Academic Policies and Regulations

Academic and Professional Integrity

The Boston Conservatory educates and trains performing artists through studio instruction, performance and classroom work. However, a Boston Conservatory education is not merely artistic. Our mission is to provide an artistic, academic and ethical experience that will resonate throughout each student's professional, academic and personal life.

This is why we value the highest standards of academic and professional integrity. All instances of academic dishonesty undermine our mission in fundamental ways. Indeed, such instances endanger the very idea of education. Teaching and learning require fair and equitable evaluation. Any dishonesty distorts that effort, devalues the work of others and compromises the standards of our community. Moreover, such dishonesty is wrong. It not only undermines the fundamental goals of education, but also tolerates personal actions that we, as a community of teachers and learners, find reprehensible.

Academic dishonesty can take many forms: One student might copy journal entries from another or make use of texts without properly acknowledging the source; another student might rely on hidden or banned notes in writing an examination or cheat by observing the answers of a colleague. These are but a few examples of the fundamental character of academic dishonesty. In the end, academic honesty requires that all work submitted be a student's own. Academic dishonesty is the effort to claim as your own work that which you have not done or does not belong to you. In this regard, the authors of this handbook gratefully acknowledge our reliance on the work of colleagues at the New England Conservatory, Emerson College and Harvard University in giving expression to these principles and concerns. Our decision to borrow so liberally from the handbooks or catalogues of those and other institutions is itself a testimony to the great importance attached to questions of intellectual integrity and honesty in all higher education communities.

As a community of performing artists, we must also remember that issues of integrity and honesty are not limited to written forms of expression or to examinations. The choreographer who substantially copies the creation of another and claims it as his/her own is academically dishonest as is the composer who borrows themes with no effort to integrate those borrowings into a personal and unique musical expression.

Finally, there are issues of professional integrity that must be honored by an ethical community of artists, teachers and students. The Boston Conservatory will not tolerate, for example, the performance of original work without securing appropriate permission from the creator(s), which may come with an insistence on some payment of royalties.

Accusations of academic dishonesty may be brought to the Associate Dean of the Conservatory by faculty, students or administrators. If that individual determines that the charge should be pursued, he or she shall convene The Boston Conservatory's Academic Judicial Board, which will determine guilt or innocence and the appropriate sanctions to be levied. (See the Judicial Policies section of this handbook dealing with disciplinary procedures for details concerning this process.) While faculty members have their own obligation to deal with examples of plagiarism or cheating immediately and directly, the fact that formal guilt or innocence, as well as appropriate punishments, are a matter for a college-wide Academic Judicial Board is itself an emblem of the importance The Conservatory community attaches to academic and artistic integrity. Students found guilty of plagiarism or cheating by the Academic Judicial Board shall receive punishments ranging from an F on the assignment or examination in question, to an F in the course, to sanctions as severe as academic suspension or dismissal. Dishonesty and cheating always constitute a serious breach of faith deserving of harsh punishment. The Academic Judicial Board will consider many factors before arriving at the appropriate sanction in any individual case.

All decisions concerning charges related to academic and professional integrity may be appealed to the Dean of The Boston Conservatory. Appeals must be filed in writing within 10 business days of the decision of the Academic Judicial Board.

Academic Advising

All students are assigned an academic advisor upon arrival at The Boston Conservatory.

That advisor—who may be your department chair, a faculty member in your professional area or in the Liberal Arts, a Division Director, the Director of International Student Affairs, the Dean of The Boston Conservatory or the Associate Dean—works with you to provide sound advice concerning requirements and other academic and training issues. He or she may also be a good source of important career advice and personal assistance.

Even when an advisor is unable to address a question or problem, he or she may be a good conduit toward the offices or individuals who can.

The Office of the Registrar and the Office of Academic Affairs work closely together to coordinate academic advising at The Boston Conservatory. Students first meet their advisors during New Student Orientation, and additional meetings are required prior to pre-registration for subsequent semesters. Beyond those required meetings, all advisors are available for guidance when a student asks for help. The Registrar and the Assistant Registrar are also available to all students for advice with curricular choices, decisions to add or drop courses, transfer credits, etc.

Students should recognize that academic advising can only go so far to ensure that individuals remain on track in the very demanding curricula of The Boston Conservatory. Pre-professional programs in Music, Dance and Theater involve many different required experiences each semester, arranged in defined sequences, and with little room for elective choices. Students need to move through their requirements semester-by-semester and year-by-year. An advisor is there to help keep students on track and to offer help when they choose to step off the exactly defined path. However, it is always a student's responsibility to be familiar with his or her graduation requirements and to ask any questions necessary to clear up uncertainties. Good advisees are active participants in the process.

Advising Manual

The undergraduate and graduate advising manuals contain official statements of curricular requirements and/or policies that pertain to all Boston Conservatory degree and diploma programs. A new manual is published and distributed on Sept. 1 of each year; both the date of publication and the academic year covered by the manual are prominently displayed on its cover.

Students entering The Boston Conservatory are subject to the curricular requirements and policies defined in the Advising Manual in effect at the time of the student's first matriculation. If future manuals redefine curricula, these changes are not mandated for students who matriculated under a previous manual. They may, however, elect to “switch manuals” if they prefer to complete the new version of a program's curriculum.

Students who take a leave of absence from The Boston Conservatory but return to their studies within a calendar year remain subject to the Advising Manual in effect at the time of their first matriculation. However, students who take leaves or withdraw from the Conservatory and then are readmitted after more than one year away are always subject to the curricular requirements and policies defined by the Advising Manual in effect when they return to their degree or diploma program.

Assignment to Applied Music Studios

The assignment of students to teachers for applied music lessons is the responsibility of the Director of the Music Division, in consultation with Department Chairs, the Dean of The Boston Conservatory and the entire applied faculty. Musical Theater students are assigned to voice studios by the Chair of the Voice Department in consultation with the Director of the Theater Division when appropriate. Assignments are made on the basis of student requests, the need for balanced teaching loads, and the availability of the requested teacher.

Attendance

1. All students are expected to attend classes from the first day of the semester through the exam period each semester. Students who add courses after the start of classes assume responsibility for any classes missed.

2. Regular attendance at classes, lessons and rehearsals is considered essential to the successful completion of all Boston Conservatory courses. Sequence and continuity are difficult to maintain when attendance varies. For all but private lesson instruction, each faculty member will establish a policy regarding attendance/absence and the consequences thereof and communicate this policy in a syllabus provided to students. Division Directors review attendance policies regularly to ensure that they define appropriate standards and are implemented fairly. Students are expected to discuss absences with their faculty should the need arise. Excused absences due to illness must be documented with a doctors note and presented to the faculty member of the course. The Dean of the Conservatory will only be involved in extreme situations or group absence for a curricular purpose. The faculty of an entire division or department may choose to define a single attendance policy that will be applicable for all courses in that division or for specific kinds of courses. Such policies are always articulated clearly in a written syllabus for each course or in a handbook published by the division or department.

3. Private lessons missed due to illness or emergency must be made up before the end of the semester, provided adequate advance notice is given to the instructor. Lessons are forfeited unless proper notice is given. Students must have received a minimum of 13 lessons to take the jury at the end of the semester. (See Grading System regarding the possibility of receiving an Incomplete.)

4. Any member of a musical, dance or theater production failing to participate in a public performance or dress rehearsal of that production may jeopardize scholarship renewal and/or eligibility to participate in future productions. The Directors of the Dance, Music and Theater Divisions are responsible for clearly articulating these professional responsibilities to students and, if necessary, deciding on an appropriate sanction. Students may choose to appeal their decisions to the Dean of the Conservatory.

