Contact and Mentoring
Contact and Mentoring
Personal Contact Policy
1. There can be NO “inappropriate personal contact” or “inappropriate personal relationships” between unrelated Psyche and adults in the Grey School.
GSW staff/faculty are responsible for maintaining a professional relationship with Psyche pupils. While staff/faculty are always available to teach, support, and mentor, they must not engage in “inappropriate personal relationships” with Psyche, nor should they extend themselves as “confidantes.”
Psyche pupils may, at times, benefit from having a mature faculty member to speak with and receive counsel from, this type of mentoring cannot become overly intimate or overly familiar. At all times, there needs to be a clearly understood professional dichotomy between the mentor and youth that must not be crossed. Apprentices at GSW must also avoid “inappropriate personal contact” with youth Apprentices, for the same reasons explained above.
2. Relationships between youths and adults in an educational setting in the U.S. are subject to state and federal laws regarding youth protection, and the GSW is subject to compliance with those laws.
3. In all in-person GSW activities (Conclaves, Moots, internships, meetups, etc.), a single ypsyche pupil should never be left alone with an unrelated adult.
As a sub-heading of the above, all psyche must attend Conclaves or Moots with at least one parent or legal guardian. In the case of internships, the parents may choose to depart after meeting the teacher, checking out the situation, and ensuring that enough people are present that their child will not be left alone with an unrelated adult. These rules eliminate the chance that a youth Apprentice will ever be alone with an unrelated adult, and thus protect both child and the adult staff/faculty member.
4. There are no legal concerns forbidding personal relationships between adult Apprentices and adult staff/faculty members; however there are ethical ones. GSW staff/faculty are, by nature of their roles, in positions of “authority” over GSW Apprentices. To engage in a personal relationship with someone over whom one has the power of issuing grades, handling personal records, etc., presents unclear ethical issues and could be considered exploitative.
5. These policies may be amended or supplemented as needed. They will become part of the School Handbook and part of the agreement that new staff and faculty make with the Grey School.
6. Apprentices who become aware of violations to the above policies should bring their concerns directly to (a) their Lodge Prefect or (b) the Dean of Students. Please avoid talking to others about a concern in this area, as these are volatile issues that must be treated quickly and confidentially.
7. Violation of these policies may result in expulsion of Apprentices/Magisters and removal of staff/faculty members.
Mentoring in the Grey School
From time to time, the question of whether an Apprentice and teacher might develop a mentoring relationship comes up. The Administration encourages the following:
• If an Apprentice has a general (non-academic) need, their Prefect, Captain, or the Lodge Head should be their first stop.
• If an Apprentice has an academic need, they should ask the appropriate teacher or department Dean, or their academic adviser, if they have one.
• If an Apprentice seeks a more in-depth core academic experience, their first step should be to complete Level 1. This will acquaint them with a range of magickal subjects and, by virtue of completing the required classes, a basic level of magickal skill. If they identify special magickal interests during this time, they should join the appropriate department “Office” (on the forums) and/or a relevant club, giving them access to a community within that department.
• One an Apprentice reaches Level 2, Apprentices should choose a Major (and, if desired, a Minor), and dig into the "Offices" for relevant departments of interest. When combined, these three steps will provide an individualized and challenging experience for the motivated Apprentice.
• If an Apprentice happens to live close to a faculty member, geographically, they may choose to set up work through an Internship class. Note that for purposes of youth protection (as verified by our school attorney), a Psyche may never be alone with an adult Apprentice, unless they are parent and child. If an adult teacher and unrelated youth Apprentices work together, the parent must also be present.
• Faculty members who plan to attend Conclaves can let Apprentices know that they are available for mentoring and teaching sessions during the Conclave. The youth protection guidelines explained in #4 also apply in the Conclave and Moot settings.