Austin School of Furniture Code of Conduct

Austin School of Furniture is dedicated to providing a fun, safe, inclusive and harassment-free learning environment for everyone regardless of gender, race, religion, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, national origin or citizenship status. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. Inappropriate language, behavior and imagery is not appropriate for any reason at any time. Intensive Program participants violating these rules will be reprimanded or even expelled from the course without a refund, at the discretion of the school management.

Violations or Harassment includes, but not limited to:

  • Inappropriate verbal comments that reinforce social structures of domination or discrimination related to gender, race, religion, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, national origin or citizenship status
  • Inappropriate images, comments, jokes or videos in public spaces
  • Deliberate intimidation or stalking
  • Hurtful speech 
  • Sustained disruption of talks, student questions or other events
  • Inappropriate physical contact
  • Unwanted condescending or patronizing explanation, “Mansplaining”
  • Unwelcome sexual attention
  • Lying, cheating, plagiarism or dishonesty of any kind 
  • Thief of materials, tools or school or other student’s property
  • Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior

Violating School Rules include, but not limited to:

  • Smoking on premise
  • Consumption of alcohol during class hours
  • Safety guidelines deliberately not followed
  • Safety guidelines accidently not followed repeatedly
  • Putting other students in danger
  • Missing 20% or more of class instruction
  • Not maintaining the minimum requirements of class
  • Not meeting financial requirements of course
  • Deliberate destruction of property or tools

Enforcement

Expulsion will be used in extreme cases of sexual harassment or hateful speech. Students will be warned at which time the inappropriate behavior must stop immediately. Students will only receive one warning. Further violations will be addressed on a case by case basis by school management.

Reporting

If someone makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, please report it as soon as possible to a staff member or to austin(at)austinschooloffurniture(dot)com. Harassment and other code of conduct violations hurt everyone and reduce the value of our course for students.

Social Media

Social Media is ever present in our lives and is vital to many businesses and individuals looking to reach a larger community. It is ok to take photos and videos while in class but you must be respectful that others may not wish to be in photos or videos posted to the internet. Your job as a student in the Austin School of Furniture 3 Month Intensive Program is to focus on learning and growing as a furniture maker. We ask that you keep photos, videos and social media to a minimum and concentrate on the program.

Safety Based Expulsion

Woodworking can be dangerous. With proper training, safety protocols and lots of practice the risk can be minimized. It is our goal to train students in safety and best practices but if the ASF staff believes that you are acting in an unsafe manner, whether deliberately or not, you can be expelled from the program. A student will be given a warning and additional safety training with the first occurrence. If a student continues to show unsafe behavior they will be expelled with a prorated refund.