School Policy, Student Guidelines, and Classroom / Clinical Restrictions

Student Handbook and Acknowledgment

This document is intended for student review, acknowledgment, and signature before participation in Elevate Care Academy programs.

 

Version: Student Use Copy

 

 

1. Mission, Standards, and Scope

Purpose

Elevate Care Academy exists to prepare students for safe, respectful, human-centered caregiving with strong professionalism, boundaries, accountability, and job readiness.

Scope

These policies apply to all students participating in ECA classroom instruction, skills lab, online learning, testing, make-up sessions, clinical experiences, field experiences, and related school communications.

Core standards

Students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that protects dignity, privacy, safety, professionalism, and the integrity of the learning environment.

Student expectations

·         Human-centered care

·         Professional boundaries

·         Respect for instructors, classmates, clients, families, and facility staff

·         Safety and compliance

·         Academic honesty

·         Employment readiness

2. Admissions, Enrollment, and Student Records

Eligibility

Students must satisfy program entry requirements established by ECA, including enrollment forms, tuition and payment arrangements, required identification, and any background, health, vaccination, drug screening, physical, TB, or document requirements applicable to the program track.

Accuracy of records

Students must provide complete and accurate information. False, incomplete, or misleading information may result in denial of admission, administrative withdrawal, or dismissal.

Records

ECA will maintain enrollment, attendance, testing, competency, and completion records consistent with school policy and program requirements.

Student responsibilities

·         Students are responsible for updating contact information promptly.

·         School-issued credentials, logins, and records remain the property of ECA.

·         Record access is limited to authorized personnel and the student, subject to school policy and law.

3. Attendance, Tardiness, Scheduling, and Make-Up Rules

Attendance requirement

Students must attend, participate in, and complete all required hours, assignments, skills checkoffs, testing, and practical activities for their program.

Timekeeping

Attendance must be recorded for each class, lab, online session, and practical or clinical activity as required by the program.

Punctuality

Students are expected to arrive on time, prepared, and ready to begin at the scheduled start time.

Make-up work

Absences do not waive required hours, competencies, or testing. Students must complete approved make-up work or make-up sessions within the timeline set by ECA.

Operational rules

·         Late arrival, early departure, extended breaks, or failure to return from break may reduce credit for attendance time.

·         Repeated tardiness may result in corrective action, probation, delay in course progression, or administrative withdrawal.

·         A student may not advance to later content, lab, clinical, or testing without satisfying prerequisite content, safety expectations, and required hours.

4. Classroom Conduct Standards

Professional behavior

Students must maintain respectful behavior toward instructors, staff, guest speakers, clinical personnel, and classmates at all times.

Participation

Students are expected to listen, contribute appropriately, ask questions professionally, and remain engaged in instruction.

Respectful communication

Disruptive talking, arguing, profanity, hostile tone, mocking, harassment, bullying, intimidation, or other disrespectful conduct is prohibited.

Learning environment

Students must not interfere with instruction, distract classmates, or behave in any way that weakens safety, order, or instructional quality.

Operational rules

·         No sleeping in class.

·         No leaving class repeatedly without permission except for legitimate need.

·         No side conversations during instruction, demonstrations, or testing.

·         No food or drink in restricted training areas if prohibited by instructor or safety policy.

·         Do not attend class, lab, online instruction, skills sessions, or clinical activities while under the influence of alcohol, illegal drugs, misused prescription medication, or any substance that impairs judgment, alertness, coordination, behavior, or safe participation.

5. Classroom / Clinical Restrictions and Safety Rules

Training equipment

Students must use school equipment, lab supplies, and simulation materials only as instructed.

Safety compliance

Students must follow all infection-control, body mechanics, transfer, and equipment-use instructions during demonstrations and return demonstrations.

Restricted conduct

Horseplay, unsafe lifting, unauthorized touching, unsafe equipment use, or misuse of medical or training supplies is prohibited.

Instructor authority

An instructor may stop any student activity that appears unsafe, unprofessional, impaired, or outside the learning objective.

Operational rules

·         Students may not perform hands-on skills on another student, simulated patient, or client without instructor approval and required supervision.

·         Students may not remove school property, supplies, PPE, forms, or testing materials without permission.

·         Students may not bring unauthorized sharps, medications, alcohol, illegal drugs, or hazardous materials into class, lab, or clinical.

·         Students must not report to classroom, lab, or clinical training while under the influence or appearing impaired.

6. Dress Code and Professional Appearance

General standard

Students must present a clean, professional, employment-ready appearance appropriate to the program and learning environment.

Required attire

ECA may require scrubs, closed-toe non-slip shoes, name badge, watch, gait belt, hair restraint, or other program-specific items. Provided scrubs are required for Academy classes and clinicals when designated by ECA.