Attendance at public performances is considered vital and integral to an education in the performing arts. To maximize one's education requires attendance at performances both within the student's major as well as those from other disciplines. Conservatory students are afforded a wealth of diverse opportunities to attend performances. In addition to the more than 200 performances scheduled at the Conservatory each year, students have many opportunities to attend performances of music, dance and theater throughout the city of Boston. Those who avail themselves of as many of these opportunities as possible enhance their formal training significantly. It is the policy of the Conservatory to strongly recommend that all students be responsible for this aspect of their development. Divisions and departments may have additional performance attendance requirements. In particular, the Music Division requires attendance at a specific number of concerts or recitals each semester through a required zero-credit course, Concert and Recital Attendance.

Auditing

Matriculated students wishing to audit a course must receive approval from the instructor before choosing to audit. Students auditing courses may attend and participate in classes but are not responsible for assignments or examinations and will receive neither grades nor academic credit. The tuition charge for audit enrollment is 50% of normal tuition charges.

Cancellation of Classes

If classes are canceled due to weather conditions, an announcement will be made on radio station WBZ 1030 AM, WBZ-TV (channel 4) and WCVB-TV (channel 5). Announcements are also made through The Boston Conservatory's voice mail system—main number: (617) 536-6340—on the institution's website (www.bostonconservatory.edu/storminfo) and via email and text message through the Conservatory's emergency notification system.

Change of Applied Instructor

After careful consideration and with the advice and consent of the department chair and Division Director, music students may elect to change their applied instructor once during their program of undergraduate or graduate study. Normally a change of instructor is arranged through the relevant music department chair. Permission must also be obtained first from the Dean's office and from both instructors.

Musical Theater students who wish to change applied instructors should first request a change of voice instructor by submitting a letter to the Chair of the Department of Voice and Opera. He or she will work as needed with the student and the Director of the Theater Division to ensure that a good decision is reached.

Change of Course(s) (Drop/Add/Withdrawal)

Students may drop or add a class during the drop/add period, normally the first week of each semester. Forms for this purpose are available at the Office of the Registrar. Adding or dropping a course requires the signature of the instructor whose course you wish to add or drop and the signature of your assigned academic advisor. In the case where the student wishes to drop a course and cannot locate the instructor, the student may obtain a signature from his or her academic advisor, the Division Director, the Registrar, or the Associate Dean or Dean of The Boston Conservatory. Such changes must be recorded with the Registrar's Office before they become official. No course or class changes will be permitted after the drop/add period without the explicit approval of the instructor, and such approval is granted only in exceptional circumstances.

After the one-week add/drop period, and up to the end of the tenth week of a semester, students may choose to withdraw from a course (see the Withdrawal from Courses section of this handbook).

International students who are in the United States under F-1 status are subject to strict federal regulations. F-1 students must seek the authorization of the Director of International Student Affairs before dropping below full-time enrollment. Unauthorized part-time enrollment will result in immediate termination of visa status.

Some students with financial aid may also be required to remain enrolled in a specific number of credits without it affecting their loans or other forms of aid. See the Office of Financial Aid to clarify what these regulations define and how they might affect you before making a choice to drop or withdraw from courses.

Change of Program

Students who matriculate at The Boston Conservatory in one program may request permission to switch to another. If the change of program involves a change in discipline (for example, from the B.F.A. in Musical Theater to the B.M. in Voice Performance or from Violin Performance to Viola Performance), then the student must formally audition for admission to the new program. Following acceptance, he or she would then meet with the Dean or Associate Dean of the Conservatory to understand the specific requirements remaining to be completed in the new program. International students under F-1 status must also seek the authorization of the Director of International Student Services before changing programs.

If the change in program involves a change to or from a diploma or degree program, then permission to do so may be granted by the Dean or Associate Dean of The Boston Conservatory. Such permission is routinely granted while the student is in the midst of his or her original program. For example, a student may have begun at the Conservatory in a Graduate Performance Diploma (G.P.D.) program and then request permission to change to the equivalent Master of Music (M.M.) program. International students who wish to change their program must first apply to the Dean's office. Changes from G.P.D. to M.M. will require new proof of English proficiency, as appropriate, along with a review of academic and artistic progress to date. Before final approval for a change of program is given, F-1 international students must qualify for a new I-20 from the Director of International Student Services. However, once a student completes sufficient required credits to be placed on a graduation list and then participates in commencement, he or she may no longer choose to switch programs in this way. A student who changes programs after one or more semesters in residence may or may not need to extend his/her residency in order to complete all the requirements of the new program. The Dean's office will make clear what additional requirements remain and will assist the student in planning program completion.

Class Size

In order to offer instruction in classes, there must normally be a minimum undergraduate enrollment of eight. Minimum enrollment for a graduate course is five.

When there is insufficient enrollment, the class may be offered in a subsequent year or another class may be substituted in a student's program with the approval of the Dean of The Boston Conservatory. Every effort is made to avoid the difficult consequences of course cancellation when a course is required in a student's program of study.

Course Numbering System

Course numbers at The Boston Conservatory consist of two letters and three digits. The letter indicates the division or department offering the course (i.e., Dance [DA], Music Education [ED], Liberal Arts [LA], Music [MU], Theater [TH]). Courses whose numbers begin with 0 (e.g., 013 or 015) are graduate and undergraduate courses taken to address deficiencies in previous preparation by graduate students and are referred to as remedial courses.

Courses at the 100, 200, 300, and 400 levels are undergraduate courses. Generally, 100-level courses are for freshmen or indicate introductory level subject matter, and 400-level courses are for seniors or advanced undergraduates. Courses at the 500 and 600 levels are graduate level courses, and some may be offered concurrently with an undergraduate course covering the same content. Juniors and seniors, on the recommendation of the instructor and with permission of a Division Director or the Dean of The Boston Conservatory, may enroll in 500 level graduate courses for undergraduate credit. Permission will be granted only when there is clear evidence in the student's academic record at the Conservatory that he or she is able to do work at the graduate level. Courses completed for credit in this manner may not be used by that student toward a graduate degree or diploma program at the Conservatory without the explicit approval of the Dean of the Conservatory.

In the case of the graduate program in Music Education, selected undergraduates in a Bachelor of Music program may be admitted to the master's program beginning with 12 credits of work in the summer prior to their senior year. For these students, acceptance into the M.M. in Music Education program represents permission to enroll in graduate coursework, and this coursework will be counted toward their completion of that program. Graduate credits earned in the Music Education program may not be used to complete the student's Bachelor of Music program.

Credit Loads, Enrollment Status, and Extra Tuition Charges

 

A student is considered full time in undergraduate baccalaureate programs if he or she carries a minimum level of 12 credit hours per semester (10 credits for students in a Boston Conservatory Diploma program). Graduate students in the Master of Music in Performance, Composition, and Vocal Pedagogyprograms are considered full time if they carry seven credit hours per semester.

Master in Music Education students are considered full time if carrying 10 credits in a summer semester or  five credits in a fall or spring semester, and Graduate Diploma in Music Education students are considered full time if they carry eight credits in a summer semester or  three credits in a fall or spring semester.

The minimum number of credits required for full-time enrollment in a Graduate Performance Diploma program is  seven credits for a G.P.D. in Opera and five credits for all other G.P.D. programs.  Full-time for theProfessional Studies Certificate (P.S.C.) program is a minimum of six credits.

