Student Policies

Bicycle Policies and Safety:

It is imperative that everyone practice safety when riding and storing your bicycle on campus. When using a bicycle on campus, please do not lock it to or lean it against lamp posts, hand rails, or other campus property not intended to host bicycles since this action can create safety escape hazards, interfere with maintenance work, and cause damage to the property and the bike. Bicycles that are found inside a building or underneath the stairwells of any building will be removed by Public Safety. If an improperly stowed bicycle is locked, it may be necessary for the chain or lock to be cut at the owners’ expense, particularly if the owner cannot be identified. You must go to the Public Safety Desk located at 8 Fenway to claim your bicycle. All bicycles not claimed within 60 days will become property of Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

Any violation of this bicycle policy may result in disciplinary action.

The following are tips that all bicyclists should abide by while riding on campus to ensure the safety of the riders, motorists, and pedestrians.

• Ride on the right side of the street (or sidewalk). Go with traffic, not against
• When riding at night a white light in front and a red light or reflector is required by state law
• Obey all traffic signals, signs and roadway devices
• Wear a helmet
• Use the bike racks located in the “U” next to the back door 8 Fenway and near the back door of 31 Hemenway
• Do not lock or place bicycles inside buildings, underneath stairwells, against lamp posts or railings
• Always lock your bike
• Use hand signals to indicate turns, lane changes and stopping
• You can register your bicycle free of charge with the Boston Police Department

If your bicycle is legally parked on campus and you discover it missing, please come to the Public Safety Desk immediately to file an incident report. We encourage everyone to contact the Boston Police Department. if your bike has been stolen.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Public Safety office at x9191, or 617-912-9191 from an off-campus phone.

Complimentary tickets for most performances are available to students, faculty and staff with a valid Conservatory ID. Please read details below for eligibility and how to claim your tickets.

Who Gets What

Note: This is only your eligibility; tickets are not guaranteed.

• Production Cast and Crew (including designers, music director, choreographer, coaches, conductor, technical directory, stage manager, props manager and student crew): Depending on your show, you may secure tickets through the director or department, or simply get advance student tickets available starting two weeks prior to opening night. Ask your stage manager, director, or box office for details. Day-of ticket sales will have a cost.
• Faculty/Staff and Students (not involved in the production): Two comps per performance, must be reserved before the day of the performance. Day-of ticket sales will have a cost. Advance Faculty/Staff and Student tickets are available starting two weeks prior to opening night.
  • To redeem your faculty/staff comp tickets, enter your Berklee email address as your Membership ID.
  • To redeem student tickets, enter your Berklee email address as your membership ID.

Visit the Conservatory's Events page, or visit or call the box office at 617-912-9222 during box office hours (Wednesday–Friday, 12:00–5:00 p.m.).

Any additional comps for press, industry professionals, etc. must be requested through and approved by the ticket operations and patron services manager and are not guaranteed.

Once again, the availability of comp tickets is not guaranteed, and policies are subject to change.

Any questions regarding ticket policies or complimentary tickets should be directed to the ticket operations and patron services manager at 617-912-9142.

International students at Boston Conservatory at Berklee are required to comply with very complex government regulations to maintain their lawful status in the United States. These regulations address a variety of issues affecting international students, from maintaining full-time enrollment to limitations on employment. As regulations can change with very little advance notice, it is very important that international students carefully read all information provided by the Office of International Student Services and respond in a timely fashion to requests for information or documentation. Students with questions about maintaining their lawful status in the United States should speak to the Director of International Student Services before undertaking any action that might affect their status.
 

According to the Office of Jury Commissioner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, “Every U.S. Citizen 17 years of age or older who is a Massachusetts resident or an inhabitant for more than 50 percent of the time is eligible to serve as a juror.  If you are a resident of another state but a student at a Massachusetts college, you are an inhabitant for more than 50 percent of the year and, therefore, eligible to serve as a juror in Massachusetts.”  It is not unusual for students residing in Suffolk County to be summoned to serve as trial jurors.  Jury service, on a short-term basis, provides students with an opportunity to fulfill an important responsibility as members of the community.  Boston Conservatory at Berklee at Berklee supports students in their fulfillment of this civic duty.  Students should carefully read all materials they receive with their summons to service, which contain helpful information about confirming, postponing, rescheduling or relocating service and address many of the most frequently asked questions.  Jury duty is an important legal obligation and those who fail to respond are subject to criminal prosecution.

