Special Thanks to Annie Wesche

for her commitment to the atmosphere of the Ellerslie campus

and for her many hours of work in helping put this handbook together.

A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT

Eric Ludy

The Beautiful Side of Rules

My children know the rules. No spitting, no yelling, no hitting, no running through the house, no meandering around the house naked, no complaining, no leaving toys strewn about, and no fussing. Now these are only a few of the Ludy household’s governing by-laws, all of which have been implemented with the singular desire to create an atmosphere in which peace, joy, love, sweet conversation, strong friendship, deep intimacy, and a wellspring of kindness might be cultivated.

The Ludy kiddos don’t ever think of these rules as oppressive. And that’s because they’re not. They are merely the loving dictates of two parents that know that for a Kingdom atmosphere to be cultivated, Kingdom virtues must be sponsored, and fleshly behaviors must be stamped out. In other words - the rules are our friends.

Now rules, in and of themselves, are not very exciting. In fact, spend much time focusing on rules and a bad case of indigestion sets in. Rules are necessary for any environment to protect its core values and to promote its purpose for being. However, the rules are not why people come, they are not what any operation is about. You are not going to hear many people tell you that the reason they go to a nice restaurant is due to the fact that there is no loitering allowed on the premises. Rules are a silent participant behind the successful outworking of beauty, dignity, and decorum. They are there to protect and preserve atmosphere, and outside of that, they shouldn’t be heard from again.

Rules in a restaurant, in an office, in a home, or in a sporting event are expected, and for the most part, few complain. It’s when rules intersect with our Christianity that we balk. We promote liberty in Christianity, and as far as we are concerned, Jesus saved us from having to follow any rules – He nailed them all to the Cross 2,000 years ago.

It’s a wonderful Truth that we, as Believers in Christ Jesus, are no longer under the law of sin and death. Praise God that we don’t need to try and win back our way into the good graces of God through living perfectly in our own strength, discipline, and willpower. However, the fact that we have been saved from such an impossible mandate by no means allows us a license to be a lawless maniac, without restraint of any kind. Jesus Christ set us free from the law of sin and death to enjoy the restraint of a higher law – the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus. He has called us to a higher form of living, one still wholly impossible for us to live out, but one that He Himself enables us to perform – that’s Christianity. So, it’s not a life without restraint that God has set us free into, but rather, a life with the right sort of restraint – restraint of our flesh’s compulsion, the devil’s control, and self’s itch for commendation. It’s a wonderful restraint – one that frees us to truly live the way God intended us to live – wholly focused on our God, outward and able to serve His every command and desire.

Ellerslie, like a fine restaurant, has an atmospheric agenda. We are after an environment that caters to the spiritual growth and development of our student base. So, like a restaurant, we have a few rules that we ask our students to abide by, in order that we might protect the set-apart nature of our campus. These rules are not meant to be oppressive, but rather, wonderful tools, even excuses, for you to throw aside all distraction and focus your best energies on getting to really know your God.

There will certainly be a few of our rules that will make you a bit uncomfortable. For instance, when you are used to toting around your cell phone everywhere you go (texting all day long, and checking email every two minutes) our cell phone policy just might possibly be a little scary. But again, it is not a rule created to make you miserable, but rather, it is a rule created to make you supremely happy. Most people in our generation don’t know how truly good life can be with a cell phone put in its proper place (which, surprisingly, is not at the human ear).

Well, inside this little book are the contents of our student handbook. This is a book full of rules. But they are not mean rules, harsh rules, or rules designed to oppress, judge, and parse out the sheep from the goats – they are rules created to protect what you are coming to Ellerslie to find. We are building an atmosphere of focus and spiritual intentionality. The world’s system of thought and pleasure has no business here on our campus. We are all about the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. So, please help us maintain our campus as sacred grounds – as a place where we forsake some of our earthly comforts for a season in order to make Jesus comfortable here.

The content of this book isn’t why you are coming, but it is what may protect what you are coming for, and better insure that you find it upon arrival. I don’t like rules any more than you do – but I am willing to lay them out if it means building Ellerslie into a set-apart environment where hungry men and women of God encounter the brightness of His Glory and the majesty of His person.

With great expectations,

PART ONE -   

GENERAL CAMPUS GUIDELINES

We desire the Ellerslie campus to be a reflection of God’s nature and character in all aspects; a place where Christ-seeking individuals experience an environment of stillness, joy, peace, purity and unhindered opportunities to cultivate their relationship with Him. We ask that you help us maintain this Christ-focused atmosphere on campus in every way possible.

KEEPING THE GROUNDS TIDY

1. ✦Please do not litter the campus with any form of trash, and keep your personal possessions (such as purses, backpacks, and water bottles) either with you or in your dorm room.
   