The maximum allowable credit load in any semester is variable by division, degree and year (see chart below) For Master of Fine Artsin Musical Theater or Master of Music in Opera Performance the maximum alloable credit load in any semester is 12.Op. There are no credit limits for Master of Music in Music Education or Graduate Diploma in Music Education students, as these students are charged tuition based on the specific number of credits of enrollment.

International students on F-1 visas are required to enroll in a full-time course of study throughout their program, with the exception of their final semester, when part-time enrollment can be authorized if the student has fewer than the minimum full-time load of credits to complete their program. Additional exceptions to the full-time enrollment requirement can be made on a case-by-case basis. Please speak with the Director of International Student Services for additional information. F-1 students should not drop below full-time standing until they have received approval from the Director of International Student Services.

Part-time students are classified as follows depending on numbers of credits in which they are registered:

 

Full- and Part-Time Status by Program 

	Full-Time	3/4 Time	1/2 Time	Less then 1/2 Time
MM in Music Education (Summer)	10 - no max	7.5 - 9.5	5 - 7	4.5 and less
GPD in Music Education (Summer)	8 - no max	6 - 7.5	4 - 5.5	3.5 and less
MM in Music Education (AY)	5 - no max	3.5 - 4.5	2.5 - 3	2 and less
GPD in Music Education (AY)	3 - no max	2 - 2.5	1.5	1 and less
All BM Programs (except Voice Performance, freshman spring)	12 - 18	9 - 11.5	6 - 8.5	5.5 and less
BM in Voice Performance (freshman spring)	12 - 19	9 - 11.5	6 - 8.5	5.5 and less
BFA in Musical Theater (all semesters except freshman fall)	12 - 18	9 - 11.5	6 - 8.5	5.5 and less
Freshman Year (fall semester)	12 - 18.5	9 - 11.5	6 - 8.5	5.5 and less
BFA in Dance
Freshman Year (fall semester)	12 - 21.5	9 - 11.5	6 - 8.5	5.5 and less
Freshman Year (spring semester)	12 - 18	9 - 11.5	6 - 8.5	5.5 and less
Sophomore Year (fall and spring semesters)	12 - 22.5	9 - 11.5	6 - 8.5	5.5 and less
Junior Year (fall and spring semesters)	12 - 20	9 - 11.5	6 - 8.5	5.5 and less
Senior Year (fall and spring semesters)	12 - 18	9 - 11.5	6 - 8.5	5.5 and less
MFA in Musical Theater	10 - 12	7.5 - 9.5	5 - 7	4.5 and less
MM in Performance, Composition, or Vocal Ped (except Opera)	7 - 10	5.5 - 6.5	3.5 - 5	3 and less
MM in Opera Performance	10 - 12	7.5 - 9.5	5 - 7	4.5 and less
GPD in Performance (except Opera)	5 - 7	4 - 4.5	2.5 - 3.5	2 and less
GPD in Opera Performance	7 - 9	5.5 - 6.5	3.5 - 5	3 and less
PSC	6 - 8	4.5 - 5.5	4 - 3	2.5 and less
ADP	5 - no max	4 - 4.5	2.5 - 3.5	2 and less

Students in all programs wishing to elect additional courses may do so with the approval of their department chair, but they will be charged extra tuition on a per-credit basis beyond the maximum number of credits permitted within their program.

Artist Diploma Program (A.D.P.) students may register freely for any courses at The Boston Conservatory that support their training and musical development; A.D.P. students are not subject to credit limits except in the case of international A.D.P. students, who must carry a minimum of five credits to maintain F-1 visa status.

Graduate students in Music whose undergraduate preparation in specific areas like theory, foreign language or music history is deemed insufficient are required to take remedial coursework to address these deficiencies. These courses earn credits as appropriate toward full-time status. Students in all programs except the Master of Fine Artsin Musical Theater or Master of Music in Opera programs incur specific charges for remedial course enrollment when remedial courses take them past their credit limits.

Curricular Practical Training and Internships

Students may pursue defined internships for appropriate credit and use up to four such credits toward their degree. Internships with arts organizations, schools or other employers must be approved by the director of a student's division and by the Dean of The Boston Conservatory.

Approval requires a developed contract form bearing the signature of the student and a staff member of the outside organization providing the internship. This contract form should be presented to the director of the student's division and the Associate Dean of The Boston Conservatory for approval. Once approval is granted, a student enrolls in the internship course for an appropriate number of credits in the semester or semesters of the internship. The student's experience and the quality of his or her work must be evaluated by a designated Internship Site Supervisor in the host organization and by an appropriate faculty member at the Conservatory or by the Conservatory's Director of Career Services, who serves as the institution's Internship Coordinator. An internship course may be repeated up to four times for credit; however, no more than six internship credits may count toward an undergraduate degree and no more than three credits count toward a graduate degree.

International students whose F-1 visas normally prohibit paid work off campus may seek authorization for such work through Curricular Practical Training (C.P.T.) when the employment is an integral part of their degree program. In order to pursue off-campus employment and internships, international students must receive authorization from the Director of International Student Services before beginning any employment.

Students must be enrolled in an appropriate designated course, complete an application for C.P.T. and submit this application with proof of employment to the Office of International Student Services. If approved, international students will receive a new I-20 with C.P.T. authorization noted on it. Failure to receive approval before beginning any off-campus work may be a violation of F-1 status and could result in the termination of a student's lawful status in the United States.

Dean's List

Dean's List distinction is awarded to full-time undergraduate students chosen for their high scholastic standing. Eligibility for inclusion is based upon the completion of at least 12 credits in the semester (10 credit hours for diploma candidates), the attainment of at least a B grade in every course, and a GPA of at least 3.30 (3.60 or better for Dean's List with Honors). Any incomplete or unfinished grade disqualifies a student for inclusion on Dean's List regardless of the cumulative average.

Degree Completion: Commencement and Time Limits

The Boston Conservatory holds a single commencement each year during the month of May. All students who complete degree or diploma requirements prior to commencement are placed on a graduation list presented for approval to the institution's Board of Trustees, and their names appear in the commencement program. Students who have completed all but a relatively small number of credits prior to commencement may, in specific instances, be placed on the graduation list and allowed to participate in commencement ceremonies. Normally, students with six or fewer remaining required credits are permitted to participate in commencement. An asterisk in the commencement program identifies these students so as to make clear that they are not receiving their diplomas following the ceremony.

Undergraduate degree and diploma students have a total of 10 years from the date of first matriculation to complete their required programs of study. Graduate degree or diploma students have a total of five years from the date of first matriculation to complete their programs.

English Language Requirements

It is the policy of the U.S. Government and The Boston Conservatory that students have sufficient English language skills to participate successfully in campus life and their chosen curriculum.

The Boston Conservatory offers a comprehensive program of English as a second language (ESL) courses during the academic year to support Boston Conservatory students.

English Evaluations

All incoming non-native English speakers are required to undergo an English language evaluation upon matriculation, regardless of their Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score. This evaluation will help determine if students need extra support in English to succeed at The Boston Conservatory. ESL courses that are assigned as a result of this evaluation are graduation requirements and are not optional.

English Classes

The Boston Conservatory offers ESL at the intermediate and advanced levels. Advancement from one level of ESL to the next is based on individual English language ability and progress.

Depending upon their degree program, students must satisfactorily complete either the intermediate or advanced level of ESL classes before they will be allowed to take many of the classes required for their degree. As a result, students who need additional coursework in ESL may require one or two extra semesters to complete their degree requirements.

