Life at the David Geffen School of Drama

Community Days

Since 2021–2022, the academic calendar includes specific days each term known as Community Days, where classes are suspended to allow for cross-program and/or all-School activities. Each term, classes are suspended from 9 a.m.–1:30 p.m. on designated days to create time and space for joyful community connection and more opportunities for interdisciplinary learning. Historically, Community Day activities range from all-School meetings to Symposia Series events, workshops and lectures, community-wide meals, and/or social gatherings. Production work continues as scheduled on these days. Please see the academic calendar for the listing of these dates. Programming updates will be sent via email to the community at the start of each semester and updated throughout the year.

Symposia Series

The David Geffen School of Drama Symposia Series is an ongoing effort that welcomes all David Geffen School of Drama/Yale Repertory Theatre community members to propose and explore pressing topics across our field related to pedagogy and professional practice, providing opportunities for the cross-pollination of ideas and discourse inclusive of the School, Yale Rep, and the wider theater community. Distinguished guest panels and presentations are curated by members of the community including faculty, staff, and students who identify topics of interest and relevance. Each session includes an opportunity for the community to engage with the guests in a question-and-answer session.

Several academic programs also host pertinent lecture series that are open to the entire School and Yale Rep community. Please see the Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism chapter of this bulletin for a description of Hot Topics. Additional open workshops, panels, and lectures will be announced via email to the full School and Yale Rep community.

Annual Magazine

The David Geffen School of Drama Annual Magazine provides an opportunity to share alumni news and information from profiles and feature stories to class notes and alumni events. It captures the School’s activity over the year, including new faculty appointments, faculty retirements, student accomplishments, scholarships and prizes, and more. The magazine is an annual chronicle of the achievements of the community. The magazine is a print publication that is also available on the website.

Student Government

David Geffen School of Drama Student Government (SDSG) strives to enhance the educational experience of each student by being a forum for students’ ideas and concerns, acting as a liaison between students and the faculty and administration, and promoting educational and social activities that help foster a strong sense of community within the School.

Student Organizations

David Geffen School of Drama student groups empower coalition building and networking among students who share common interests, goals, and/or a self-identified background. Student groups are open to all students at the School.

ActOUT strives to create, foster, and strengthen bonds between LGBTQIA students and faculty within the School and to support theater that speaks to queer identity and issues. Through engagement with historical and contemporary queer theater practice and practitioners, ActOUT advocates for the visibility of queer students, faculty, art, and artists.

A.M.P.: Analyzing and Mobilizing Privilege, founded in 2015, is a learning group that aims to unpack privilege and leverage it to ignite necessary change. A.M.P. strives to support affinity groups and all members of the School community and to provide a safe place where people can ask questions, challenge one another, and set changes in motion.

Beyond Borders, founded in 2019, aims to raise awareness of, to support, and to empower the international community regardless of citizenship status at the School. It cultivates global perspectives at the School by celebrating international experiences and bringing in diverse understandings of culture, identity, and aesthetics. Beyond Borders is a welcoming space for international community members as well as anyone experiencing culture shock in their life at the School, to share experiences, frustrations, joys, and hopes.

DEFY: Disability Empowerment for Yale (DGSD) is a disability affinity group founded in 2018. DEFY uses the term disability purposefully and politically. Disability is a condition imposed by cultures that actively disable variant bodies and minds. DEFY exists to create accessible spaces of community and support by and for the disabled community of the School. It advocates for stories of disability on the stage and for disabled voices in the room. In all of its work DEFY acknowledges that disability identities are intertwined with race, gender, sexuality, citizenship, age, religion, and class, and it strives to hold space for discussion and action that piece through these intersections and honor their complexities.

El Colectivo, founded in 2015, is a collectively organized ensemble for Latinx, Latin American, and allied School members to unite expressions of Latinidad under one roof to uplift themselves, their art, and their communities in conocimiento.

FOLKS, founded in 1981, exists to cultivate solidarity, legacy, and high-risk artistry among the black artists at the School; it honors their rich history and informs the culture of the School for the next generation of black artists through performances, activism, and discussion.

New Leaf is the Asian, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) coalition of students and alumni at David Geffen School of Drama. Originally founded in 2015 as Asian Potluck for our rich history of gathering around food, we renamed the coalition New Leaf in 2022 to acknowledge the vast array of AAPI experiences. Our mission is to foster an inclusive community of AAPI artists and thinkers; empower AAPI voices, dreams, and questions; and build networks of AAPI artists. Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander experiences and cultures are often collapsed, misrepresented, and made invisible. We seek to support one another as socially and politically engaged artists and activists, while understanding that the AAPI identity is a label that is often imposed on us en masse despite our linguistic, cultural, and experiential differences.