Students who must miss class in order to fulfill their jury service requirement should see the Associate Dean of Academic Operations.  

If you have any questions about jury duty, including confirming, postponing, rescheduling or limiting your service, please consult the Student’s Guide to Jury Duty brochure, available in the Student Affairs Resource Center, or contact the Office of Jury Commissioner (1-800-THE-JURY or 1-800-843-5879). 
 

Both commuter and resident students are urged not to bring an automobile to campus. Traffic is highly congested and the very limited meter parking has strictly enforced limits.

Students are not permitted to park in Boston Conservatory at Berklee designated parking spaces. Violators may be towed at their own expense.

Massachusetts law requires all students who operate a motor vehicle bearing an out-of-state registration plate(s) to apply for an out-of-state student decal within 30 days of their arrival in Massachusetts.  Failure to comply with this law can result in a court complaint and fine.

Out of consideration for all members of Boston Conservatory at Berklee community and for reasons of health and cleanliness, pets are not allowed in Conservatory buildings.

The exception to this policy is the on-campus apartment of the Director of Housing and Student Life. Guide dogs are also exempt from this policy.

The posting policy for all Boston Conservatory buildings is as follows:

Approval

• All items except those produced by Boston Conservatory at Berklee Marketing Department or posters for conservatory student or faculty recitals on campus must be stamped, initialed, and dated in advance of posting.
• Items for posting on the bulletin boards in 8 Fenway, 31 Hemenway St., or 132 Ipswich must be approved by the Associate Director, New Student and Family Programs
• Items for posting in the Student Center or residence halls (Student Affairs events or notices, residence life events or notices, classifieds, off-campus housing and off-campus events) must be approved by the associate director for New Student and Family Programs.

General Policies

• Material is not to be affixed to the exterior or interior walls or doors of any Boston Conservatory building.
• Items must not be posted more than two weeks before the event.
• Items that are not stamped or are posted inappropriately will be taken down.
• If multiple copies are to be posted, the original copy must be stamped, initialed and dated for approval before photocopying.
• Items larger than 8.5” x 14” must have special approval from the appropriate official listed above (except those produced by the Marketing Department).
• Any item posted in a foreign language must include an English translation.
• Any items mentioning, depicting, inviting or encouraging alcohol sales or consumption are prohibited as stated in Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alcohol and Other Drugs policy.
• Assigned boards are not to be used for general posting.
• General boards are not to be used for specialized posting such as classifieds, off-campus housing and off-campus events.
• Off-campus housing and classified items will be posted for one month only.
• Boston Conservatory at Berklee does not endorse or sponsor activities, organizations or entities in the item notice unless endorsement is written on the approved notice.
• The conservatory holds the right to refuse to post items it deems offensive, discriminating or harassing.
   

Boston Conservatory at Berklee engages the services of the Berklee Public Safety Department to provide safety and protection services for the campus. Berklee Police Officers conduct internal building and external foot patrols, marked patrol vehicle, and bicycle patrols throughout the campus.  Securitas personnel are also on the campus; one currently stationed in 8 The Fenway during building hours, and the other is conducts external foot patrols on the campus.  

Please go to the Berklee Public Safety Department website for further information on services.
 

Overview

Boston Conservatory at Berklee is committed to the safety and well being of its community members and to the integrity of the learning environment. Berklee recognizes that students may experience medical or mental health situations that significantly limit their ability to function safely or successfully as students in the Berklee community. In such circumstances, interruption of academic studies, whether voluntary or involuntary, may be appropriate in order for a student to address mental or medical health concerns.
 
In an effort to ensure that students receive individual attention, consideration, and support needed to address medical or mental health issues that arise or escalate while studying at Berklee, the college has implemented a policy addressing the process for obtaining a voluntary leave of absence, and where, necessary, for requiring leave to address medical and mental health concerns.

Voluntary Leave

Generally, a student’s request for medical leave will be approved upon the student’s demonstration that health issues have compromised the student’s health, safety, or academic success. Approval of a request for voluntary leave will be based on individualized assessment of the student, and the length of any approved leave will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Wherever possible the college will discuss options available to a student who expresses an intent to withdraw, including the impact of withdrawal upon the student’s academic progress.