ESL requirements by degree program are as follows:

• Bachelor's degree students must be enrolled in advanced ESL before registering for Liberal Arts or Music History classes. Bachelor's students are required to complete the second semester of advanced ESL to fulfill graduation requirements and must complete all assigned ESL coursework with a grade of B- or higher. Grades lower than B- will result in additional semesters of ESL coursework and may extend completion of the undergraduate program beyond eight semesters.
• Graduate Performance Diploma students are required to complete the second semester of intermediate ESL to fulfill graduation requirements. GPD students are required to complete all assigned ESL coursework with a grade of B- or higher. Grades lower than a B- will result in additional semesters of ESL coursework and may extend completion of the graduate program beyond four semesters. More advanced English language skills are required if the student plans to apply to the master's curriculum at a later date.
• Master's Degree students must be enrolled in advanced ESL in order to register for Introduction to Graduate Studies and Music History courses and are required to complete the second semester of Advanced ESL to fulfill graduation requirements. Master's students are required to complete all assigned ESL coursework with a grade of B- or higher. Grades lower than a B- will result in additional semesters of ESL coursework and may extend completion of the master's program beyond four semesters.

Master's students who are placed in Intermediate ESL during Orientation may choose to change their enrollment to G.P.D. until they qualify for Advanced standing. This will reduce their tuition expenses and allow them to focus on raising their English skills to the standard required for master's level work.

ESL Requirements for All Students

All students enrolled in ESL courses are subject to examinations and grades. Academic credit toward degree completion for Boston Conservatory ESL classes varies by degree program. Students pursuing the B.M., B.F.A. or M.M. degree should be aware that insufficient English language skills will delay registration in Liberal Arts, Music History and other degree requirements and may lengthen the time required to complete the degree. Students enrolled in Intermediate ESL are not allowed to enroll in writing-intensive academic classes, while students in Advanced ESL may enroll in one writing-intensive academic class per semester.

ESL classes are considered remedial and cannot be used to substitute for Liberal Arts electives or other required courses.

Examinations

All students must remain on campus until all their final exams are completed as scheduled. Final exams will not be rescheduled.

Some courses may not require a final exam but may use a meeting period during the examination schedule for a final course meeting. Students in these courses are equally obligated to remain on campus and to attend any such required course meetings.

All Music majors and all graduate level Theater majors registered in applied music courses must perform before a faculty jury at the end of each semester. Students taking applied concentrate lessons are exempt from jury requirements. Undergraduate Musical Theater majors perform before only one voice jury per academic year. Freshmen and seniors take voice juries during their first semester; sophomores and juniors take voice juries during their second semester.

Jury grades constitute a percentage of the student's applied music grade for the semester. Students with an unsatisfactory record of attendance (fewer than 13 lessons per semester) will not be admitted to the jury examination and will receive an F grade. Juries are required of all Composition students at the end of each semester and are assessed with a numerical grade, which is factored with the professor's applied lesson grade.

Facilities Reservations

Reservations to use classrooms or studios during daytime (regular class schedule) hours must be made in person with the Scheduling Coordinator in the Office of the Registrar. All reservations for Seully Hall, the Concert Room, Studio T401 and recitals or other concerts are scheduled by the Concert Services Manager in the Music Division.

Reservations of any dance studios and acting/musical theater performance studios outside of class time must be made in person with the Scheduling Coordinator, Registrars Office.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974

Confidentiality of Records

The Boston Conservatory shall comply with the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). The student's name, residence hall, home address, telephone number, major, credit earned, semester standing, dates of attendance and degree awarded shall be considered public information unless the student notifies the Registrar not to release such information without prior consent.

The Boston Conservatory is obligated not to disclose any non-public information outside the institution without the student's prior written consent except as noted in the FERPA. Student information will be provided within the institution to Boston Conservatory officials only as needed to perform their assigned duties.

Students may inspect and review their education records upon request to the Registrar. Students should submit to the record custodian a written request that identifies as precisely as possible the record or records he or she wishes to inspect. The record custodian will make arrangements for access to the appropriate records and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. Access must be given within 45 days of the request.

The Boston Conservatory reserves the right to refuse students access to the following records:

1. Financial statements of student's parents.
2. Letters and statements of recommendation for which the student has waived his or her right of access, or which were placed in the file before Jan. 1, 1975.
3. Records connected with the student's application to Conservatory if that student was denied admission. Furthermore, The Boston Conservatory reserves the right to deny transcripts or copies of records not required to be made available by FERPA for any of the following reasons:

a. The student has an unpaid financial obligation to the Conservatory.
b. There is an unresolved disciplinary action against the student.
c. The student has defaulted on repayment under a Title IV loan program or owes a refund to a Title IV financial aid program.

Correction of Education Records

Students have the right to ask to have records corrected that they believe are inaccurate, misleading or in violation of their privacy rights. Following are the procedures for the correction of records:

1. The student must make a written request for a change of record to the appropriate official of The Boston Conservatory. In doing so, the student should identify the part of the record to be changed and specify why it is thought to be inaccurate, misleading or in violation of his or her privacy or other rights.
2. If after careful consideration the Conservatory cannot honor the requested change of record, the student will be so notified and informed of his/her right to appeal. The student will be afforded a full and fair opportunity to present evidence relevant to the issues raised in the original request to amend his/her records.
3. A written decision will be prepared and sent to the student within two weeks of the appeal. The decision will be kept as part of the student's permanent record.
4. If the appeal is successful, records will be changed appropriately; if denied, the record stands.

Directory Information

The Boston Conservatory does not release directory information to any individual or agency other than those specified below under Disclosure of Education Records.

Disclosure of Education Records

The Boston Conservatory will disclose information from a student's educational records only with the written consent of the student, except:

1. To school officials who have legitimate educational interest in the records, such as a Conservatory administrator or instructor; legitimate interest includes the performing of a task associated with the official's position or providing a service or benefit relating to the student or the student's family.
2. To officials of another school, upon request, in which a student seeks to enroll.
3. To officials of the U.S. Office of Education and others associated with the state and local education authorities.
4. In connection with a student's request for or receipt of financial aid, as necessary to determine the eligibility, amount or conditions of the financial aid or to enforce the terms and conditions of the aid.
5. If required by a state law requiring disclosure that was adopted before Nov. 19, 1974.
6. To organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the Conservatory.
7. To accrediting organizations to carry out their functions.
8. To parents of an eligible student who claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes and provide documentation that supports this claim.
9. To comply with a judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena.
10. To appropriate parties in a health or safety emergency.

Record of Requests for Disclosure

The Boston Conservatory will maintain a record of all requests for and/or disclosure of information from a student's education records. The record will indicate the name of the party making the request, any additional party to whom it may be re-disclosed and the legitimate interest the party had in requesting or obtaining the information. The parents or eligible student may review this record. This request for disclosure must be resubmitted at the beginning of each academic year the student is in attendance.

Types and Locations of Records

• Academic Records (Office of the Registrar)
• Academic Progress Records (Office of the Registrar)
• Billing and Charges (Business Office)
• Disciplinary Records (Office of Director of Housing and Student Life or Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students)
• Financial Aid Records (Office of Financial Aid)
• Health Records (Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students)
• Miscellaneous Records (Office of the Registrar, division or department offices, Office of Academic Affairs)

The fee for copies of any of the above records is $1 per page, with the exception of academic transcripts, for which there is a charge of $5 each.