2. ✦Please, if you stumble across a piece of trash on the Ellerslie grounds, consider it your responsibility to transport it to the nearest trash receptacle and dispose of it.
   

3. ✦Unclaimed personal belongings will be in the Lost and Found.
   

DORM COMMON AREAS

Kitchen Guidelines:

1. ✦Wipe down the counter after any food prep
   

2. ✦Wash your dishes immediately after every use
   

3. ✦Do not take dishes, mugs, glasses, etc. up to your room
   

4. ✦Refill the water pitcher every time you use it
   

5. ✦Refrigerator and freezer are for staff use only, personal refrigerators in rooms are allowed.
   

Any personal items left for more than 24 hours in the dorm common areas will be placed in the Lost and Found and, eventually,          

thrown away. Treat the common areas as your grandmother’s living room.

CHAPEL/CLASSROOMS

1. ✦No food or drinks (other than water) will be allowed in the chapel or classrooms
   

2. ✦No cell phones will be allowed in the chapel or classrooms*
   

3. *exception: staff and parents may have cell phones in the chapel/classrooms, but we ask that they be kept on silent/vibrate mode - and if you must take a call during teaching times, please step out of the room
   

VISITORS

1. ✦We request that all guests planning on visiting the Ellerslie Campus coordinate with Sandi McConnaughey prior to their arrival. Please contact Sandi to arrange all guest visits of this nature at sandi@ellerslie.com.
   

ALCOHOL/SMOKING/TOBACCO

1. ✦Our student body is required to abstain from alcohol, smoking, and tobacco use, both on and off campus, during the course of the training.
   

FIREARMS/WEAPONS

1. ✦No weapons of any kind are allowed on the Ellerslie campus. If an exception is necessary, please seek staff permission. (Pocket knives with blades under 3 inches are allowed.)

PART TWO -   

DORM GUIDELINES

QUIET HOURS

1. ✦Please observe quiet hours in dormitories (including rooms, halls, & common areas).
   

2. ✦10pm - 7:00am - are quiet hours.  These times are purposed for stillness, rest, prayer, and study.
   

3. ✦Please observe quiet hours in dormitories (including rooms, halls, & common areas).
   

4. ✦Students are expected to be inside the dormitories by 9pm and begin to make preparation for quiet hours.*
   

            *Exception: Certain staff-approved student life activities may pass 9pm.

CURFEW

1. ✦Our desire is to create a smooth sleep/wake flow on campus, and thusly we request that all students be on campus by 9pm unless pre-approved with a staff member.
   

2. ✦And to promote healthy bed times, we request that all students be in their rooms by 10pm unless pre-approved with a faculty member.
   

3. ✦Doors will be locked in both the girls’ and the guys’ dormitory at 10pm.  If, for some reason, you are ever locked out, please do not climb in through a window.  Please call a staff member.
   

FOOD

1. ✦Food is allowed in individual dorm rooms, but, to respect your roommate, we ask that food and dishes be immediately cleaned up and put away after use.
   

ROOM DECOR

1. ✦Items may be hung in dorm rooms on the wall using thumb tacks - no nails/hooks allowed.
   

2. ✦Please refrain from posting up anything relating to popular culture/entertainment.
   

3. ✦Seek to honor God, your roommate, and the Ellerslie atmosphere by your décor choices.
   

4. ✦Unfortunately, burning candles is not allowed, due to fire hazard.
   

5. ✦Keep blinds closed by sunset.
   

DORM ROOM UPKEEP

1. ✦Daily Requirements:
   

2. •bed made
   

3. •clothes put away
   

4. •items picked up off the floor
   

5. •garbage emptied each morning into the common area garbage bins
   

6. •food and drinks cleaned up and put away
   

7. •bathrooms tidy
   

8. •towels hung up
   

9. •sinks cleared & clean
   

10. •turn off heat/air when out of the room for extended stretches
    

11. ✦Weekly Requirements (to be done on your laundry day)
    

12. •floor vacuumed
    

13. •bathroom cleaned (toilet, floors, sink, shower, and mirrors)
    

14. •sheets washed & bed remade.
    

ROOM CHECKS

1. ✦Staff members will be making random room checks throughout the term, holding accountable each student to honoring room standards.  Fair warning - hilarious things may happen to the occupants of rooms that are found to be unkempt and disorderly. Prizes are awarded for exemplary cleanliness.
   

LAUNDRY

1. ✦Each student will be assigned one day of the week to care for his/her laundry needs in their assigned laundry room.
   

2. ✦Should you need to use the laundry facilities on a different day, you may arrange an exchange with someone else in your dorm or access the Laundromat in town off of Main Street. Midtown Cleaners - 1215 Main Street (970) 674-8997
   

3. ✦Students are required to supply their own powder laundry detergent.
   

