STUDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR AWARENESS OF ALL POLICIES LISTED BELOW
I. LESSONS AND BASIC GUIDELINES
A. Students contract to practice for at least one hour a day during the semester of study.
1. Credit students contract to take 12 lessons.
2. Non-credit students may contract to take fewer lessons.
3. Teachers may make additional requirements of their students, which will be clearly explained by the first lesson.
B. Lessons meet for one hour on a weekly basis at a regularly scheduled time.
C. All lessons must be completed before the last day of classes or the last day of scheduled lessons, whichever is later.
D. Under no circumstance may a student receive more than two lessons in any one week.
E. Group lessons are not offered by the Private Lessons Program.
II. COURSE CREDIT
A. Students receiving financial assistance must take lessons for credit.
B. At least 10 lessons must be completed for a student to receive course credit.
C. Grading mode is pass/fail for MUSC 405 and for MUSC 406.
D. Course Levels
1. Music 405 - Private Music Lessons for Non-Music Majors
Private Instrumental and vocal lessons meet for one hour, on a weekly basis, at a regularly scheduled time. Students contract to take 12 lessons. Each instructor sets his or her criteria for accepting students. Returning students who have previously taken Private Lessons register for this course during the drop/add period with an enrollment request. All students new to the Private Lessons Program must audition, during the audition period, and register during the drop/add period. When a students is accepted into the Private Lessons Program, they become liable for the additional cost of lessons, which will be billed through the Student Accounts Office. May be repeated for credit four times.
2. Music 406 - Private Music Lessons for Declared Music Majors
This course is open to declared junior and senior music majors. Each instructor sets his or her own criteria for accepting students. Private instrumental and vocal lessons must meet for one hour, on a weekly basis, at a regularly scheduled time. Students contract to take 12 lessons. Only returning students who have previously taken Private Lessons register for this course during the drop/add period with an enrollment request. All students new to the Private Lessons Program must audition, during the audition period, and register during the drop/add period. May be repeated for credit four times.
III. SCHEDULE
A. Lessons schedules will be prepared by teachers based on schedules submitted by students.
B. Students are responsible for checking schedules for lesson times posted on the bulletin board of the Musci Studios Lobby.
C. Initial lessons missed because of not knowing the schedule are considered as an absence. Teachers are not required to make up these lessons.
IV. ABSENCES AND RESCHEDULED LESSONS
A. A teacher may reschedule a lesson as needed, provided it occurs within four days of the original meeting time and at a time acceptable to the student.
B. For any one student, no more than two lessons can be rescheduled outside of this four day grace period without the permission of the Director of the Private Lessons Program.
C. Teachers are not required to make up any lessons missed by students during the semester. Student absences due to illness, religious holiday observation or family emergency may be made up at the discretion of the individual teacher.
D. Students receiving financial assistance from the Music Department for their lessons, including music majors receiving a partial waiver of their lesson fee, will be billed for any absences incurred.
E. Students may trade a lesson time with other students. Teaching schedules, complete with students names and emailaddresses are posted in the Music Studios lobby for convenience in trading lesson times.
V. NOTIFICATION
A. Please do not call the Music Department Office to cancel a lesson. Inform the teacher as directed by calling the Private Lessons Teacher's home or their Wesleyan voice mail directly or by e-mail.
B. If a teacher cancels a lesson and is unable to contact students, a message will be left on the Private Lessons' bulletin board in the Music Studios or on the door of the teaching studio where the lesson was to take place.
VI. WITHDRAWAL
A. Students wishing to withdraw from the Private Lessons Program should contact both their teacher and the Coordinator of the Private Lessons Program immediately.
B. The student should present a drop/add form to the teacher for their signature, or to the Coordinator in their absence, before they bring the form to the Registrar's Office.
C. Students may withdraw from the Private Lessons Program prior to the third lesson without additional financial penalty.Students will be billed for any lesson taken prior to withdrawal. Students withdrawing after the third week of lessons will be billed for all of the lessons remaining in the semester.
D. Students receiving financial assistance for private lessons forfeit that assistance if they withdraw from study. Such students will be billed for the lessons they have taken and, if they withdraw after three weeks of study, for the lessons remaining in the semester.
VII. BILLING AND FINANCIAL CREDIT
A. Students will be billed for lessons through the Student Accounts Office.
B. Students receiving University Financial Aid may be eligible for financial support for lessons.
1. Application must be made each semester during the Private Lessons Audition period.
2. Requirements are posted in the Music Studios lobby.
C. Music Majors will receive a partial waiver for lessons on one instrument or voice. Major approval must have been made by the end of the previous semester. The partial waiver applies to Junior and Senior Majors only, whose lessons are registered for credit.
D. See item VI - C and D above for policy concerning payment upon withdrawal from lessons.
VIII. PHYSICAL PLANT
A. Practice Areas
1. The practice rooms are in the basement of the Music Studios building. They are open from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m. on weekdays, and from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m. on weekends.
2. Practice rooms are open on a first-come, first-served basis. On occasion, certain practice rooms are reserved for private lesson teaching space and are not available for student use at these times.
B. Assigned Instruments and Rooms
For instrumentalists who share University instruments in secured spaces (bass, drums, harp, etc.), the teacher must authorize access to the room.
To appeal any policy above, a written statement must be presented to both the Coordinator and the Director of the Private Lessons Program.
