or lock. A $100 removal fee must be paid in addition to any outstanding
ticket fees prior to the wheel immobilizer being removed from the vehicle. The
fine must be paid within 48 hours from installation or the vehicle will be towed.
Once a wheel boot or lock has been applied to a vehicle, the permit holder may
not appeal any tickets. Vehicles may be towed without warning from Fire
Lanes and illegal parking areas. Owners of the vehicle will be responsible for
the tow fee and any storage fee. Students who continuously violate traffic
and/or parking regulations may have their parking permit revoked at the
discretion of the Operations Department.
Any unpaid tickets will be charged to the student’s tuition billing statement and
will be subject to the collection policies and late fees of the college’s Student
Billing Office.
Photography and Videotaping
Benedictine College reserves the right to photograph and/or videotape students,
faculty, staff, and guests while on college property or during college-sponsored
functions. These images and audio may be used by the college for promotional
purposes, including use in college magazines, newsletters, press releases,
brochures, advertisements, videos, Web sites, and other promotional materials.
Private Room Policy
If space is available in the residence halls, students may request a private room.
The charge will be one and one half the cost of a regular room charge. If a
resident's roommate moves out of the assigned room, the remaining student
must exercise one of the following options within a reasonable period.
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1. Select another roommate who will move into the vacancy within
one week.
2. Move in with another resident in whatever residence hall space
is available.
3. Retain the space at a private room rate if space is available
(additional charge).
This regulation does not apply to residents whose roommate leaves after the
fourth week of the semester except when space is limited. Unless a private
room is requested, available and paid for, the person must be willing to accept
another roommate when the space is needed. All rooms, except for handicap
space, are designed for double or single occupancy. The use of a private room
is subject to the following conditions:
• The assignment of a resident to a private room is done on a space
available basis. The College can cancel this agreement at any time.
• Residents with outstanding balances on their accounts in the Business
Office will not be admitted to private rooms.
• Residents who request private rooms should know that the room's
location in a residence hall is subject to change by the residence hall
staff or Student Life Office.
• Residents of private rooms are responsible for all mattresses, mattress
pads, furnishings, and equipment in the room. The resident is also
responsible for the accurate completion of the Room Condition and
Inventory form for the entire room.
• No furnishings or equipment may be moved from the room at any
time - nor may it be moved from room to room in a suite or residence
hall.
• All guests who are not staff, faculty or student members of
Benedictine College must register with the Residence Hall Director
prior to admission to the room and shall be expected to comply with
college policies and regulations. The student will be held responsible
for his or her guest's compliance with these policies and regulations.
Room Draw System
The Room Draw System gives students the opportunity to decide where they
will live and with whom they will live the following academic year. Room
Draw is held every spring semester.
The system is based on seniority, and students in each class bid on the specific
residence hall and room of their choice. According to social class standing,
seniors bid first, and a randomly assigned number determines each student’s
place in the bidding order within a class. Those with low random numbers bid
first.
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Fifth year seniors and fall graduates are required to live off campus and may
not use their number to bid at Room Draw. Any exceptions made on a case-
by-case basis will require residency for a full academic year. If a fifth year
senior is authorized to live on campus, they must rely upon the random number
of another person in their living group to identify the class, random number,
and time to bid. Finally, any set of roommates from different classes is allowed
and priority is given in the following order:
• Senior and senior
• Senior and junior
• Senior and sophomore
• Junior and junior
• Junior and sophomore
• Sophomore and sophomore
Sophomores are not eligible to live off-campus unless given written permission
by the Student Life Office. A student who is on disciplinary probation, who
has three or more infractions, or who violates Room Draw procedure will be
assigned numbers falling at the very end of the bidding order within his or her
class. Probation, infractions, and violations must have occurred within the
current academic year. Students who fail to participate in the Room Draw
process will be assigned to an available residence. If a Resident Assistant (RA)
is in a suite assignment, he or she may choose who will live in the suite prior to
Room Draw.
1. Roommate/suitemate groups may use the lowest number from a
member of their group, except if the person is a fifth-year senior
2. Bids are taken in order beginning with the lowest number
3. Men and women bid separately
4. Bids on rooms/suites with handicap access are tentative as a handicap
person may later be assigned to the room
There are several steps in the Room Draw Process:
1. A list of students in each class is generated.
2. Students confirm their class standing with the Residence Life Office.
3. A random number is assigned each member of each class.
4. Students confirm their random number assignment with the
Residence Life Office.
5. Students decide who their roommate/suitemate(s) will be.
6. Students decide where they want to live (group size must match room
size exactly before a bid is accepted).
7. Students bid on their housing preferences on a specified day.
8. With a successful bid, students will immediately know where they
will live in the next year.
9. Students who have a school sponsored scheduling conflict may bid
by proxy. Forms are available in the Housing Office and should be
submitted to the Residence Life Office prior to Room Draw.
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Sexual Harassment Policy and Procedures
Benedictine College’s Sexual Harassment Policy and Procedures prohibits all
forms of sexual harassment, including sexual assault, dating violence, domestic
violence, and stalking. The policy applies to all members of the College
community, including students. The College’s approach to issues of sexual
misconduct is guided by federal laws known as Title IX and the Violence
Against Women Act (VAWA). The College’s Title IX webpage provides
information regarding how to report sexual misconduct, the procedures the
College uses to investigate and resolve complaints of sexual misconduct,
counseling, and other services available to victims of sexual misconduct,
FAQs, and other relevant information. The College Title IX webpage, which
includes the Sexual Harassment Policy and Procedures, can be accessed at
https://www.benedictine.edu/student-life/health/title-ix/index
Solicitation
See fundraising policy.
The sale of anything or solicitation (including the distribution of samples) is
prohibited in the college buildings and upon the college grounds without prior
authorization of the Student Life Office.
Athletic
It is the policy of the Benedictine College Athletic Department to permit or
prohibit solicitation and distribution in all Athletic Facilities by recognized
student organizations or authorized representatives of the College faculty and
staff as outlined below:
• Benedictine College Athletic Department limits solicitation and
distribution on its premises because, when left unobstructed, such
activities can interfere with the normal operations of the College, can be
damaging to efficiency, can inhibit a positive atmosphere, and can pose
a threat to security.
• Persons who are not members of recognized student organizations or
authorized representatives of the College faculty and staff are prohibited
from soliciting funds or signatures, conducting membership drives,
posting, distributing literature or gifts, offering to sell or to purchase
merchandise or services, or engaging in any other solicitation,
distribution, or similar activity in all Athletic Facilities.
• Benedictine College Athletic Department may authorize a limited
number of fund drives by recognized student organizations or
authorized representatives of the College faculty and staff on behalf of
charitable organizations. Benedictine College Athletic Department will
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permit recognized student organizations or authorized representatives of
the College faculty and staff to engage in solicitation or distribution of
literature for any group or organization, including charitable
organizations, with the following guidelines:
• Prior to the solicitation or distribution of literature for any group or
organization, including charitable organizations, the recognized student
organizations or authorized representatives of the College faculty and
staff must have a notice of approval signed and dated by the Director of
Athletics. The recognized student organizations or authorized
representatives of the College faculty and staff must present this notice,
if asked; failure to present the notice of approval will result in the
immediate termination of the solicitation or distribution of literature.
• The sale of merchandise is limited to Athletic Department functions and
activities. Solicitation and distribution of literature with appropriate
approval should not interfere with the attendee’s experience of the
Athletic Department function.
• Benedictine College Athletic Department has the sole ability to
terminate any solicitation or distribution of literature.
• Benedictine College Athletic Department is responsible for determining
the areas deemed ‘Athletic Facilities.’ (For more information on the
athletic facilities contact the Assistant Director of Athletics).
Tobacco-Free Policy
Benedictine College is a Tobacco-Free Campus
This policy applies equally to all employees, board members, students,
volunteers, vendors, contractors, and visitors. Benedictine College is committed
to providing a safe and healthy living/learning/working environment. The
College further recognizes that environmental tobacco smoke has been
classified as a potential carcinogen. In light of these health risks, these
restrictions have been put in place in support of a safe and healthy
living/learning/working environment.
• Benedictine College is a Tobacco-Free Campus, and the use of
tobacco will not be permitted except as specifically stated under this
policy.
• This policy applies to all forms of tobacco products including, but not
limited to, cigarettes, pipes, cigars, chewing tobacco, water pipes,
electronic cigarettes, vaping devices, and nicotine pouches.
• Tobacco use is prohibited inside and outside of all buildings,
vehicles, sidewalks, streets, parking lots, and the general seating area
of outdoor venues on, or adjacent to, campus. See campus map.
• Tobacco use is prohibited on St. Benedict’s Abbey grounds, St.
Benedict Catholic Church property, and St. Benedict Catholic School
property.
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Enforcement of Policy
The success of this policy will depend on the thoughtfulness, consideration and
cooperation of both tobacco users and non-users. Fines and citations will be
part of the basic enforcement of this policy. In addition, the discipline policies
applicable to students, faculty, and staff may be invoked, if necessary, to secure
compliance with this policy. Violations of this policy will be enforced in the
following manner:
• Violations of this policy by faculty and staff should be brought to the
attention of the employee’s supervisor and/or Human Resources, as
appropriate. Any violation of this policy may result in disciplinary
action, up to and including separation of service.
