Institutional Policies
At Curtis, we believe that an informed, educated, and enlightened community can improve upon its past, and we invite you to join us in this effort.
As this work continues, we encourage you to visit this page where you can learn about the many ways in which Curtis ensures a safe and healthy campus environment within a vibrant creative culture.
Institutional Policies
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Employment Policies
These Employment Policies have been prepared to communicate Curtis’s general policies and procedures to the school community. They are designed to be used as a reference for a broad range of issues, but they are not, and should not be viewed as, an all-inclusive resource.
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Student Code of Conduct
Curtis is a community in which musical and intellectual growth, learning by doing, mutual tolerance, and respect for freedom of thought and expression are principles of great importance. The Student Code of Conduct ensures that Curtis provides an environment that promotes the free interchange of ideas, cultural diversity, and space for artistic, intellectual, and social growth.
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Student Wellness
Wellness reaches far beyond the physical. At Curtis we are committed to supporting our students in all areas of wellness. Wellness resources include:
- Primary routine clinical care provided by University of Pennsylvania Student Health Service
- Partial reimbursement of membership fees at local fitness centers of students’ choosing
- Counseling with licensed psychologists
- Workshops and lectures
- Annual wellness day and health fair
- Annual Student Wellness Survey
- Musician injury recovery and prevention – case management and oversight
- Annual flu vaccines administered on campus to all Curtis students (at no cost)
- Alexander Technique instruction
- Student Wellness Guide
- Guidance to access specialists and alternative therapies
- Support for localized health needs for noninvasive pain-relief therapies
- Dedicated space for mindfulness meditation
- LGBTQ support – Curtis is a Safe Zone community and provides information and resources related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
- Intercultural competencies training
- Curtis welcomes students with disabilities and provides reasonable accommodations to those who self-identify in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Academic accommodations, auxiliary services, and technology are made available to students who meet established documentation guidelines.
For more information, refer to the Curtis Wellness Guide.
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Title IX at Curtis
Curtis does not unlawfully discriminate against any person in any of its education programs and activities, including employment and admissions, on any basis prohibited by federal law, or other applicable law, including on the basis of sex or gender, and it does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of sex or gender.
Curtis complies with Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 (Title IX), and its implementing regulations, 20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq., which prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in Curtis’s education programs and activities; the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery), as amended by the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA), which governs the policy related to Curtis’s response to sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence and stalking; the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act; Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex; and other applicable law.
Curtis’s Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment and Interpersonal Violence Policy can be found here.
Title IX Coordinator and Reporting
Curtis has designated a Title IX Coordinator to oversee the implementation of this policy and to ensure compliance with Title IX, relevant portions of Clery and Title VII, and to work with the Division of Safety and Security to facilitate compliance with Clery and other applicable laws.Allegations of sexual or gender-based misconduct can be reported privately to Curtis’s Title IX Coordinator:Kimberly I. Gould, J.D.1726 Locust StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19103ph: (215)717-3174e-mail: titleix@curtis.edu or kimberly.gould@curtis.eduReports to Curtis may also be made anonymously through an independent reporting hotline.Confidential reports can be made to the Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence (WOAR). WOAR can also provide confidential resources.Concerns about Title IX or Curtis’s application of Title IX and the Clery Act may be addressed to Curtis’s Title IX Office. Inquiries may also be sent to:clery@ed.govOCR@ed.gov or 800-421- 3481info@eeoc.gov or 800-669-4000
2020 Investigative Report and Statement
To read the 2020 statement from the Curtis Institute Board of Trustees and its associated investigative report, click here.
Annual Outcomes Report
The Annual Outcomes Report is published by the Curtis Institute of Music to provide anonymized information on reports of sexual and gender-based misconduct brought to the attention of the Title IX Coordinator, the processes undertaken to address these reports, and the status and/or outcomes of these incidents. The purpose of reporting this data is to increase awareness, promote transparency, and create productive dialogue to ensure a campus where all members are equally valued.
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Annual Security and Fire Safety Report
The safety, security and well-being of our students, faculty, staff, and visitors at the Curtis Institute of Music are of paramount importance. Read our Annual Security and Fire Safety Report to see safety statistics from 2018, 2019, and 2020.
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Reporting Hotline
Curtis has engaged Lighthouse Services, Inc. to provide all community members with access to a hotline for reporting misconduct from the past or present. The purpose of this service is to ensure that any community member wishing to make a report of misconduct can do so in a safe space, without fear of reprisal.
For more information about the hotline, view the Procedures Document.
Reports may be submitted in any of the following languages:
Arabic
Bengali
Chinese (Traditional)
Chinese (Simplified)
Czech
Danish
Dari
Dutch
English
Filipino
Finnish
French
Georgian
German
Greek
Hebrew
Hindi
Hungarian
Indonesian
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Latvian
Malay
Norwegian
Polish
Portuguese
Punjabi (Gurmukhi)
Romanian
Russian
Slovak
Somali
Spanish
Swedish
Thai
Turkish
Ukrainian
Urdu
Vietnamese
To submit a report, visit www.lighthouse-services.com/Curtis.
For information on submitting reports by phone, e-mail, or fax please see the Procedures Document.
Individuals wishing to make reports through the hotline may also share their report, at their option, with:
- Law enforcement, by contacting the Philadelphia Police Department, 9th District, at (215) 686-3090and
- In cases alleging sexual misconduct, independent counseling professionals, by contacting the Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence/WOAR at (215) 985-3333
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Veterans Policy
Curtis permits any covered individual to attend or participate in course of education during the period beginning on the date on which the individual provides to the institution a certificate of eligibility for entitlement of educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33 (a certificate of eligibility can also include a Statement of Benefits obtained from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) website eBenefits, or a VAF 28-1905 form for chapter 31 authorization purposes) and ending on the earlier of the following dates:
- The date on which payment from VA is made to the institution.
- 90 Days after the date the institution certified tuition and fees following the receipt of the certificate of eligibility.
Curtis will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds, or any covered individual because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement funding from the VA under chapter 31 or 33 provided that the student submits a certificate of eligibility prior to the first day of classes and notifies Curtis in writing of their intent to utilize their VA benefits.
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Accreditation
The Curtis Institute of Music is operated under a charter granted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is included in the list of Colleges and Universities in Pennsylvania Approved by the State Council of Education for the Granting of Degrees. The Curtis Institute of Music is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music.
The Curtis Institute of Music is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (267) 284-5000. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
Complaint Process and State Contact Information
Curtis Institute of Music encourages all current, former, and prospective students to submit any grievances, complaints, or concerns directly to the school.
- To file a complaint and seek resolution, contact Dean Bryan, Curtis’s Accreditation Liaison Officer.
- Should the issue not be resolved by Dean Bryan, the office of President Díaz should be contacted.
- If the student feels the issue cannot be resolved by the school, a complaint may be filed with Curtis’s accrediting and licensing agencies:
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
3624 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Tel: 267-284-5000Pennsylvania Department of Education
333 Market Street
Harrisburg, Pa 19104Office of Attorney General
Bureau of Consumer Protection
14th Floor, Strawberry Square
Harrisburg, PA 17120 -
Technology Policy
This Technology Policy defines the boundaries of “acceptable use” of limited Curtis electronic resources, including computers, networks, e-mail services and electronic information sources.
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Residential Handbook
Curtis’s residential handbook can be found here.
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Anti-Hazing Policy
Curtis’s anti-hazing policy can be found here.