Student Handbook – Graduation Requirements

◄ Attendance Policy

Academic Affairs Policy and Procedures

II. Graduation Requirements

A. Academic Credit Requirements

The academic credit requirements for the Indiana Academy allow the student to graduate with an Indiana Academic Honors Diploma. A total of 47 credits are required for graduation and a minimum of 26.5 must be completed at the Academy. Academic credits must be distributed in the subject areas as required by the Indiana Academic Honors Diploma. The specific course requirements may change from year to year and are available in the Office of Academic Guidance.

B. Non-Academic Graduation Requirements (Extended Curriculum)

1. Academy Service

   Cooperative living and shared responsibility in the Indiana Academy’s residential community is fostered through the Academy Service program. Academy Service is the commitment of uncompensated time and effort to positively impact the Indiana Academy under the supervision of Academy staff and faculty. A total of thirty (30) Academy Service hours must be earned by each two-year residential student to fulfill the graduation requirement. A total of fifteen (15) Academy Service hours must be earned by each one-year residential student to fulfill the graduation requirement. One-year residential International students are required to complete a total of fifteen (15) Academy Service hours over their time at the Academy. Two-year residential International students are required to complete a total of thirty (30) Academy Service hours over their time at the Academy. These hours must be completed and turned in before graduation. NECP students may participate in the Academy Service program but are NOT required to complete any hours (0) over their junior and senior year in order to graduate. Each student is independently responsible for securing, completing, and documenting Academy service hours. Academy Service Forms are used by the students to document work completed. The person supervising the service hours must sign the form and then the student is to turn in the form to their custodial Student Life Counselor for documentation. Students will not receive credit for Academy Service hours reported from the prior school year.

   Tracking & Reporting Extracurricular Activities

   • Students will automatically qualify for up to 15 hours of Academy Service by completing a single Burris-Academy IHSAA season as a sports manager. This information will be reported by the Burris-Academy Athletic Director to the Associate Director of Residential and Student Affairs.
   • Students will automatically qualify for up to 15 hours of Academy Service by participating in the Burris-Academy Pep Band. The Academy Service form needs to be signed by the Burris-Academy Band Director following the procedures listed above.

2. Wellness

   The Indiana Academy is committed to providing students with opportunities to learn and grow beyond the classroom. The Wellness program at the Academy encourages students to interact with each other, try new things, develop skills, and prepare for what comes next.

   While wellness credits may be earned for a wide range of extracurricular activities and opportunities, the residential staff offers programming along the following tracks:

   • Communication – This track is generally defined as experiences related to social skills, interpersonal communication, personal expression, listening/understanding, and learning about others.
   • Life Skills – This track is generally defined as skill-building experiences pertaining to self-management, organization, daily living, college readiness, vocational skills, and preparedness for life.
   • Leadership – This track is generally defined as experiences in community building, problem solving, decision making, critical thinking, and actual experiences in leadership.

   The Wellness program requires each two-year residential student (including two-year residential International students) to complete thirty (30) credits over the course of their time at the Academy. NECP Students are welcome to participate in the Wellness program but are NOT required to complete any hours (0) in order to graduate. Each semester, the Student Life Staff offers roughly 100 Wellness Programs in addition to various opportunities provided by other Academy personnel. Students also have the opportunity to identify and participate in opportunities beyond the Academy’s offerings for wellness credit with staff approval. Students must complete 10 credits in at least one of the core residential tracks (Communication, Life Skills, or Leadership) as part of the graduation requirement. Students are responsible for reporting their attendance at Wellness programs by:

   1. Signing the attendance sheet at the program. (Students will not be eligible for credit if they fail to sign the attendance sheet, or are not paying attention, or do not attend for the entire program, etc.)

   Wellness Guidelines & Limitations
   The following are based on two-year residential student guidelines and limitations. For one-year residential students, the following guidelines and limitations would be halved.

   Tracking & Reporting Extracurricular Activities

   • Students will automatically qualify for wellness credits (depending on schedule length/duration) if they complete any of a number of different extracurricular activities including IHSAA athletic seasons, Burris/Academy theatrical productions, music groups, academic competitions, and more.

   Reporting Limitations

   Students reporting a program or activity for Wellness credit may be restricted on the number of times they may count the same activity or type of activity toward wellness requirements at the discretion of the Associate Director of Residential and Student Affairs.

   Students reporting a program for Wellness credit cannot receive any other type of credit for that activity (i.e. Academy Service, class credit, class extra credit, etc.).

3. Community Service

   The Indiana Academy recognizes Community Service as the commitment of uncompensated time and effort to positively impact communities within the state of Indiana. The Indiana Academy places a priority on service hours that benefit under-resourced populations, including but not limited to people experiencing poverty, discrimination, abuse, poor health, old age, and/or disabilities. Every two-year residential and NECP Academy student must perform fifty (50) hours of Community Service as a graduation requirement. Every one-year residential and NECP student must perform twenty-five (25) hours of Community Service as a graduation requirement. International students are welcome to participate in the Community Service program but are NOT required to complete any hours (0) over their Junior and Senior year in order to graduate. Students may begin completing and recording Community Service on June 1st of the year they are admitted to the Academy.

   Approvable Community Service for Extended Curriculum is:

   • Uncompensated
   • Supervised by an organization and/or affiliated staff member (unrelated to student)
   • Takes place within the state of Indiana
   • May not be completed online

   Reflections:

   Once 25 hours are completed, students will be required and prompted to complete a reflection on their experience and impact.
   • Once 50 hours are completed, students will be required and prompted to complete a reflection on their experience and impact.

   Students may choose more than one agency at a hometown location, in Muncie, or at a location of their choice to complete the service. All service must be approved by the Administrative Assistant to the Director of Residential and Student Affairs or must be at a location listed on the Pre-Approved Site list (see Community Service Form). Community Service forms can be found at the Indiana Academy web site in the Forms section at the following address: academy.bsu.edu/forms. All signed and completed paperwork must be filed with the Administrative Assistant to the Director of Residential and Student Affairs. Students may turn these completed forms into the Academy Front Desk to be recorded and tracked. Students may choose to complete their Community Service obligations during the summer to avoid conflict with academic responsibilities. All community service must be submitted by June 1 at the end of the school year it was completed.

Extended Curriculum Breakdown

Academic Programs ►