Student Professional Development Guidelines

All students must commit to and follow the Student Professional Development Guidelines during their enrollment at Paul Mitchell The School Madison. 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. To ensure proper credit for clock hours, full-time students are required to clock in/out 4 times a day: when they arrive at 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 Monday through Wednesday 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and Thursday 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
  3. All courses require continuous attendance.
  4. The prescribed attendance schedule must be maintained each week.
  5. Future Professionals must be in school by 10:00 AM or they are sent home.
  6. Students who are late or cannot attend school must contact the school and talk to the school service desk immediately. Students must call in by 9:00 a.m.
  7. Students attend Core the first 6 weeks 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.
  8. Full-time 4 Day cosmetology and barber program students are required to be in attendance a minimum of 7 hours per day, Monday-Thursday for a total of 28 hours per week. Full-time 3 Day Cosmetology and barber program students are required to be in attendance a minimum 9 hours per day, Monday-Wednesday for a total of 28.5 hours per week Holidays such as Thanksgiving, December 24 and 25, and New Year’s Day will be set according to the calendar each year. If a student will miss hours during the week, arrangements must be made with the Future Professional Advisor to make up those hours within the same week, or the hours missed will count against the hours allowed to miss and overtime charges can occur.
  9. Lunches and breaks are scheduled for all students. All students will take 30 minutes for lunch between 12:00 noon and 1:30 PM. 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 10 min. in the morning & 10 min in the afternoon 30 min.
8 or 7.5 hr/day 10 min. in the morning & 10 min in the afternoon 30 min.
6 hr/day 10 min. in the morning & 10 min in the afternoon n/a
5 hr/day 10 min at mid-point of schedule n/a
4 hr/day 10 min at mid-point of schedule n/a
  1. Documentation of time: Students may not leave the school premises during regular hours without an instructor’s permission.
    1. Students must clock out on the time clock for lunch for 30 minutes every day as scheduling allows.
    2. Students who leave school premises must clock out.
  2. Students may not clock in or out for another student.
  3. Students must keep a record of all services each day on the “worksheet form,” which must be completed daily and turned in every month.

Professional Image

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

  1. Future Professionals may wear black or gray in any combination.
  2. Phase Two Future Professionals may wear black, gray, and white in any combination.
  3. A minimal print in clothing is acceptable if it is black and gray for Phase one and black, gray, or white for Phase Two.
  4. Clothing should be professional, clean, and free of stains and tears.
  5. Shoes should be professional, practical, and comfortable.
  6. Hair should be styled prior to arriving at the school.
  7. Any cosmetics should be applied prior to arriving at the school.
  8. The following is a list of acceptable dress:
    1. Jeans or clothing made of jean material if they are black or gray in color. Any rips or tears must fall at or below the knee
    2. Shirts with cut outs on shoulder. Underarms must be covered
    3. Paul Mitchell branded clothing: Sweatshirts, printed T-shirts, hooded sweatshirts and/or jackets with Paul Mitchell logo or school logo.
    4. Stylish hats, scarves, head wraps and baseball caps.
    5. Skirts or dresses that fall below fingertips when standing up
    6. Shorts-not of jean or athletic fabric or design, must fall at or below kneecap and be professional in. appearance.
    7. Fashionable tennis shoes that are majority black, may have colored accents and must be in good condition and not worn out
    8. Open toed shoes or sandals must be clean and professional
  9. Tights or leggings should be worn with skirts or dresses that fall above the knees for all Future Professionals.

All barbering Future Professionals must adhere to the following professional dress code while in attendance:

  1. Barbering Future Professionals may wear all black or gray, to include a button-down shirt.
  2. A straight tie or bow tie may be worn in any color.
  3. Accessories may be worn in any color, which include: a belt, arm-garter, suspenders, jewelry and /or shoes.
  4. A barbering Future Professional may wear a smock, in black only.
  5. Fedoras, flat hats, ascot caps, or baseball hats may be worn. All must be clean and professional.
  6. Sweatshirts, printed t-shirts, hooded sweatshirts and/or jackets with Paul Mitchell logo or the school logo may be worn.
  7. Shorts-not of jean or athletic fabric or design, must fall at or below the knee cap and must be professional in appearance.
  8. Students who fail to comply with the professional dress code will be asked to leave and return with appropriate attire.

