Green River Dance for Global Somatics

School Policies and Standards of Conduct

These standards of conduct apply to all members of the Green River Dance for Global Somatics learning community- director, administration, faculty, assistants and students. We expect our faculty and staff to be models of these standards of conduct. Students are required to follow all school rules and procedures. We expect our students to behave in a manner that reflects positively upon themselves as professionals and upon their professional colleagues.

Green River Dance for Global Somatics offers an intensive educational program. Our intention is to provide the highest quality of somatic education within a safe environment for learning among all participants. Global Somatics classes are sacred laboratories in the art of embodiment through movement, touch, voice, study and process. These educational and experiential classes foster the reclaiming of one's soul and spirit, as well as intelligence and emotions within the physical body. Global Somatics™ can be deeply transformational and requires a mature personal identity that is willing to grow in self-realization and capable of authentic participation in creative learning. The educational experience will be fulfilling to the degree that each person is open to learning through movement, touch and voice, takes responsibility for his/her personal health and respects others.

Failure to comply with the standards of conduct will be handled by the director and advisory council and will lead to serious ramifications that could result in the following:

Conduct warning that will remain in the student's file.
Dismissal from the school.

Standards of Conduct

Standards of conduct policies include, but are not limited to, the following:

Responsibility for self:

Student must demonstrate total responsibility for self-physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Student must demonstrate authenticity to own learning process.
Student must have a strong support network, possibly including therapy, while involved in the program.
Student must use class for education not therapy. Student does personal healing work within the classroom setting only to the degree that she/he can stay present, be responsible for the process and not distract from class learning.
Student must demonstrate responsibility for attendance and homework.
Professional appearance and personal hygiene must be maintained at high standards.

Respect for Others:

Students show respect and gratitude for the space, the opportunity to do the work, the teachers and their lineages and fellow students.
No breach of confidentiality will be tolerated
Negativity which affects the classroom environment will be addressed by the director.
Obey the Clean Air Policy act.
No substance abuse during school hours will be accepted.
Disrespectful use of language, rudeness or sarcasm will not be tolerated.
Any defamatory statements, oral or written, about any other student, teacher or the school will not be tolerated and may, at the sole discretion of the administration, be grounds for dismissal. The school will not tolerate students or teachers spreading false rumors about other students, teachers, or the school.
Behavior creating a safety hazard or impinging the rights of others will not be allowed.
Proper draping, taught in all the massage classes, will be followed.
Improper conduct between students which could be construed as sexual in nature will not be tolerated.
No sexual harassment or violence of any type or form will be tolerated. (see Sexual Harassment and Violence Policy)

Respect for Property:

Respect the copyright of all written material. You are not permitted to Xerox any material you receive or to re-write them in a manner that has the look and feel of the original material. You can request permission to copy in writing to the GRDGS office.
Respect the Registered Trademark of Body-Mind Centering® Approach. Only students and teachers certified by the School for Body-Mind Centering® have the right to say they teach or practice BMC™ professionally. In professional bios, students can write that they have studied BMC™ in depth with Suzanne River or other certified BMC teachers/practitioners. They can state they are taking classes in Global Somatics™ or that are a candidate for graduation. After graduation, they may call themselves Global Somatics™ Practitioners.
Respect the Global Somatics™ Process trademark. In all written materials use the legal definition of Global Somatics and give reference to its origins.
No destruction and/or theft of school property. Return all materials borrowed from school.
Participate in clean up of the physical space by returning items used to their appropriate place and helping to arrange the space before and after class.

Honest communication:

Students must offer the teacher ongoing feedback on class process, personal integration or difficulty with the material, teaching style or program. * Certification students must be in contact every two weeks.
Certification students are allotted approximately 1 hour of director attention per month. Attention required over that allotment should be met through paid personal session work. Excessive attention may be a sign the person is not able to act as a professional student in this program at this time.
Dishonesty will not be tolerated
Practice confidentiality.
Stay informed. Students must read all written notices, check their e-mail and the Bulletin Board for communications and participate in phone tree for immediate messages.
Follow the GRDGS Student Grievance Procedure.
Students have the right and responsibility to report any destructive action against other students, the faculty or the school to the director.