4. ✦Please remove your items from the washer/dryer as quickly as possible after they are done with their cycle in order to be respectful of those who also need to be using the machines
   

GENTLEMEN IN THE DORMS

1. ✦No guys are allowed in the girls’ dormitories including hallways and commons areas unless approved by a staff member to assist with practical needs.  Any male entering the girls’ dorm area must knock, verbally announce his entrance, and inform anyone present why he is there.
   

2. ✦Guys, please always be appropriately dressed (with shirt, pants, and shoes) once outside of your room, including hallways and common areas
   

LADIES IN THE DORMS

1. ✦No girls are allowed in the guys’ dormitories unless approved by a staff member. Any female entering the guys’ dorm area must knock, verbally announce her entrance, and inform anyone present why she is there. 
   

2. ✦Ladies, always be appropriately dressed (shirt, pants or skirt, and shoes) once outside of your room, including hallways and common areas.  Please avoid dressing in tank-tops, camisoles, and short or form-fitting sleep/lounge wear outside of your dorm room.
   

PART THREE -   

DRESS CODE & APPEARANCE

A Word from Eric on Ellerslie’s Dress Code

Yes, Ellerslie has a dress code.  I’m sure you are jumping up and down with excitement at the thought – because everyone loves a good dress code. Yes, I say that with a chuckle, because it’s not true at all.  In fact, the opposite is typically true.  We don’t really want people telling us how we should be dressing.  We have our individual style, our carefully manicured “look,” and it’s quite offensive when people poke at it. 

I’m hoping that you will be willing to give up your unique “look” during your stay here at Ellerslie.  There are little things we can do in our appearance that scream, “look at me – I crave your attention.”  Sometimes it’s through piercings, sometimes its through outrageous hair, and sometimes it’s through awkwardly tight clothing.  All of which are not-so-subtle clamorings for attention.  

Ellerslie is not about your look – it’s about getting you and everyone else around you to look at Jesus, His beauty and His majesty.

Our motto in the arena of dress code and appearance is, “look on the outside as if you actually believe, on the inside, that this is truly all about Jesus and NOT you.” 

Our dress code/appearance goal at Ellerslie is showcasing dignity and honor in and through our dresswear and appearance.  We want to dress, not for snobbery or ivy league ostentation, but merely, to honor Jesus and others.  And there are simple things that we can do to make this happen.

I’m requesting that we steer clear of any clothing heavily influenced by the culture or any clothing that pays tribute to the world’s “hip agenda.”  In other words, there is “neutral” clothing that doesn’t necessarily make a statement at all – it’s just nice, dignified, and normal.  And there is “loud” clothing that shouts “Hey World!  I love your style and I really want your approval of me!”  Let’s avoid this “loud” sort of clothing.  

Please note that the following are dress-wear guidelines for both gentlemen and ladies.  They are not meant to be stringent and oppressive, but gentle guideposts to aid you in helping us create an undistracted environment here at the Ellerslie campus. 

DRESS CODE AND APPEARANCE

FOR GENTLEMEN

GENTLEMANLY GUIDELINES FOR DRESS-WEAR AND APPEARANCE

1. ✦Please avoid clothing that effeminizes men (i.e. the rocker look or the metro-sexual, tight-fitting “skinny” pants, or form-fitting tops that appear to be three sizes too small).
   

2. ✦Please avoid clothing that plays to the crass, crude, devil-may-care attitude of our day (i.e. the grunge look with its tacky rips and random stains, or the drooping pants that show off underwear).
   

3. ✦Please avoid clothing that plays to the “tough guy” image (i.e. wallet chains or muscle shirts).
   

4. ✦Please avoid being a walking billboard for things that are contrary to the purpose of Ellerslie (i.e. clothing proclaiming the wonder of some particular pop-icon, concert shirts, or some humorous slogan plastered across your chest that is either harmlessly ridiculous or dangerously stupid).  
   

5. ✦Please avoid the over-application of cologne.  Cologne can certainly be a dignified touch, but please only use a very very light mist.  Too much cologne says one of two things.  1) This is my first time to ever use the stuff, or 2) I’m insecure and I’m going to try and cover it up with a scent so strong it can topple an elephant.  Here’s a simple rule of thumb:  if your mother hugged you she might smell it, but everyone else should never have to. However, please seek to maintain a pleasant aroma.
   