Hygiene

Students must maintain personal hygiene, clean clothing, and grooming appropriate for a healthcare training environment.

Restrictions

Clothing, accessories, or grooming that create safety risk, infection-control concerns, or an unprofessional appearance may be prohibited.

Operational rules

·         No excessively revealing clothing.

·         No unsafe footwear.

·         No offensive slogans, images, or symbols on clothing.

·         No jewelry, long nails, or fragrances that violate lab, infection-control, clinical-site, or instructor requirements.

7. Devices, Phones, Recording, and Social Media

Phone use

Cell phones must be silenced and put away during instruction unless the instructor expressly authorizes educational use.

Restricted device use

Texting, social media browsing, streaming, gaming, personal calls, or unrelated device use during class is prohibited.

Recording

Audio, video, or screen recording of class, lab, testing, online sessions, instructors, classmates, clients, residents, or school materials is prohibited unless ECA gives written permission.

Privacy

Students may not post, transmit, or share school content, images, screenshots, recordings, tests, student information, or any client, resident, or patient-related content on social media or messaging platforms.

Operational rules

·         Violation of privacy, recording, or social media policy may result in immediate disciplinary action or dismissal.

·         Students are responsible for keeping school logins, links, and materials secure.

8. Online Learning Guidelines and Restrictions

Attendance and presence

Students attending online must log in on time, remain present, and participate throughout the session.

Camera / audio

ECA may require camera-on participation, professional appearance, and a quiet learning environment during live online class.

Environment

Students must attend online sessions from a location that is safe, reasonably quiet, and suitable for professional learning.

Identity

Only the enrolled student may attend under the student's login. Sharing links, passwords, or access credentials is prohibited.

Operational rules

·         Students may not drive, work another job, provide childcare, or engage in distracting activities during live online instruction.

·         Students may not attend online sessions from bed, while smoking or vaping, or in a manner that appears unprofessional or disengaged.

·         Students must use respectful chat, email, and online discussion behavior.

9. Academic Integrity, AI Use, and Testing Security

Honesty

Students must complete their own assignments, quizzes, exams, reflections, and competency work unless group work is expressly assigned.

Prohibited conduct

Cheating, plagiarism, copying, sharing answers, using unauthorized notes or devices, impersonation, or assisting another student in dishonest conduct is prohibited.

AI tools

Students may not use AI tools or automated writing or testing assistance on assignments, quizzes, exams, or competency submissions unless the instructor expressly authorizes it for a specific activity.

Testing security

Students may not photograph, copy, memorize for distribution, reproduce, or share test items, answer keys, or evaluation materials.

Operational rules

·         Academic dishonesty may result in a zero, retest denial, probation, administrative withdrawal, or dismissal.

·         ECA may invalidate work where authorship or integrity cannot be verified.

10. Skills Checkoffs, Competencies, and Progression Rules

Competency standard

Students must successfully complete required skills checkoffs, return demonstrations, written exams, online work, and other evaluations established by the program.

Prerequisites

Students may not perform advanced or practical activities until prerequisite instruction, safety training, and instructor approval are complete.

Remediation

Students who do not pass a required competency may be assigned remediation, coaching, and one or more re-evaluations as permitted by school policy.

Progression

Completion of seat time alone does not guarantee progression. Students must satisfy both hour requirements and competency standards.

Operational rules

·         An instructor may stop a checkoff for unsafe practice.

·         A student who repeatedly demonstrates unsafe, dishonest, impaired, or unprofessional performance may be removed from skills, clinical, or practical training.

11. Professional Boundaries, Human-Centered Care, and Respect

Core expectation

Students are expected to demonstrate dignity, empathy, respect, privacy awareness, and professional boundaries in all class discussion, role-play, skills practice, and practical settings.

Boundaries

Students may not engage in flirtation, sexual comments, inappropriate touching, gossip, emotional dependency, gift-seeking, financial entanglement, or manipulative behavior with classmates, instructors, clients, residents, or families.

Respect for lived experience

Students must speak respectfully about clients, families, aging, disability, dementia, mental illness, personal care needs, and vulnerable situations.

Confidentiality

Any client, patient, agency, classmate, or case-related information used in training must be treated respectfully and confidentially.

Operational rules

·         ECA trains students to understand that caregiving affects both emotional and physical well-being.

·         Students must never treat intimate care topics as a joke, spectacle, or source of ridicule.

12. Corrective Action, Probation, Suspension, and Dismissal

Progressive discipline

ECA may use verbal warning, written warning, performance improvement plan, probation, suspension, retesting restriction, administrative withdrawal, or dismissal depending on severity and pattern.