• Violations of this Policy are subject to disciplinary action in
accordance with the Student Community Code’s Disciplinary
Procedures set forth in the Benedictine College Student Handbook.
Violations of this Policy that constitute criminal conduct may also
result in criminal penalties.
• Violations of this policy by visitors should be brought to the attention
of Security.
• Violations of this policy by contractors should be brought to the
attention of the department for whom the contractor is working or
Operations, as appropriate.
Exceptions to the smoke free campus policy. Occasional events sponsored
by Benedictine College, which include tobacco use as a reason for gathering
and building of community, must be approved by the President’s Cabinet. In
accordance with the Kansas Cigarette and Tobacco Products Act, the minimum
age to possess tobacco products is 21 years of age, therefore, any such events
on campus may only be attended by individuals ages 21 years or older.
Smoking Cessation Support. Understanding the addictive nature of tobacco
products, Benedictine College will make every effort to assist those who may
wish to stop using tobacco products. Students are encouraged to contact the
Student Life Office for information about smoking cessation programs. Faculty
and Staff are encouraged to contact Human Resources for information about
smoking cessation resources.
Notice to Contractors. The department for whom a contractor is working will
be responsible for ensuring that contractors performing work for their
department on property owned or leased by the College are notified of the
requirements of this policy. Construction contractors will be notified by
Operations.
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Notice to Faculty and Staff. Human Resources will be responsible for
implementing procedures to ensure that all current and future faculty and staff
are notified of the requirements of this policy.
Notice to Students. The Student Life Office will be responsible for
implementing procedures to ensure that all current and future students are
notified of the requirements of this policy.
Weapons Policy
To the maximum extent allowable by law, the possession of all weapons,
including but not limited to firearms, pellet, paintball, or BB guns, bullets,
tasers, and knives having over three-inch blades, is not permitted on campus.
Any student found in violation of this policy is subject to disciplinary action up
to and including suspension or dismissal and may be in violation of state and
federal law. See also: Firearms, Explosives, Dangerous Materials policy, p.
83.
Residence Hall Policies & Procedures
Adhesives & Wall Attachments
The use of contact paper, duct tape, packing tape, non-removable self-
adhesives, nails, screws, and other items that may permanently damage the
walls or furnishings in the residence hall is prohibited unless otherwise
approved by the Student Life Office. All items are hung at your own risk. Any
damages caused by hanging items on the walls will be changed to students.
Appliances
Appliances that are NOT permitted in dorm rooms include: hot plates, halogen
lights, grills, skillets, toaster ovens, sun lamps, electric heaters, refrigerators
larger than 4 cubic feet and gas appliances.
Appliances that ARE permitted in dorm rooms are stereos, televisions, popcorn
poppers, microwaves, coffee pots, electric razors, fans, heating pads,
computers, and electrical blankets.
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Please see the microwave and refrigerator section.
Bicycles
Each residence hall has a bicycle rack where students may store their bicycles.
However, all student property (including bicycles) must be removed from the
residence hall within one week following graduation. Items remaining after
this time will be disposed of as necessary.
Board Agreement
A deep experience of community develops between friends when they share a
meal together. This was true for the apostles who recognized Christ in the
breaking of the bread. A shared meal was also essential to life in community
for Saints. Benedict and Scholastica. Students at Benedictine College deepen
their friendships by sharing meals together and this is why a meal plan is
required for all residents. All students living on campus without a kitchen in
their living unit are required to be on 18-, 14- or 12- meal plan. All freshmen
are required to be on an 18-meal plan. Students living on campus with a kitchen
in their living unit may choose a Weekly 7 in addition to the 18-, 14-, or 12-
meal plans. Students living off campus may choose a Block 60 plan or one of
the on-campus plans, if desired. Each meal plan is on a per week basis and
begins on Sunday. Meal plans including dining dollars can be used in the
Dining Hall as well as the other retail locations on campus. Student meal plans
may be changed within the first 10 days of the semester. See the Benedictine
College Room and Board Agreement for further details.
Cable Splicing
Cable splicing in any residence hall is prohibited, as it constitutes the violation
of intellectual property rights and law.
Campus Attire
Benedictine College has no specific regulations concerning proper campus
attire, except that sunbathing in swimsuits of any kind is not permitted in the
public areas of campus. However, as a general guide, students should keep in
mind that individually they represent the student body of the College. A major
part of one's education is developing and increasing one's awareness and
concern for others by dressing in a manner that is in accord with good taste and
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in accord with the wishes of those who are sponsors of a given event or in a
position of authority in a given situation.
Candles/Chemicals/Open Flames
All explosive or combustible materials and liquids are prohibited on the
College campus. The Fire Marshall has told us that by law, candles or any
other open flames may not be burned in residence halls because of the danger
of fires when so many people live in close proximity in the residence halls
(College Ministry-sponsored activities are exempt.). Candles and all open
flame devices are strictly prohibited in all residence halls. In addition, incense
is prohibited in the halls. Because we do follow the law and as a college
community we are also concerned about the safety of all residents, candles are
not permitted in the residence halls outside the College Ministry-sponsored
activities.
Some individuals are allergic to incense and others find the smell offensive.
Therefore incense is not allowed in the residence halls at Benedictine College
outside of its use in liturgies and other religious events sponsored by College
Ministry. The residence hall staffs are directed to take any candles or incense
that are found in an individual's room. A fine will be issued to the individual or
individuals who live in that room.
Do not smoke in any building, overload electrical outlets, take chemicals or
highly flammable material into your hall, use open coil heaters, hotplates or
electrical appliances. Please take every precaution to prevent fires and protect
the lives of all residents.
Damage to College Property Policy
All residents are responsible for keeping all college-owned property and
equipment in good condition. Residents are encouraged to carry personal
property and liability insurance. The damage, defacement, or vandalism of
college property or facilities will not be tolerated. Residents will be held
responsible for all breakage and damage that is beyond the expected normal
wear of furnishings. Charges are determined by repair and replacement costs.
Damage to the student's rooms and furnishings will be assessed to the
occupants. Damage in the public areas will be assessed against the floor or all
residents of the hall. If something in a student room needs repair, tell your
resident assistant or hall director. He or she will take care of reporting the
needed repair.
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"Whoever fails to keep the things belonging to the monastery clean or treats
them carelessly should be reproved."
-St. Benedict, RB, 33:4
Damage to Personal Property Policy
Benedictine College assumes no responsibility for losses, damages, or injuries
of any sort occurring to persons or property in College residential facilities.
Residents are encouraged to confirm that their parent's home insurance policy
covers their possessions should anything be damaged or stolen. If they are not
covered, students are advised to purchase their own insurance policy. Doors
should remain locked when residents are out of their room. If there is theft, it
should be reported to the residence hall director and to the police. It is
advisable to record serial numbers of all valuables.
Damage to Safety Equipment Policy
Damage to or tampering with safety equipment such as fire extinguishers and
hoses, smoke alarms, exit signs and lights, and other such equipment, seriously
endangers the lives and health of residents. Disciplinary measures in keeping
with the gravity of such offenses will be taken, including the possibility of a
fine and/or suspension from the College. Damage to college property will be
charged to the residents of the residence hall if the individual responsible is
unknown.
Defacing doors, walls, bulletin boards
The act of defacing doors, walls, or bulletin boards in any residence hall is
strictly prohibited. Any student caught engaging in this activity will face
disciplinary action and may be required to pay replacement costs if necessary.
Display of Personal Items
Students may not post, hang, or place personal items in any outward facing
areas (windows, ledges, balconies, railings, stairwells, doors, etc.) of their
residence hall. Students may display personal items in their own housing unit in
accordance with the adhesives and wall attachment policy.
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Enrollment Fee
Once notified of acceptance by the Office of Admission, each student is
required to pay a $350.00 enrollment fee. This fee is due upon admission to the
college or within two weeks of receipt of a financial aid award letter. The fee is
non-refundable after May 1 for the Fall Semester and October 1 for the Spring
Semester.
Fire Alarms
Proper use and response to fire alarms is required. Anyone who falsely or
negligently activates fire safety equipment will face disciplinary action.
Additionally, any student who fails to respond to any fire alarm, whether false
or actual, will face disciplinary action as well as receive a fine.
Firearms, Explosives, Dangerous Materials
Firearms, bows and arrows, knives, sling shots, dart boards, pneumatic or
spring powered weapons, nunchakus, tasers, and other weapons, fireworks,
ammunition, or explosives may not be brought on campus. Chemicals or
highly flammable material of any description including paint, anti-freeze or
fuel shall not be brought into the residence halls at any time. This includes
items that may be used as fuel as well as items that have an open flame or a
heating coil such as candles, hotplates, or electric heaters.
Essentially, all weapons, explosives, and dangerous materials are not allowed
on campus. A violation of this policy is considered a serious matter. Because
this is most often a violation of civil law as well as a serious violation of your
contract, consequences may range from fines to expulsion.
"They sleep clothed, and girded with belts or cords; but they should remove
their knives lest they accidentally cut themselves in their sleep."
-St. Benedict, RB, 22:5
Fire Evacuation Procedure
Survival is the top priority in the event of a fire in a residence hall. If there is a
fire, the alarm systems in all halls will automatically call the Atchison Fire
Department. When you hear a fire alarm, immediately exit the hall using the
following steps:
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1. FEEL THE DOOR HANDLE.
