School Policies

PHAME students are asked to comply with the following policies.

 

Participation Requirements

Updated July 2021

In order to participate in PHAME’s classes and other programming, students must comply with the following criteria:

  • Be 18 years of age or older on the first day of class.

  • Identify as experiencing an intellectual or developmental disability.

  • Agree to comply with PHAME’s Code of Conduct and other PHAME student policies to the best of their ability.

  • Submit a signed copy of PHAME’s Student Release form as requested by PHAME (updates to the form will require re-signing).

  • In-person classes only:

    • The student must be free from medical conditions that may endanger the health and safety of other students, staff, and/or volunteers. These conditions may include but are not limited to fever, open wounds, skin rashes, and infectious or easily communicable diseases, infections, or topical parasites.

    • All students registering for in-person classes are asked to please review our Wellness & Covid Policies. Note that PHAME no longer requires proof of Covid vaccination, however we strongly encourage our community to be vaccinated for Covid and the flu.

PHAME does not provide personal care services to students. Students who need personal care assistance must provide their own support person to assist with these activities. Examples of student needs that require a personal care provider include but are not limited to:

  • Assistance administering medication, eating, or using the restroom.

  • Mobility assistance, including needing someone to push a wheelchair up a ramp or assistance getting into and/or out of a chair.

  • Assistance with highly-technical life-sustaining equipment or apparatus.

  • ASL or ESL interpretation.

  • Constant one-on-one supervision.

  • Assistance knowing whether it is ok to leave campus. Due to the open nature of the PHAME campus, staff cannot be responsible for preventing students from leaving campus.

PHAME reserves the right to deny or revoke admittance to students who do not meet these participation requirements, or for any other reason. If you have questions about these requirements, please contact Alex Geffel at (503) 764-9718 ext. 18 or email them at ageffel@phamepdx.org.

Code of Conduct

Updated December 2023

In order to foster a safe and respectful environment for everyone at PHAME, students are asked to abide by the PHAME Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct applies to participation in the classroom as well as anywhere on the PHAME campus, at all rehearsals, community events, performances associated with PHAME, and while on property related to these activities.

  • Be kind to others and to yourself.

  • Be respectful of other people’s opinions, feelings, personal space, and belongings.

  • Treat others the way they want to be treated. This includes being respectful of other peoples’ choice of name, personal pronouns, and gender. If you’re not sure what’s appropriate, it’s ok to ask.

  • Participate to the best of your ability.

  • Be open to making mistakes and trying new things, and be patient with other students as they do the same.

  • Ask questions or request help when you don’t understand something or need more information.

  • Respect the space—clean up messes and treat equipment and furniture with care.

  • Ask permission before touching someone, and pay attention to and respect their answer. Likewise, do your best to understand and communicate your own personal boundaries.

  • Help maintain a healthy environment for everyone. This means staying home when you’re sick, practicing frequent hand-washing, and not wearing perfumes or colognes to PHAME (some people are sensitive to the smell).

  • Refrain from spreading rumors and making discriminatory comments toward other students, Teaching Artists, staff, or community members.

  • Never bully, harass, threaten, or physically harm other students, Teaching Artists, staff, or community members.

  • Never bring a weapon to PHAME or to a PHAME-related activity/event. If you’re not sure if something is a weapon, please leave it at home.

A note about social media and interactions outside of PHAME:
In order to keep our community strong, it’s important to respect each other even when we’re not at PHAME. This includes social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Nevertheless, PHAME staff is not responsible for correcting or disciplining any behavior that occurs on social media platforms, or outside of PHAME.

The above indicated list is a guideline for appropriate conduct while on campus or while representing PHAME. Participation at PHAME is a privilege, and PHAME reserves the right to take away this privilege from students who do not comply with the Code of Conduct.

Care providers, family members, and other guests of PHAME are also required to adhere to this Code of Conduct when interacting with PHAME students, staff or community members wherever PHAME programming or events take place.

Student Release Form

All students must sign and return a Student Release form. Please either scan your signed copy and email it to info@phamepdx.org or mail it to our mailing address: 1631 NE Broadway #134, Portland, OR 97232. (Emailing a picture of your form is ok—please just make sure it’s in focus)

PHAME occasionally makes changes to this form, and when that happens, students must sign it again. The most recent version of the form is from Summer 2021.