Student Professional Development Guidelines

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All students must commit to and follow the Student Professional Development Guidelines during their enrollment at Paul Mitchell The School Austin. These guidelines were established to assist in creating a safe, focused, and enjoyable learning experience.

Attendance and Documentation of Time

  1. The school records attendance in clock hours and gives appropriate attendance credit for all hours attended. The school does not add or deduct attendance hours as a penalty. Attendance is calculated using a computerized timeclock. This device may consist of an app that can be used on your phone, a biometric scanner in the school, or similar device. To ensure proper credit for clock hours, all day students are required to clock in/out 4 times a day: when they arrive at school, when they leave for lunch, when they return from lunch, and when they leave at the end of the day. Part-time students are required to clock in/out two (2) times a day, when they arrive at school and when they leave at the end of the day. If a student fails to clock in or out for their schedule on the student timeclock, the student will not receive hours. If the student wishes to dispute any hours they feel earned, the student must provide documentation to verify attendance on the missing time form. The documentation would include the students sign in sheet, specialty class attendance role, guest service services, and/or a Learning Leader signature.
  2. The school is open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and Friday, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
  3. All courses require continuous attendance.
  4. The prescribed attendance schedule must be maintained each week.
  5. Mandatory school day: All scheduled On-Campus school days are Mandatory.
  6. Students must be on time, as tardiness inhibits the learning process. Students who are late for a guest artist class may attend the class but must be accompanied into the classroom by an instructor. Students are never excused from the mandatory theory class to work in the clinic.
  7. Once a cosmetology student reaches 900 hours, they may apply to take the Texas written exam with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations. There is a fee charged for this exam that is not included in the tuition cost. Once a student passes this state exam, the student is no longer required to attend Theory class.
  8. Students who are going to be late or cannot attend school must notify the school before 7:30 a.m. 
  9. Cosmetology and Class A Barber students attend Core the first 8 weeks of school, and Esthetics and Manicure students attend Core the first 4 weeks of school. During this time, the student must maintain a monthly attendance of 80%. If, at the conclusion of the month, the student’s progress report is not 80% attendance, the student may be dropped from the program and asked to re-enroll in the next available class start date.
  10. Students must request time off from school from the Future Professional Advisor.
  11. All students are scheduled to be in attendance according to their contracted program schedule of daily and weekly hours. Holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day will be set according to the calendar each year. Students cannot bank hours and attend over their contracted schedule hours to make up for missing hours.
  12. Lunches and breaks are scheduled for all students. Students attending daytime hours are required to take 30 minutes for lunch. If a student is eating, they must be clocked out. While on the time clock students must be engaged in the learning process.
  13. Documentation of time: Students may not leave the school premises during regular hours without an instructor’s permission.
    1. Students who leave school premises for more than 10 minutes or those who leave early must document their time by clocking out on the time clock, signing the sign-out sheet, and having an instructor book them out.
    2. Day students must clock out on the time clock and sign out for lunch for 30 minutes every day.
  14. Students may not clock in or out for another student.
  15. Students must keep a record of all services each day on the “service tracking sheet,” which must be completed daily and turned in with the worksheet.

ATTENDANCE POLICY FOR VA STUDENTS

Students using veterans’ benefits to attend Paul Mitchell The School Austin will have attendance monitored until the time the student drops, graduates, or completes the program. Unsatisfactory attendance will be reported to the DVA even if the VA student has completed the required number of hours to complete and no refund is due the student and/or refund sources. Therefore, the attendance policy (20% of the total program and/or being absent five [5] consecutive days) will apply throughout the student’s stay in school. All violations of the attendance policy will be reported to DVA on VA Form 22-1999b within 30 days of the time the student exceeds the allowed number of absences.

Professional Image

All Future Professionals must adhere to the following professional dress code while in attendance:

  1. Future Professionals must wear professional attire.
  2. Clothing should be solid color or print. No graphic designs.
  3. Clothing should be professional and clean.
  4. Shoes should be professional, practical, and comfortable.
  5. Hair should be styled prior to arriving at the school.
  6. Any cosmetics should be applied prior to arriving at the school.
  7. The following is a list of acceptable dress:
    1. Jeans or clothing made of jean material. Any rips or tears must fall below the fingertips when standing up.
    2. Shirts off the shoulder or cut-outs on the shoulder. (Underarms must be covered)
    3. Paul Mitchell branded clothing: Sweatshirts, printed T-shirts, hooded sweatshirts, and/or jackets with Paul Mitchell logo or school logo.
    4. Stylish hats, scarves, and stylish head wraps.
    5. Skirts or dresses that fall below the fingertips.
    6. Fashionable tennis shoes must be in good condition and not worn out.
    7. Open toe shoes or sandals must be professional and have an ankle strap.
    8. Appropriate undergarments must be worn.
  8. Tights or leggings should be worn with skirts or dresses that fall above the fingertips when standing for all Future Professionals.
  9. Esthetic students' nails must be manicured and short.
  10. Esthetic students' hair must be tied back while performing services.