If it's hot, don’t open the door; go to a window and call for help.
If it's cool, open the door cautiously and check for smoke and fire.
2. EXIT THE ROOM CRAWLING ON THE FLOOR.
Avoid smoke and toxic chemicals in the air above.
3. CLOSE THE ROOM AND STAIRWAY DOORS BEHIND YOU.
Keeps the fire from spreading by closing doors.
4. GET OUT OF BUILDING BEFORE PHONING FOR HELP.
Your survival comes first.
5. PULL THE FIRE ALARM ON YOUR WAY OUT.
Proceed to the nearest exit.
6. DON’T WAIT FOR PEOPLE OR GET STUFF.
Knock on doors and yell “FIRE” as you leave.
7. IF YOU CAN’T GET OUT, GET SOMEONE’S ATTENTION
Stay low, yell and scream, hang a sheet from the window if possible.
8. All residents should follow the fire evacuation plan for each specific
residence hall, which they receive when checking into their residence hall.
The halls meet OSHA fire-safety requirements. Safety lighting, smoke alarms,
and multi-purpose dry chemical extinguishers are located in each hall. Be sure
you are aware of the nearest extinguisher; these should be used to exit the hall
and not to fight a fire.
Discharging or tampering with fire equipment is an act of vandalism that can
result in the inadequate protection of the lives, safety, and property of a hall's
residents. The Atchison Fire Department, the Federal Government, and OSHA
consider tampering with this equipment a serious matter. The College also
considers vandalism of safety equipment (including fire extinguishers, smoke
alarms, fire alarms, exit signs, and emergency lighting, etc.) a serious matter.
Consequences may include a fine, suspension from the College, and the filing
of charges in local courts.
Guests and Visitors
The Benedictine College campus and facilities are private property. Presence
on campus is at the pleasure of the College. It is the College's expectation that
all visitors abide by college rules and local, state, and federal laws. Guests
staying overnight in the residence halls must be 18 years of age or older (not to
exceed 24 years of age) or must be on an official Admissions Office visit. All
guests of students must submit a completed registration form to the residence
hall staff where they are staying.
Hosts will be accountable for the safety and actions of their guests and are
required to complete a host registration form accepting responsibility for their
guests. The College reserves the right to ask guests unable to respect its
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policies to leave the campus immediately. An overnight guest is a person who
is not a current Benedictine College student but who is being sponsored by a
member of the college community and is staying overnight in a residence hall.
A guest's sponsor can be a resident or a member of the staff or faculty.
Residents who are on disciplinary probation may not be hosts for the college.
Guests are not allowed to stay in a room when students they are visiting are not
also present. Visitors will only be allowed to stay overnight in a student’s
room with permission of both the residence hall director and the students in the
room. The maximum number of nights a visitor may stay on campus is two
nights. Hosts who do not register their guests at the residence hall office will
be charged $50.00 for each night their guest stays and may receive other
sanctions in addition to these charges.
Except for regular visitation hours, members of the opposite sex may not be
guests in a student's room in the college’s residence halls. High school students
are not permitted in the residence halls without the approval of the hall director
and/or the Student Life Office. Guests staying overnight through the
Admissions office must obtain a Guest Registration Form from the Office of
Admissions. This form needs to be delivered to the residence hall director or
resident assistant upon arrival to the residence hall.
The College’s guest policy helps to ensure the safety of our guests, students,
faculty, and staff during their time on campus. It is important for the Residence
Life staff to be aware of who is staying overnight and who their host is, so that
staff members are able to properly provide support and respond to needs of our
guests, emergency situations, and policy violations, should they arise.
"All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ, for he himself
will say: I was a stranger and you welcomed me."
-St. Benedict, RB, 53:1
HIV Policy
Benedictine College follows the recommendations of the Center for Disease
Control, United States Public Health Service, and the American College Health
Association. The medical opinion of these sources supports the stance that
there is no risk of acquiring HIV by ordinary social or occupational contact,
such as working with, sitting near or living in the same residence, sharing
bathroom facilities, or swimming in a pool, with an HIV infected individual.
No effort will be taken by the college to determine the HIV status of any
applicant. The student assumes responsibility of exposure by engaging in risky
behaviors regarding sexual relationships, drugs and alcohol.
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Each case of HIV/AIDS will be evaluated on an individual basis, when the
student is known to be infected with the virus. Special housing arrangements
may be required for immuno-compromised students for their own protection,
and these arrangements will be determined by the Dean of Student's Office in
conjunction with the Director of Student Health and the student's physician.
The Director of Student Health, in conjunction with the student's physician,
will determine if and when the student should leave college housing in order to
receive more appropriate care. At all times the confidentiality of the resident's
health status will be protected. Benedictine College values and respects the
dignity of each individual. Benedictine College follows state and federal
guidelines.
Housekeeping
The College employs housekeepers who clean common and public areas in
each residence hall. It is the responsibility of the residents to keep their rooms
clean. Residents are responsible for putting their trash in the dumpster
provided by the residence hall. Minimal cleaning equipment will be furnished
to the residents. Cooking appliances (except coffee, popcorn makers and
microwaves, when individual approval is given by residence hall director) and
waterbeds are not permitted in the residence halls. Nails may not be put in
walls. Mobiles or any other type of hanging items are not allowed. Pets are not
allowed in the dorms or on the premises. Fish tanks are allowed with
permission from the residence hall director.
Hoverboards
Due to reported safety risks with Hoverboards (including Swagways or similar
devices), the College prohibits the use, possession, or storage of these items on
campus.
Activities that are Inappropriate in the Residence Halls
Activities such as rollerblading, skateboarding, water fights, bike riding,
shooting paint guns, throwing frisbees, playing outdoor games, throwing,
bouncing, or kicking balls, golf, basketball, etc. are not permitted inside the
residence halls. Note: Special care should be taken when engaging in these
kinds of activities adjacent to the buildings.
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Keys
Each resident is furnished a room key and/or door access on his/her ID card.
Every resident is urged to keep his/her door locked at all times for security
reasons. There is no deposit required for the keys. However, there is a charge
for lost or non-returned keys. Lost keys should be reported to the residence hall
director.
Laundry Facilities
All residence halls are equipped with washing machines and dryers. The
washing machines and dryers are free for residential students by the swipe of
student ID card. If you need to report a problem with the swipe machine or a
machine that is not working, please contact IT help desk, 360-7777 or number
posted in the laundry room.
Lounge Furniture
Lounge furniture is intended for use by all students of a residence hall. This
furniture is not to be in student rooms or suites. If lounge furniture is found in
individual student rooms, disciplinary action may result. If lounge furniture is
missing or broken, the residents will be held accountable for the repair or
replacement of furniture.
Lofts
Lofts are not permitted in the residence halls. Bunk beds and furniture must
remain in student rooms.
Maintenance Problems
If you have a maintenance problem that you would like to report, please email
or call your Resident Assistant or Residence Director.
Married Couples Housing
At this time, Benedictine College does not have housing for married couples.
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Microwaves
Microwaves are permitted in all residence halls. In McDonald Hall they are
only permitted in the lounges.
Mistreatment of Staff
All attempts to attack a staff member and all instances of deliberate
antagonistic behavior towards or assault of staff members will not be tolerated.
Any instances of such behavior will receive immediate disciplinary action. All
students and guests are expected to cooperate with any staff member's
reasonable request. This includes surrendering your BC Card upon request.
Occupancy Policy
The Room and Board Agreement entitles only the student who is assigned to
the room the right to sleep there. Students agree to respect arrival and
departure dates and times for breaks and holidays in their signed Room and
Board Agreement form. Students with particular needs or who are asked to stay
beyond these dates for college-sponsored events are required to seek
authorization from the Students Life Office prior to the vacation period.
Pets
Other than fish, pets are not allowed in the residence halls. Animals could pose
a health risk to other residents. The only exceptions to this policy are service
animals or emotional support animals approved by the Student Life Office.
Posting Policy
Locations for Posting: No items are to be posted on walls, doors or windows
(Offices & residence halls exempted). See also Display of Personal Items
section on pg. 84.
All bulletin boards throughout the campus may be used for announcements, the
notification of upcoming events and/or campus elections with the exception of
the St. Benedict’s Hall Faculty Lounge Bulletin Board and campus-wide
Departmental Boards that are to be used for the posting of faculty material,
exclusively. Items of an "editorial/ opinion" nature may be placed on faculty
tables.
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Criteria for Posting
1. All posted items must include:
a) the name of the sponsoring group or individual, and
b) the date of posting. Items not so marked will be removed. All
campus advertising for social events must be in good taste and be
approved by the Student Government Association or the Director of
Student Activities.
2. It is the responsibility of the sponsoring group to remove posted materials
immediately after the event has occurred or one week following the
posting date on the item. (On-campus elections are exempted from the
one-week time limitation. Other items may also be exempted with prior
approval from the Dean of Students Office.)
3. Good judgment is expected and posted materials should not cover, in a
significant way, any existing materials.
4. No derogatory remarks, degrading stereotypes or obscene language will be
tolerated.
