Graduation Requirements Changing Summer Term 2026

Well met Wizards one and all, I hope that the day finds you in good health and high spirits!

After a great deal of reflection, conversation, and careful consideration, I would like to share an upcoming change to the graduation requirements at The Grey School of Wizardry. This is not a decision reached in haste, nor one driven by a single concern. It has emerged from ongoing discussion with the School's Administration and with members of our Board of Directors, from listening closely to the community, and from returning again and again to a simple question: what should it genuinely mean to complete one’s studies here.

Beginning with the Summer 2026 term, the Grey School of Wizardry will introduce a 100 hour community service requirement for graduation. These hours may be accrued from the moment a pupil enrolls at GSW and may be completed gradually over the course of one’s academic journey. This change will not apply retroactively to Seventh Year pupils who are currently completing their final practicums. Those pupils will be permitted to finish their work under the requirements in place when they began, as it is neither fair nor wise to move the threshold just as one is about to cross it.

Wizardry has always been understood as a trade rooted in service. It is not merely the accumulation of knowledge, nor the study of theory for its own sake, but the responsible application of learning in the service of others, of the communities we choose to call our own. This requirement is intended to make that principle explicit and tangible. It is not meant as a burden or a test of endurance, but as a recognition that wisdom finds its fullest expression when it is put to use beyond oneself.

Many pupils already live this value quietly and consistently. They volunteer, they lead, they organize, they support, and they give their time and attention. This requirement exists in part to honor that work, to give it proper weight within the academic life of the School, and to affirm that such service is not peripheral to wizardry, but, I truly believe, is central to it.

In recognition of past contributions, Apprentice Leadership service completed by pupils in Year Three and above will be formally acknowledged toward this requirement. Each term of Apprentice Leadership service will be recognized as twenty hours of community service. This is offered as recognition, not exemption, and is intended to ensure that those who have already given meaningful service to the life of the School are not hindered by this change. Pupils in Year Two and below will have sufficient time remaining in their studies for the required hours to arise naturally through a combination of community involvement and School based opportunities.

To that end, community service may take many forms. Traditional service within one’s local or chosen community remains foundational and strongly encouraged. At the same time, meaningful service to the Grey School of Wizardry itself may also count where it reflects genuine contribution rather than passive participation. Opportunities such as Apprentice Leadership, hosting or organizing clubs, presenting during moots, assisting one’s lodge in substantive and ongoing ways, supporting School outreach efforts, and participation in certain organized activities at Highspire will be recognized where appropriate. Clear guidance will be provided to help distinguish between personal development activities and service that is outward facing and communal in nature, available via the handbook.

Pupils will be responsible for tracking their own service hours. This will be done through a straightforward reporting structure that records the type of service performed, the community or group served, the date or date range, and validation through a contact or in school faculty reference. Tools already available within vGSW will assist with this process, and additional tools will be developed through the School site grimoire to make recording, review, and submission clear and accessible. This approach reflects the School’s long standing commitment to treating pupils as responsible adults while maintaining academic accountability.

This requirement reflects the expectations placed on institutions that take applied learning, civic responsibility, and professional formation seriously. It supports the School’s ongoing work toward formal accreditation, while affirming the standards we believe should naturally accompany the completion of one’s studies at GSW.

At its heart, this change is about alignment. It is about ensuring that the title of Journeyman of the Grey School of Wizardry signifies not only intellectual accomplishment, but demonstrated responsibility and service. Additional guidance, examples, and opportunities for questions will be shared as we approach the Summer 2026 term.

As always,

Wizardly Regards, Headmaster Kingsley ᛞ A live Q&A Session Will be held via the School Discord on March 1st at 7pm EST.