THE DAILY DRESS-CODE FOR GENTLEMEN

Ellerslie Classroom Dress Code - Guys

1. ✦Collared shirt (short or long-sleeved - please iron if necessary)
   

2. ✦Pressed khakis, slacks, or other dressier options
   

3. ✦No jeans
   

4. ✦No t-shirts, shorts, sweats, or running pants
   

5. ✦No baseball caps or other hats
   

6. ✦No flip-flops or sandals
   

Sunday Worship - Guys

1. ✦Collared shirt - short or long-sleeved (tie or blazer optional)
   

2. ✦Pressed khakis or slacks
   

3. ✦No jeans
   

4. ✦No t-shirts
   

5. ✦No hats
   

6. ✦No flip flops or sandals
   

Free Time - Guys

1. ✦Jeans okay (no fitted jeans or holes)
   

2. ✦Shorts okay (but please only longer styled shorts)
   

3. ✦T-shirts okay
   

4. ✦Hats okay
   

5. ✦Flip flops okay
   

6. ✦Appropriate outdoor/ hiking clothing okay
   

7. ✦Fitness clothing okay
   

8. ✦Please, please no spandex
   

Gentleman’s Swim attire

1. ✦If there is a situation where you will be swimming while attending Ellerslie, we simply ask that you would choose swimming attire that is not tight, and is respectfully tasteful and in alignment with the general guidelines, already mentioned. 
   

Hair - Guys

1. ✦a short, clean, unassuming style is desired
   

2. ✦though messy, unkempt hair is currently en-vogue, we ask that you tame your locks prior to coming to Ellerslie
   

3. ✦no long hair
   

4. ✦no drastic style or color changes during the Ellerslie Training
   

5. ✦no dreadlocks
   

Tattoos - Guys

1. ✦No skin decorations (tattoos, etc) should be added while attending the Ellerslie Training.
   

2. ✦If you sport pre-existing tattoos, please show deference by not drawing attention to them.
   

Piercings - Guys

1. ✦No piercing should be obtained during the Ellerslie Training.
   

2. ✦If you have skin piercings prior to your enrollment, please show deference by removing them during your term at Ellerslie.

DRESS CODE AND APPEARANCE

FOR LADIES

GUIDELINES FOR LADIES - DRESSWEAR AND APPEARANCE

1. ✦Please avoid clothing that removes the feminine from femininity (i.e. the grunge look with its tacky rips and random stains, “guy-style” baggy clothes, etc)
   

2. ✦Please avoid tank tops, spaghetti straps or strapless clothing (sleeveless is okay, but only with heightened sensitivity - please make sure that it is modestly sleeveless and that it doesn’t suffer from “gap”osis). If you wear a sheer, lacy, or crochet-style top, please make sure that you have modest layers underneath and that no tank or bra straps are showing through. Please do not wear low-cut tops; make sure it sits no more than 3 to 4 finger-widths under your collar bone.
   

3. ✦Please avoid body-hugging, form-fitting, tight clothing of any kind (including tight “skinny” jeans). Essentially, we request that you do not wear clothing that draws undue attention to your feminine figure.
   

4. ✦Please avoid being a walking billboard for things that are contrary to the purpose of Ellerslie (i.e. clothing proclaiming the wonder of some particular pop-icon, concert shirts, or some humorous slogan plastered across your shirt that is either harmlessly ridiculous or dangerously stupid).  
   

5. ✦Please avoid short skirts, short dresses, etc - including wearing leggings under short articles of clothing (leggings themselves are okay, but must be worn with appropriate length skirts & dresses, and not as a substitute for modest lengths).  Appropriate length is just below the knee. (No knee showing either standing or sitting.)
   

THE DAILY DRESS-CODE FOR LADIES

Ellerslie Campus (Monday – Friday) Student Dress Code - Girls

1. ✦Pressed skirt, dress, pants, or capris - ALL must be below the knee in length or longer.
   

2. ✦Please, no jeans or shorts.
   

3. ✦Please, no sweats, running pants, or boy-type t-shirts.
   

4. ✦Please, no flip flops (nice sandals okay).
   

Sunday Worship - Girls

1. ✦Skirt or dress (below the knee or longer) or tasteful slacks/pants (see guidelines above).
   

2. ✦Please no jeans.
   

3. ✦Please, no flip flops (nice sandals okay).
   

Free Time - Girls

1. ✦Jeans okay (but please follow guidelines above).
   

2. ✦T-shirts okay.
   

3. ✦Flip flops okay.
   

4. ✦Appropriate outdoor/hiking clothing.
   

5. ✦Fitness clothing okay.
   

6. ✦No spandex or form fitting clothing.
   

7. ✦Capris and shorts must be below the knee in length (but please only with heightened sensitivity and decorum).
   

8. ✦No tank tops (unless under other shirts).
   

Swim attire - Girls

1. ✦If there is a situation where you will be swimming while attending Ellerslie, we ask that you wear a modest one-piece swimsuit accompanied by longer swim shorts, such as board shorts.
   

Hair - Girls

1. ✦Please respect the other students at Ellerslie by selecting a hair style that is moderate and tasteful and not overly loud and dramatic.
   

2. ✦No drastic color changes during the Ellerslie Training.
   