Grading System

Letter Grade Numerical Equivalent Quality Points

A (Superior)	95–100	4.000
A-	90–94	3.700
B+	87–89	3.300
B (Above Average)	83–86	3.000
B-	80–82	2.700
C+	77–79	2.300
C (Average)	73–76	2.000
C-	70–72	1.700
D (Marginally Passing)	65–69	1.000
F (Failing)	below 65	0.000
P (Passing)	65–100	N/A
NP (Not passing)	below 65	N/A
W (Withdrawal)
I (Incomplete)
NC (No Credit)
AU (Audit)

Incomplete Grades

An incomplete grade (or I) may be requested after discussion between the instructor and student to permit additional time to complete course requirements or to take missed final examinations only when the cause of the delay has been an authenticated illness or emergency. Approval for an incomplete grade will be given only when a student specifies a clearly defined and achievable process for completing all required work.

Faculty members make the decision to grant an Incomplete based on the criteria defined above. A form for this purpose is available in divisional offices, in the Office of Academic Affairs and through the Office of the Registrar. It mandates a statement concerning the reasons for the Incomplete and a specific definition of course requirements to be completed (with a timetable for completion). The faculty member signs the form along with the student, and the Dean of the Conservatory or Associate Dean signs as well to ensure that the offering of Incomplete grades is carefully monitored. If the required paperwork is not filed in the Registrar's Office by the end of the semester, an Incomplete grade will not be accepted on a final grade report. Rather, a grade of F will be noted on the student's final grade report.

An Incomplete grade issued at the end of the fall semester must be completed before the end of the fifth week of the following spring semester. An Incomplete grade issued at the end of the spring semester or summer session must be completed before the end of the fifth week of the fall semester. For music history, composition and theory courses Incompletes must be completed by the first day of the following semester of which the Incomplete was issued. The extension of an I is permissible only with the approval of the Dean of the Conservatory or Associate Dean. Failure to comply with this schedule will cause the Incomplete grade to become an F and this will be so noted on the student's transcript. Incomplete grades may affect federal aid and Conservatory scholarships. Students should check with the Financial Aid Office before requesting an Incomplete grade.

Grade Disputes and Other Academic Grievances

Students who have concerns about the grade given for a particular course should discuss their concerns with the instructor of that course, then, if not satisfied, bring their concern to the Division Director or department head. He or she will mediate the dispute and make a decision concerning the student's grievance. A student may appeal that decision to the Dean of the Conservatory.

If a student does not feel comfortable initiating a first discussion of his or her concerns with the instructor of the course, then the grievance may be brought directly to the Division Director. The Director may then require that some other dialogue take place with the instructor, with him or her acting as mediator if necessary.

If a student's concern is with a grade in a course taught by the Division Director, he or she may choose to bring that concern directly to the Dean of the Conservatory.

Other academic grievances should be brought to the attention of the Director of the relevant division or the Dean of the Conservatory. He or she will make every effort to mediate a satisfactory resolution of the student's concern.

Grade Reports

Grade reports are available after the end of each semester. Fall grade reports will be mailed to the student's local address; spring grade reports will be mailed to the student's permanent address. Grades will be released only if all financial obligations to The Boston Conservatory have been satisfied. Students who wish to change the address to which grades are mailed may do so by communicating a change in writing to the Office of the Registrar.

Graduation Requirements

Candidates for an undergraduate degree or diploma must provide evidence of successful completion of the appropriate curriculum as described in the catalog or advising manual effective at the time of the student's matriculation with an overall grade point average of not less than a 2.0 and a grade point average of not less than 2.4 in a group of courses defined within each division's programs as follows:

Dance Division: dance technique, styles, partnering and repertory and rehearsal

Music Division: applied lessons, ensemble credits, chamber music or song repertoire classes and area performance seminars

Theater Division: acting, musical theater, voice and speech and applied lessons

If students have successfully completed the terminal courses in all subject areas and, due to advanced placement, have not earned the total number of credits prescribed, as many as 18 credits may be waived upon the recommendation of the appropriate Division Director and the approval of the Dean of the Conservatory.

Requirements for Music Performance Majors

1. Students must have studied a comprehensive repertoire in their major applied areas and must present solo recitals in the junior and senior years. For composition majors junior recitals are not required.. Each Music Division Department defines its own repertory and jury requirements and communicates them in writing to students.
2. Students must be registered in applied lessons for the semester in which the recital is presented. Outstanding soloists may audition for performances with the Conservatory Orchestra or other large ensembles.

In addition to the prescribed curricular requirements, students in the Music Division must observe the following requirements:

Graduate Degree Requirements

1. Each candidate for a graduate degree or diploma must provide evidence of successful completion of a curriculum described in the catalog effective at the time of the student's matriculation.
2. An overall GPA of B- (2.7) or better must be earned, with no grade below B- in the major applied area for performance majors (that is, the applied lesson, ensemble courses, chamber music, area performance seminars, song repertoire, etc.).
3. Grades below B- carry no credit toward a degree.
4. It may be assumed that completion of a graduate program will require at least four semesters of study.
5. Master of Music in Performance, Composition, and Vocal Pedagogy programs in the Music Division require successful completion of an oral comprehensive examination connected to the final recital during the second year of study. Some departments link the exam to the normal pre-recital hearing; others administer the exam following the recital. Each department publishes written guidelines defining the nature of the examination and what is expected of students preparing for it.
6. Master of  Fine Arts in Musical Theater students create and perform a Cabaret  project and participate in Summer Stock and Graduate Showcase .
7. Specific repertory and other requirements may be defined by departments in the Music Division. Such requirements are communicated to students in writing through their applied teachers or the department's performance or composition seminar.
8. All graduate programs, including electives and changes of program, must be approved by the Chair of the student's department in the Music Division or the Director of the Theater Division, and all degree requirements must be completed within five years of the date of matriculation
9. Full-time graduate students are required to participate successfully in rehearsals and performances of major musical organizations for academic credit. Students granted permission for part-time study will also be required to complete at least four semesters of Ensembles.. Opera and Musical Theater majors are exempt.

Graduate electives must be chosen in accordance with the needs of the individual candidate in his or her chosen area of specialization and with the advice and consent of the Chair of the student's department in the Music Division or the Director of the Theater Division.

 

Graduation with Honors

Undergraduate students whose cumulative grade point average indicates high scholastic attainment will be awarded the degree as follows:

Summa cum laude: grade point average of 3.80 or above

Magna cum laude: grade point average between 3.60 and 3.79

Cum laude: grade point average between 3.30 and 3.59

Only those credits earned at The Boston Conservatory will be computed in the final average.

Music Performance Majors

1. Students must have studied a comprehensive repertoire in their major applied areas and must present solo recitals in the junior and senior years. For composition majors junior recitals are not required, and senior recitals are optional. Each Music Division Department defines its own repertory and jury requirements and communicates them in writing to students.

2. Students must be registered in applied lessons for the semester in which the recital is presented. Outstanding soloists may audition for performances with the Conservatory Orchestra or other large ensembles.

Leave(s) of Absence

Students in good standing may request a leave of absence. Leave of Absence (LOA) forms are available from the Office of the Registrar. A leave of absence allows a student to return to the Conservatory at any registration period for up to one year from the start of the leave without the necessity of re-applying and re-auditioning. Students on scholarship who are in good academic standing will retain their award when returning to the Conservatory from a leave of absence not greater than one year. International students must also receive written authorization from the Director of International Student Services before taking a leave of absence.