Professional Practice:

Sign a release waiver permitting classes to be videotaped, audio taped and photographed for promotional purposes, the archives of GRDGS and supervision of Global Somatics™ certification students. GRDGS will ask permission in each class and respects the privacy of students. Tapes and videotapes may be for sale to course participants.
Understand GRDGS refund policy. Students taking single courses should refer to the registration application. Certification students refer to Buyer's Right to Cancel and Refund Policy.
Failure to meet tuition payment requirements.
Sign a release waiver agreeing to obey these standards of conduct as part of the enrollment contract for the Certification Program or before each course.

GRDGS Student Grievance Procedure

Students are welcomed and encouraged to bring feedback (confirmations, compliments, problems, complaints, suggestions and questions) to the attention of the teacher and/or office administration at any time. A suggestion box is available at all times, however the school would prefer to receive suggestions in person so they can be addressed promptly. Students are expected to follow the following steps in making a complaint.

1. Please direct feedback about teaching and classroom situations to the teacher. Please direct feedback concerning policy or the overall program to the director. Most complaints are resolved through honest and open dialogue with the teacher or director.

2. If necessary, a third part mediator or facilitator is engaged for clarification of communication. This person is usually selected from the GRDGS advisory council.

3. If the feedback concerns the rest of the students in the learning community, the other students will be notified and a community council will be scheduled. The student body should not be notified until the director or teacher has been consulted.

4. If necessary, the issue will be brought before the Green River Dance for Global Somatics Advisory Council.

5. If the complaint is not resolved through the above institutional channels, the student can go to the program's advisor for ISMETA.

6. If all channels within GRDGS have not been able to resolve the problem, the student is directed to the grievance /complaint offices of the following agencies: ISMETA, BMCA, the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, and American Massage and Bodywork Association.

Sexual Harassment and Violence Policy

Students, staff and clients are required to follow all school rules and policies. We expect our students and staff to behave in a manner that effect positively upon themselves as professionals and upon their professional colleagues. No sexual harassment or violence of any form will be tolerated by staff, students or clients of the clinic. Any member of the school community experiencing sexual harassment or assault should report to the director.

1. The director will investigate and attempt to resolve the complaint.

2. The school will immediately report incidents to the appropriate law officials at the request of the complainant and cooperate in filing of criminal charges.

3. The director will meet with the complainant and/or attorney or other support person concerning the complainant.

4. The complainant will be informed of the outcome concerning the complaint.

5. The school will take whatever disciplinary action it deems necessary, unless otherwise proscribed by law. This may included, but is not limited to, warning, suspension, or termination.

Any member of the school community who becomes the victim of sexual assault on the school premises should report the incident to the school director/assistant director. In addition to the school's own disciplinary procedures, (outlined above) the school will assist in pursuing remedies through the criminal justice system.

1. The director will assist the law enforcement authorities by keeping and observing all evidence in connection with the incident.

2. The director will, in cooperation with law enforcement authorities, at the complainant's request, shield the student(s) from unwanted contact with each other, including transferring complainant to alternative classes if feasible.

3. The director will inform victims of their rights under the Minnesota Crime Victim's Bill of Rights, including the right of assistance from the Crimes Victims' Ombudsman and the Crime Victims' Reparations Board.

Clean Air Policy

Our Clean Air Policy asks that students and staff refrain from wearing any cologne, perfume, after-shave lotions; anything with a strong scent. The school is a non-smoking building.

Non-Discrimination Policy

GRDGS admits students of any color, race, national and ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, creed or age to all privileges, functions and programs. It does not discriminate on basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, creed or age in the administration of the school policies, admissions policies and other educational administrative programs.

GRDGS Dismissal Procedure

Dismissal from the Global Somatics™ Certification Program or courses is rare and proceeded by dialogue between the student and director through which attempts will be made to rectify the situation. Students are asked to leave the program in the sole discretion of the GRDGS administration (director, teachers and advisory council) for the following reasons:

1. Failure to meet minimum standards of curriculum (attendance, participation and coursework)

2. Failure to abide by the standards of conduct

A student dismissed for unsatisfactory conduct will not be considered for re-admission.