People of Marginalized Genders (PMG) seeks to provide a platform for the spectrum of voices of cis women, trans women, non-binary people, and those of nonconforming genders. We uplift our BIPOC and LGBTQ members and recognize the disproportionate injustice they face. PMG is committed to hosting productive conversations about gender in the industry and at the School, advocating for people of marginalized genders as individuals, artists, and equal members of society through the medium of theater and by raising awareness of their issues, challenges, and victories—yesterday, today, and in the future. We honor the history of our founding in 2015 as Womxn’s Voices in Theatre and remain committed to evolving as necessary to ensure PMG is an inclusive, intersectional, and essential affinity space at the School.

If you are interested in applying to start a student group, please contact Assistant Dean for Student Life Nancy Yao.

Self-Care and Wellness

The School and the university at large offer a variety of wellness resources to support students in developing personal wellness strategies.

David Geffen School of Drama’s nonclinical counselor, Krista Dobson (krista.dobson@yale.edu), is a licensed professional counselor who supports students at the School, as well as at the Schools of Architecture and Art, with short-term mental health and wellness needs including, but not limited to, development of strategies related to time and stress management, conflict resolution, social and cultural belonging, and self-care. Students are encouraged to contact Krista directly to request an appointment. Short-term support includes approximately two to five appointments. Students with long-term and/or clinical mental health needs will be referred to Yale Mental Health and Counseling Services with Krista’s support.

For more information about additional wellness resources visit https://yalewell.yale.edu as well as the Yale University Resources and Services chapter of this bulletin for health, wellness, cultural, spiritual, and recreational resources. Students are also encouraged to explore wellness resources available through the Good Life Center at Yale (https://goodlifecenteratyale.com).

Academic Regulations

Course Standards and Requirements

Each program develops its own course of study in consultation with the dean. The advantage of a small institution lies in its ability to give personal attention; students are encouraged to expand and broaden their course of study, which may encompass assigned off-campus field trips and fieldwork, with the aid of the chair of their program. A program may choose to vary specific requirements on an individual basis with the approval of the dean.

David Geffen School of Drama students may take courses for credit, audit, or the Pass/Fail option at any of the other schools at the university with the approval of the student’s adviser, program chair, and the course instructor. Students enrolling in courses at other schools are subject to all policies and deadlines of both that school and David Geffen School of Drama. Outside courses are graded according to David Geffen School of Drama policy. Work-study hours missed for participation in classes outside of the School are not eligible for conversion, should a student otherwise be qualified.

Auditors must receive permission from the instructor before enrolling as an auditor, as not all faculty permit auditors in their classes. The minimum general requirement for auditing is attendance in two-thirds of the class sessions; instructors may set additional requirements for auditing their classes.

David Geffen School of Drama courses are open only to students in the program offering the courses, unless otherwise specified in this bulletin.

Grading

Except where noted, courses at the School are offered on a Pass/Fail basis. Grades are posted at the end of each term to the student’s private Yale Hub student account at https://yub.yale.edu. Students are responsible for reviewing their grades at the end of each term. At the discretion of the instructor, courses in Stage Management and Technical Design and Production may be offered as Honors (92–100), High Pass (82–91), Pass (75–81), Fail (below 75), Withdrew Pass (WP), Withdrew Fail (WF). In Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism, the comprehensive exam process and Criticism Workshop courses are offered as: Honors+ (98 and above), Honors (95–97), Honors- (92–94), High Pass+ (88–91), High Pass (85–87), High Pass- (82–84), Pass+ (78–81), Pass (75–77), Fail (below 75), Withdrew Pass (WP), Withdrew Fail (WF). All other courses in Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism will be offered on a Pass/Fail basis, though students may request to be graded on the scale noted above.

Should a student fail to complete all required course work by the end of a term, an instructor may give a grade of Incomplete. However, the student is required to complete the remaining course work within one month of the end of the term. If, for good reason, the student is unable to complete the course requirements during the allotted time, the student may petition the instructor for an extension. If, after the allotted time or the period of extension, the course requirements are not met, the grade of Incomplete will be converted to a grade of Permanent Incomplete.

A student may withdraw from a required course only with permission of the program chair.

Evaluation and Support

Students are evaluated on the basis of their application to training, development of craft, academic and production performance, and professionalism, which in all disciplines is characterized by commitment, integrity, reliability, communication, and collaboration.

The faculty shall regularly evaluate each student’s progress and standing. A student who fails to meet all the requirements of the program and to progress appropriately in the criteria noted above may be placed on academic warning or be dismissed at any time despite having achieved passing grades in all course work. Academic warning is most often preceded by an informal notice of academic concern by the student’s program chair along with resources and support for improvement. If the academic concern is not remedied, the student will be issued an academic warning. See sections on Notice of Academic Warning and Grounds for Dismissal below.

For further information on requirements specific to each program, carefully refer to program descriptions detailed in this bulletin.

