The College of the Arcane Sciences, Azure League

The College is a governmental school, funded and controlled by the Azure League Council and the Enclave, with the mission of teaching the use of magic to both humans and pokegirls. While primarily aimed at new or partly trained magic users the college does have a number of programs aimed at helping fully trained mages. It also has an affiliated research group with facilities at both the college campus and near Coria.

The College is located within a walled compound in the Enclave, just west around the lake from Ieane Village. The campus is home to dorms, cafeterias, an excellent recreation center and gymnasium, classrooms and workrooms, an administration building, and everything else needed for a typical residential university. Students are given small private suites (bedroom, living room, bathroom) and share a kitchen and lounge with other students on their wing or floor of the dorm. Pokegirl owners attending school with their harem are given larger and specialized suites, but must have more then two girls to apply for these larger rooms.

After one month students are allowed to visit nearby Ieane Village, actually a fair sized town, or other villages and areas in the preserve with a pass from the school administration. Such passes are relatively easy to obtain provided the student has generally behaved himself or herself.

While the college has programs and courses covering a number of different styles, often seeking to find the best fit for each students, it is best known for it's school of runic magic – a style of magic codified and formalized by the college's founder and mostly unique to the Azure League. Students are also provided with airship or teleporation transport home for the major holidays, and are able to keep in regular contact with their families.

Entry:
Prospective students must display both magical potential and aptitude. However the college is open to those who fail this test, provided they make their case to the School Board of Directors. These students attend classes that do not require magic and center their studies around the history, theories, etc. The college is quite open that this program was inspired by the Sunshine League's school. Students must also be literate and have a basic level of proficiency in general studies, or take remedial courses.

Fifty percent of each student's tuition is paid for through a fund established by the Enclave and the Azure League Council. The other fifty percent can be paid through either the work-study program or scholarships if necessary. Students can either apply through the league, be recommended by an alumni, or receive a recommendation from other registered mages such as the magic trainers at the league's tamer boot camps.

All students undergo a background check as well as a general interview with a psychic or celestial type as part of the interview process.

First Year:
The first year is something of an easy year where students settle into the college and are exposed to the basics of magic and the various styles of casting. After their first month of schooling students are given their first year collar pin and allowed to call themselves apprentices. During this first year students work with faculty and other advisers to determine a 'style' that bests fits their aptitudes and abilities. Other mandatory classes include self-defense, psychological and physical differences between humans and pokegirls, any remedial general ed classes, and basic lab and safety concerns and issues. The mandatory self-defense courses, which include magic and non-magic, continue throughout all eight years.

At the end of the year, just like any other year, students must pass both a written and a practical test as well as a certain number of their classes' final exams. Depending on the grades, faculty, and other considerations students who fail are either held back, dismissed, or given a second chance at the exam.

Second Year:
In their second year students began to take electives and focus on their specializations, while continuing their courses in the theories etc of magic. While students are required to pick a style of magic use to specialize in at the end of their first year they must also learn the basics of at least two other styles. It is also made relatively easy to switch specializations during the second year in case a student changes their mind though frequent switching will be refused.

At the end of the year, just like any other year, students must pass both a written and a practical test as well as a certain number of their classes' final exams. Depending on the grades, faculty, and other considerations students who fail are either held back, dismissed, or given a second chance at the exam. From this point on yearly practical exams are broken down by style and abilities such as healing, etc.

Third Year:
Things really become serious in the third year of schooling. By this point students are expected to have a basic understanding of magic and classes begin to focus even more on their specializations and specific aptitudes in magic. New and more electives also become available to students, many of which build on electives in the second year. Some courses require passing grades in second year electives in order to take, and this will continue throughout the rest of the years. As such students are advised to plan for the future when selecting electives.

Fourth Year:
The fourth year is one of the hardest years at the college and is the capstone of the previous three years. During this year of courses the students prepare their 'senior' research assignment and ready themselves to take the Mage's Exam. The senior research assignment is a thirty five to forty page research paper and a presentation on a field, subject, etc of magic that is agreed upon by the student and a faculty mentor that is assigned to them at the beginning of the year. The Mage's Exam is a practical graduation exam, with some differences to account for aptitudes in magic use (healing, elementalism, etc). Students who pass the Mage's Exam are granted the right to call themselves mages and must register as such with the league government. The Mage's Exam traditionally takes place in the Cave of Ordeals.