5. Signs posted to advertise social events should be in good taste and NOT
include in an explicit or implicit manner the presence of alcoholic
beverages at the event.
6. No more than one like poster per board may be displayed.
Quiet Hours
We are first of all an academic community and therefore students are expected
to be courteous and cooperate in maintaining a good and quiet environment at
all times. (Each residence hall will determine quiet hours.) Residents are
asked to play radios, stereos, and TV sets softly. Speakers may not be placed in
windows or on radiators. Musical instruments may not be practiced in student
rooms. Students may use practice rooms for such purposes. Anyone who does
not abide by these regulations may be asked to place any of the above items in
storage. During finals week, quiet hours begin on Study Day and extend to the
last day of exams.
Refrigerators
Students may bring their refrigerators; units larger than 4 cu ft are prohibited.
Removal of Belongings
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Residents are to remove all their belongings from the hall when they terminate
their residency unless arrangements are made for storage. A charge will be
made for personal belongings or trash left in the room. If a resident withdraws
or is separated from the College, he/she must move out of the residence hall
within 24 hours. Items left after termination will be properly disposed.
Roof/Ledge
Students are prohibited from roofs and/or window ledges at all times.
Room Assignment Policy
Room sign-ups take place in the spring semester. The Room Draw system is
used each spring to determine the order of students who will select their rooms
first. The College reserves the right to reassign students to other housing when
deemed necessary for the benefit of the individual student or group of students.
See the Room Draw Policy.
Room Changes
Room changes are generally not allowed during the semester unless there is an
immediate danger or safety concern to a student. If a roommate conflict arises,
the residents are required to go through a mediation process with his or her
resident assistant or resident director. After the roommate mediation the
resident director will decide if a room change is appropriate. Making room
changes without receiving proper approval will result in a fine. Students should
be aware that any room change could affect their account balances and payment
plans. Students are responsible for any adjustments that occur.
Room Deposit Policy
All on-campus students are required to pay a $100 housing deposit. The
housing deposit will be posted to the student's account. The housing deposit is
retained until the student graduates or withdraws from Benedictine College.
The fee will be held in escrow until the room is vacated with a satisfactory
clearance report from the residence hall director. Any assessment for damages
will be deducted from the deposit on the student's account. Should such
assessments exceed the amount of the deposit, the assessments must be paid in
full within ten days. The following circumstances apply for deposit refunds:
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1. To those who graduate in the spring or who do not reserve a room for the
following semester.
2. To those who graduate or transfer at mid-year and who notify the Student
Life Office one month before the beginning of the spring semester.
3. To those who attend during the spring semester and reserve a room for the
fall, who notify the Student Life Office in writing of their withdrawal no
later than July 1.
4. To those who are suspended or dismissed for academic or disciplinary
reasons.
Room Inspection
The Vice President of Student Life, Dean of Students, Director of Residence
Life, and residence hall staff are authorized to enter rooms when they suspect
there is evidence of a violation of college regulations or for the purpose of
maintenance and emergencies. The College respects the student's right to
privacy. However, the housing accommodations shall be open for inspection
by residence hall staff at any reasonable time, for reasons of health, safety or
general welfare.
Health and safety inspections will be scheduled throughout the year. An
inspection will be held each vacation period and exterminators will spray each
hall. Rooms will be inspected for cleanliness and safety hazards. These
inspections would not be considered a room search. The College reserves the
right to enter rooms to inspect the furniture and equipment or to perform
maintenance work.
If there is reason to believe that a student has violated College regulations, the
College reserves the right to search the room and have the student's possessions
inspected at the direction of the Vice President of Student Life, Dean of
Students, Director of Residence Life, Director of Student Conduct, or the
residence hall director. Normally an inspection of the student's possessions
will be made in the presence of the student, except when deemed impracticable
or unwise in the judgment of the Vice President of Student Life or Director of
Residence Life.
Springfest Policy
Currently, Springfest usually falls on the last weekend of April or the first
weekend of May. This festive time is for students to unwind within respect to
policies and procedures set by the Student Handbook and Student Activities
Office. Just like any other weekend the College’s policies remain in effect, but
please be mindful of the following:
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• Regardless of age, (even if you are 21 or over) consumption of
alcohol by students anywhere on campus in areas that are not
designated drinking areas (apartment where all residents are 21 or
over, College sanctioned beer garden, etc.) is a violation of the
college policy.
• Drink containers, backpacks, and bags brought on to campus are
subject to search.
• Drink containers, alcoholic drinks, backpacks, and bags are
prohibited in and around Wilcox Stadium, the John Casey Soccer
Complex, and the Asher Sports Complex.
• Key card access in all Residence Halls is limited to the residents of
that building.
• Overnight guests are not allowed.
• All students are required to have their Benedictine College ID on
them at all times.
Storage
The College provides limited storage for international students only. Rental
space is available in Atchison for students who wish to store their belongings
for the summer. Please check online for information about local commercial
storage companies. The College is not responsible for the cost of replacement
for anything that is damaged or lost.
Campus Security Report
Each fall the College will email the Campus Security Report to all students and
employees and publish the report on the Campus Security webpage. This
report contains information regarding the College’s safety and security policies
and procedures, reporting mechanisms, crime statistics, resources available to
victims of crimes, and other pertinent information. The College suggests that
you familiarize yourself with this information. If you have questions about the
Campus Security Report or any other safety-related information, please contact
the Department of Safety and Security or the Student Life Office.
Theft Policy
The College is not responsible for theft, loss, or damage to personal property of
effects of a student by any cause whatsoever. Further, the College highly
recommends that students purchase individual insurance to cover theft or
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damage to their belongings and property (renter’s insurance) while a student at
Benedictine College.
Tornado Evacuation Procedure
Civil Defense and tornado warning information is distributed during
registration in all residence halls and is available from the residence hall
director in all residence halls. Residents should be aware of what the local
siren means. For a tornado warning, the siren is on for three minutes, off for
one minute, on for three minutes, etc. Weather information is available on
KAIR Radio: 93.7 FM and 1470 AM. If a warning siren sounds, remain calm,
stay inside, and take cover in the lowest possible area inside the building.
Remember to stay away from windows and glass. If you are above ground, get
next to an interior wall. Mattresses can be used as protection when you are
above ground. If you are below ground, get next to an exterior wall. Residents
should follow the ssuggested places to seek shelter indicated in each residence
hall’s tornado policy, which residents receive while checking into their
respective halls.
Trash, Improper Disposal of
All students are expected to take responsibility for the proper disposal of their
trash. Each residence hall has a garbage dumpster for use by all residents.
Dumping or leaving trash in any other area will not be tolerated and residents
may be charged for improper disposal.
Vacation Housing
Students are required to be out of college housing by announced closing hours
for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring break and summer vacations. Residence
halls are closed during vacations. The Student Life Office must approve
extensions beyond the announced closing hour. Students staying on campus
during vacation periods who do not notify or seek approval from the Student
Life Office and students staying without a College sponsored reason will be
charged a $75.00 fee room charge for each day/night they are on campus.
Students must arrange their own transportation. See Hall Closing and Opening
Dates.
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Visitation Policy
Certain hours are set aside each day during which students may invite visitors
of the opposite sex to their rooms. The right of the roommate wanting privacy
should always prevail over the roommate wanting a visitor, though both parties'
rights should be considered. Hours are as follows:
Student Rooms in ALL Halls, Campus Houses, Row Houses, and main
lounges in Turner, Memorial, St. Michael, St. Gabriel, Newman, St.
Scholastica, Guadalupe, and St. Joseph Hall
Sunday – Thursday .................................................................. 12:00pm-12:00am
Friday – Saturday ...................................................................... 12:00pm-1:30am
Legacy Hall Lounge & Schroll Center
Daily ....................................................................................... 24-Hour Visitation
Visitation hours play a positive role in the creation of a community spirit
among students by encouraging mutual respect for the dignity and vocation of
each person. The hours foster the residential mission by honoring a student's
right to private time, study, and sleep. Hours help roommates set boundaries
and avoid conflict. Friendships are fostered between members of the same hall
and they are empowered to fulfill their individual needs and interests. Deep
friendships between men and women are encouraged, while at the same time,
the dignity of their differences are respected.
The College affirms that sexual relationships are designed by God to be
expressed solely within a marriage between husband and wife. Sexual acts of
any kind outside the confines of marriage are inconsistent with the teachings
and moral values of the Catholic Church and are prohibited by the College’s
Student Community Code. An overnight visit with a sexual partner is
prohibited as this type of behavior is incompatible with the mission of the
College as well as with the rights of roommates and community members to
live in an appropriate and comfortable environment. Additionally, the College
prohibits non-married members of the opposite sex from spending the night
together even when sexual relations do not occur.
Failure to follow visitation policies will result in disciplinary action. During
such an incident, the student’s ID will be requested and must be presented upon
the request of a college official. In more serious situations, consequences could
result in community service, fines, reassignment of housing, disciplinary
probation, suspension or loss of visitation for one or more semesters or
expulsion from the College. Special requirements such as alcohol and/or other
drug education or sessions with the counseling center or other such services
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may be added to the consequences when there are other circumstances involved
in the violation. Each situation is reviewed separately as variables may exist
which may change sanctions.