Students who have satisfactorily completed their course of study and have successfully fulfilled all non-classroom requirements of their program are recommended by a majority vote of the faculty to receive the Certificate in Drama, M.F.A., or D.F.A., conferred by the President and Fellows of Yale University.

Notice of Academic Warning

Academic warning may be given to students when the faculty expresses serious reservations about the ability or willingness of the student to meet the requirements of the student’s program when evaluated by the criteria noted above.

Notice of an academic warning to any student shall be given in a formal meeting with a dean, associate dean, or assistant dean, and the student’s program chair. The student is encouraged to bring to the meeting a trusted faculty member or other adviser selected from the administration of the School. Other students may not attend the meeting. Following the meeting, the student receives written confirmation of the student’s academic status, the reasons for the warning, and the improvement and School support required for remediation within a defined time frame to ensure the removal of the warning. Institutional and federal aid for students on academic warning will be unaffected during their remediation period(s). Students on academic warning may not participate in the Yale Cabaret. The vast majority of students who receive such warning are successful in making the required adjustments and go on to complete the program successfully.

Failure to remediate the academic warning within the defined time frame may lead to dismissal. See Grounds for Dismissal below.

Grounds for Dismissal

Students who, in the judgment of the program chair and the deans, are not achieving appropriate standards of professional practice in their art, craft, or discipline, or meeting the requirements of their program when evaluated by the criteria noted above under Evaluation, may be dismissed, whether or not they are on academic warning.

Serious breaches of David Geffen School of Drama or Yale University policy, including failure to meet class requirements or program or required work-study assignments (such as persistent lateness to and/or unprofessional behavior in production, and the like), may lead to immediate dismissal of a student who is not currently on academic warning.

Once dismissed, a student is not eligible for readmission.

Financial Aid ANd Satisfactory Academic Progress

All David Geffen School of Drama students receiving Title IV funds must meet the stipulated policies and guidelines detailed above for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Title IV funds are federal student aid funds, which are from federal student aid programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education. Federal aid recipients are required to be in good standing and to maintain SAP toward their degree requirements each term in which they are enrolled. SAP is evaluated at the end of the fall and spring terms. Failure to maintain satisfactory progress may result in the loss of financial aid eligibility.

Time Frame

The time frame is the allotted time with which all students enrolled in a specific program and specialty are expected to complete their respective program. Drama students have a traditional time frame for program completion of six semesters in the three-year track M.F.A. program, two semesters in the one-year technical internship program, and ten semesters in the D.F.A. program. The School does not offer a part-time or less-than-half-time status.

Quantitative and Qualitative Measures

To complete the M.F.A., certificate, and D.F.A. programs within the traditional time frame, students enrolled in the program must successfully complete all requirements outlined in the respective chapters of this bulletin.

Special Grades

Grades of Incomplete, or petitions for extension, must be resolved by registration day of the following term. Incomplete grades do not count as earned or attempted credits. Withdrawals before the tuition proration period of the term will not be counted as attempted courses. Withdrawals after the tuition proration period takes effect will count as attempted but unearned credit. Please contact the School’s financial aid office before withdrawing from any course to see how the withdrawal may impact your SAP status.

Grade Changes

Grade changes that occur that negatively impact a student’s SAP status after the start of a new reporting cycle in which aid has been released will not result in a return of funds as the release will be tied to the basis of the last SAP evaluation as that was the most accurate at the time it was performed. The student will maintain Title IV aid eligibility until the next evaluation period and their standing at the point of the next evaluation period.

SAP Reporting Frequency, Procedure, and Notices

SAP reporting and reviews will be performed by the School’s financial aid office with support from the School registrar. Reporting will occur at the end of each semester. The School’s financial aid office will send SAP notices to students who are not meeting SAP standards at each reporting period.

Counseling

Students in the M.F.A. program must meet with both the registrar and the financial aid office before any withdrawal or approved leave of absence to discuss the impact of the student’s SAP.

Appeal Process

Students in the M.F.A. program may appeal a loss of financial aid eligibility due to unsatisfactory academic progress. The appeal should include a plan for meeting SAP that extends no further than the end of the following financial aid term. In conference with the relevant academic program chair, the Financial Aid Committee will approve or deny each appeal. Students who fail to meet the standards set in the approved plan and fail to meet SAP goals in the time allotted will lose eligibility for federal aid at the end of the next financial aid term.

Regaining SAP Without an Appeal

If a student chooses not to appeal, they may regain federal eligibility for future terms once all SAP measures are back within the required standards.

Transcripts

The registrar of David Geffen School of Drama maintains academic transcripts of current and former students. Transcripts are issued by the registrar only by written request from the student or former student, and only if the student has no outstanding debts to the School or the university. Students may review their grades posted on their Yale Hub student account at https://yub.yale.edu. Students may order official transcripts directly through the School’s transcript provider, Parchment.

