Student Professional Development Guidelines

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All students must commit to and follow the Student Professional Development Guidelines during their enrollment at Paul Mitchell The School Grand Rapids. 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 give 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 time clock.  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, 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.  A student can receive credit for no more than 40 hours per week per section 339.1205 5a of Act 299 - The Michigan Occupational Code. If a student fails to clock in or out for their schedule on the student time clock, 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 from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM 
  3. All courses require continuous attendance.
  4. The prescribed attendance schedule must be maintained each week. 
  5. Students must be on time, as tardiness inhibits the learning process. Students who are late for theory, a specialty class or a guest artist class may attend the class, but must be accompanied into the classroom by a learning leader. Students are never excused from mandatory theory class to work in the clinic classroom.
  6. 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.
  7. Students who are late or cannot attend school must contact the school and talk to the school service desk immediately.  Day students must call in by 9:00 AM.
  8. Students must request time off from school from the Education Leader.
  9. Students are required to be in attendance seven (7) hours per day, 35 hours per week for the full-time Cosmetology and instructor schedules and      part-time cosmetology and instructor must to attend seven (7) hours per day, 21 hours per week. Holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Independence Day will be set according to the calendar each year.  Students cannot bank hours and attend over 40 hours per week to make up for missing hours.  If a student will miss hours during the week, arrangements must be made with the Future Professional Advisor to make up those hours. These make up hours do not count as additional program hours.
  10. 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
8 or 7 1/2 hr/day 10 min. in the morning & 10 min in the afternoon 30 min.
  1. Documentation of time: Students may not leave the school premises during regular hours without an instructor’s permission. 
    1. Students who leave school premises or those who leave early must document their time by clocking out on the time clock, signing the sign-out sheet, and having an instructor book them 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 “service tracking sheet,” which must be completed daily and turned in every month.

Professional Image

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

  1. Clothing should be professional and clean.
  2. Shoes should be professional, practical, and comfortable.  Closed toe shoes are recommended to protect the feet from spilled chemicals, hair slivers, and overall cleanliness and foot health. 
  3. Hair should be styled prior to arriving at school.
  4. Any cosmetics should be applied prior to arriving at the school.
  5. For shirts and blouses, shoulders and midriff (belly) must be fully covered. 
  6. For skirts and dresses the garment must be opaque and may not be higher than 4 inches above the knee unless opaque tights or leggings are worn. 
  7. Clothing may not contain political messages and/or branding, profanity, and/or other industry related logos. 
  8. Name tag - as provided by the school. All future professionals are required to wear a name tag while in attendance. 

Examples of acceptable attire may include: 

  1. Bottoms
    1. Jeans or clothing made of jean material: which have any rips or tears must fall below the fingertips, when standing.
    2. Shorts, skirts, skorts that are not higher than 4 inches above the knee unless opaque tights or leggings are worn.
    3. Nice pants or capris. 
  2. Dresses and Jumpers that are not higher than 4 inches above the knee unless opaque tights or leggings are worn.
  3. Printed and unprinted sweatshirts, T-shirts, hooded sweatshirts, and/or jackets may be worn but may not contain political messages or branding, profanity, or other industry related logos.
  4. Baseball hats, stylish hats, caps, stylish head wraps or beanies may be worn but may not contain political messages or branding, profanity, or other industry related logos.
  5. Paul Mitchell or School branded apparel that otherwise meets the requirements. 
  6. Colors other than black, white or grey may be worn. 

The following is a list of unacceptable attire for all Future Professionals in attendance: 

  1. Foot thongs, flip flops, beach sandals, and slippers.
  2. Underarms must be covered, so no tank tops, or spaghetti strap tops. No tube tops and belly revealing shirts.
  3. Pajama tops or bottoms or any other type of clothing made of cotton/pajama like material.
  4. Athletic leisure wear, sportswear and athletic wear such as, spandex, gym, yoga, or biking pants or shorts.
  5. Sunglasses. We want to see your beautiful eyes. 

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

Professional Image: Effective September 2, 2024

Each Future Professional will be issued, in their student kit, (2) two pairs of black scrubs. The scrubs are required to be worn during enrollment at Paul Mitchell The School Grand Rapids.

While in attendance Future Professionals must insure the black scrubs adhere to the below criteria:

  1. Black Scrubs must be clean, without tears, holes, etc.
  2. Shoes should be professional, practical, and comfortable.  Closed toe shoes are recommended to protect the feet from spilled chemicals, hair slivers, and overall cleanliness and foot health. Shoes may be any color.
  3. Hair should be styled prior to arriving at school. No hats may be worn, this includes baseball hats, stylish hats, caps, stylish head wraps, beanies, etc.
  4. Any cosmetics should be applied prior to arriving at the school.
  5. Long sleeve shirts may be warn under the scrubs, but should not have any  political messages and/or  branding, profanity, and/or other industry logos that are visible.
  6. Name tag - will be provided by the school and must be worn while in attendance. 
  7. If a Future Professional's scrubs are lost or need replacing, its will be the Future Professionals responsibility to purchase additional scrubs, the Future Professional must purchase the same type of black top, however the pant legs can be black joggers, black straight leg or black flared legs. 

The following is a list of unacceptable dress for all Future Professionals in attendance:

  1. Log-sleeve shirts with political messages, branding, profanity, and/or other industry logos that are visible.
  2. Shoes that are foot thongs, flip flops, beach sandals, slippers, and/or “croc” style.
  3. Baseball hats, visors, or bandanas.
  4. Headphones, headgear, and/or earphones are not permitted in the classroom or the clinic classroom.
  5. No Sunglasses may be worn, we want to see your beautiful eyes.

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

Sanitation and Personal 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 receive services on Monday through Thursday. To receive a service, students must do the following prior to starting the service:
    1. Seek permission and approval from Future Professional Advisory according to criteria below:
      • Be maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress
      • Be current in practical skill assessments, theory attendance and tests.
    2. Be scheduled off the service books by a Service Desk Coordinator.
    3. Pay for all supplies including perms, color, lightener, rinses, conditioning, treatments, manicures, nails, etc. 

Personal services must be rescheduled when the student is scheduled to take a guest. Students must re-schedule  their personal service and complete the service appointment assigned to them. Personal services are considered rewards and scheduled for students who are up to date with all projects, tests and practical skill assessments.  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. Students may use the student phones for a limited time. Please keep your calls to three (3) minutes or less.
  3. Cell phones are permitted in assigned areas of the school.
  4. Future Professionals  may not visit with another Future Professional who is servicing a service guest.
  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 Grand Rapids is a smoke-free campus. Students who fail to follow this policy will be suspended for a total of three (3) days.
  8. Stealing or taking school property or another’s personal property is unacceptable and grounds for termination.
  9. 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 85% 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 a specialty class, they may focus on the following:
    1. Completion of practical skill assessments through Course Key
    2. Completion of theory review worksheets
    3. Performing a service on another Future Professional
    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. The school 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. If a Future Professional fails to complete the practical skill assessment or required weekly theory hours they will be  placed on the back on Track List. Future Professional have one week to get caught up before they receive a coaching advisory.
  14. If a Future Professional fails to complete a worksheet 100%, the Future Professional will be placed on the Back on Track list and will remain on the list until the following month.
  15. If a Future Professionals 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. The school requires a Future Professional to complete all theory hours as part of their graduation requirements.  Refer to the graduation requirements.