Schedule Conflicts / Switching Classes

It is not uncommon for an ArtWorks student to have a schedule conflict arise at some point which prevents them from being able to attend their permanent weekly class time. Our classes run full year-round and we do not have readily open and available seats to switch students into during these times. ArtWorks is unable to “pause enrollment” or “hold a seat” for a student due to a conflict because as a small business we must rely on tuition coming in for all of the spaces in our classes.

However, our office will always partner with families to decide on the best plan to address the conflict. Please read below to understand the most typical solutions for varying scheduling conflicts that can arise. We also welcome families to call into our office directly so that we can help advise them regarding how best to handle their student’s specific situation (415.759.5757).

SHORT-TERM CONFLICT (a few months or less) typically due to sports conflicts, temporary after-school commitments, extended vacations

  • If the conflict is short-term, the approach that we have found that works best for most families is to utilize our flexible make-up policy to recoup the missed class time (versus withdrawing from the program and needing to go back on the waitlist). That way the student can keep their permanent seat for the long term and rejoin their current class time once their conflict ends.

    Our Make-up Policy (click here) allows for 2 scheduled make-ups per month and unlimited same day make-ups after that.

LONG-TERM CONFLICT when a student has an ongoing conflict and will no longer be able to attend their current class time in the future

  • If a student has an upcoming conflict that will be more of a long term conflict, and the only option is to switch classes permanently, please call the office so we can understand the situation in further detail (415.759.5757).

    Please be aware that switches are not immediate and it typically takes some time for us to coordinate switching a student into a new class time.

    If our office foresees that it will be an extended period of time before a new opening will come available, the best course of action may be for the student to withdraw (see below) and wait until a space opens up for them to restart classes in a class that will be sustainable with their schedule.

SWITCHING FROM THE 1 HOUR TO THE 1.5 HOUR CLASS

  • Students who begin our program in a 1-hour class will eventually reach a time that it is appropriate for them to make the move into the longer 1.5-hour class. These moves are generally initiated by our teachers who make regular recommendations to the office when they feel a student would benefit from moving into the longer class time. But, it is very important to note that a student’s program is individually customized, and the duration of the class that they are in has no impact on the type of project that they will work on. Each student progresses through our program at the challenge level that is appropriate for them regardless of which class time they are enrolled in.

    The move into the longer 1.5-hour class will occur for currently enrolled students who have entered into realistic subject matter and would benefit from additional time to work on those more advanced projects. This is most typically for students in the 12/13+ age range, but can occur for students age 11 up to age 15.

    Please be aware that these types of switches are not instantaneous and take some time to facilitate and execute because our 1.5-hour classes are significantly more impacted than our 1-hour classes. Generally, the best starting point is to add the student to whatever 1.5-hour class waitlists are best suited for their schedule.

    If you would like to investigate and discuss your student’s specific situation further, please call into our office (415.759.5757).

SUMMER ONLY SCHEDULING CONFLICTS

  • If the conflict is related to the summer months only (June, July, and August), please visit our “Summer Planning” tab (click here).

WITHDRAWAL FROM CLASSES

  • If ultimately utilizing our make-up policy or switching classes are not viable options, it may be determined that the best plan is to withdraw from classes and place the student on all appropriate waitlists to restart back at a more suitable time in the future. We do our best to prioritize getting current students back into our program, so they are not placed at the very bottom of the waitlist. However, out of fairness to all students who are on the waitlist, it will be some time before a new space is offered to a student to restart classes. The timeline will depend on the length of the waitlist for the class.

    If you must withdraw your student, please visit our “Withdrawal Policy” tab (click here) to understand the process.