Student Records

The registrar of David Geffen School of Drama maintains academic records on each enrolled student. The following types of academic records are maintained: the application for admission and supporting documents such as standardized test scores, transcripts of undergraduate or other prior study, and letters of recommendation; registration forms, grade reports, course schedules, petitions filed by the student, and any other documents or correspondence pertaining to the student’s academic work or status within the School. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, also known as the Buckley Amendment, governs access to the academic records. The current FERPA policy statement can be found at https://registrar.yale.edu/the-family-educational-rights-and-privacy-act-ferpa-0. The statement has two chief purposes: the first is to describe the nature of a student’s right to review the student’s educational record; the second is to describe the university’s policy of confidentiality in the maintenance of student records.

Leaves of Absence

Students are expected to follow a continuous course of study at David Geffen School of Drama. A student who wishes or needs to interrupt study temporarily may request a leave of absence. There are three types of leave—personal, medical, and parental—all of which are described below. The general policies that apply to all types of leave are:

Leave of absence application forms are available from the registrar’s office at the School.
All leaves of absence must be approved by the appropriate program chair and the dean. Medical leaves also require the recommendation of a physician on the staff of Yale Health. See Medical Leave of Absence below.
A student may be granted a leave of absence for one, two, or three terms. A student is not normally granted a leave of absence to take on a professional commitment.
International students who apply for a leave of absence must consult with OISS regarding their visa status.
A student on leave of absence may complete outstanding work in courses for which extensions have been granted. The student may not, however, fulfill any other degree requirements during the time on leave.
A student on a leave of absence is not eligible for financial aid, including loans; and in most cases, student loans are not deferred during periods of non-enrollment.
A student on a leave of absence is not eligible for the use of any university facilities normally available to registered students.
A student on a leave of absence is not eligible for coverage by Yale Health Basic or Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage. Coverage terminates the day the leave is granted. In order to secure continuous coverage through Yale Health, a student must request enrollment in Yale Health Affiliate Coverage and pay the premium prior to the beginning of the term for which the leave is taken. If a leave of absence is granted during the term, the student must request Yale Health Affiliate Coverage enrollment within thirty days of the date the registrar is notified of the leave. Applications are available from the Yale Health Member Services Department, 55 Lock Street (203.432.0246), or can be downloaded from the Yale Health website (http://yalehealth.yale.edu). David Geffen School of Drama will cover the cost of Yale Health Affiliate Coverage for students on medical leave, for up to three terms.
A student on leave of absence does not have to file a formal application for readmission. However, the student must notify the registrar in writing of the intention to return at least eight weeks prior to the end of the approved leave. In addition, if the returning student wishes to be considered for financial aid, the student must submit appropriate financial aid applications to the School’s financial aid office to determine eligibility. For returns from medical leaves of absence, see Medical Leave of Absence below.
A student on leave of absence who does not return at the end of an approved leave, and does not request and receive an extension by the student’s chair and the dean, is automatically dismissed from the School.

Personal Leave of Absence

A student who is current with degree requirements and wishes to interrupt study temporarily because of personal exigencies may request a personal leave of absence. The general policies governing leaves of absence are described above. A student is eligible for a personal leave after satisfactory completion of at least one term of study. Personal leaves cannot be granted retroactively, and normally are not approved after the tenth day of a term.

To request a personal leave of absence, a student must complete the form available in the registrar’s office before the beginning of the term for which the leave is requested, explaining the reasons for the proposed leave, and stating both the proposed start and end dates of the leave, and the address at which the student can be reached during the period of the leave.

If the chair of the program finds the student to be eligible, and the dean approves, the leave is granted. In any case, the student is informed in writing of the action taken. A student who does not apply for a personal leave of absence, or who applies for a leave but is not granted one, and who does not register for any term, is considered to have withdrawn from the School.

Medical Leave of Absence

A student who must interrupt study temporarily because of illness or injury may be granted a medical leave of absence with the approval of the appropriate program chair and the dean, on the written recommendation of a physician on the staff of Yale Health. The final decision concerning a request for a medical leave of absence is communicated in writing from the department chair and the dean.

The general policies governing leaves of absence are described above. A student who is making satisfactory progress toward degree requirements is eligible for a medical leave any time after matriculation. David Geffen School of Drama will cover the cost of Yale Health Affiliate Coverage for students on medical leave, for up to three terms.

The School reserves the right to place a student on a mandatory medical leave of absence when, on recommendation of the director of Yale Health or the chief of the Mental Health and Counseling department, the dean of the School determines that, because of a medical condition, the student is a danger to self or others, the student has seriously disrupted others in the student’s residential or academic communities, or the student has refused to cooperate with efforts deemed necessary by Yale Health and the dean to make such determinations. Each case will be assessed individually based on all relevant factors, including, but not limited to, the level of risk presented and the availability of reasonable modifications. Reasonable modifications do not include fundamental alterations to the student’s academic, residential, or other relevant communities or programs; in addition, reasonable modifications do not include those that unduly burden university resources.