If the student was last enrolled more than four years earlier, then the student may be required to re-do coursework after evaluation by the faculty. The faculty may also grant course waivers based on a student's developed skills. Students who re-enroll after an absence of more than four years are subject to the curricular requirements in effect at the time of their re-enrollment. Those still operating under older requirements may have substitutions mandated to allow them to complete their required programs. In addition, please refer to our Voluntary and Involuntary Medical Leave Policy as found in the Student Policies section.

Part-Time Study

Undergraduate and graduate students in all divisions may choose to enroll as part-time students in one or more of their semesters in residence. A student should make this decision with great care after soliciting advice from his or her Department Chair, the Director of his or her division or the Office of Academic Affairs. Music majors who opt for part-time enrollment must normally include large ensemble activity among the courses in which they enroll during each semester in residence. International students must receive written authorization from the Director of International Student Affairs before dropping below full-time status.

Practice Rooms—Piano Majors

In order to provide Piano majors with optimum practice conditions, certain studios are made available during evening and weekend hours beginning mid-September. Please consult the Music Division Student Handbook for the most current policies regarding practice room access and procedures.

Probation, Academic Suspension, and Dismissal

The Boston Conservatory has set the following standards for satisfactory academic progress:

1. Undergraduate students are expected to maintain a cumulative and semester grade point average of 1.7 for freshmen and 2.0 for all other students. Students who fall below this standard are placed on academic probation.
2. Students must successfully complete 75 percent of attempted credits per semester. Grades or recorded symbols of F, W and I do not signify successful completion of a course.

Students may not appeal a probation decision unless they believe that errors were made in calculating their grade point average or in interpreting guideline two above. Concerns of this kind may be registered with the Associate Dean of the Conservatory.

The Associate Dean of the Conservatory and the Registrar are excellent sources of advice concerning the implications of a probation letter as well as a student's next steps in addressing the situation.

Students who do not meet the Conservatory's standards for satisfactory academic progress for two consecutive semesters are subject to academic suspension for at least the following semester. In some cases, suspension will be for two semesters in order to keep a student on track in a sequentially organized curriculum.

Students who have been academically suspended may appeal their suspension to the Associate Dean of the Conservatory. An appeal must be submitted in writing within 10 business days of a student's receiving a letter informing him or her of suspension, and the Academic Probation and Suspension Board will then consider the appeal. An appeal will likely be unsuccessful unless a student can identify compelling extenuating circumstances to explain unsatisfactory progress or can raise concerns about the fairness of grading. The Academic Probation and Suspension Board is chaired by the Associate Dean and consists of at least three faculty or academic administrators. Should it deny an appeal, a student may also appeal the action to suspend in a letter to the Dean of the Conservatory. An appeal must be registered within 10 business days of receipt of the Board's decision.

Students on academic suspension are not required to audition for re-admittance. However, they must demonstrate to the Academic Probation and Suspension Board evidence that they are now capable of meeting academic responsibilities successfully.

Students on academic suspension who seek re-admittance should contact the Associate Dean of the Conservatory. If, after a thorough review of a student's academic record, the Academic Probation and Suspension Board determines that a student's academic success at The Boston Conservatory is not feasible, that student will be dismissed. A second suspension in an undergraduate career results in automatic dismissal. A student who is dismissed may not be granted re-admittance to the Conservatory.

Students dismissed for academic reasons may appeal their dismissal through the following procedure:

1. Student appeals to the Dean of the Conservatory in writing, citing reasons why consideration should be given. This communication must be filed within 10 business days of the notice of dismissal.
2. The Dean of the Conservatory solicits input regarding reasons for low grades and potential improvement from faculty in the student's major division.
3. An appeal hearing is held with the student, the Dean of the Conservatory and the appropriate faculty.
4. Appeal is granted or denied with or without conditions.

Proficiency Examinations (Graduate Students)

Students are accepted into a master's program at The Boston Conservatory with an expectation that they have completed the basic experiences of a comparable Bachelor of Music program or that they demonstrate through the audition the performance proficiency and musicianship necessary for successful study at the graduate level.

Proficiency examinations will be administered for all new master's students at the beginning of each semester. Students must demonstrate proficiencies as listed below.

Deficiencies, if any, will require enrollment in prerequisite coursework in the first year of residency. Failure to make up deficiencies within the first year of study can jeopardize a student's progress toward the degree.

Degree Proficiency Exams Required

• Master of Music Ear Training (in Performance, Opera, Harmony and Composition)
• Music History
• Master of Music in Music Ear Training
• Education Harmony
• Keyboard Skills

Students who must take Music History review courses or deficiency coursework in Ear Training and/or Harmony are required to complete this work within the first year in residence. Any student that fails a proficiency exam for the spring semester may re-sit the exam offered the day before spring classes begin. In most cases, however, it will be wiser to address the deficiencies in question by registering for the prescribed course or courses. Postponement of prescribed remedial coursework is always at the student's own risk. Any student who takes deficiency or remedial courses incurs specific charges to a student's account as defined in the most current statement concerning tuition, fees and other charges.

Students entering the Master of Fine Arts in Musical Theater are not required to sit for proficiency program examinations but do take placement examinations in Music Theory.

Master of Music students in Voice or Opera must have completed, as undergraduates, a year of college work in at least two of the following languages: Italian, German or French. If a student can demonstrate knowledge in one or more of these languages through means other than previous college coursework, he or she may request a proficiency evaluation by the faculty. Students entering The Boston Conservatory in Voice or Opera are required to make up at least one language deficiency in the first year of residence at an additional tuition charge for one credit of remedial course enrollment.

The course instructors will define placement in language courses. Some students may be advised to enter directly into the second semester of a course, and others may do so well in the first semester that the second semester is waived.

Students entering a graduate program without documentation of an undergraduate recital will have that undergraduate recital as a deficiency. The applied teacher will be notified, and the recital must be presented no later than the first month of the third semester of matriculation. Students are encouraged to address this deficiency sooner so that adequate time remains for the preparation of the required graduate recital(s).

Students who delay their undergraduate deficiency recital to the maximum and jeopardize the preparation of their graduate recital may be required to take additional graduate applied study.

Promotional Decisions

Students are admitted to all undergraduate programs at The Boston Conservatory through an audition. In granting admission, the faculty signals its belief in the potential of an individual to reach through training a significant pre-professional level of excellence in his or her field or instrument. During the first few semesters of study, students confront enriching training experiences designed and led by the faculty to provoke and nurture artistic and technical growth and development. These experiences are organized into courses for which students are assigned grades based on the quality of effort and on the process, not merely on the developing product, of work. The Conservatory's expectation is that all students will engage in this work with energy, commitment and self-discipline. After those first semesters, the faculty takes a deeper look at the growth and development of individual students through a promotional jury and/or examination process, asking and answering a fundamental question: Is this student manifesting the kind of growth that promises that he or she will attain the significant pre-professional level of excellence that is the goal of all Conservatory programs? Some students, even though they have confronted the training curriculum with dedication and discipline, may not show promise of meeting this standard and will be dismissed for artistic reasons.

A Conservatory that invites students to devote four years of their educational lives to intensive focus on training in the arts has a particular obligation to consider thoughtfully the wisdom of an individual student remaining in a program. The Boston Conservatory feels that obligation deeply for two key reasons: 1) It may not be in the best interest of a student to continue to invest in the demands of training work if sufficient progress toward a clear pre-professional goal is not being demonstrated; and 2) quality performing arts training programs must ensure a uniform level of excellence in studio classroom and ensemble activities.