After graduating from the fourth year, which is roughly considered the equivalent of a high quality bachelor's degree, students may either leave the college or apply to stay on for the four year advanced course. Most applications for the advanced course are accepted and mages can wait and apply for the advanced course later on if they wish so.

Fifth Year:
The fifth through eight years are aimed at fully trained mages and a prospective student must either possess a degree from the college,an equivalent proof of training, or be capable of passing a modified version of the mage's exam. These years are the equivalent of a graduate school.

Students attend regular courses during their fifth year but are also expected to do a great deal of research on their own under the guidance of a faculty mentor.

Sixth Year:
The sixth year of schooling builds on the fifth with slightly more of an emphasis on self-research, development, and experimentation. Faculty mentors take a step back and allow the students to make their own progress, within reasonable limits.

Seventh Year:
Most of the seventh year of schooling is actually taken up by a master-apprentice or internship system where students are sent to work with masters or experts in fields that interest them. Some seventh year students actually remain on campus under the guidance of a faculty member of someone in the Enclave, but they are required to help out with lower level classes etc as a graduate student.

Eighth Year:
Students in the eighth year take only one or two courses as most of their time is spent putting together their master work. This master work, which can take any number of forms, is presented to a panel of faculty and other distinguished mages including teachers from other schools. The student must present and defend his master work and if passed is granted the right to call himself an Adept Mage, roughly equivalent to a master's or even a doctorate degree.

Faculty and Staff:

Faculty = Faculty are the professors and sometimes graduate students from the 7th or 8th year who actually teach courses and mentor students.

Staff = Staff are the groundskeepers, repairmen, janitors, etc that keep the school functioning and in good shape.

Administration = The Administration consists of the school board, headmaster, advisers, librarians, etc etc. The people who run the school basically. The Administration deals with all high level discipline issues.

Security = Security for the school is provided by a detachment of the Enclave Guard, including a number of magic types, and a small detachment of graduate students along with a couple of faculty members. Students should be aware that many of them are police officers with full legal powers.

Work-Study Program:
The Work-Study program allows students to help pay for their tuition or earn some extra money while further developing their powers and abilities. Many students, even those who don't need the help with tuition, sign up for the program as a result.

Students in the program are paired with a member of the staff, faculty, or administration and are expected to aid in the myriad of tasks needed to keep the university running. Some students are placed outside the college in Ieane Village - many students even request such a placement as the salary tends to be higher.

Notes:
First through four year students are required to wear the standard school uniform of slacks or skirt and a button down shirt/blouse, as well as a collar pin representing their year. Fifth through eighth year students do not have to wear the uniform beyond their collar pin as long as their dress remains respectable and within college guidelines.

Discipline is something of a mix between a high school and typical college measures. Faculty members can restrain a student if needed but such incidents are always carefully investigated. Furthermore faculty, some staff, and security can give a student demerit points (get too many and get hauled before the administration) or assign detentions which are generally hard labor with no use of magic. Major disciplinary cases go before the administration which can dismiss a student, place them on suspension, or hand out a number of other punishments.

While the campus and some nearby areas are under a modified version of Azure League Law the rest of the area falls under the Enclave's Code of Justice. Students are given a booklet on the differences and are expected to be familiar with Enclave Law. In either case the laws are enforced by the Enclave Guard and students are required to give them the same respect they would to any other police force. Serious enough crimes could be brought before the Enclave Council for judgment.

Also students should be aware that the college is located in the middle of an isolated preserve with its own mixed poke-girl/human society. It is a very pro-rights and parity area even for the WAPL Azure League. All pokegirls, even if they are not free and especially if they are, are to be treated with respect etc etc. Both pokegirls and humans teach and work at the college as well so potential students who can not take this are advised not to attend. Also please note that many of these pokegirls are VNH types with all that culturally entails in the Azure League.

The College doesn't keep exact tabs on all of its graduates however the College and the Enclave are who the Azure League government turns to in case of something involving magic. Students who graduate from the regular program reach the level of ability where they are required to register themselves with the League Government.