An appeal of such a leave must be made in writing to the dean of the School no later than seven days from the effective date of the leave.

An incident that gives rise to voluntary or mandatory leave of absence may also result in subsequent disciplinary action.

A student who is placed on medical leave during any term has tuition adjusted according to the same schedule used for withdrawals. (See Tuition Rebate and Refund Policy in the chapter Tuition.) Before re-registering, a student on medical leave must secure written permission to return from a physician at Yale Health.

Leave of Absence for Parental Responsibilities

A student who is making satisfactory progress toward degree requirements and wishes or needs to interrupt study temporarily for reasons of pregnancy, maternity care, or paternity care, may be granted a leave of absence for parental responsibilities. Any student planning to have or care for a child is encouraged to meet with the student’s program chair and the dean to discuss leaves and other short-term arrangements. For many students, short-term arrangements, rather than a leave of absence, are possible. The general policies governing all leaves are described above. A student who is making satisfactory progress toward degree requirements is eligible for parental leave of absence any time after matriculation.

Students living in university housing units are encouraged to review their housing contract and the related polices of the Graduate Housing Office before applying to the School for a parental leave of absence. Students granted a parental leave may continue to reside in university housing to the end of the academic term for which the leave was first granted, but no longer.

Withdrawal

Students and technical interns who wish to end their program of study should submit the appropriate withdrawal form to the registrar. Normally, a student or intern who has chosen to withdraw is eligible to apply for readmission. A student or intern who is asked to withdraw by the faculty or is dismissed by the School is not eligible to apply for readmission. Refer to Eligibility Changes, under Health Services, in the chapter Yale University Resources and Services, regarding Yale Health premium refunds, and coverage, if applicable.

U.S. Military Leave Readmissions Policy

Students who wish or need to interrupt their studies to perform U.S. military service are subject to a separate U.S. military leave readmissions policy. In the event a student withdraws or takes a leave of absence from David Geffen School of Drama to serve in the U.S. military, the student will be entitled to guaranteed readmission under the following conditions:

The student must have served in the U.S. Armed Forces for a period of more than thirty consecutive days.
The student must give advance written or oral notice of such service to the appropriate dean. In providing the advance notice the student does not need to indicate an intent to return. This advance notice need not come directly from the student, but rather, can be made by an appropriate officer of the U.S. Armed Forces or official of the U.S. Department of Defense. Notice is not required if precluded by military necessity. In all cases, this notice requirement can be fulfilled at the time the student seeks readmission, by submitting an attestation that the student performed the service.
The student must not be away from the School to perform U.S. military service for a period exceeding five years (this includes all previous absences to perform U.S. military service but does not include any initial period of obligated service). If a student’s time away from the School to perform U.S. military service exceeds five years because the student is unable to obtain release orders through no fault of the student or the student was ordered to or retained on active duty, the student should contact the appropriate dean to determine if the student remains eligible for guaranteed readmission.
The student must notify the School within three years of the end of the U.S. military service of the intention to return. However, a student who is hospitalized or recovering from an illness or injury incurred in or aggravated during the U.S. military service has up until two years after recovering from the illness or injury to notify the School of the intent to return.
The student cannot have received a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge or have been sentenced in a court-martial.

A student who meets all of these conditions will be readmitted for the next term, unless the student requests a later date of readmission. Any student who fails to meet one of these requirements may still be readmitted under the general readmission policy but is not guaranteed readmission.

Upon returning to the School, the student will resume education without repeating completed course work for courses interrupted by U.S. military service. The student will have the same enrolled status last held and with the same academic standing. For the first academic year in which the student returns, the student will be charged the tuition and fees that would have been assessed for the academic year in which the student left the institution. Yale may charge up to the amount of tuition and fees other students are assessed, however, if veteran’s education benefits will cover the difference between the amounts currently charged other students and the amount charged for the academic year in which the student left.

In the case of a student who is not prepared to resume studies with the same academic status at the same point at which the student left or who will not be able to complete the program of study, the School will undertake reasonable efforts to help the student become prepared. If after reasonable efforts, the School determines that the student remains unprepared or will be unable to complete the program, or after the School determines that there are no reasonable efforts it can take, the School may deny the student readmission.

Commencement

All candidates on whom degrees or certificates are to be conferred must be present at the Commencement exercises unless excused for urgent reasons by their program chair with the approval of the dean. Requests to be excused from Commencement must be submitted by May 1, 2025. For program-specific requirements for participation in Commencement exercises, please consult the relevant program section of this bulletin.

General Regulations

AI Policy

David Geffen School of Drama regulations require that students cite the source for any material submitted as part of coursework, including language, images, and ideas sourced from AI. Images and other content generated by artificial intelligence algorithms such as ChatGPT, Stable Diffusion, DALL-E, Midjourney, or others must be acknowledged and attributed as such when work is submitted or presented. Failure to acknowledge such work, even when substantially altered, is considered a violation of the School’s and the university’s intellectual honesty expectations and regulations and may be deemed as plagiarism.