3. ✦No dreadlocks.
   

Tattoos - Girls

1. ✦No skin decorations (tattoos, etc) should be obtained during your time at Ellerslie Training.
   

2. ✦If you sport pre-existing tattoos, please show deference by not drawing attention to them.
   

Piercings - Girls

1. ✦No new piercings should be obtained during your time at Ellerslie Training.
   

2. ✦If you have skin piercings prior to your enrollment, please show deference by removing them during your term at Ellerslie (except for earrings - please no more than two pairs) .

PART FOUR

OFF-CAMPUS GUIDELINES

GENERAL

1. ✦The standards of Ellerslie are to be fully upheld with the same honor and integrity when you are off-campus as when on
   

2. ✦Each student is required to sign-out when leaving and sign-in when returning to campus.
   

3. ✦Each student is required to sign-out of meals 24 hours in advance if they know ahead of time that they will be missing one.
   

ELLERSLIE OFF-CAMPUS ACTIVITIES

1. ✦If you are carpooling, please refrain from playing music in vehicles. If by yourself, you are welcome to listen to music according to the Music Guidelines in a lower volume level (i.e. the car next to you should not be able to hear the music to which you are listening).
   

2. ✦We ask that the standards of Ellerslie be fully upheld while away from the Ellerslie campus in both social interaction and in code of conduct (See sections Technology/Media, General Guidelines)
   

PART FIVE

SOCIAL DECORUM

SALUTATIONS

1. ✦We have gone back and forth on the issue of salutations (more formal titles given to show deference and respect).  Should Eric Ludy be termed, “Pastor Ludy,” or “President Ludy?”  Or should he be “Mr. Ludy,” or just plain old “Eric”?  We have decided not to stipulate how students should address the staff, - we simply ask that you seek to show honor in all you do and say.  If it helps for you to say, “Mr. Ludy,” in order to show deference and respect, then, by all means, do it.  Eric prefers not to be called “President Ludy,” but other than that, feel free to come up with the respectful title of your choice – and “Eric,” is perfectly fine.  And the same goes for the rest of the Ellerslie leadership and the older married students that are a part of the program – when you address them, address them with honor, but feel free to address them by their first names. 
   

LANGUAGE/ PERSONAL CONDUCT

1. ✦Please, refrain from all profanity.
   

2. ✦Please, refrain from all “substitute” swear words and inappropriate slang.
   

3. ✦Please, refrain from unnecessary and/or crude conversations regarding bathroom/bodily functions.
   

4. ✦Please, refrain from any kind of sexual jokes or innuendoes.
   

5. ✦Please, refrain from unrestrained burping, flatulence, inappropriate scratching, etc.
   

6. ✦Please respect others by following basic hygiene principles, such as showering daily, wearing deodorant, brushing teeth, etc.
   

7. ✦Please refrain from playing practical jokes on fellow students or staff members. There may be an occasional time when it would be okay, but it should go through a staff member for approval.

PART SIX

RELATIONSHIP GUIDELINES

GUY/GIRL ROMANTIC

At Ellerslie, we love romance.  It’s a beautiful thing.  But it’s a beautiful thing intended by God to unfold in the right time and in the right way.  But we believe that your initial Ellerslie Training term is not that time.  Rather, it’s a time set-apart to seek Jesus Christ.  It’s a time when all distractions must be removed.  And for many of us, the greatest distraction to our all-out, whole-hearted pursuit of our Heavenly King, is a budding earthly romance.  So, during your initial semester, we ask that you restrain from pursuing any romantic relationship with fellow students, or with others off-campus.  We realize that there may be some God-written love stories that eventually unfold between Ellerslie graduates - but during the first semester of training, we ask that you only build friendships, and not romantic relationships, with the opposite sex.

1. ✦Accountability - If you don’t trust yourself and/or need accountability in this matter, seek out an Ellerslie staff member who can stand with you to help you keep your focus on what matters most in this important stretch of time. Furthermore, please do not discuss any issues you are having concerning this subject with your fellow students.
   

2. ✦Existing pre-marriage relationships – if you are coming to Ellerslie already in a romantic relationship that has been distracting you from your relationship with God, we encourage you to consider placing this relationship on hold for the duration of the semester.  If you are in a healthy Christ-centered relationship (with someone off-campus) you are free to continue it while at Ellerslie, but we ask you to be purposeful about keeping your relationship with Christ the central focus during the semester-long training.  (If you are in an existing relationship with a fellow Ellerslie student, please inform the staff of this relationship prior to the course.)
   

3. ✦Married Couples - Please enjoy being married while setting an example of purity and sacredness of the marriage covenant.
   

GUY/GIRL FRIENDSHIP

1. ✦In order to show a high level of decorum in our midst, we ask that there be no one-on-one pairing off with the opposite sex, either publicly or privately.
   