Involuntary Leaves

In the event a student’s mental or medical health condition presents a significant risk of harm to self and/or others, or if the student’s behavior causes significant disruption to the educational activities of the college community, Berklee favors voluntary leave for the student to address such concerns. However, in some instances, the college, acting through the vice president for student affairs, diversity and inclusion/chief equity officer (or his or her designee) may require a student take a leave of absence from the college to obtain treatment. In such circumstances, the college employs the following procedure:

• Involuntary leave policies are applied equally to disabled and non-disabled individuals.
• An individualized risk assessment is required to establish both the grounds for removal and conditions of return (even where there is no explicit direct threat to self or others).
• The elements of a risk assessment are determined based on the facts and circumstances of the events giving to a determination to place a student on involuntary leave.
• A student placed on involuntary leave will be provided a written explanation of the process used in rendering a determination to place the student on involuntary leave and any conditions the student must meet in order to establish eligibility for re-enrollment. In most instances, the parent(s) or guardian(s) of the student will be provided a copy of Berklee’s notice to the student.
• Where practicable, students will be provided an opportunity to present information to be considered in the risk assessment.
• A student seeking to return from an involuntary leave will be required to provide the college with evidence to establish the student’s readiness to return. The nature of the evidence to be required will be determined on a case-by-case basis in consideration of the nature of the events giving rise to the leave and the circumstances of the leave. However, any student removed from campus as a result of a direct threat of self-harm or threat of harm to others must provide evidence of a current psychological evaluation completed by a licensed mental health professional before the student will be allowed to return to campus. Such evaluation must describe the treatment provided to the student related to the circumstances requiring the leave, the student’s current clinical status, and the provider’s opinion as to the student’s readiness to return.
• The duration of a required leave typically is not less than one semester, although the specific length of a leave will be determined a case-by-case basis and will depend upon relevant information available to the college, including a provider’s evaluation of a student’s readiness to return.

Return to the College after Absence

A student who is hospitalized for psychological reasons during the course of the semester or during any school break must provide to the director of counseling services in the Counseling and Advising Center in Boston, or if in Valencia, to the director of Student Affairs, a copy of the hospital discharge summary and a letter from a treating licensed medical or mental health care provider stating that the student is psychologically stable and ready to return to the residence halls, classrooms, and common areas on campus.
 
In some cases, a similar letter may also be required of students who medically withdraw from the college but are not hospitalized or who are suspended from the college for serious behavioral incidents. All such letters should verify that the student requesting readmittance poses no direct threat to himself or herself or to others and that the student is otherwise qualified to return to school. The readmittance review team (RRT) will review the student’s request for readmittance and make a recommendation to the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, Diversity and Inclusion/Chief Equity Officer regarding the student’s ability to function safely within the residence halls, classrooms, and common areas on campus. The RRT’s primary goal is to ensure the student’s safe and successful return to the residential and academic programs at Berklee College of Music. To that end, the RRT seeks to support students upon their reinstatement and gladly offers assistance in identifying a treatment plan for the student, if one is needed and if one is not already in place.
 
The Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, Diversity and Inclusion/Chief Equity Officer has the authority to grant or deny the student’s request for reinstatement. All such decisions are final and are not subject to appeal. The Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, Diversity and Inclusion/Chief Equity Officer may condition a student’s reinstatement upon a showing that (1) the student is not a direct threat to himself or herself or to others and (2) the student is otherwise qualified to return to school. Failure to make such a showing will result in the denial of the student’s request for readmittance. For graduate students, depending on the length of the absence, readmission may not be possible because too much work has been missed to have a reasonable chance of program completion and success. In such situations, it will recommended that students withdraw from the program and re-apply for a subsequent year. In rare instances, the re-application process may be waived.
 

Policy Statement

The smoking of cigarettes, cigars, and pipes is prohibited inside all Berklee College of Music facilities, including the residence halls, and is prohibited within 25 feet of an exit, entrance, or operable window of any campus building. In recognizing the health risks of people who smoke and the hazards of involuntary smoking to nonsmokers, and in accordance with the college’s overall responsibility to provide a safe and healthful work environment, Berklee College of Music has adopted a policy of restricting smoking.

Education

Because the college cares about the health of smokers and nonsmokers and because it is difficult to quit or to curtail smoking, the college will provide on-campus smoking cessation programs. The goal is to provide ongoing support to those wishing to quit. Such programs will be offered through the Human Resources Office for employees, and the Health and Wellness area for students.

Enforcement

This policy is intended to be self-enforcing. However, short of total compliance, those in authority are responsible for enforcing this policy within their respective areas of authority.