Yale’s Poorvu Center provides up-to-date AI guidance. Members of the community are encouraged to consult the website periodically.

Audio, Video, and Photographic Recording Policy

The purpose of this policy is to set forth expectations regarding the audio, video, and photographic recording of classes, meetings, or other conversations at the School, at School-sponsored events, or between members of our community. For policies regarding theatrical production photos and performance recordings, please refer to the School’s Production Handbook, which is available at https://dgsdinfo.yale.edu/handbooks-guides.

It is expected that faculty, staff, students, interns, and invited guests will respect the privacy of other individuals in the workplace and in educational settings. Therefore, the School prohibits the surreptitious use of audio, video, and photographic recording devices in its buildings and at any School-sponsored meetings, gatherings, and/or events. Recording devices may only be used in an open, conspicuous manner so that it is apparent to all parties that a recording is being made. This prohibition on surreptitious recordings is intended to protect the privacy of community members and to avoid inhibiting the free exchange of ideas.

Planned recording of class sessions by faculty members must be communicated to students in writing through the course syllabus. All students and other participants in a class or educational activity that will be recorded must be informed of the recording in advance. Recordings shall only be shared with students enrolled in the course and will be deleted at the end of the course. Recordings shall not be publicly shared, such as on the Internet or in public viewings, without the written consent of the instructor and others being recorded. Students must obtain their instructors’ written permission before recording course content, such as lectures, discussions, presentations, critiques, or performances. Students seeking to record course content as a reasonable accommodation for a disability must work with Student Accessibility Services to obtain permission to record, and also agree not to disseminate the content.

All official photography and video recordings of Yale Rep and School productions and other campus activity will follow the rules set forth by the Actors’ Equity Association agreement. In addition, all students are expected to sign photo releases.

Photographs of every Yale Rep and School production will be taken by a professional photographer during a designated dress rehearsal. In addition, the School routinely schedules professional photography and video recording of classes, rehearsals, and other administrative and production work, in support of institutional communications, marketing, and archival purposes. In accordance with the AEA agreement, at least twenty-four hours’ notice is given for all photography and video work on campus whenever possible.

All School and Yale Rep photography and video recording are arranged and archived by the Marketing and Communications Department. Photo libraries are available to students for portfolio purposes throughout the year. For detailed information about the production photography and video-recording policy, please refer to the Production Handbook.

Respect in Our Workplace Protocol

David Geffen School of Drama and Yale Repertory Theatre (School/YRT) depend upon respect and transparency as the basis for all collaborations and working relationships. The School/YRT support and aim to foster an anti-racist, anti-oppressive, civil, respectful, and open-minded culture so that all of us can live and work in an environment free of harassment, bias-motivated behaviors, and unfair treatment. We strive to create a psychologically safe environment in which to examine and dramatize topics that are controversial, complex, and provocative.

The School/YRT expect all community members including employees, students, staff, faculty, interns, guest artists, independent contractors, and visitors to refrain from actions or behaviors that intimidate, humiliate, or demean persons or groups or that undermine their security based on traits related to race, ethnicity, country of origin, religion, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or other category protected by state or federal law.

The School/YRT adhere to Yale University’s philosophy that all community members should enjoy an environment free of any form of harassment, sexual misconduct, discrimination, or intimate partner violence. While working and studying at, or visiting, the School/YRT, all community members may make use of the university’s resources available to prevent, report, and respond to sexual misconduct. An overview of policies, definitions, and resources is published in this bulletin and posted in each of our buildings.

The School/YRT are committed to providing a working environment where community members are listened to and taken seriously. If you see or experience any form of discrimination, sexual harassment, or sexual misconduct, we encourage you to report it immediately by following the process below.

Resolution may take many forms including, if you feel comfortable doing so, to first directly address the individual(s) involved. This initial communication tactic helps to foster an honest and open community.

How to Report Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, or Sexual Misconduct to the School/YRT

To make a formal report of an incident of discrimination, sexual harassment, or sexual misconduct to the School/YRT, you may contact your immediate supervisor, the head of your program, or any of the staff members listed here: Trinh DiNoto, human resources business partner (trinh.dinoto@yale.edu, 475.238.4520); Carla Jackson, assistant dean/general manager/Title IX coordinator/discrimination and harassment resource coordinator (carla.jackson@yale.edu, 203.432.1517); Florie Seery, associate dean/managing director (florie.seery@yale.edu, 917.744.0400); James Bundy, dean/artistic director (james.bundy@yale.edu, 203.668.7335).

Please note that employees of the School/YRT are required to notify a university Title IX coordinator about the facts of any sexual harassment or sexual misconduct incident reported. You may choose to request confidentiality from the university. We encourage you to report any discrimination, sexual harassment, or sexual misconduct as soon as possible, either in writing or in person. See Resources on Sexual Misconduct in the chapter Yale University Resources and Services for more information.