2. ✦This includes car rides.
   

3. ✦This includes activities on campus grounds (i.e. walks, meals, etc.).
   

4. ✦This includes all off-campus outings.
   

5. ✦Please no front-hugging with the opposite sex.
   

6. ✦No piggy-back rides.
   

7. ✦No tickling, wrestling, or other forms of flirtatious physical contact.
   

8. ✦Please guard your gaze and your “eye contact moments”. (How long, on whom, etc.) You may think you are not being obvious, but those around you will notice if you are not guarded.
   

9. ✦Please no mixed prayer sessions (no guys and girls praying together), unless initiated & monitored by an Ellerslie staff member.
   

GIRL/GIRL FRIENDSHIP

1. ✦Girls, please refrain from engaging in overly-touchy and intimate physical contact with other girls.  There is nothing wrong with affection expressed properly and genuinely, but please maintain a guard on your physical openness in female relationship (i.e. sitting on laps, stroking hair, cuddling, and kissing cheeks as if you were a newly-wedded couple).  Unhealthy girl/girl interaction can be just as dangerous as unhealthy guy/girl interaction, and this is becoming an increasing problem in modern Christian culture.  So girls, please be aware of how you handle physical contact with other girls.
   

PART SEVEN

TECHNOLOGY and MEDIA

A Word from Eric on Technology and Media

I have an iPhone.  And, to be quite frank, I really like it.  I have a really cool Mac computer, too.  And, my feelings for it are quite similar to that of my iPhone.  In other words, I have a weakness for technology like the next guy.  But I also am very aware of the dangers of technology and the dependency that can quickly be generated through their constant use. 

Leslie and I have gone to great lengths to put guards up in the technological realm of our lives.  We have times of day that are “cell phone free.”  We have limited the access to the internet in our home and have outlawed computers from having freedom to move about our home at will.  Even though Leslie and I both have laptops, our laptops aren’t allowed to invade our designated family areas without very good cause.  So, we have a life that enjoys technology, but the technology doesn’t crowd the things that truly matter. 

I guess that is sort of an introduction to how we are building Ellerslie.  It’s not that we want the campus to be cell phone free, for instance, but we do want cell phones to be put in their proper place and only used during certain times of day, and even that for necessities and not for social networking.  We are not anti-computer, but we are, for lack of a better term, anti-you-being-glued-to-your-facebook-account -throughout-the-day.

Technology (for the most part) is amoral.  In other words, it doesn’t possess a moral value - it’s not good or bad, it’s just there. It’s how we use it that defines its moral impact. And addiction and dependency are two things that reveal an unhealthy attachment to our gadgets.  If you can’t live without something, then that’s an obvious sign that the gadget owns you rather than you owning it. 

Our rules regarding technology are not meant to make you groan (though groan you may).  They are intended to make you supremely happy.  We are interested in removing that distraction from your life.  You know, the distraction of a little buzz in your pocket announcing the arrival of a text message, or the distraction of not knowing if the response has yet arrived to your most recent email send-off, or the distraction of not knowing what is happening in your social world online via Facebook.  Text messages, emails, and Facebook may not be bad in and of themselves, but to many of us they represent the greatest obstacle in our times with Jesus.  They are distractions in our times of prayer, in our times of study, and in our times of face-to-face friendship building with others.  And so, at Ellerslie, it is our hope that technology would find its way into the backseat, and that our every day in Windsor, Colorado would be marked first and foremost with Jesus Christ and not with the buzzing and beeping of ridiculous little gadgets.

PART SEVEN

TECHNOLOGY and MEDIA

CELL PHONE USAGE

1. ✦We ask that phones be left in your dorm room during the weekdays and only used during the appointed hours (to be announced) or in case of emergencies. (except for parents and staff)
   

2. ✦We ask that even during the appointed window of time, that you try to avoid any unnecessary use of your phone and limit the length of your “necessary” calls to 20 minutes.  We realize that many of you may have large families and that calls home may take longer than 20 minutes, however, please be reasonable with your time. We want to encourage you to be taking your free time and spending it on building your relationship with God and in cultivating deeper friendships with the student base
   

3. ✦If in special circumstance (non-emergency) you need to use your cell phone outside of the appointed window of time, you may obtain special permission from a staff member.
   

4. ✦No cell phones are allowed in class sessions or the chapel - and if using cell phones elsewhere on campus grounds please be respectful of others and go away to a private area. (exception: staff and parents may have cell phones in the chapel/classrooms, but we ask that they be kept on silent/vibrate mode - and if you must take a call during teaching times, please step out of the room)
   

5. ✦Please do not use cell phones as internet surfing devices or for email access while attending the training, except in keeping with approved internet usage guidelines (see below). If the temptation to misuse your phone is too great, then we encourage you to not even bring a phone with you, but borrow one if you need to make a call home
   

6. ✦Please refrain from texting at all times during your term at Ellerslie  
   

7. ✦Note: In the event that your parents or others need to contact you for any emergencies during your semester at Ellerslie, a phone number will be given to you for them to use for that purpose.
   