Introduction

Social networking websites and online communities such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are increasingly being used by students, faculty and staff to communicate with one another and by colleges and universities to build communities and share information with students, parents, alumni and other vested constituents.  

As part of Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s commitment to building a community free of all forms of harassment, bullying, exploitation or intimidation, members of the Conservatory community are expected to act with honesty, integrity and respect for the rights, privileges, privacy and property of others when using online social media.  Community members must abide by applicable laws, including copyright law, and Conservatory policies as articulated in the following guidelines and other relevant policies found in the Faculty Handbook, Staff Handbook and Student Handbook.

General Social Media Guidelines

In an effort to assist and provide direction when using social media, Boston Conservatory at Berklee has developed the following general guidelines for engaging in social media forums.  These guidelines and reminders are intended to help all members of our community—experts and novices alike—to use social media vehicles productively and safely:

• Be honest about your identity.
• In personal posts, you may identify yourself as a Boston Conservatory student, faculty or staff member, but please be clear that you are sharing your personal views, not representing the Conservatory. Individuals or groups within the Conservatory community are not permitted to present personal opinions in ways that imply endorsement by the Conservatory.  
• If posted material may reasonably be construed to imply support, endorsement or opposition of the Conservatory with regard to any personal statements, including opinions or views on any issue, the material shall be accompanied by a disclaimer: an explicit statement that the individual is speaking for himself or herself and not as a representative of the Conservatory or any of its offices or divisions.
• Do not pretend to be someone else and post about Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
• Be an independent voice.
• If you identify your affiliation with Boston Conservatory at Berklee in your comments, readers will associate you with the Conservatory, even with the disclaimer that your views are your own.  Remember that you’re most likely to build a high-quality following if you discuss ideas and situations civilly.
• Do not use Boston Conservatory at Berklee logo or promote or make product, cause or political endorsements on behalf of the Conservatory.  Do not use Boston Conservatory at Berklee logo or any other Boston Conservatory marks or images on your personal online sites.  
• The Conservatory’s name, telephone numbers, email addresses and Conservatory images are not to be posted on social network profiles of faculty and staff for personal purposes. However, a faculty or staff member, SGA officer or registered campus organization may use their Conservatory title for identification purposes.  If the use of the title might imply endorsement, support or opposition of the Conservatory with regard to personal statements, including opinions or views on any issue, an explicit disclaimer must appear proximate to the material.
• Be aware of liability issues.
• Beware that intellectual property may be protected by copyright. Become familiar with the terms of service and policies of sites and networks in which you participate. Pay attention to updates.
• Remember that you are legally liable for what you post on your own site and on the sites of others.  Social media users have been held liable for commentary deemed to be proprietary, copyrighted, defamatory, libelous or obscene (as defined by the courts).  Employers are increasingly conducting web searches on job applicants before extending offers. Be sure that what you post today will not cause you to regret it.
• Understand that what you say may be perceived as bullying, harassment or intimidation and may have unintended as well as legal consequences.
• Protect yourself.
• Some online communities can be volatile, tempting users to behave in ways they otherwise would not behave. Your reputation is best served when you make ethical and career-conscious choices about how you use social media.
• Though you should represent yourself honestly, do not provide personal information that scam artists or identity thieves could use against you.  Do not list your home address or telephone number or your work telephone number or email address.  It is a good idea to create a separate email address that is used only with your social media site.
• Be responsible.
• There are numerous codes of ethics for bloggers and other active participants in social media, all of which will help you participate responsibly in online communities. If you have your own social media site, you may wish to post your own code of ethics or adapt an existing code already on the web.
• Monitor comments.  Most people who maintain social media sites welcome comments—they build credibility and community.  However, you should adjust your site’s settings to allow you to review and approve comments before they appear. This allows you to respond in a timely way to comments, delete spam and block any individuals who repeatedly post offensive or frivolous comments.

Institutional Social Media Guidelines

These are additional guidelines for faculty, staff and any students approved to contribute to the Conservatory’s institutional social media channels:

Be an ambassador.

