Overview
In order to be able to maintain the organic schedule required for our classes and productions, students enrolling in the College must be willing to make a 24/7 commitment to the program.
This does not mean that students cannot engage in activities outside of the film school — such as holding a job, joining a club, or taking a non-film course — but it does mean that film school activities need to always take priority. If you’re unsure about whether or not an outside activity would be feasible, please contact the Associate Dean for advice. In general:
- An outside activity that requires a student to be somewhere else on a set schedule (e.g., a job with fixed hours or a non-film course with regular meeting times each week) will typically not be approved, because conflicts with the film school schedule will likely occur.
- An outside activity with a flexible schedule (e.g., a job where you set your own hours or an asynchronous online class) is less likely to be a problem, so long as the student can demonstrate that they will be able to successfully manage both their film school work and the outside activity.
Note that any approval for outside activity is contingent upon the student maintaining a good academic and professionalism standing. If any outside activity interferes with a student’s film school responsibilities, approval may be revoked and the outside activity must cease.
Outside employment
Any outside employment must be approved in advance by both the Dean and the Associate Dean. This is for several reasons:
- To ensure that the required hours for the job will not conflict with film school activities.
- To ensure that the student is accurately assessing the cumulative workload of school and job responsibilities.
- To ensure that the outside employment does not create any HR conflicts, since all students are also hired by the college as technicians or graduate assistants.
Any student wishing to participate in outside employment is required to submit a request form for approval: https://wkf.ms/47o8jfO.
This form must be submitted prior to accepting a position, and should be resubmitted at the start of each semester for any employment that continues across semesters.
Clubs and outside courses
Participating in clubs and organizations is encouraged, but film school obligations must take priority. For example, if a club meeting happens at the same time as a required school activity, the club meeting cannot be used as an excuse for missing the school activity.
In most semesters, taking an FSU course outside of the film school will not be possible, as it will create schedule conflicts. If there is an outside course that you want (or need) to take, it must be approved by both the Associate Dean and the college’s Academic Advisor.
Events: Weddings, anniversaries, festivals, gatherings, etc
It is very likely that your friends will get married, your family will have anniversaries or other gatherings, or your films will get into festivals during your enrollment in the College. We understand the importance these events and your desire to attend. Whenever possible and with sufficient notice, the administration will try to adjust the schedule to accommodate the most important of these events.
The earlier you can inform your instructors and the Associate Dean, the more likely it is that we’ll be able to make it work. Sometimes, however, it simply is not possible, and you will have to apologize to your loved ones and miss the event. We try very hard to work with you, but it is a condition of enrollment that you attend required film school activities, regardless of outside occurrences. This is because it can cause significant negative ramifications on your own education and that of your classmates if you do not show up for work when required; e.g., you may miss an important safety class or you may leave a production missing a vital crew member.
If you book travel or otherwise commit to an activity without requesting approval in advance, the absence will not be excused. A grade penalty will be issued for any missed classes or production days, as defined in each course’s syllabus, and you may be placed on professionalism probation for unreliability and failing to communicate in a proactive manner.
Please use this form to request an excused absence: https://wkf.ms/3OO1opi.
Holidays and holy days
Film production in general does not stop to celebrate anything except its own wrap and premiere. Likewise, the College may require work through many traditional holidays. Generally both the BFA and MFA programs honor the University breaks between semesters, but there are sometimes exceptions to these as well. You can always check with the Associate Dean before making plans to make sure you will not miss anything.
The College honors the observance of religious holy days. In accordance with Florida State University policy, students must notify their instructor and the Associate Dean as soon as possible at the start of the semester, but not later than two weeks before the religious holy day observance, to be excused from class to observe a religious holy day of their faith. If the student fails to submit the necessary notification in the time specified, the College may be unable to make any accommodations.