    The following is a list of unacceptable dress:
    1. Tennis shoes, foot thongs, Crocs, or beach sandals
    2. Jeans or clothing made of jeans material
    3. Tank or sleeveless tops
    4. Sweatpants and sweatshirts
    5. Printed T-shirts other than those with a PAUL MITCHELL logo; acceptable T-shirts must be clean and professional, and you must dress them up
    6. Short skirts that fall above fingertips
    7. Visors, do rags, bandanas
    8. Shorts, spandex or biking shorts
    9. Hooded sweatshirts, jackets, or tops
    10. Sunglasses
    11. See-through, thin, exposing leggings

Name tag must be worn, as provided by the school. All Future Professionals are required to wear a tag where it can be seen while in attendance.

Students who fail to comply with the professional dress code will be asked to leave and return with appropriate attire.

Future Professionals who fail to comply with the Future Professional dress code may be coached and may receive an advisory.

Sanitation and Professional 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 if approved by the Education Leader or Future Professional Advisor. To receive a service, Future Professionals must do the following prior to starting the service:
    1. Notify a Learning Leader.
    2. Be scheduled off the service books by a Learning Leader.
    3. Pay for service supplies including perms, tints, bleaches, rinses, conditioning, treatments, manicures, nails, etc.
    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. Future Professionals may use the Future Professional phones for a limited time. Please keep your calls to three (3) minutes or less.
  3. Cell phones are permitted in approved areas of the school. Personal conversation should remain personal. If a student needs privacy, the student must ask a Learning Leader for assistance.
  4. Future Professionals may not visit with another Future Professional 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 Madison is a smoke-free campuses.
  8. Stealing or taking school property or another’s personal property is unacceptable and is grounds for termination.
  9. Use of earphones is not permitted.
  10. Use of school computers for personal use is not permitted.
  11. 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 is grounds for termination.
  2. Future Professionals will be expected to maintain an average of 75% on all theory tests and assignments.
  3. Future Professionals may not be released from required theory class to take a client.
  4. Only service desk personnel may schedule or change client service appointments.
  5. All services must be checked and the service ticket initialed by a Learning Leader.
  6. Future Professionals are expected to be continuously working on school-related projects, assignments, clinic practical worksheets, reading theory, or test preparation during school hours.
  7. Future Professionals will receive clock hours during the times they fully participate in their learning experience.
  8. 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 service on another Future Professional if approved by the Education Leader or Future Professional Advisor
    4. Listening to or reading school resource center materials, including educational videos, audiotapes, and books
  9. Future Professionals must comply with school personnel and Learning Leader’s assignments and requests as required by the curriculum and Future Professional guidelines and rules.
  10. Future Professionals may not perform hair, skin, barber, or nail services outside of school unless authorized to do so by school administration. Conducting unauthorized hair, skin, barber, or nail services outside of school will be reported to the state board and may result in your inability to receive a professional license.
  11. 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 Madison is not responsible for any lost or stolen articles.
  12. Parking is allowed in assigned parking areas only or cars may be towed at the owner’s expense.
  13. All clinic practical worksheets are due on the assigned day of each month by the end of school.
  14. 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.
  15. If a Future Professional 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.
  16. Theory Class: Future Professionals will not be allowed in Theory class once the Theory Leader has closed the door and started instruction. The Future Professional will not receive theory credit if they are not in theory class attendance. If a Future Professional chooses to leave Theory class for any reason he/she will not be allowed to return to Theory class. If there’s a transition period during Theory, a Future Professional 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.