You will not be penalized for reporting We are committed to providing a safe, supportive environment for any member of our community who reports discrimination, sexual harassment, or sexual misconduct, either during or after their time with the School/YRT. No one, including your peers, supervisor, or another manager, will be permitted to retaliate against you, in future hiring choices or otherwise.

What you should do if the behavior is recurring after it has already been reported If discrimination, sexual harassment, or sexual misconduct reoccurs after you have made a report, it is particularly important that you report it again immediately. Do not wait until you cannot tolerate the behavior any longer. The School/YRT are determined to stop any discrimination, sexual harassment, or sexual misconduct immediately, and we cannot know that it is continuing without your report.

In following these guidelines, we believe our community can best uphold the mission and values of the School and YRT and be an inspiration for all those committed to this art form.

Behavior Subject to Disciplinary Action

Students at David Geffen School of Drama freely associate themselves with the university, and in doing so affirm their commitment to the university’s principles of honesty and academic integrity. They are expected to abide by all university regulations, as well as local, state, and federal laws. The forms of behavior subject to disciplinary action include, but are not limited to:

Cheating and plagiarism: Cheating and plagiarism are understood to include all forms of misrepresentation in academic and professional work. Yale University policies on cheating and plagiarism may be found at https://provost.yale.edu/policies/academic-integrity/dealing-allegations-academic-misconduct.
Illegal activity: Any activity illegal by state or federal statutes is not permitted on or off campus and will be subject to prosecution.
1. Illegal behaviors directed against the university or the university community.
2. Possession or use of explosives or weapons on university property. Note: the use of stage weapons and stage violence and combat in School/YRT classes and theater productions is governed by the School/YRT Stage Weapons Use Policy and the School/YRT Fight/Violence Policy.
Drug and alcohol use: Drinking alcohol or using drugs during class, rehearsal, or performance hours, and/or attending class or rehearsal or performing production work, assigned or elective work-study under the influence of alcohol or drugs, are unprofessional behaviors creating an unacceptable risk to safety and the artistic process. Students who engage in such behavior are subject to disciplinary action or dismissal from the David Geffen School of Drama.
Persistent unprofessional behavior including but not limited to recurring lateness and/or unexcused absences from required School/YRT classes, rehearsals, performances, and work calls; and violation of the Respect in Our Workplace Protocol and/or other School/YRT and Yale University policies.

Emergency Suspension

The dean of David Geffen School of Drama, or a delegate of the dean, may place a student on an emergency suspension from residence or academic status when (1) the student has been arrested for or charged with serious criminal behavior by law enforcement authorities; or (2) the student allegedly violated a disciplinary rule of David Geffen School of Drama and the student’s presence on campus poses a significant risk to the safety or security of members of the community.

Following an individualized risk and safety analysis, the student will be notified in writing of the emergency suspension. A student who is notified of an emergency suspension will have twenty-four hours to respond to the notice. The emergency suspension will not be imposed prior to an opportunity for the student to respond unless circumstances warrant immediate action for the safety and security of members of the community. In such cases, the student will have an opportunity to respond after the emergency suspension has been imposed.

When a student in David Geffen School of Drama is placed on an emergency suspension, the matter will be referred for disciplinary action in accordance with school policy. Such a suspension may remain in effect until disciplinary action has been taken with regard to the student; however, it may be lifted earlier by action of the dean or dean’s delegate, or by the disciplinary committee after a preliminary review.

Grievance Procedures

In general, students with a complaint or grievance should see their program chair. If the complaint or grievance pertains to their program chair, students should bring their concern directly to the dean.

David Geffen School of Drama’s Procedure for Student Complaints

David Geffen School of Drama’s procedure for student complaints governs cases in which a student has a complaint, including but not limited to a complaint of discrimination on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, age, disability, protected veteran status, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression, against a member of the faculty or administration of the School, as well as complaints that involve misapplication of School policy.

Such complaints are reviewed by the Dean’s Advisory Committee on Student Grievances, which is appointed ad hoc and is composed of five members including at least two members of the faculty and one student. Complaints should be brought to the dean’s attention as soon as possible after the action giving rise to a complaint. Complaints involving misapplication of School policy should be brought to the dean’s attention no later than forty-five days after that action. (If a complaint is in some manner associated with the conduct of a course, the complaint must be submitted within forty-five days of the action upon which it is based, but the student may request that no action be taken on the complaint until after the conclusion of the term in which the course has been offered.)

Freedom of Expression

David Geffen School of Drama is committed to the protection of free inquiry and expression in the classroom and throughout the School community. In this, the School reflects the university’s commitment to and policy on freedom of expression as stated in the Woodward Report (Report of the Committee on Freedom of Expression at Yale, 1974). See https://studentlife.yale.edu/guidance-regarding-free-expression-and-peaceable-assembly-students-yale.

