Student Life

To download a copy of the 2008-09 Student Life Handbook click here.

The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky will provide a rich living/learning environment designed specifically for academically talented adolescent students. The GattonAcademy life staff will support extracurricular activities that reflect the interests of Gatton Academy students.

Because an essential feature of the Gatton Academy will be its living/learning environment, all Gatton Academy students are required to live in the residence hall dedicated to the Gatton Academy even if their homes are within commuting distance. Gatton Academy students will be housed in Schneider Hall which will be the supervised home-away-from-home. The Gatton Academy features a Student Life Staff of 8:1--far greater than traditional undergraduate housing.

Safety

Schneider Hall is a secure facility with keyed access and desk clerks posted 24-hours. The Gatton Academy will pioneer an electronic entry system based on each student’s unique student identification card.  These measures ensure only Academy students and staff members will have access to the building.

Gatton Academy students will also adhere to a curfew on both weekdays and weekends.  Gatton Academy students will sign out when leaving Schneider Hall for locations both on and off campus.  When leaving campus, students must be accompanied by other Gatton Academy students.

Each room is equipped with a landline phone capable of receiving universal "push messages" that can be sent both audibly and visually in crisis situations.

Gatton Academy students will not be able to have cars on campus.

In addition, members of the WKU Police Department are fully trained and oriented to campus, and will be available to respond immediately should an emergency arise.

Medical care is available through the Student Health Service center on Western’s campus and through local hospitals in Bowling Green.  In addition, Gatton Academy students will have access to the Assistant Director, Counseling Services, a full-time Academy staff member and certified school psychologist, to meet their counseling needs.

Closed Weekends

Approximately one weekend each month will be designated a closed weekend at the Academy, and students will go home to be with their families. Students will check out of the residence hall in the afternoon by a parent, legal guardian, or other specified adult. Students must return by the afternoon of the final day of the closed weekend. A list of tentative closed weekends may be found below:

Friday, August 31 - Monday, September 3, Labor Day
Wednesday, October 3 - Sunday, October 7, WKU Fall Break
Friday, October 26 - Sunday, October 28,
Wednesday, November 21 - Sunday, November 25, Thanksgiving
Friday, December 14, Winter Break Begins

Recreation

While Gatton Academy students will grow academically, there will also be a variety of opportunities for physical recreation.  Gatton Academy students will have free daily access to the Preston Health and Activities Center located on the WKU campus.  Components of the Preston Center include a weight room, fitness room, gymnasium, dance studio, racquetball courts, swimming pool, a pro-shop, the Outdoor Recreation & Adventure Center, a Health & Fitness Lab, and many other features.

Gatton Academy students will be able to participate in intramural sports.  Numerous sports and activities are scheduled throughout both the fall and spring semesters.  Recent sports have included: co-ed softball, basketball, kickball, flag football, racquetball, volleyball, badminton, putt-putt golf, bowling, team handball, and soccer to name a few.

Gatton Academy students will not be able to participate in KHSAA intervarsity sports due to time commitments.

Extra-curricular Opportunities

Gatton Academy students will find extracurricular opportunities to be a wonderful combination of opportunities sponsored in their home high schools coupled with options available to WKU students.  Students who are interested in musical, vocal, dramatic, and other arts may audition for performance groups and societies at Western.  The Fine Arts Center—located adjacent to Schneider Hall—features practice rooms for students who wish to refine performance skills in a quiet setting.

Residential counselors, residential assistants, and other Gatton Academy staff members will sponsor clubs and organizations that cater to students’ interests.  These opportunities will draw upon the various interests of Gatton Academy students and range from gaming clubs to volunteer groups.