• If you have been authorized by your manager, division director or academic dean to create an official Boston Conservatory social media site or a video for posting on YouTube or elsewhere online, you must contact the Office of Marketing and Communications, prior to creating your site or posting a video, for approval.  Once approved, the Office of Marketing and communications can provide an approved logo and other images to ensure coordination with other Boston Conservatory sites and content.  
• If you participate in or maintain a social media site on behalf of the conservatory, clearly state your role and goals. Discuss with your manager, division director or academic dean when you are empowered to respond directly to users and when you may need approval.
• If a question or comment is directed toward you via your social media site or page, you should do your best to reply in a timely and appropriate fashion.
• Before you address a discussion thread or respond to a posting, think about the implications.  If you have any questions about whether it is appropriate to join a social media discussion or write about certain kinds of material in your role as a Boston Conservatory employee, ask your manager, division director, or academic dean before you post, or contact the Office of Marketing and Communications.
• Always double-check your facts, grammar and spelling.  Attention to detail matters.  If you are not the best editor, have someone else read your postings before publishing them.
• Individual departments and groups seeking to advertise on social networks must contact Boston Conservatory at Berklee Office of Marketing and Communications. Such advertising must be approved and facilitated through the Marketing and Communications office.

Be considerate.

• Faculty and staff should be consistent when accepting or not accepting friend requests from students to avoid the appearance of favoritism.
• It is recommended that faculty and staff with profiles accessible by students use care with privacy settings to keep personal content private.  Faculty and staff are encouraged to limit content that students can see to information relevant to educational purposes.  Faculty and staff should never misrepresent themselves by using a false name or persona on social networks unless that characterization is connected explicitly with their real identity.
• Social networks should never be utilized as the sole, mandatory communication method for interaction between faculty and students.  Official course activities should be kept in official online tools, not on social networks.  Faculty should never require students to participate in social networks or have participation influence a course grade (with an exception being made for class projects that may use social networks for research purposes).

Be responsible.

• All communication on social networking site (e.g., wall posts, status updates) should be kept in accordance with standard ethical practices of the institution and educational relationship.  Official course communication (e.g., feedback on an assignment) should never be posted in a public area of a social network.  Private educational or health records should never be communicated through a social network.  Common sense should be used regarding profiles, posts, photos and other information accessible through social networks.
• During normal work hours, personal use of Conservatory electronic resources to access social networking sites is to be limited to incidental or professional use.  Incidental use must not interfere with an individual’s performance of his/her assigned job or coursework responsibilities or someone else’s job or academic performance or compromise the functionality of the office or campus network.

Monitoring

Any information posted on a social media site immediately becomes public information.  Boston Conservatory at Berklee monitors activities as necessary to ensure the integrity, functionality and security of the Conservatory’s electronic resources.  Similarly, other employers, organizations and individuals monitor and share information they find on social networking sites. Keep in mind that anything you post is public and permanent.

Official Institutional Social Media Pages

Boston Conservatory at Berklee Office of Marketing & Communications oversees and manages the school's official social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter.

All posting of comments on this page are at the discretion of the page administrators. The intent of this policy is not to keep any negative or critical information from being posted, but to protect the privacy and rights of Boston Conservatory staff and students. The naming of specific employees or students in a negative way will not be allowed, nor will be the sharing or dissemination of their personal information. The page administrators will review all postings to make sure they do not violate this policy.

Similarly, Boston Conservatory at Berklee reserves the right to remove any content on its official social media channels that is deemed profane, offensive or obscene.

Violation of Campus Policy

The overarching policy of Boston Conservatory at Berklee is to exercise freedom of speech with responsibility.  If an activity on a social networking site is reported as violating campus policy, it will be investigated and handled according to the Conservatory disciplinary procedures for faculty, staff, or students as delineated in the Faculty Handbook, Staff Handbook and Student Handbook.

In response to concerns or complaints or information provided by individuals, conservatory administrators may look up profiles on social networking sites and may use the information in informal or formal proceedings. Moreover, the conservatory has no control over how other employers, organizations, or individuals may use information they find on social networking websites.

Related Resources

Boston Conservatory at Berklee Staff Handbook, Faculty Handbook and Student Handbook
Policy on Harassment and Procedures for Responding to Reports of Harassment
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Electronic Communications Policy
In writing this policy, Boston Conservatory at Berklee has drawn extensively from policies at other colleges and universities, including Cornell College, University of Massachusetts Boston, University of California—Santa Barbara and Delaware Tech. 

Due to space limitations, it is not possible to use rooms in 8 Fenway or 31 Hemenway for recital receptions. Boston Conservatory students may use the Student Center for recital receptions unless other events have been previously scheduled. Students should see the Director of Career Support Services & Student Programs at 24 Fenway to reserve the Center for a recital reception.