Computing

David Geffen School of Drama urges all students to consider the purchase of a laptop computer, accessories, and appropriate software to use during their time at the School. Students should contact their program for requirements specific to their discipline. General information is available from IT at Yale at https://studenttechnology.yale.edu/guide/tips-choosing-new-computer, or contact the Digital Technology Department for more assistance. Please see the chapter Financial Aid Policy for information regarding available loans.

Student Computer Labs

The School maintains the Robertson Computer Lab in the basement of 205 Park Street. It features high-powered workstations and a networked printer/copier. Software in the lab includes Adobe Creative Cloud, AutoCAD, Microsoft Office, and Vectorworks.

Additional workstations for casual use are available in the lounge area on the third floor of 222 York Street and near the business office on the second floor of 149 York Street.

Other student computers are assigned to the various programs for use by students engaged in program-related academic and production work. Networked printer/copiers assigned to each program can be accessed by students. Students should check with their program for further information.

Yale Software Library

Yale has obtained site-wide licensing for some widely used software, and it makes copies available for download at https://software.yale.edu. These include Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Cloud. Please check the site to download these and to see what other titles are available.

Software Training

An extensive online library of software training is available at no cost to all Yale students, staff, and faculty. The training library includes detailed instruction on Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Office applications, and AutoCAD, among many others. To learn more, please visit https://yale.service-now.com/it.

Network Access

Yale University and David Geffen School of Drama provide a range of computer resources aimed at supporting student needs. Students should visit https://dgsdtech.yale.edu and https://its.yale.edu to learn how to access wireless networking, VPN, network drives, cloud storage, printers, email, and other crucial information.

Student Websites

The digital communications associate is available to provide advice and consultation on students’ personal websites. Please contact them directly to set up meeting times.

Facilities

The University Theatre at 222 York Street is David Geffen School of Drama at Yale’s center. It includes a proscenium theater, seating 636, which is shared with the undergraduate dramatic association. The University Theatre also houses the main administrative offices; the scene, prop, metal, electrics, and costume shops; a lounge; and several classrooms.

Yale Repertory Theatre is in a distinctive historical building on the corner of Chapel and York streets. Formerly the Calvary Baptist Church, the theater contains a 479-seat auditorium facing a modified apron stage, and the School and Yale Repertory Theatre box office.

The Iseman Theater in Holcombe T. Green, Jr. Hall, located at 1156 Chapel Street, contains a flexible performance space, seating up to 200. This building also houses the Yale School of Art.

205 Park Street, also known as the Annex, houses the Design program; the Robertson Computer Lab; the Laurie Beechman Center for Theatrical Sound Design and Music; a lighting, sound, and projection lab; and several classrooms.

217 Park Street contains the Yale Cabaret as well as rehearsal rooms and performance space, classrooms, faculty offices, and the offices of Theater magazine.

149 York Street is home to several key administrative offices, including registrar, admissions, business, and financial aid, as well as the paint shop, rehearsal rooms, classrooms, drama storage, and faculty offices. This building also houses the Binger Center for New Theatre and the Center for Collaborative Arts and Media.

212 York Street is home to faculty offices of the Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism program.

305 Crown Street houses faculty, administrative offices, classrooms, rehearsal space, and a media workshop for projection design. This building also houses the Middle Eastern and North African Cultural Community (MENACC).

The Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library at 180 York Street encompasses the merged holdings of the former Art & Architecture and Drama Libraries, the Arts of the Book Collection, and the staff of the Visual Resources Collection. This makes it the primary collection for the study of art, architecture, and drama production at Yale. Currently, the drama collections have approximately 20,000 volumes, including plays by American and international playwrights; books on the history of theater, theater architecture, dramatic criticism, scenery, costume, lighting, sound, and projection design, technical production, and theater management; biographies; and related reference books. Other materials from the former Drama Library that document theatrical production through photographic prints, production books, scrapbooks, and ephemera are now part of the Arts Library Special Collections department. Highlights include the Rollo Peters Archive, the Rockefeller Theatrical Prints Collection, the Doolittle Collection of Japanese Theatre Prints, and the George Pierce Baker Collection. David Geffen School of Drama students are free to use all Yale University Library collections, including those of the three central libraries—Sterling Memorial Library, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, and the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Library—and of the other graduate and professional schools.

The Center for Collaborative Arts and Media (CCAM) at 149 York Street is a multimedia facility that establishes connections between traditional art and the computer age. The CCAM serves several arts departments and institutions at Yale. Beyond providing classroom and laboratory facilities, the CCAM provides instruction and equipment that allow faculty and students in all arts disciplines to discover and create in the diverse fields of electronic media. Advanced technologies, staff expertise, and interdisciplinary approaches make the CCAM an ideal auxiliary for Yale’s arts community.