INTERNET USAGE

1. ✦Wireless internet is available on campus, but will only be available for students in the Everitt Center during the appointed hours.
   

2. ✦Please limit your internet access times to necessary communications and research, and not for frivolous chatting with friends or mindless surfing.
   

3. ✦Please visit only websites that are in alignment with Ellerslie’s core values of Christian honor, character, and morality. 
   

MEDIA INTAKE

Some of the greatest distractions we all face in our spiritual journey come from things that don’t seem bad in and of themselves.  One of our goals at Ellerslie is to help our students retain a strong and continuous focus on Jesus Christ while they are here in Windsor, Colorado.  Media can prove a tremendous trip-up point for each of us, and therefore it is something that we feel needs to have strict guards around it during this semester-long. During your enrollment at Ellerslie, please refrain from the following, both on and off campus:

1. ✦Please, no going to movie theaters.
   

2. ✦Please, no watching movies on laptop computers.
   

3. ✦Please, no watching television.
   

4. ✦Please, no playing video or computer games on any computer, cell phone, or other device.
   

5. ✦We are also suggesting a very limited interaction with any and all social networking sites – i.e. Facebook and Twitter (we ask that you only check them on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and that when you do check, you would limit your time to less than 30 minutes).
   

6. ✦And please no purchasing or reading of pop-culture magazines or any books that are not in spiritual correlation with the Word of God.
   

MUSIC GUIDELINES

Please don’t play music publicly in the dorms or in the outdoor common areas unless it be pre-approved by the Ellerslie staff.  It is okay to play music privately in your dorm room, providing that there is mutual agreement with your roommate. We are not against music, but we do wish to monitor the nature of music played in the Ellerslie environment.  We are establishing a quiet, meditative, and reverential atmosphere at Ellerslie.  There are times where our environment will take on a fun and more lively atmosphere, but even then, we don’t wish to throw the focus off of Christ and on to something else.  Music can sway people’s souls, and therefore, we feel that we must encourage our students to be watchful as to what music is scoring their Christian life, and to help us make sure that the music scoring the Ellerslie environment is tasteful, God-glorifying, and full of Truth. 

PART EIGHT

INTERACTING WITH STAFF

RESPECTING ON-CAMPUS STAFF QUARTERS

1. ✦Since the on-campus Ellerslie staff lives in the dorms year-round, their dormitories are needed as a place of privacy and sanctuary throughout the day.  Please show respect to them by not disturbing them if their door is closed unless it is an emergency or a matter of significant importance.   If ever you need to meet with a staff member, you can drop a request/note into the box just outside their room to set up a time.  They would be happy to make time for you. 
   

STAFF OFFICES

1. ✦Please also be respectful of the Ellerslie staff while they are working in their offices during business hours.  Instead of barging in unannounced, please set up an appointment with them. You may arrange this during other times of campus interaction or leave a request/note in their mailbox in the Lakehouse Foyer.
   

ACCESSIBILITY OF ERIC AND LESLIE

1. ✦Eric and Leslie will be accessible throughout the semester to visit with students before and after class sessions, around campus, and at various student activities. But please note that they will not be available for individual counseling sessions, coffee-dates, or private meetings outside of this above-mentioned structure. If something of dire importance arises that you feel you need to speak with Eric and/or Leslie about privately, please contact Sandi in order to discuss your situation.

PART NINE

DISCIPLINE & CONFLICT RESOLUTION

DISCIPLINARY ACTION

1. ✦Of course, it is our hope that there will never be any need for an action of discipline at Ellerslie, however, if such a need should arise where the stipulations and requirements, as outlined within this student handbook, are repeatedly disregarded, then we will prayerfully seek to address the issue quickly and forthrightly with appropriate and adult means of correction. 
   

2. ✦If true repentance and remorse is sensed in the process of correction, then an immediate return to Ellerslie involvement would be sought for the student. 
   

3. ✦If there is continued abuse of the Ellerslie code of conduct, and no evidence of remorse or repentance, then a student would be asked to leave (see section eleven below for how this would be handled financially).
   

4. ✦Certain behaviors would necessitate immediate dismissal.  These behaviors include, but are not limited to the following: the possession or use of illegal substances, sexual liaisons outside of a legal marriage, and/or violence or threats of violence.
   

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

1. ✦If a conflict should arise among students, we encourage those involved to learn how to handle their disagreements in a God-fearing and God-honoring way and seek reconciliation. If reconciliation seems impossible without mediation, then Ellerslie Leadership will convene a simple mediation process to help the parties walk Biblically through the problem.
   

