Institutional 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.

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.

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.

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 Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
ph: (215)717-3174
email: titleix@curtis.edu or kimberly.gould@curtis.edu

Reports 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:

United States Department of Education, Clery Act Compliance Division
clery@ed.gov

United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights
OCR@ed.gov or 800-421- 3481

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
info@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.

• 2020–21 Annual Outcomes Report
• 2021–22 Annual Outcomes Report
• 2022–23 Annual Outcomes Report
• 2023–24 Annual Outcomes 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.

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:

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:

1. Law enforcement, by contacting the Philadelphia Police Department, 9th District, at (215) 686-3090and
2. In cases alleging sexual misconduct, independent counseling professionals, by contacting the Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence/WOAR at (215) 985-3333

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.

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: 267-284-5000

Pennsylvania Department of Education
333 Market Street
Harrisburg, Pa 19104

Office of Attorney General
Bureau of Consumer Protection
14^th Floor, Strawberry Square
Harrisburg, PA 17120

This Technology Policy defines the boundaries of “acceptable use” of limited Curtis electronic resources, including computers, networks, e-mail services and electronic information sources.

Curtis’s residential handbook can be found here.

Curtis’s anti-hazing policy can be found here.