Immediate action

Serious safety violations, threats, harassment, violence, privacy breaches, cheating, intoxication, theft, gross insubordination, or reporting to class or clinical under the influence may result in immediate removal from class pending review.

Administrative discretion

Management may determine corrective action based on conduct, risk, severity, repeated behavior, and program requirements.

Readmission

A student separated from the program may be considered for readmission only under terms approved by ECA.

Operational rules

·         Nothing in this policy limits ECA's authority to protect students, staff, training quality, property, or public trust.

13. Tuition, Cancellation, Withdrawal, and Deposit Policy

Tuition obligation

Students are responsible for tuition, deposits, fees, and payment obligations according to the enrollment agreement and payment terms accepted by the student.

No refunds

All payments made to Elevate Care Academy are non-refundable unless otherwise required by law or explicitly approved in writing by ECA.

Deposits and future seat placement

If a student is not placed into the current class, or if ECA approves a transfer to a later available class, the student's deposit may be moved forward and applied to secure the next available class seat. A moved-forward deposit is not a refund.

Withdrawal or dismissal

Students who withdraw, stop attending, abandon enrollment, are administratively withdrawn, or are dismissed may remain responsible for tuition, fees, charges already incurred, and applicable payment obligations through the effective date determined by ECA.

Returned or reversed payments

If a payment is reversed, declined, returned, or charged back, ECA may place the student on payment hold, delay participation, suspend progression, or require the balance to be resolved before further attendance, testing, record release, certificate release, or completion processing.

Operational rules

·         Seat deposits are used to secure training space and scheduling commitments.

·         Any approved transfer, credit, or rescheduling decision will be documented in writing.

·         Certificate release may be withheld until all financial obligations are satisfied.

14. Student Grievance and Complaint Resolution Policy

Purpose

ECA encourages prompt, respectful resolution of student concerns. Students may raise concerns related to instruction, attendance records, grading, professionalism, unfair treatment, safety, privacy, discrimination, harassment, accessibility, scheduling, fees, or other school operations.

Informal resolution

Students should first raise routine concerns as soon as possible with the instructor, coordinator, or designated school representative most directly connected to the issue, unless the nature of the concern makes that inappropriate.

Formal written complaint

If the concern is not resolved informally, the student may submit a written grievance to management or the designated school official. The grievance should identify the student, the date, the issue being raised, relevant facts, supporting information, prior attempts to resolve the matter, and the remedy requested.

Review and response

ECA will acknowledge receipt of a formal grievance and review the matter in a timely manner. Management may interview the student, staff, instructor, or witnesses; review records or communications; and issue a written decision, action plan, or request for additional information.

Appeal

If the student disagrees with the initial written decision, management may provide one internal appeal to a higher-level reviewer, school owner, or designated appeals officer. Appeal deadlines and response timelines will be communicated by ECA.

Non-retaliation and conduct expectations

ECA will not tolerate retaliation against a student who raises a good-faith concern. At the same time, students must present complaints honestly and respectfully; knowingly false accusations, threats, abuse, harassment, or disruptive conduct are not protected by this policy and may result in corrective action.

Immediate escalation matters

Concerns involving safety, abuse, harassment, discrimination, privacy breaches, threats, suspected criminal conduct, or urgent compliance issues should be reported immediately to management and, when appropriate, to the applicable outside authority or emergency services.

15. Student Acknowledgment

Acknowledgment

Each student must sign an acknowledgment confirming receipt, reading, understanding, and agreement to follow ECA school policy, student guidelines, and classroom / clinical restrictions.

Condition of participation

Participation in the program is conditioned on compliance with these rules, instructor directions, and program-specific standards.

Policy updates

ECA reserves the right to revise policies and issue supplemental procedures as programs, regulations, or operational needs change.

Student Policy Acknowledgment

I acknowledge that I have received, read, and understand the Elevate Care Academy School Policy, Student Guidelines, and Classroom / Clinical Restrictions.

I understand that compliance with school policy is a condition of participation in ECA programs and that violation of policy may result in corrective action, probation, suspension, withdrawal, or dismissal.

I understand that I must not attend classroom, lab, online, or clinical training while under the influence of alcohol, illegal drugs, misused prescription medication, or any impairing substance, and that violation of this rule may result in immediate disciplinary action, withdrawal, or dismissal.

I understand that ECA maintains a no-refund policy, and that deposits may be moved forward to secure a next available class seat only when approved by ECA in writing.

I understand that ECA may revise policies and may issue program-specific procedures that I am also required to follow.

Student Name: _____________________________________________

 

Student Signature: _____________________________________________

Date: _____________________________________________

Program / Track: _____________________________________________

Instructor / Witness: _____________________________________________