The following is a list of unacceptable dress for all Future Professionals in attendance:

  1. Gym workout shoes, foot thongs, crocs, slippers, or beach sandals. All open toe or open heel shoes must have a strap on the ankle.
  2. Tank tops, spaghetti string tops, sleeveless, or belly shirts.
  3. Spandex, bike shorts, onesies or body suits.
  4. Sweatshirts, hooded sweatshirts, jackets, and printed T-shirts other than those with the Paul Mitchell logo or the school logo.
  5. Shorts and/or skirts that fall above fingertips when standing up. (Unless you wear leggings underneath)
  6. Baseball hats, visors, or bandanas.
  7. Headphones, headgear, and/or earphones are not permitted in the classroom or the clinic classroom unless authorized by the learning leader for learning purposes only.
  8. Sunglasses.

Future Professionals who fail to comply with the professional image dress code will result in an advisory and they will be asked to change into proper dress code or they will be provided with a smock, if one is available, to wear while attending school.

Sanitation and Personal Services

  1. Future Professionals must keep workstations and classroom areas clean, sanitary, and clutter-free at all times. Personal items, including purses, should be locked in the assigned locker.
  2. Future Professionals must clean their stations in the clinic classroom, including the floor, after each service.
  3. Hair must be swept up immediately after a service is completed, before blow-drying.
  4. Clinic stations must be cleaned at the end of the day, prior to clocking out for the day.
  5. Future Professionals may have their hair or other services done Monday's only. To receive a service, Future Professionals must sign up on a Future Professional service request form to receive a student service. Once approval is given and a day & time is scheduled you:
    1. Notify a Learning Leader.
    2. Be scheduled off the service books by a Learning Leader.
    3. Pay for service supplies including perms, tints, bleaches, rinses, conditioning, treatments, manicures, nails, etc.
    4. Personal services are considered rewards and scheduled for Future Professionals who are up to date with all practical skills, exams, and clinic practical worksheets. School assignments and successful learning are the priority.

Communication Guidelines and Professional Conduct

  1. Visitors are allowed in the service reception area only. Visitors are not allowed in the classrooms, student lounge, or clinic classroom area.
  2. Only emergency calls are permitted on the business phone. Future Professionals may use the Future Professional phones for a limited time. Please keep your calls to three (3) minutes or less.
  3. The use of cell phones for personal reasons is not permitted in school. Cell phones must be in the silent and/or airplane mode at all times. A cell phone may be used when given permission for educational reasons. Personal cell phone use is only allowed in the break room, while the student is not clocked in or the student is outside the school facility and not clocked in.
  4. Future Professionals may not visit with another Future Professional who is servicing a client.
  5. Future Professionals may not gather around the service desk, service reception area, or offices.
  6. Food and beverages are allowed only in the classroom during designated lunch, after lunch the food must be discarded immediately.
  7. Water and beverages in spill-proof containers are permitted in Theory classrooms, as well as undisruptive snacks.
  8. Only beverages in spill-proof containers are allowed in the clinic floor classrooms.
  9. Paul Mitchell The School Austin is a smoke-free campus. Students who fail to follow this policy will be coached and written up on Advisory form and could lead to a 5-day suspension.
  10. Stealing or taking school property or another’s personal property is unacceptable and grounds for termination.
  11. School administration has the right to access and inspect a Future Professional's locker at any time, refer to the locker policy.

Learning Participation Guidelines

  1. Peer teaching and tutoring are encouraged. Taking credit for another’s work or cheating during exams is unacceptable and is grounds for termination.
  2. Future Professionals will be expected to maintain an average of 70% on all theory tests and assignments.
  3. Future Professionals may not be released from required theory class to take a client.
  4. Only service desk personnel may schedule or change client service appointments.
  5. All services must be checked and the service ticket initialed by a Learning Leader.
  6. Future Professionals are expected to be continuously working on school-related projects, assignments, clinic practical worksheets, reading theory, or test preparation during school hours.
  7. Future Professionals will receive clock hours during the times they fully participate in their learning experience.
  8. When Future Professionals are not scheduled with service appointments or are not scheduled to attend theory or a specialty class, they may focus on the following:
    1. Completion of clinic practical worksheets
    2. Completion of theory review worksheets
    3. Performing a service on another Future Professional
    4. Listening to or reading school resource center materials, including educational videos, audiotapes, and books
  9. Future Professionals must comply with school personnel and Learning Leader’s assignments and requests as required by the curriculum and Future Professional guidelines and rules.
  10. Future Professionals may not perform hair, skin, barber, or nail services outside of school unless authorized to do so by school administration. Conducting unauthorized hair, skin, barber, or nail services outside of school will be reported to the state board and may result in your inability to receive a professional license.
  11. Future Professionals are responsible for their own kit and equipment and may use a clinic station drawer only while working at that clinic station. All kit, equipment, tools, and personal items must be secured in the Future Professionals assigned locker. Paul Mitchell The School Austin is not responsible for any lost or stolen articles.
  12. Future Professionals are required to have all their supplies and school kits available for their educational use every day they are in school. Future Professionals not prepared for learning or refusing to service a guest will be redirected and receive a suspension.
  13. Future Professionals are responsible to maintain their supplies and tools and keep them in working order. Unusable or lost items must be replaced by the Future Professional, with the item approved by the school.
  14. Parking is allowed in assigned parking areas only or cars may be towed at the owner’s expense.
  15. All clinic practical worksheets are due on their assigned due date each month by the end of school.
  16. If a Future Professional fails to complete the practical skill assessments or required weekly theory hours, they will be placed on the Back on Track List. Future Professionals have one week to get caught up before they receive a coaching advisory.