In the event of any student absence, please notify your instructor in advance. If students miss a lesson due to conflicts, travel, or illness, they will receive one makeup lesson per semester in a group setting. If students miss their group makeup lesson, it will not be rescheduled. This is out of respect for our faculty members, who set aside a specific time for each student. This time is reserved only for you. Teachers cannot give the time away to someone else or fill it again — thus they do not have the opportunity to make up the lost income. Though many students and families are consistent and reliable about attendance, some are not; this policy is a way to support our talented faculty.
If a teacher misses a lesson, it will be made up as a private lesson at a mutually agreed upon time.
If students are absent without notification, the teacher will attempt to contact the student to determine the reason. After the second consecutive missed lesson without notice or contact, the student will be dismissed and the date of the second lesson will be considered the official withdrawal date. All withdrawal policies will be followed.
Students who are late for a lesson cannot be guaranteed their full lesson time. Faculty will wait for a student for one-third of the scheduled lesson time; students are asked to do the same.
OCM reserves the right to dismiss any student due to frequent absences, disciplinary problems, overdue tuition payments and/or noncompliance with the Conservatory's policies.
Lessons and classes will not be rescheduled and tuition will not be credited in the event of any emergency school closing due to weather or other circumstance beyond the control of the Omaha Conservatory of Music, unless:
For example:
If there is an emergency school closing on only one Monday during the year, lessons will not be rescheduled for that missed lesson.
In the interest of faculty and student safety, the Conservatory follows the Omaha Public Schools weather cancellations and will be officially closed when OPS is closed except for in the event of closure due to sub zero temperatures. As we do not bus our students, this is not applicable to the Conservatory. Cancellations will be posted on our website, Facebook, and local news stations. For weekend weather cancellations and the most updated information, please check our website and the Conservatory's Facebook page and Twitter feed.
If a student is wanting to change the lesson length after lessons have begun, written (or email) notification must be given to Diane Owens, Education Advisor and Admissions Manager: dianeowens@omahacm.org. Verbal notice or text message from students or parents cannot be accepted. Families who instigate the change must discuss it with the private instructor prior to submitting written notification to ensure the instructor can accommodate a change. The original lesson length will be maintained for 8 days from written notification to allow for changes in billing and teacher schedules.
There is a $25 withdrawal fee. A student who wishes to withdraw from private lessons must give Diane Owens at least two weeks written notice: dianeowens@omahacm.org. Verbal notice or text message from students, parents or faculty cannot be accepted. The date on which the written withdrawal is received by the Conservatory, not the last date of attendance, will be considered the official date of withdrawal. The student is responsible for payment for the two lessons following the official date of withdrawal and may attend them if he or she chooses.
If a student experiences a serious health issue that prevents them from taking lessons, they have a few options:
Omaha Conservatory of Music continues its firm commitment to the principle of equal employment opportunity. We provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, age, sex, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation or any other prohibited basis of discrimination under applicable local, state or federal law. We make employment decisions consistent with this principle of equal opportunity. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment.
