Student Professional Development Guidelines

Download as PDF

All students must commit to and follow the Student Professional Development Guidelines during their enrollment at Paul Mitchell The School Atlanta. 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. In order to ensure proper clock hours are credited, full-time students are required to clock in/out; when they arrive to school, when they leave for lunch, when they return from lunch, 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 student sign in sheet, the specialty class attendance role, and/or the guest service summary.
  2. The school is open from 8:00 AM to 6:30 PM, Monday through Friday.
  3. All courses require continuous attendance.
  4. The prescribed attendance schedule must be maintained each week. 
  5. Students must be on time, as tardiness inhibits the learning process. Students who are late for theory class may not enter the classroom and will not receive theory credit. They may “clock in” and will be assigned special projects or assignments pertaining to their course of study. Students who are late for a specialty class or a guest artist class may attend the class, but must be accompanied into the classroom by an instructor. Students are never excused from mandatory theory class to work in the clinic.
  6. Students attend Core the first 250 hours of enrollment.  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 class start date.
  7. Students who are late or cannot attend school must contact the school and talk to the school service desk immediately. If they call the school before the front desk opens they may leave a message on the student voice mailbox, extension 1270 from the main line. Student must call in by 8:00 AM. 
  8. Students attend 30 hours per week or 20 hours per week. Holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day will be set according to the calendar each year. 
  9. Lunches and breaks are scheduled for all students. Students should communicate with their instructor if they have not had lunch by 1:30 PM. 

    Observe the appropriate breaks for your school schedule. Breaks are as follows:
Student Schedule Breaks Lunch
10 hr/day 15 min. in the morning & 15 min in the afternoon 30 min. in the morning
5 hr/day 15 min. in the morning & 15 min in afternoon N/A
  1. Documentation of time: Students may not leave the school premises during regular hours without a instructor’s permission. 
    1. Students who leave school premises 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. Not clocking out could lead to suspension or termination.
    2. Day students must clock out on the time clock for lunches for 30 minutes every day. Students will not receive credit for the time they fail to clock in/out for lunch.
  2. Students may not clock in or out for another student. 
  3. Students must keep a record of all services each day on the “service tracking sheet,” which must be completed daily and turned in every month.
  4. Students attend Core the first 250 (minimum) clock hours of enrollment. 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 class start date.

Professional Image: A professional image is a requirement for successful participation in school. Students must maintain the following professional dress code:

  1. Core and Phase One students must wear all black.
  2. Phase Two and instructor program students must wear black or white in any combination.
  3. A minimal print in clothing is acceptable only if it is a black and white print.
  4. Clothing must be professional, clean, and free of stains and tears. 
  5. Shoes should be closed toe, closed back/heel, professional, and comfortable for all students.
  6. Hair must be clean and styled prior to arriving at school. Only styled ponytails are acceptable.
  7. Cosmetics must be applied prior to arriving at school, using trend-appropriate makeup techniques.
  8. The following is a list of unacceptable dress:
    1. Foot thongs, Crocs, beach sandals or slippers
    2. Tank or sleeveless tops
    3. Sweatpants and sweatshirts
    4. Printed T-shirts other than those with a PAUL MITCHELL logo; acceptable T-shirts must be clean and professional, and print must be minimal, and you must dress them up
    5. Short skirts that fall above fingertips
    6. Visors, dew rags, hats, baseball caps, or bandanas
    7. Shorts, spandex or biking shorts
    8. See through thin exposing leggings
  9. Students who fail to comply with the professional dress code will be asked to leave and return with appropriate attire.
  10. Phase two students must keep within all above requirements for dress code, with the privilege of wearing a combination of white and black only.

Sanitation and Personal Services

  1. Future Professionals must keep workstations and classroom areas clean, sanitary, and clutter free at all times.
  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 through Friday. To receive a service, students must do the following prior to starting the service:
    1. Notify a Learning Leader.
    2. Be scheduled off the books by a Front Desk member. 
    3. Pay for service supplies including perms, tints, bleaches, rinses, conditioning, and treatments.
    4. Personal services are considered rewards and scheduled for Future Professionals who are up to date with all practicals, 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. 
  3. Cell phones are permitted in assigned area of the school. 
  4. Future Professionals may not visit with another Future Professionals who is servicing a client.
  5. Future Professionals may not gather around the service desk, service reception area, or offices.
  6. Food, drinks, and water bottles are allowed only in the lunchroom.
  7. Paul Mitchell The School is a smoke-free campus. 
  8. Stealing or taking school or another’s personal property is unacceptable, and is grounds for termination.
  9. School administration has the right to access and inspect a Future Professionals 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 may be grounds for termination.
  2. Future Professionals will be expected to maintain an average of 70% on all theory tests and assignments.
  3. Future Professionals must take all service appointments assigned to them. This includes last-minute walk-ins. 
  4. Future Professionals may not be released from required theory class to take a client.
  5. Only service desk personnel may schedule or change client service appointments.
  6. All services must be checked and the service ticket initialed by an Learning Leader.
  7. Future Professionals are expected to be continuously working on school-related projects, assignments, clinic practical worksheets, reading theory, or test preparation during school hours. 
  8. Future Professionals will receive clock hours during the times they fully participate in their learning experience.
  9. When Future Professionals are not scheduled with service appointments or are not scheduled to attend theory or an elective class, they may focus on the following:
    1. Completion of clinic practical worksheets
    2. Completion of theory review worksheets
    3. Performing a personal service to another Future Professionals
    4. Listening to or reading school resource center materials, including educational videos, audiotapes, and books
  10. Future Professionals must comply with school personnel and Learning Leader’s assignments and requests as required by the curriculum and Future Professionals guidelines and rules.
  11. Future Professionals may not perform hair, skin, and nail services outside of school unless authorized to do so by school administration. Conducting unauthorized hair, skin, and nail services outside of school may be reported to the state board and may result in your inability to receive a professional license. 
  12. 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 Atlanta is not responsible for any lost or stolen articles.
  13. Parking is allowed in assigned parking areas only or cars may be towed at the owner’s expense.
  14. All clinic practical worksheets are due on the assigned day of each month by 5:00 PM for 5-day cosmetology and 7:00 PM for the 3-day students.
  15. 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.
  16. If a Future Professionals fails to pass the Core written and/or practical exam on their second attempt, they may be asked to withdraw from the program and re-start in the next Core class start date. 
  17. Theory Class: Future Professionals will not be allowed in theory class once the Theory Leader has closed the door and started instruction. The Future Professionals will not receive theory credit if they are no in theory class attendance. If a Future Professionals chooses to leave theory class for any reason he/she will not be allowed to return to theory. If there’s a transition period during theory, a Future Professionals will be allowed to enter to receive credit for the remaining scheduled time in theory. The school requires a Future Professional to complete all theory hours as part of their graduation requirements. Refer to the graduation requirements.