PART TEN

WORK DUTIES

DAILY WORK DUTIES

1. ✦Each student is required to maintain their standard room upkeep (see General Campus Guidelines/ Dorm Room Upkeep)
   

2. ✦Each student is also responsible for an assigned campus work duty.
   

SATURDAY WORK DAY

1. ✦Each student is required to perform their dorm cleaning duties
   

2. ✦Each student is required to perform an assigned campus duty or to participate in neighborhood outreach.
   

Table of Contents

3)  Special Thanks

4)  A Word from the President: The Beautiful Side of Rules

7. 7)Part One: General Campus Guidelines
   

9) Part Two: Dormitory Guidelines
12) Part Three: Dress Code and Appearance

    A Word from Eric on Ellerslie Dress Code 12

    Gentlemen 14
    Ladies 17

20)  Part Four: Off-Campus Guidelines

21)  Part Five: Social Decorum

22)  Part Six: Relationship Guidelines

24) Part Seven: Technology and Media

29)  Part Eight: Interacting with Staff

30)  Part Nine: Discipline and Conflict Resolution

31)  Part Ten: Work Duties

32)  Part Eleven: Early Termination/Refunds

PART ELEVEN

EARLY TERMINATION/ REFUNDS

NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSITS

Once you receive an acceptance letter into the Ellerslie program, a spot is allocated to you and this subsequently restricts Ellerslie from accepting another trainee for that spot. Once accepted, your place in the program is secured through the receipt of a non-refundable deposit. Likewise, you forfeit your spot through the non-payment of this deposit by the due date.

EARLY DEPARTURE

We recognize that there are unforeseen things that may come up during your time at Ellerslie.  We handle early exits in two ways:

1. ✦MERITED Departures
   

2. ✦UNMERITED Departures
   

MERITED EARLY DEPARTURE

Merited early departure is anything that falls under the banner of extreme life events that force you to end your term at Ellerslie early. These are genuine and serious events out of your control, not caused by you. For instance, a significant death in the family, serious illness, or other matters of similar importance.  Each Merited departure is handled on a case-by-case basis.  We encourage trainees facing such unforeseen circumstances to meet with Ellerslie leadership to determine, if appropriate, in what way we can help. Regarding Merited departures, Ellerslie reserves the exclusive right to adjust the refund policy to determine a refund scenario that both honors your situation as well as Ellerslie’s. Ellerslie Leadership reserves the exclusive right to determine if a circumstance is categorized as "Merited Early Departure" or not.

UNMERITED EARLY DEPARTURE

Unmerited Early Departure would be an early termination of your training at Ellerslie due to any reason that is not included under the "Merited Early Departure" category. Leadership at Ellerslie reserves the exclusive right to determine if an early termination falls under the "Merited Early Departure" category or not.  It is our intention to help every student complete the program; therefore, we encourage all students to schedule an appointment with Ellerslie staff to discuss any potential early departure. However, should an Unmerited Early Departure occur,  the following exit/refund procedure will be in place:

1. ✦In order to request a refund, a Student Exit Interview would be set up
   

2. ✦After the Student Exit interview, if the student is still resolute on leaving, then the following formula would be used for determining refund amount:
   

REFUND FORMULA FOR UNMERITED DEPARTURES

Total Tuition Paid (TTP) minus (50% TTP) minus per diem (per day) classroom/food cost for days as an active student in the program (the per diem is established based on our catering contract for each ten-week session and differs for off-campus students). 

An example of this would be as follows:

Total Tuition Paid = $3850

50% of Total Tuition Paid = $1925

Per Diem for 30 Days as a Student (using a $35 per diem) = $1050

   $3,850 (TTP)

1. -$1,925 (50% TTP)
   

2. -$1,050  (Per Diem - 30 days)
   

      $875

In this scenario, an on-campus student leaving for an unmerited reason at the 30 day point would be refunded $875.00. 

CANCELATION OF ADMISSION PRIOR TO ARRIVAL

Pre-Arrival cancellations are according to the following formula:

1. ✦60 days or  more prior to scheduled arrival:  100% TTP.
   

2. ✦59 days or less prior to scheduled arrival:  100% TTP minus 50% TTP.
   

Ellerslie reserves the exclusive right to adjust the refund schedule on a case-by-case basis for Merited Pre-Arrival cancellations.

EARLY DEPARTURE FOR DISCIPLINARY REASONS

If it so happens that the Ellerslie Leadership is compelled to remove a student on disciplinary grounds, then a Biblically-governed mediation process would be entered into in order to determine the amount that would be reasonable and appropriate for refund.

The Ellerslie Student Handbook

Edition 1.4