Due to the varying building designs, the boundaries for visitation are different
in several of our housing units. The boundaries for most residence halls are the
exterior doors of the buildings. Students are permitted outside of these
buildings during non-visitation hours (i.e., female students are permitted on the
Newman Hall porch during non-visitation hours). During non-visitation hours,
additional guidelines are in place for the following buildings:
McDonald Hall: Males are not permitted in the suites or on the balconies,
stairwells, or the sidewalk immediately in front of (parallel to) the ground floor
suites. Males can pass through the breezeways but may not stop and linger in
them.
Legacy Hall Apartments: Members of the opposite sex are not permitted in
the apartments or their breezeways, steps, lawns, or sidewalks leading
to/perpendicular to the apartments. Members of the opposite sex are allowed to
be on the sidewalk that runs parallel to the apartments.
Campus Houses: Members of the opposite sex are not permitted in the campus
house or on the lot/property of that house (with the exception of the sidewalk of
1017). Being on the lawn, perpendicular sidewalk, or driveway of a campus
house is a violation of the policy. Members of the opposite sex are allowed to
be on the public sidewalk that runs parallel to the house.
Row Houses: Members of the opposite sex are not permitted in the row house
or on the steps, porch, lawns, or sidewalks leading to/perpendicular to a row
house. Members of the opposite sex are allowed to be on the public sidewalk
that runs parallel to the row houses and 2
nd
street as well as the parking lot
behind the row houses.
Windows, Screens, and Blinds
Window blinds are provided in every student room and may not be removed,
altered, or replaced. Students may not hang or place personal items in windows
or ledges. Only blinds provided by the college should be visible from the
building exterior. Nothing may be thrown out of windows, and residents may
not enter/exit through windows.
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Student Community Code & Disciplinary Procedures
Student Community Code
Benedictine College is committed to creating and maintaining an environment
where individual and institutional responsibility combine to promote each
student's complete development. In order for the College to achieve this goal
within an atmosphere where the rights of its members are respected, it is
necessary to establish policies and procedures. These regulations have been
developed to reflect the nature of a student community and the situation
inherent in it.
It is the intention of this code to clarify the standards of behavior essential to
the College educational mission and its community life. The Student
Community Code is applicable to all students.
The intent in working with students in disciplinary matters is to enhance their
growth in various areas including those of developing responsibility for their
own discipline and behavior. Accordingly, each student will be treated as an
individual to produce desired changes in behavior or to increase the ability of
the student to live with others in a group situation.
"Now, therefore, after ascending all these steps of humility, the monk will
quickly arrive at that perfect love of God which casts out fear.
"-St. Benedict, RB, 7:67
The following are seen as purposes for disciplinary proceedings:
1. To redirect behavior;
2. To protect the rights of others in the community;
3. To encourage and to teach responsibility for one's own actions.
Disciplinary regulations at the College are set forth in writing in order to give
students general notice of prohibited conduct. The regulations should be read
broadly and are not designed to define misconduct in exhaustive terms. The
College reserves to itself the right to interpret conduct that is in violation of
these regulations.
________________________________________________________________
Student Conduct Expectations
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Within the traditions of its mission and Catholic heritage, Benedictine College
expects its students to develop a high standard of behavior and personal values.
Among these expectations are included:
1. Respect for self and the rights and human dignity of others, especially
in the conduct of relationships;
2. Respect for the rights and needs of the Benedictine community to
develop and maintain an atmosphere conducive to academic study
and personal development;
3. Respect for the College academic traditions of honesty, freedom of
expression and open inquiry;
4. Tolerance for the different backgrounds, religious traditions,
personalities and beliefs of the students, faculty, and staff who make
up the Benedictine community;
5. A willingness to assist others in need of support, guidance or
friendship;
6. Respect for Federal, State, and local laws and ordinances;
7. Respect for the authorities, policies, procedures and regulations
established by the College for the orderly administration of College
activities and the welfare of the members of the Benedictine
community
________________________________________________________________
Prohibited Conduct
A student enrolling in the College assumes an obligation to conduct himself or
herself in a manner compatible with the College’s function as a Catholic
educational institution. Students have a responsibility to conduct themselves
in a manner consistent with Catholic moral teaching. Conduct, on or off-
campus, which adversely affects the student’s suitability as a member of the
College community is unacceptable and may result in penalties up to and
including suspension or expulsion from the College. The following actions
constitute misconduct for which students may be disciplined. This list is not
intended to be exhaustive and other forms of inappropriate conduct may result
in disciplinary action.
1. Causing physical harm to any member of the College community, on or
off college premises, at college-sponsored activities, or threatening such
harm.
2. Engaging, or threatening to engage in, behavior that poses an immediate
danger to the life, health, welfare, safety, or property of any member of the
College community.
3. Engaging in behavior that disrupts or interferes with normal College
operations or College-sponsored activating, including but not limited to
studying, teaching, College administration, security, fire, police or
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emergency services, or behavior that consumes an inordinate amount of
college staff time and/or resources.
"...No one has the authority to...strike any of his brothers..."
--St. Benedict, RB, 70:2
4. All forms of sexual harassment as defined in the College Sexual
Harassment Policy. For alleged sexual harassment occurring in the
College’s educational programs and activities, the procedures in the
Sexual Harassment Policy govern. For alleged sexual harassment
committed by students outside the College’s educational programs and
activities, the Community Code govern.
5. Other forms of sexual misconduct, not rising to the level of sexual
harassment, that are prohibited by federal, state, or local law, or that are
inconsistent with Catholic moral teaching.
6. Hazing of any kind.
7. Cohabitation, overnight stays by members of the opposite sex, or sexual
activity outside of a martial relationship is not condoned or permitted.
8. Theft of property or of services belonging to the College or others, or
possession of stolen property.
9. Dishonesty, such as cheating and plagiarism; furnishing false information;
and forgery, alterations, or unauthorized use of College documents,
records, identification, or property.
10. Damage to or destruction of College property or property belonging to
others.
11. Littering or dumping trash on grounds or common areas.
12. Arson, attempted arson, or unauthorized possession, use or storage of
firearms, fireworks, paint guns, incendiary devices, or other dangerous
weapons or explosives.
13. Unauthorized sale, use, distribution, or possession of any controlled
substance, illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia. Presence in an area where
such substances are being used or are present. Attempted sale, use,
distribution or acquisition of any controlled substance, illegal drugs, or
drug paraphernalia.
14. Possession, sale or use of alcoholic beverages on campus, or at College-
sponsored events off-campus, except at such events, or in such areas and
in such manner specifically authorized by the College. Underage drinking
at an event sanctioned by the college to dispense alcohol. Presence in a
campus facility or at a College-sponsored event on or off-campus where
alcohol is being illegitimately consumed or is present without
authorization of the College. Possession of alcohol beverage containers in
residence hall areas, whether empty or full.
15. Providing alcohol to people underage or providing a place for
consumption of alcohol to minors. We expect all students to abide by
state law.
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16. Failure to comply with the reasonable directions of or verbally abusing or
threatening college officials or law enforcement officers acting in
performance of their duties and/or failure to identify oneself to these
persons when requested to do so including, but not limited to:
a. Resident Assistants and Residence Directors
b. Campus Security Officers
c. Staff members in the Dean of Students Office
d. Food service personnel
e. Atchison police officers, Atchison County deputy sheriffs.
17. Misusing or damaging fire or life safety equipment.
18. Engaging in illegal gambling.
19. Initiating or causing to be initiated any false report, warning or threat of
fire, explosion or other emergency.
20. Participation in a campus demonstration which disrupts the normal
operations of the college and infringes on the rights of other members of
the college community; leading or inciting others to disrupt scheduled
and/or normal activities within any campus building or area.
21. Violating the terms of any disciplinary sanction imposed in accordance
with this code.
22. Interfering with the freedom of expression of others.
23. Violation of published college policies, rules or regulations including, but
not limited to:
a. Residence life policies or the Housing Agreement
b. Parking and vehicle policies
c. Food service policies
d. Computer and telecommunication policies
e. Regulations relating to the entry or use of college facilities
f. Registering student organizations.
24. Unauthorized presence in or use of College facilities or premises.
25. Actions that annoy, disturb, or otherwise prevent the orderly conduct of
the residence halls, dining areas, activities, and administration of classes
of Benedictine College.
26. Possessing or viewing pornographic materials.
27. Obstruction or disruption of teaching, research, administration,
disciplinary procedures, or other college activities, including its public
service functions, or of other authorized activities.
28. Violation of federal, state or local law on college premises or at any
college sponsored or supervised activity that occurs off-campus.
29. Abuse of the campus judicial system, including, but not limited to:
a. Failure to obey the summons of a judicial body or college official.
b. Falsification, distortion or misrepresentation of information before a
judicial body.
c. Disruption or interference with the orderly conduct of a judicial
proceeding.
d. Institution of a judicial proceeding knowingly without cause.
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e. Attempting to discourage an individual’s proper participation in or
use of the judicial system.
f. Attempting to influence the impartiality of a member of a judicial
body prior to and/or during the course of the judicial proceeding.
g. Harassment (verbal or physical) and/or intimidation of a member of a
judicial body prior to, during, and/or after a judicial proceeding.
h. Failure to comply with the sanction(s) imposed under the Student
Community Code.
i. Influencing or attempting to influence another person to commit an
abuse of the judicial system.
j.