This is why we have a process for defining a moment in a student's career called promotion. Students in Dance, Music and Theater are given two years at The Boston Conservatory before they face the possibility of dismissal for artistic reasons (as opposed to merely academic ones). The specific procedures defining the promotion process in each division are described in detail below.

All Divisions and Programs: Procedures and Policies

1. During the first three semesters of work, the Dean of the Conservatory, following a clear recommendation from the faculty, may advise a student that he or she is on probation. Such a recommendation will primarily reflect work ethic issues; that is, students not engaged fully in the work required in a program, who are not contributing to the work or, at an extreme, not attending classes or rehearsals consistently, will be clearly warned through a probation letter. After one semester on probation, a student may be dismissed from the program. While poor attendance and a generally poor work ethic will normally be accompanied by lower grades, students whose grades do not place them in jeopardy of academic probation or suspension may nonetheless face artistic probation and dismissal.
2. Students can and should expect faculty in intensive performing arts training programs to offer timely and honest feedback concerning their progress. Feedback will come in many forms, including, but not limited to, grades, formal critiques in a class or a private lesson, or personal conferences with faculty, Department Chairs in Music, or the Director of a division. In some instances, a Chair or Director may choose to put his or her comments in writing to make certain the concern of the faculty regarding progress is clear and understood. Formal letters would normally come at the end of a given semester's work.
3. In all three divisions, faculty considering a candidate for promotion will have access to the student's transcript, which provides one source of insight concerning his/her work. However, grades are not the only determinant of whether or not an individual should be promoted.

Dance Division: Specific Policies and Procedures

1. Students who enter The Boston Conservatory as freshmen are candidates for promotion at the end of the third semester in the program. Those who enter as transfer students will start out in the freshman class and become candidates for promotion at the end of the third semester of work.
2. Candidates for promotion are evaluated by the entire performance faculty through performance exams at the conclusion of Ballet and Modern Technique. In discussing a student's candidacy for promotion, the faculty may also make use of personal knowledge of the candidate from courses or rehearsal/performance experiences. They will have access to a candidate's transcript as well as input (when applicable) gathered from choreographers.
3. The faculty may recommend one of two possible actions to the Dean of the Conservatory at the end of the third semester: 1) Promotion is granted or 2) the student is placed on artistic probation.
4. Students placed on artistic probation will again be candidates for promotion at the end of the next semester. At that time, the faculty has the option of recommending either that promotion be granted or that a student be dismissed from the program.
5. Students granted promotion will then complete their program in two additional years of study. Note: Transfer students who are granted promotion will be notified, at this time, whether they can complete their degree in one or two more years. They will not face any further formal evaluation of artistic achievement; however, they must complete all required courses and credits successfully to earn the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree or Conservatory Diploma.

Music Division: Specific Policies and Procedures

1. Students who enter The Boston Conservatory as freshmen are candidates for promotion at the end of the third semester in the program. Those who enter as transfer students and who may be completing their program of study in three or fewer years become candidates for promotion at the end of either the first, second or third semester of study at the discretion of the faculty in the student's area of study. The exact moment at which a transfer student becomes a candidate for promotion will always be communicated to a student in advance, normally at the time of admission.
2. Departmental faculty through the normal end-of-semester jury process evaluates candidates for promotion. In discussing a student's candidacy for promotion, the faculty may also make use of personal knowledge of the candidate from courses or rehearsal/performance experiences. They will have access to a candidate's transcript as well as input from ensemble conductors.
3. The faculty may recommend one of two possible actions to the Dean of the Conservatory at the end of the third semester: 1) Promotion is granted or 2) the student is placed on artistic probation.
4. Students placed on artistic probation will again be candidates for promotion at the end of the next semester. At that time, the faculty has the option of recommending either that promotion be granted or that a student be dismissed from the program. Note: Students who entered by transferring from another institution may be granted up to an additional year of study (for a total of two years) before the decision to promote or dismiss the student.
5. Students granted promotion will then complete their program in two additional years of study. However, they must complete all required courses and credits successfully to earn the Bachelor of Music degree or Conservatory Diploma.

Theater Division: Specific Policies and Procedures

1. Students who enter The Boston Conservatory as freshmen are candidates for promotion at the end of the third semester in the program for singing. Those who enter as transfer students and who were enrolled in second-year Musical Theater, Acting and Speech training work in their first year in the program become candidates for promotion at the end of their first semester in the program. Graduate students will be evaluated at the end of their first year of study and a decision will be made regarding continuation in the master's program.
2. A committee of Theater Division faculty comprising representatives from the Musical Theater faculty will evaluate candidates for promotion formally. The Director of the Division facilitates the committee's work and moderates its discussions. Students will be asked to present songs to the faculty committee so that all members have a common experience of a student's work. However, the committee's discussion of candidates will be based both on the work shared and on the totality of a student's experiences at The Boston Conservatory. The committee will also have access to each candidate's transcript as well as input from applied voice faculty, directors, etc.
3. Promotion to the third year of training work in Musical Theater is based primarily on a student's growing potential in Musical Theater performance and acting. There is no minimum standard required in Dance. However, significant dance skill and further potential for growth will factor positively into a promotion decision.
4. Candidates for promotion are those students enrolled that year in second-year coursework in Acting, Musical Theater and Voice and Speech. They also must be eligible to enter at least Sophomore Music Lab (in the required Music Theory sequence) in the fall semester following their promotion.
5. After a thorough discussion of all candidates for promotion, the faculty will recommend one of two actions to the Dean of the Conservatory: 1) Promotion to the third year of study or 2) a probationary semester.
6. At the end of the spring semester, this process repeats itself for those students who were given a probationary semester in the program.
7. The standards for promotion in Acting include: a strong work ethic and reasonable progress. In all core courses of the acting program (acting, voice/speech and movement), students are expected to meet or exceed standards of promotion in every year as follows:
1. For promotion year to year, students need to demonstrate a strong work ethic in each semester, defined as a commitment to training, sustained effort and full application of themselves in their art. Evidence for this includes energized and purposeful participation in the classroom, supported by thorough and detailed preparation that attends to specific concepts and instructions. This preparation must demonstrate thoughtfulness and imagination, a genuine effort to overcome identified challenges and consistent processing of new techniques.
2. In addition to work ethic, students are expected to demonstrate reasonable progress, as determined by the student's ability to absorb pedagogic principles, to apply them to their work and to demonstrate growth in the performance of assignments within the discipline. Each discipline within the program will define its own criteria for growth as expectations may differ from one discipline to another and one instructor to another.
8. Warning, probation or dismissal may be recommended if the above is lacking. Be aware that in musical theater, a student can be put on probation and, subsequently, dismissed for vocal issues and/or for the inability to apply acting principles to lyric interpretation.
9. Students recommended for artistic dismissal may appeal that decision directly to the Dean of the Conservatory. He or she will act on the appeal by polling the faculty individually and as a group to be certain that the decision to dismiss any single student was a fair one given the totality of that student's work in the program.
10. Students awarded promotion will then complete their program in two additional years of study. They will not face any further formal evaluation of artistic achievement; however, they must complete all required courses and credits successfully to earn the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree or Conservatory Diploma.

The Role of the Office of Academic Affairs

Policies and procedures concerning promotion, like all academic policies, are developed in consultation with the divisions but then approved and promulgated by the Dean of the Conservatory. The Office of Academic Affairs bears final responsibility for those policies and the integrity with which they must be implemented.

