General Information/Fees
Registration - Updated for Summer 2012
A pdf version of the summer flyer is available. Registration is easy! Just print the registration form and either send by mail or fax (credit card payments only). Forms must be accompanied by full payment in summer. You may mail your form to:
NIU Community School of the Arts
College of Visual and Performing Arts
Northern Illinois University
1425 W. Lincoln Hwy.
DeKalb, Illinois 60115-2828
or fax your form (credit card payment only) to (815) 753-8372. Our office is located in Room 132 of the Music Building. Our office hours are 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Call ahead if you need to come over the noon hour. We do not accept telephone registrations.
Registration Deadline
Lessons and Classes: June 11
Summer Hours
In accordance with the NIU summer schedule, the CSA office hours change in June to 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Mondays - Thursdays and closed on Fridays. The summer schedule ends in August. The office hours throughout the fall and spring are 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday.
Installment Payment Plan - not available in summer
An installment plan is available in fall and spring only. It is for those who want to pay in two installments over the course of one semester or in four installments over the course of the fall and spring semesters. Equal payments are billed to the credit card on the date you register, and on in October, January, and March. Your first payment must be by credit card. The adult who completes the form and who makes the initial payment is the person who remains responsible for all payments. The office is not responsible for splitting installment payments for multiple payees.
Registration Fee
A non-refundable $15 registration fee is required for each person at the time of registration. This is a per-person fee and is owed once during the summer, even for those who were registered the previous fall or spring. One person registering for multiple activities owes $15; the fee for two siblings registered on one form is $30. This fee is used to cover the cost of background checks required by the university for all employees who work with children.
Need Scholarships - Available in fall and spring only
Need scholarship awards are made in fall and spring only. Updated forms will be available in August. To apply for an award, complete and submit the registration form and scholarship application. Pay the registration fee only ($15). Billing will be adjusted later. More information is available on our scholarship information page.
Discount
You are eligible for a $20 discount in summer when:
- Different family members are registered for two or more activities.
- An indivdual is registered for two or more activities.
- Are 65 years or older.
Note: Discounts may not be combined.
Refunds and Withdrawals
Lessons: Partial refunds are made only for students who withdraw before the second week of lessons. Studetns are expected to pay for all lessons received even if they decide to withdraw from lesson. Students who stop attending lessons without notifying the office are expected to pay for all missed lessons.
Classes: There are no refunds for classes.
How to Request a Refund: In order to initiate a refund, students must notify the office by calling or writing as soon as possible. It is not sufficient to tell the instructor. Call (815) 753-1450.
Parking
Parking in university lots without a parking permit before 7 p.m. on weekdays may result in a parking ticket. A parking pass for temporary short-term parking in yellow (student) and blue (staff/faculty) lots is available for $20 for the summer semester. The summer pass expires at the end of the semester on August 10. Provide the requested information on the registration form and your pass will either be mailed or available for pick-up. A parking pass is not needed for on-campus parking in yellow or blue lots on weekends or after 7 p.m. on weekdays. It can take up to 10 days to process the passes.
Note: The parking pass is available only to participants of the NIU Community School of the Arts programs and may only be used on one car. Since the pass is not transferable, notify the office if you change vehicles. NIU students, faculty, and staff are not eligible to purchase these temporary parking permits. Parking lots adjacent to the classroom buildings are by permit only.
Parking on Concert and Special Event Nights
Free parking for community school concerts scheduled before 7 p.m. is available in the lot that is immediately south of the Music Building (Lot 3 on the parking map). A "Music Event" sign will be posted at the parking lot entrance. Note: This is normally a permit-only lot.
School Closure for Weather and Emergencies
When NIU is closed because of weather or an emergency, all CSA lessons and classes are cancelled. At times, the community school may cancel an activity or concert when the university remains open. If you suspect your activity might be cancelled, call the office (Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) to check. We will do our best to provide information about last-minute cancellations: Check your email in-box, and your telephone messages. If it is after 4:30 p.m. on a weekday or anytime during a weekend, you’ll find a message on our voice mail. The number is (815) 753-1450. Check this site's announcements for updates.
Private lessons: Teachers and students may cancel a lesson because of weather conditions at their own discretion and should be in contact with each other if weather conditions prevent travel. Lessons and classes may be rescheduled by the teacher later in the semester, time permitting.
Make-Up Lesson Policy
It is recommended that students keep a record of all lessons attended. Make-up lessons are generally scheduled during the weeks following the end of the semester. Because of scheduling conflicts of either teachers or students, it is not uncommon for students to begin lessons either earlier or later than the printed schedule.
Student Absence
One make-up lesson is granted each semester for excused absences (illness, family emergency, or religious observances), provided at least 24 hours (or as much notice as possible) is given. Sporting practices and events, family vacations, and doctors’ appointments are not considered excused absences. Some teachers may ask students who request a make-up lesson to switch lessons with another student. Others may set up one specific day at the end of the semester to schedule all make-up lessons. Be sure to check with your teacher about this. A lesson missed because bad weather prevents student travel may be made up by the teacher if time permits.
Teacher Absence
If a teacher is unable to teach a lesson or class, he or she will inform the student(s) at least 24 hours in advance and will reschedule the lesson or class.
Safety
Parents should understand that the buildings at NIU are open to the public. Young children should be supervised at all times; older children should be picked up promptly after lessons and classes and should not wander through the buildings. There is no longer a pay telephone in the Music, Art, or Stevens Buildings. There is a phone that can be used for local calls only (free) on the west wall of the Concert Hall hallway and there is a phone that can be used for on-campus calls, including the university police, on the east wall of the Concert Hall hallway. Both of these phones are located in the Music Building.