Student Community Code’s Disciplinary Procedures
"If a brother is found to be stubborn or disobedient or proud . . .he should be
warned twice privately by the seniors in accord with our Lord's injunction
(Matt 18:15-16 -St. Benedict, RB 23: 1-2
Disciplinary Procedures
These disciplinary procedures will be utilized whenever a student is alleged to
have engaged in prohibited conduct, except where there is a complaint of
alleged sexual harassment occurring in the College’s education programs and
activities, in which case the procedures in the Sexual Harassment Policy will
govern.
Under these procedures, rresponsibility for enforcing college disciplinary
regulations rests with the Director of Student Conduct or an appropriate
delegate, and to those to whom specific responsibilities are delegated. This
responsibility involves making the appropriate disciplinary decisions and
enforcing sanctions varying from a warning, probation, appropriate fines or
charges, required counseling and/or loss of certain privileges through
suspension or expulsion from the College.
There are two general avenues in which an alleged violation of the Student
Community Code may proceed. These avenues are described below and
depend on the severity of the alleged conduct and possible disciplinary action.
Minor Violations
When, in the opinion of the Director of Student Conduct, a minor violation of
the Student Community Code has been alleged, a Residence Director will
investigate the allegations, talk with appropriate parties who may have
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information regarding the matter, review any evidence, make a decision on the
matter, and provide an outcome letter to the student.
A student may appeal decisions of a Residence Director to the Director of
Student Conduct or an appropriate delegate within 24 hours of receiving his/her
outcome letter. If an appeal is timely filed, the Director of Student Conduct or
delegate will review the appeal, talk with appropriate parties as needed, and
make a final decision on the matter. The Director of Student Conduct may take
any action he/she deems appropriate in resolving the matter, including altering
any sanctions previously imposed. The Director of Student Conduct will
document his/her decision and notify the student of it.
Major Violations
When, in the opinion of the Director of Student Conduct, a more serious
violation of the Student Community Code has been alleged (typically this
involves a situation in which suspension or expulsion may occur), the Director
of Student Conduct will choose one of two courses of action depending on
situation:
1. Administrative Meeting with the Director of Student Conduct or an
appropriate delegate.
a. When an Administrative Meeting occurs, the student will meet with
the Director of Student Conduct or appropriate delegate. The student
will be given an opportunity to provide a statement and answer any
questions. If a violation is determined to have occurred, the student
will be so notified via an outcome letter and informed of the
sanctions imposed. Decisions resulting from an Administrative
Meeting may be appealed to the Vice President of Student Life in
accordance with the procedures outlined below.
2. Refer the matter to the Student Conduct Board for a hearing.
a. Student Conduct Board hearings will be conducted in the manner
described below. Decisions resulting from a Student Conduct Board
hearing may be appealed to the Vice President of Student Life in
accordance with the procedures outlined below.
________________________________________________________________
Student Conduct Board
The Student Conduct Board shall include the Director of Student Conduct or an
appropriate delegate, three faculty members and three students. A quorum will
consist of a total of three members as long as there is at least one faculty
member and one student member. The Board will conduct an inquiry into the
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matter and determine disciplinary sanctions as it deems appropriate. Sanctions
may include: a fine, payment for damages, housing reassignment, removal from
college housing, an official warning, disciplinary probation, suspension or
expulsion.
The procedures for a Student Conduct Board hearing are not comparable to a
court of law. The College does not employ an attorney for hearings and
students are not allowed to have an attorney participate in disciplinary hearings.
The student will receive a notice of charges and be given an opportunity to
present information and evidence on the matter in question to the board.
The student or the Director of Student Conduct, or appropriate delegate, may
appeal decisions of the Student Conduct Board to the Vice President of Student
Life.
A more detailed description of the Student Conduct Board hearing procedure is
available in the Student Life Office. A copy of the procedure will be provided
to each individual who is asked to come before the Board or an administrator
for a hearing. Included in the procedure is a statement of the student rights
concerning a hearing.
________________________________________________________________
Appeals Process for Major Violations
Any party may appeal decisions of an Administrative Meeting or Student
Conduct Board Hearing to the Vice President of Student Life.
1. An accused student or a complainant may request an appeal by notifying
the Vice President of Student Life and following the procedures noted
below.
a. Within three (3) days of receiving the outcome letter, filing an “Intent
to Appeal” form in the Student Life Office, 204 Student Union.
b. Within 72 hours of receiving the outcome letter, delivering a written
appeal of the disciplinary decision to the Student Life Office.
c. The appeal needs to be based on one of the four grounds noted below.
The written rationale in the appeal request must address the grounds
that are cited. The four grounds are:
1. The original hearing may not have been conducted fairly in light
of the charges and evidence presented and/or may not have been
conducted in conformity with college guidelines (that give the
complaining party a reasonable opportunity to prepare and
present evidence that the Student Community Code was
violated, and that give the student a reasonable opportunity to
prepare and to present a rebuttal of those allegations); or
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2. The decision reached regarding the accused student may not
have been based on substantial evidence; that is, the facts in the
case may not have been sufficient to establish that a violation of
the Student Community Code occurred; or
3. The sanction(s) imposed may not have been appropriate for the
violation of the Student Community Code that the student was
found to have committed; or
4. New evidence may exist which is sufficient to alter the decision,
such evidence was not brought out in the original hearing
because such evidence was not known to the person appealing at
the time of the original hearing.
2. The Vice President of Student Life shall determine whether the matter is
appropriate for appeal based on the written rationale and documentation
provided by the student in the appeal request. The appeal is not a re-
hearing, so the student is advised to thoroughly present his/her rationale
for why he/she believes the original disciplinary decision needs to be
changed. The purpose of an appellate hearing is to consider an appeal, not
to re-hear a case, i.e., the basis for the appeal must fall within one or more
of the aforementioned guidelines. Disagreement with the result of the
hearing or any sanctions levied does not itself constitute the basis for an
appeal.
3. Except when testimony or written statements shall be required for the
presentation of new evidence, an appeal shall be limited to review of
record of the initial hearing and supporting documents.
4. If an appeal is granted, the Vice President of Student Life may:
a. Overturn all or any part of the original decision and issue a new
decision.
b. Remand the matter to the original judicial body for reopening of the
hearing to allow reconsideration of the original determination and/or
sanction(s).
5. In cases involving appeals requested by students accused of violating the
Student Community Code, review of the sanction(s) by the Vice President
of Student Life may not result in more severe sanction(s) for the accused
student. Instead, following an appeal, the Vice President of Student Life
may, upon review of the case, reduce, but not increase, the sanctions
imposed following the original disciplinary hearing.
6. In cases involving appeals requested by persons other than students
accused of violating the Student Community Code, the Vice President of
Student Life may, upon review of the case, reduce or increase the
sanctions imposed following the original disciplinary hearing or remand
the case to the original judicial body.
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7. In cases involving suspension and expulsion, a final appeal may always be
made to the President of the college.
8. Nothing in this appeals process shall interfere with the right of the
President of the College to make a final determination on any disciplinary
matter.
________________________________________________________________
Sanctions
Sanctions for misconduct normally include but are not limited to any of the
following, singly or in combination.
Warning: An official sanction, given verbally and/or in writing notifying the
student of his/her misconduct and warning that subsequent infractions must not
occur.
Disciplinary Probation: An official sanction that places the student in a status
such that any subsequent misconduct during the period of probation, will result
in additional discipline, including, but not limited to suspension or expulsion
from the College. The period of probation is determined by the Student
Conduct Board or Student Life staff conducting the hearing. Parents/guardians
may be notified of the decision, as well as the Academic Advisor.
Disciplinary Suspension: An official sanction that prohibits the student from
attending the College, residing in the residence halls or participating in any
College activities for a set period of time, typically to include at least the
remainder of the semester in which the offense occurred. A written request to
return to Benedictine College on expiration of the suspension must be
presented to the Vice President of Student Life well in advance of the time the
student wishes to enroll. Notification of suspensions will be sent to appropriate
College offices. Parents/guardians are normally notified of the decision.
Disciplinary Expulsion: An official determination that permanently prohibits
the student from attendance at the College. Parents/guardians are normally
notified of the decision.
Alternative Requirements/Conditions: The College reserves the right to
impose alternative requirements to conditions at its discretion in the
disciplinary process. Such requirements or conditions may include, but are not
limited to: restitution or fines; work or service projects; counseling evaluation
sessions; educational program sessions, restrictions on participation in campus
activities, on residence hall visitation, on parking privileges, or on contact with
individuals or groups on campus; eviction from on-campus residency.
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Alternative requirements or conditions should typically be imposed in addition
to the normal disciplinary process (i.e.. warnings, probation, suspension), and
not instead of them. If these alternative requirements are violated by the
student, or if he/she fails to meet conditions set for him/her in the hearing, a
more serious sanction, up to and including suspension or expulsion, may be
imposed at the discretion of the Vice President of Student Life or appropriate
delegate without further hearing or review.
Summary Sanctions including suspension of a student and exclusion from
College property may be imposed without the hearing procedure outlined in
this section. The Vice President of Student Life or an appropriate delegate may
take this action if he/she is satisfied that serious misconduct has occurred or
that the student's continued presence on the campus presents unreasonable risk
of danger to himself/herself and/or to the community. A student so sanctioned
must leave the campus immediately.
