Student Etiquette & Responsibilities

Classroom Etiquette

Students must adhere to COCA’s Health & Safety Procedures.

Below is a list of general student etiquette rules and responsibilities. If a student does not adhere to general classroom etiquette, the teaching artist has the right to remove the student from class.     

• Gum and candy are not allowed in class.
• There is a minimum of allowed talking in class.   
• Hanging on the barres is not permitted.
• All students should be in the designated dress code for all classes.
• Street shoes should not be worn on the marley floors in the dance studios.
• Food and beverages are not allowed in the studios or theatre; with the exception of closed water bottles.     
• All students should pick up after themselves before leaving a studio.   
• Pianos should be respected at all times. They should not be played without permission, and students should never place items upon them.   
• Teaching artists and accompanists should be treated with respect at all times.

Anti-Bullying Policy 

Bullying behavior or threats are taken seriously. Bullying is seen as a discipline issue and will be dealt with through the normal discipline procedures.  

Bullying is physical (pushing, hitting, kicking, stealing, threatening gestures}, verbal (name-calling, teasing, taunting, intimidating, humiliating, spreading malicious gossip, sexual harassment, racial abuse/slurs, homophobic abuse), written (text and email messages, notes), and silent (exclusion from activities, rude gestures).  

All faculty and staff are expected to be vigilant and alert to cases of bullying. Reports can be made by faculty, staff, volunteers, parents, and students. Suspected cases of bullying should be reported immediately to the disciplines’ manager. Reports will be immediately investigated using the COCA discipline guidelines. Incidents will be recorded and monitored.  

Communication with Teaching Artists

Due to class scheduling, teaching artists do not have adequate time in-between classes to discuss concerns or questions. We welcome you to set an appointment by emailing the program director or contacting the Registration Office. They will communicate with the appropriate teaching artist or staff member and address any concerns or questions. Teaching artists and staff home phone numbers, addresses, or personal emails will not be given out to students or parents for any reason. 

Grievance Policy for Program Participants 

COCA operates on a non-discriminatory basis, affording equal treatment and access to services without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, national origin, religious beliefs, medical condition, disability, marital status/family structure, sexual orientation, or other affiliations. Students with disabilities or other special needs, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), are welcomed into the program and reasonable accommodations in the best interest of the student are made as necessary.  

We encourage all participants and employees to take steps to minimize harassment by making your objections clear, by not playing along, immediately reporting harassment, telling the harasser to stop, and not engaging in conditional reporting.  

COCA cannot resolve matters that are not brought to its attention. Any participant who has a complaint or who witnesses discrimination or harassment by anyone, including employees and non-employees, has a responsibility to immediately bring the matter to COCA’s attention. To bring instances of discrimination or harassment, a participant must notify any of the following individuals who are responsible for enforcing this policy: your disciplines Manager/Director.  

COCA will thoroughly and promptly investigate all claims of discrimination and harassment in as confidential a manner as possible, consistent with its need to gather facts and make determinations. COCA will meet with the complainant to discuss the results of the investigation and, where appropriate, review the proposed resolution of the matter. If an investigation shows that harassment or discrimination has occurred, COCA will take corrective action, including such discipline up to and including termination of registration or employment, as appropriate. COCA reserves the right to impose disciplinary action even if there is no technical violation of the policy, if it is determined that the behavior was nonetheless inappropriate for the workplace.  

Complaints of discrimination and harassment will be kept as confidential as possible. Additionally, COCA will not subject any participant to retaliation because they have reported what they reasonably believe is an incident of discrimination or harassment. If a participant believes they are being harassed or retaliated against for having made a good faith complaint of discrimination or harassment, the participant must report such retaliation to COCA by contacting any of the individuals listed in the previous section so that the complaint of retaliation may be investigated and dealt with in an appropriate manner.   

Day-To-Day Responsibilities

Every student must check in with their teaching artist for attendance. If a student arrives late for class, it is their responsibility to ensure they have been marked present for that day. All students and parents/guardians are responsible for checking the monitors in the lobby for any upcoming events and changes that may occur. Each student will be encouraged to achieve the highest standards of etiquette, artistry, and professionalism.