General Information/Payment

Registration - Summer 2013

Registration is easy!  Just print the registration form and either send by mail or fax (credit card payments only). 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. We do not accept telephone registrations.

Registration Deadlines and Office Hours

LESSONS
Summer: June 10
CLASSES AND ENSEMBLES
Summer:  At least one week before the start date.
OFFICE HOURS
Our office is located in Room 132 in the Music Building. During the fall and spring semesters, the office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Beginning the week of June 3 and ending on August 9, the office hours are Monday - Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Campus buildings are closed on Fridays in summer. Call ahead if you need to come over the noon hour.

Installment Payment Plan

The installment plan is available ONLY in fall and spring, not summer, and with the following conditions:

1)  Total balance must be no less than $100 and the first payment must be made by credit card on the date you register. Installment payments are allowed through the first four weeks of the semester; after that, full payment is expected.
2)  For those paying in four installments through the fall and spring semesters, the second installment is due in Otober, the third in January and the fourth in March.
3)  Those who register for both a one-semester activity and a two-semester activity will make unequal installment payments, to be calculated by the office.  
4)  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 in summer and once during the school year; fall students returning in spring are not charged the fee in spring.  One person registering for multiple activities owes $15; the fee for two siblings registered on one form is $30. This fee is used for many expenses, including the cost of background checks required by the university for all employees who work with children.



Need Scholarships 

Need scholarship awards are made in fall and spring only. 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.  The deadline for need scholarship applications in fall is in late August in fall and in spring is in mid-January.

Discounts

You are eligible for a $25 discount when you:

• Register more than one family member during the same semester, etiher summer, fall, or spring, OR
• Register one person for more than one activity during the same semester, either summer, fall, or spring, OR
• Are 65 years or older.

Discounts may not be combined.

Refunds and Withdrawals

A student who wishes to withdraw from lessons, classes or ensembles must contact the CSA office at (815) 753-1450; it is not sufficient to speak with the instructor. A doctor’s note is required for all refunds requested for medical reasons.  Mail to:  NIU Community School of the Arts, NIU, 1425 W. Lincoln Hwy, DeKalb, IL 60115 or drop off in Room 132 Music Building.  Students are expected to pay for all lessons, classes, and rehearsals attended and/or scheduled prior to the request to withdraw.  Decisions about refunds are made at the discretion of the office.

Parking - Summer 2013

Temporary parking passes are available for community school students in summer for $20; these passes may be used in any on-campus lots (blue or yellow).  However, parking lot space adjacent to the Music Building is limited in summer to the south lot (Lot 3).  Lot E and Lot 2 on Lucinda Ave. are closed for repairs until mid-August.  Lots B, V, and A are open. See map; more details are available at http://www.niu.edu/parking/construction/index.shtml.

Gilbert Road, which has been partially closed for some time, will be open to traffic, with additional parking, starting in July.  

Parking in any campus lot is by permit only; parking without a pass may result in a ticket.  Passes are not needed after 7 p.m. on Monday - Thursday.  On-street parking is available near Annie's Woods and on roads immediately to the east of the Music Building; parking passes are not needed for on-street parking.

In summer, the university is closed on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays; lessons and classes are not scheduled on these days. NIU students, faculty, and staff are not eligible to purchase a temporary parking pass, which may only be used on one car and is not transferable; notify the office if you change vehicles and provide all requested information on the registration form.

It can take up to 10 days to process a parking pass, which is available only to community school participants. Complete all requested information on the registration form and note whether you would like the pass mailed or if you would prefer to stop by Room 132 Music Building to pick it up.

Parking on Concert and Special Event Nights

Free parking for community school concerts and special events scheduled before 7 p.m. on weekdays is available for those without a parking permit in the lot that is 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 during business hours to check. We will do our best to communicate 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 News and Updates section 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 non-emergency 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 or teacher 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 (or as much time as possible) 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.