Students may have other sanctions imposed on a summary basis, as noted
above, including, but not limited to, suspension from a campus position,
prohibition against participation in a College activity, prohibition against
presence in a residence hall, or a restriction against contacting, communicating,
or otherwise interfering with the activities or privacy of another member or
members of the Benedictine community. The student will have the right to
appeal the decision to be reinstated. The request for appeal must be made in
writing to the Vice President of Student Life.
Risk Assessment
Several of the behaviors identified above as Prohibited Conduct raise issues
that could impact the life, health, welfare, safety, or property of the College
community and its members. When warranted, conduct included in items 1-3
may result in evaluations, team assessments, emergency removals, or
involuntary or voluntary withdrawals.
When behavior indicates a significant life, health, welfare, safety, or property
concern, the College will employ a team approach to determine the nature of
the risk and any measures that can be taken to manage the risk. The College
will make these determinations as the result of an individualized assessment.
The College will first seek voluntary cooperation of an affected student, but, if
necessary, will take involuntary action.
The College may conduct an assessment when one of the following items of
Prohibited Conduct is implicated:
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1. Causing physical harm to any member of the College community, on or
off college premises, at college-sponsored activities, or threatening such
harm.
2. Engaging, or threatening to engage in, behavior that poses an immediate
danger to the life, health, welfare, safety, or property of any member of the
College community.
3. Engaging in behavior that disrupts or interferes with normal College
operations or College-sponsored activating, including but not limited to
studying, teaching, College administration, security, fire, police or
emergency services, or behavior that consumes an inordinate amount of
college staff time and/or resources.
The purpose of the assessment is to inform decisions about the student’s future
participation in the College’s programs and to assess the level of risk the
student poses to the life, health, welfare, safety, or property of the College
community. The College will make an individualized assessment, based on
reasonable judgment that relies on current medical knowledge or on the best
available objective evidence, to ascertain: the nature, duration, and severity of
the risk; the probability that the potential injury will actually occur; and
whether reasonable modifications of policies, practices, or procedures or, where
applicable, the provision of auxiliary aids and services, will mitigate the risk.
Assessment
When a student is referred to the Director of Student Conduct for behavior
listed in items 1-3, above, the student is required to meet with the Director of
Student Conduct and the Director of Student Conduct may include counselors
in the meeting. If, following the meeting, the student agrees to have an
evaluation, the Director of Student Conduct will refer the student to a qualified
professional. The College will incur the cost of the evaluation. If the student
does not agree to a voluntary evaluation, the College may refer the student for
an involuntary evaluation.
The Director of Student Conduct will convene an Early Intervention Team
(EIT) and the qualified professional will share the outcome of the evaluation
with the Director of Student Conduct and the EIT team. The EIT team will
meet with the student and the student will have the opportunity to provide
documents or other information related to the team’s assessment. If the student
does not provide information or submit to a voluntary evaluation, the College
will proceed with the documents or information the College has available,
which may include the results of any involuntary evaluation. The team will
consider what life, health, welfare, safety, or property concerns the student’s
behavior raises and whether the risks associated with those concerns can be
managed by modifications, support measures, or accommodations. The team
may consider the imposition of a behavioral contact, if appropriate, that may
include, among other things, consultations with health care professionals or
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restrictions on participation in Benedictine operations. If the team determines
the student poses a risk to the life, health, welfare, safety, or property of any
member of the College community, and that the risk cannot be mitigated by
modifications, support measures, or accommodations, the student may be
required to take a medical leave or voluntary or involuntary withdrawal.
A student may appeal a decision made by the EIT by filing a written appeal to
the Vice President of Student Life within three (3) days of being notified of the
EIT’s decision. The Vice President of Student Life will review the matter and
make a final determination.
Return requirements
Following a determination that an individual poses a risk to the life, health,
welfare, safety, or property of any member of the College community
necessitating a medical leave or voluntary or involuntary withdrawal, the
College may require as a precondition to a student’s return that the student
provide documentation that the student has taken steps to mitigate the previous
behavior. The College may request records from the student and request
permission to speak to a treating professional. The records and information
that will be requested and required are determined on a case-by-case basis
depending on what information is necessary to determine whether the student is
able to return and fulfill the fundamental requirements of academic and
residential life.
Interpretation and Revision
Any question of interpretation regarding the college’s student code shall be
referred to the Vice President of Student Life or his/her designee and such
decision shall be final and binding upon all persons covered by the student
code.
Maintaining Disciplinary Records
The college maintains disciplinary records as part of its educational records on
each student. Records are kept in the Student Life Office for seven years and
may be obtained beyond a student’s time of enrollment at the college.
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BC Traditions
Beanies
The beanie of Benedictine College represents many things, but it is primarily a
way for all to recognize the freshmen at Benedictine College. This allows
freshmen to recognize their fellow classmates and helps them feel a sense of
fellowship. It also allows the upperclassman a chance to welcome the new
Raven and help him/her adjust to college life. For faculty and staff, the beanie
lets them know that these students are new to the college and give them a
helping hand whenever possible.
A freshman is expected to wear the beanie everywhere he or she goes except in
the shower and in his or her room for one week following ROC week. If a
freshman is seen not wearing a beanie anywhere, either on campus or off
campus, anyone can make the student caw. “Cawing” is a tradition in which
the freshman must stand on the highest object possible and then “caw” three
times.
Seniors often wear their beanie under their mortarboard at graduation to signify
their memories and the rich tradition that exists at Benedictine College.
Sr. Thomasita Homan, OSB, wrote the Official Beanie Blessing in 1988. The
beanie is bestowed on freshmen at the end of ROC week with the following
blessing being bestowed on the beanies and students who wear them:
Lord God, bless these Benedictine beanies and bring abundant
blessings to those who wear them.
May these beanies be symbol of belonging and becoming.
May these newly welcomed Ravens feel fittingly crowned
and roundly applauded as these red-and-black beanies rest
on their heads, on the summit of their being.
May the circular shape of these beanies remind them of our
unending love—all the way to eternity.
May the patched colors symbolize various aspects of their
college life.
May each beanie rest worthily on the head, the holder of
thought, memory, imagination, and hope. This we ask,
O God of wisdom,
O Creator of Ravens,
O Bearer of good gifts.
+Amen
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Bed Races
The bed races at Benedictine College are a long-standing tradition. Each
residence hall, the off-campus houses, and the alumni team forms legs of
runners that will push a bed along a route designated by the Campus Activities
Board. One person is pushed on the bed frame that has been modified with
tires and a push bar. Each hall has its own unique looking bed for the race.
The winning team receives a trophy and all the glory that comes with this
tradition.
The Medal of St. Benedict
St. Benedict, blessed by God both in grace and in name, Patriarch of Western
Monasticism, and founder of the Order that bears his name, was born in Nursia,
Italy, in 480, and died in 547. As the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ was the
chief object of devotion among the first Christians, so it was also with St.
Benedict. It was this devotion to the Cross, the sign of our redemption, that
gave rise to the Medal of St. Benedict; for devotion to the Medal of St.
Benedict is, above all, devotion to the sign of our salvation. The Saint often
employed the sign of the Cross to work miracles and to overcome the devil and
his temptations. Hence from the earliest centuries after his death he is
represented bearing the Cross of Christ and the Holy Rule.
The Medal of St. Benedict is often placed in the foundations of houses, hung
over the doors or on the walls of dwelling places, stables, barns, or attached to
automobiles to call down God's blessing and the protection of St. Benedict, and
the power of the Church's blessing. Likewise, the Medal of St. Benedict has
been placed in the foundations of all the residence halls of Benedictine College.
Also no particular prayers are prescribed, as the devout wearing itself is a
continual silent prayer. If, however, some extraordinary favor through the use
of the Medal is sought, one may make a novena or triduum, making each day
the Way of the Cross, or reciting five Our Fathers and Hail Marys in honor of
the five wounds of our Lord, and saying some prayers in honor of St. Benedict.
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Alma Mater: O Lord of Ev’ry Blessing
On Friday, October 25, 2002, the Board of Directors voted unanimously to
approve an alma mater for the College. The chosen hymn is a collaboration of
Dr. Ruth Krusemark ‘73, former Chair of the Music Department, Fr. Andrew
Hofer, OP, ’94, and Stacy Niedbalski ’02. The first official use of this hymn as
our alma mater was by the Chamber Singers at the All Saint’s Day all-school
Mass in 2002. The verses are as follows:
Benedictine College Alma Mater
1. O Lord of ev’ry blessing, we praise you for the place that sits above the
river and under heaven’s grace. We call her “Alma Mater” from hearts
with love aflame and proudly go rejoicing with Benedictine’s name.
2. O hear your ravens calling; in faith we fly to you. For you alone are holy,
and you alone are true. Just as the river flowing, you always will provide.
So in all things forever may you be glorified.
3. Surround her with your goodness and keep her in your peace. May
Benedictine flourish, her family increase. Like dappled trees in autumn or
flowers fresh in spring, your glory casts its beauty where souls in wisdom
sing.
4. This school of your own service has set us on our way to follow you in
knowledge unto the endless day. Let fear not daunt our movement toward
hope of promise bright as now we run in courage with love’s untold
delight.