Letters awarding promotion, as well as letters defining probationary periods, are written by the Dean of the Conservatory, with input from the faculty who has evaluated a student's progress. The Dean also communicates in writing with students who are being dismissed for artistic reasons. Students may appeal an artistic dismissal letter by writing to the Dean within 10 business days after receiving his or her letter.

Recitals

For more information on recital booking procedures, see the Music Division Student Handbook.

Registration and Academic Advising

Students are responsible for registering in the courses necessary for the completion of their degree requirements. Department Chairs in Music, Division Directors, the Registrar, the Associate Academic Dean, assigned Student Academic Advisors and the Dean of the Conservatory are available for advice and consultation. However, students must take responsibility for verifying that requirements are being met and that they are making appropriate progress toward their degree.

Each semester there is a designated two- to three-week period for advising and preregistration for the following semester's courses. Students are required to meet with their advisors during this time; this represents an important opportunity for all students to review their progress toward degree completion. By the end of the formal advising period, all students submit to the Office of the Registrar a preregistration form signed by his or her advisor. Failure to submit this form by the required deadline will bring with it a significant fee for late registration.

Residency Requirement

The final two semesters of study in all Conservatory programs must be done “in residence” at The Boston Conservatory, meaning that students are permitted to take courses only at the Conservatory or its sister institutions in the Pro-Arts Consortium.

With the approval of the Associate Dean or the Dean of the Conservatory, a student may submit up to 12 credits of work completed at another institution after the final year of residency toward his or her degree.

Transfer Evaluations and Acceptance of Transfer and Other Credits

Students wishing to transfer credits to The Boston Conservatory from other accredited collegiate institutions must submit transcripts from the post-secondary schools they have attended, together with a catalog showing course descriptions. In some cases, the student may be asked to submit a course syllabus. The maximum number of credits that may be transferred from other institutions toward an undergraduate degree is 75; no more than 6 credits may be used toward a graduate degree. Only courses with grades of C or better will be considered for undergraduate transfer credit. Graduate courses will not be accepted toward a Boston Conservatory degree unless the grades earned were B or better.

All courses in traditional arts and sciences disciplines may be accepted for Liberal Arts elective credit. New matriculates and/or transfer students should have a full transfer evaluation completed by Sept. 1, unless the Conservatory does not have full transcript documentation of previous work. In the event that official documentation is missing, the Registrar will work with the student to procure such documentation as soon as possible. Upon completion of the evaluation, a letter will be mailed to the new student explaining the number of credits and the courses fulfilled to meet the degree requirements according to the student's curriculum. In the event that the student believes the transfer evaluation is inaccurate or incomplete, he or she may speak with the Registrar to review the evaluation.

While previous college coursework in applied music, dance and theater may be accepted toward the degree, placement in specific levels of the training work is always determined by the entrance audition, special placement auditions and/or work with the student during the first year in residence. At the same time, whenever possible, waivers of specific requirements must be approved by the Division Director and entered in the student's record.

Some entering students in Musical Theater may be invited at admission to begin the training work in Acting, Voice and Speech, Voice, Movement and Musical Theater Performance in the second year. This invitation is based on the strength of an entrance audition and is granted to only a very small number of new students each fall.

Dance majors with previous college credits may ultimately be allowed to complete the B.F.A. degree in as few as three years of study; however, this cannot be determined definitively until the student is formally promoted to the third year of work. Promotion might come after one, two or three semesters in residence.

Music performance majors with previous college coursework may also be candidates for promotion to the third year of applied study as early as December in the first year of residence. With the approval of the Associate Dean of the Conservatory, undergraduate Music majors may receive up to four semesters of ensemble credit earned at their previous institutions. However, during each semester of full-time status in residence at The Boston Conservatory, all students except Piano, Guitar and Composition students must register for the required credit of instrumental/choral ensemble. Graduate Music majors may receive up to two semesters of ensemble credit earned at their previous institutions, provided that they are enrolled in instrumental/choral ensemble during each semester in residence of full-time enrollment (except for Piano, Guitar and Composition students).

In general, transfer students matriculating at The Boston Conservatory should anticipate that their class standing will not be the same as it was at their previous institution. Students wishing to clarify questions of class standing should meet with the Dean or Associate Dean of the Conservatory in the first weeks of their first semester. Once enrolled, transfer students must assume responsibility for verifying that credits have been transferred and requirements are being addressed. All previous work must be evaluated and processed within one year of enrollment at the Conservatory.

Students already enrolled in a degree or diploma program at The Boston Conservatory who wish to earn credits through courses at other institutions are encouraged to seek prior approval of the courses to be taken from the Registrar. This will ensure clarity both as to whether or not the course(s) in question can be accepted for credit toward a Conservatory degree and as to whether or not they will satisfy specific Liberal Arts or major requirements. Once a student matriculates at the Conservatory, he or she may not use transfer credits (or credits by examination) to satisfy more than 50 percent of his or her outstanding Liberal Arts requirements.

Advanced Placement (AP) Credits

Entering students who have taken advanced placement tests and wish to have the credits accepted by the Conservatory must make arrangements with the College Board to have his or her test results sent to the Office of the Registrar at the Conservatory. The Registrar, following guidelines established by the Conservatory, implements AP credit evaluations. AP scores of three or better are eligible for acceptance as the equivalent of college work.

CLEP (College Level Examination Program)

Enrolled undergraduate students may earn credit in certain subjects through the CLEP or other standardized examination programs. This may include credits that are deemed equivalent to the Conservatory's Liberal Arts Core 1 through 4; no standardized examinations exist as equivalents to Core 5. Further information is available from the Registrar or the Associate Dean of the Conservatory. He or she must give permission in advance for a student to present a CLEP exam for credit. Only scores of 50 or better on CLEP exams will be accepted for credit.

Course Waivers

Students are accepted as transfer applicants, in many cases, without their specific level defined. Upon entering the Conservatory, all students are required to audition and/or take placement examinations in order to be placed in the appropriate level. When the examination results in placement in upper level work, the Conservatory will waive any required lower level course(s), and the course(s) and number of credits waived will be entered in the student's records (student will receive a grade of WV) and will count toward completion of the student's degree.

Life Experience

The Boston Conservatory recognizes that some students have had experiences comparable to in-class learning. The Boston Conservatory has a procedure for granting credit (tuition charges apply) for life experience learning. Students are advised that credit will be granted only for verifiable learning, either knowledge or skills, acquired during life or work experience, not for the experience itself. Additional information is available from the Dean or Associate Dean of the Conservatory.

Withdrawal from Courses

There is a one-week period at the beginning of each semester when a course may be dropped or added. Following that period, students may choose to withdraw from a course without academic penalty; however, a grade of W (withdrawal) will appear on the student's transcript. Students may officially withdraw from a course up to the end of the tenth week of the semester. After the tenth week, withdrawals are no longer permitted, except by special permission of the Associate Dean or the Dean of the Conservatory. (See Academic Calendar for exact dates.)

International students required to take English language coursework are not permitted to withdraw from that course, as progress toward English language skill development is an essential requirement that is time sensitive. The only exceptions to this policy would be cases of serious illness or family emergency requiring withdrawal from all courses prior to completion.

Withdrawal from Enrollment

If after careful consideration a student feels it would be in his or her best interest to withdraw from the Conservatory, the student should confirm his or her intentions with the Registrar. The exact date that withdrawal becomes effective is most important in determining adjustments to tuition charges and financial aid. The student should speak with the Financial Aid Office to discuss any financial implications before officially withdrawing from the Conservatory. Students withdrawing after the drop/add period will receive grades of W in the courses in which they had been enrolled.