The Raven Fight Song
The "Fight Song," as it is known in Raven country, was composed by the late
Fr. Raphael O'Malley, OSB. Fr. Raphael was the Director of the St. Benedict's
Abbey Monastic Choir for many years. He had an Irish love for stories, sport,
and poetry. Under a warm October sky in 1941 he composed the lyrics and
music to the now famous Raven Fight Song.
Words to the Raven Fight Song
Ravens are flying high in the sky, Cheer them on their way!
Shout out the black and white battle cry, Victory always!
Sons of Grand Old Saint Benedict, Raise your banners high!
Soaring on to glory, faithful to the story, Ravens always fly on high!
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The Raven Logo
A new logo design and motto were created for Benedictine College in 2003.
The college's Board of Directors approved the motto, "Ignite Your Spirit." For
more information on the logo and/or for policy information on logo use
(Benedictine College Logo Style Guide) contact the Vice President of College
Relations at ext. 7790.
The Raven Mascot
Until December 20, 1927, Benedictine's athletic teams were known variously
as the Saints, Benedictines, or Fighting Irish. On that date the new name,
Ravens, was announced in The Rambler student newspaper. The athletic board
chose the new name from a host of suggestions submitted in a contest among
all the students. The winner of the contest has never been determined.
However, Fr. Eugene Dehner, OSB, during his early days around the College,
recalls that Father Sebastian Weissenberger, OSB, professor of German, was
first to suggest naming the athletic teams "The Ravens."
The Raven's role in Benedictine history
The Raven holds an honored place in the history of the Benedictine Order.
Back in the sixth century, a Raven befriended St. Benedict, founder of the order
named after him. This particular bird, the legend goes, took poisoned bread
from the mouth of the saint on one occasion and on another brought him
morsels of bread when Benedict was segregated and starving in the barren
mountains of Italy. This and other stories about the life of Sts. Benedict and
Scholastica were written by Pope St. Gregory the Great in the Dialogues. In
view of past actions, the bird was given a place on the escutcheon of
Benedictine College.
The Raven in Scripture
"Think of the ravens. They do not sow or reap; they have not storehouses or
barns, yet God feeds them. How much more are you worth than the birds"
(Luke 12:24).
The Raven in Nature
The Raven derived its name from the Greek words corvus corax, which means
‘croaker’ due to its hoarse voice. The Raven ranges from 21” to 27” long with
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a 46-56” wingspan. Ravens are an advanced and highly successful family of
tough, intelligent and adaptable songbirds. Though shy and wary, they are
widespread in both the Old and New World living in a variety of habitats
ranging from deserts, mountains and canyons, boreal forests, and rocky
seacoasts to the treeless tundra. Ravens are strong fliers, and they are well
ordered and much more formal than the average bird.
The Rule of Saint Benedict
Pope John Paul II addressed two documents in 1981 to the entire Catholic
Church and to “all men and women of good will.” Inspired by a most urgent
desire to help people improve their basic human relations, he wrote the
encyclical “On Human Work” and the apostolic exhortation “The Role of the
Family in Modern Society.” St. Benedict’s times were as turbulent as our own,
though for very different reasons. He wrote his Rule primarily for monks, but
its sound principles for working together and living together have proved
relevant to people of all classes of society through fifteen hundred years.
Benedict (c. 480-547) lived in sixth-century Italy when the great Roman
Empire was disintegrating. Rome had fallen to the barbarians in 410 and was
sacked again in 455. Romulus Augustulus, the last emperor, was deposed in
476. Theodoric of Ostrogoths maintained peace during a long reign (493-526),
but upon hi death the Eastern emperor Justinian tried to regain Rome, and
through the remaining years of the century there was constant war as other
barbarian tribes invaded the Italian peninsula.
Sometime during the reign of Theodoric, Benedict as a young man left his
native Nursia in Umbria to attend school in Rome, but became disgusted with
the paganism he saw and renounced the world to live in solitude in a cave at
Subiaco, some thirty miles east of Rome. Evidently he had undergone a deep
religious experience. In time he came to the notice of people in the
neighborhood, and some monks asked him to be their abbot. He consented
with reluctance, and after some time the recalcitrant monks sought to poison
him. Later another group of monks joined him, and he established twelve
monasteries of twelve monks each.
Experience with the envy of the local clergy led Benedict to abandon this
settlement, and with some disciples he founded a monastery on the mountain
above Cassino, about eighty miles south of Rome. His fame as a holy person
spread throughout the area; even as a holy person spread throughout the area;
even the king of the Goths, Totila, came to see him. About the year 547 he
died. Pope St. Gregory the Great (590-604), whose second book of The
Dialogues is the only source for information on St. Benedict, notes that St.
Scholastica was his sister (traditionally known as his twin sister).
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Apart from these meager facts, nothing more is known of the life of St.
Benedict. But most of the information from St. Gregory can be corroborated
by other historical events of the time. Gregory did not set out to write a
biography; his purpose was to show that there were holy people in Italy, not
just in the East, and that St. Benedict was a great miracle-worker. He mentions
the Rule of St. Benedict and commends it for its discretion and lucidity of style.
“If anyone wishes to know his character and life more precisely, he may find in
the ordinances of that Rule a complete account of the abbot’s practice; for the
holy man cannot have taught otherwise than as he lived.”
Writers after St. Gregory have noted the same discretion in St. Benedict’s Rule,
and this quality more than any other accounts in great part for its longevity.
The fact that many men and women throughout the world live it today is
supporting evidence.
In the unsettled, strife—torn Italy of the sixth century, Benedict’s Rule offered
definitive direction and established an ordered way of life that gave security
and stability. He sought to lay down “nothing harsh, nothing burdensome,” but
was intent on encouraging the person coming to the monastery: “Do not be
daunted immediately by fear and run away from the road that leads to
salvation.”
Benedict calls his Rule “a little rule for beginners.” It contains directions for
all aspects of the monastic life, from establishing the abbot as superior, the
arrangement of psalms for prayers, measures for correction of faults, to details
of clothing and the amount of food and drink. The reader will note that some
customs are outmoded today, and monks have accordingly modified some of
these.
St. Benedict taught that if the monk seeks to answer the call of God—“If you
hear his voice today, do not harden your heart”—then he must put all else aside
and follow the teaching of Christ in obedience. To this end St. Benedict
established a “school for the Lord’s service,” a place where monks learned to
serve the Lord in obedience to their abbot, who “is believed to hold the place of
Christ.” His spirituality is Christocentric: “the love of Christ must come
before all else.” After a year of trial, the novice promises stability, fidelity to
monastic life, and obedience. St. Benedict expected his monks to advance on
the “path of God’s commandments, [their] hearts overflowing with the
inexpressible delight of love.”
Benedict was a keen observer of human nature and realized that people often
fail (the abbot must “distrust his own frailty”). He was concerned to help the
weak, and consequently he enjoined that the abbot “so regulate and arrange all
matters that souls may be saved and the brothers may go about their activities
without justifiable grumbling.” Benedict looked to the heart; he sought a spirit
of willingness (“First and foremost, there must be no word or sign of the evil
grumbling, no manifestation of it for any reason at all”) and sincerity (“Never
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give a hollow greeting of peace”; “Let us stand to sign the psalms in such a way
that our minds are in harmony with our voices”).
The so-called penal code (chs. 23-30, 43-46) is more accurately seen as
correctional measures designed for the reformation and healing of the person,
not a rigid, brutal structure imposed legalistically. St. Benedict stressed the
importance of the person and the relationship of person’s living together. He
respected the freedom of the person (the novice is free to leave at any time; the
monk; who leaves may be received back even a third time). If there is
strictness, the purpose is to “amend faults and safeguard love.” He directed the
abbot to “arrange everything that the strong have something to yearn for and
the weak nothing to run from.” It is a humane approach to personal
relationships. But it is in approach based on the supernatural: “that in all
things God may be glorified.” Benedict was a God-oriented man leading like-
minded people on the way of the Gospel. In St. Gregory’s words, he was a
man of God (vir Dei).
-Excerpt from Preface of the Rule of St. Benedict, RB 1980
by Fr. Timothy Fry, OSB Ph.D.
Smaller Traditions
There are many other smaller traditions at Benedictine College that have
developed over the years. This includes Oktoberfest, Mardi Gras, and activities
that are specifically related to each residence hall. Many more traditions will be
discovered with each generation in our Benedictine family.
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All policies, standards, procedures, and other statements in
this publication are subject to modification in the College’s
sole discretion at any time, including during an academic
year. The contents of this publication do not constitute a
contact (whether in their own right or as part of any other
express or implied contract), nor do students have a
contractual right to any of the policies, standards,
procedures, and other statements contained herein. All
policies, standards, procedures, and other statements in this
publication shall be interpreted and applied in a manner
consistent with Catholic teaching and the College’s Mission
and Values as determined in the sole discretion of the
College. Additionally, the College retains discretion to
interpret and apply all provisions of this document in a
manner that is not clearly unreasonable, even if the College’s
interpretation or application is different from the
interpretation of the subject student or person. Inquiries
regarding compliance with these laws, orders, and
regulations may be directed toward the Business Office,
Associate Dean, or the Student Life Office of Benedictine
College, Phone 913.367.5340.
