Thank you for being willing to teach a workshop with us! Please review our instructor policies, effective for all instructors, both current and new.
artEAST Membership Required
One of the benefits of artEAST membership at the Artist Level is being able to teach art-related workshops for artEAST. Therefore, all instructors must be current members of artEAST. Membership will be verified; approved instructors will NOT be added to the upcoming workshop schedule unless their membership fees are paid and current. Instructors can renew or join here.
Teaching Sessions
artEAST holds classes in three terms throughout the year. Proposals are requested three (3) months before the start of the next session, to allow for scheduling and publishing the information 1 month prior.
- Fall Term: Sept 1 – mid-December
- Holiday Break: No workshops mid-December through the first week of January.
- Winter-Spring Term: Second week of January – May 31
- Summer Term: June 1 – Aug 31
Instructor Fees
Facility Use Fee: The instructor charge for facility use is a flat fee of $15.00 per posted workshop hour for each workshop taught. This is independent of the number of students in the workshop or the number of workshops taught each term or annual cycle. The total facility use charge for each workshop will be assessed based on the posted length of the workshop (e.g., 6:30-8:30 = 2 hr x $15 = $30.00; if it’s a two-hour workshop for six weeks, it would be 2 hr x 6 weeks x $15 = $180).
Student Processing Fee: Instructors will also be charged a processing fee per student per workshop to help cover PayPal fees, bookkeeper, publicity, etc. When comparing workshop prices to those charged at other area art centers, remember that the other art centers charge a separate student processing fee during their registration process, in addition to the workshop price. The fee is based on the price of your workshop as follows:
Workshop: $0-50 Student Processing Fee: $6
Workshop: $51-100 Student Processing Fee: $8
Workshop: $101-175 Student Processing Fee: $10
Workshop: $175+ Student Processing Fee: $12
At this time, we do not have the ability to show the student processing fee as a separate charge during the student’s checkout process; therefore instructors must take the processing fee into account when determining a workshop price.
Workshop Prices
Instructors should calculate the advertised price for a workshop based on the minimum number of students they are willing to teach so that the workshop is not too expensive AND can still cover the facility use fee and student processing fee. Remember that after these two (2) fees are taken out, instructors will receive the balance of the money from their workshops. This provides the potential for instructors to make a lot more money with this fee-based payment rate than with standard hourly rates, so it’s to the instructors’ best advantage to help fill up their classes.
Workshop Cancellation Policy
7 Days Prior Policy: Instructors are required to make the call to cancel a workshop a minimum of seven (7) days prior to workshop start date; otherwise, the facility use fee will still be due. When making the decision to cancel, the instructor should keep in mind that many students sign up at the last minute.
artEAST will do its best to publicize the workshop ahead of time and during the last week, but instructors are encouraged to advertise their workshops through their own networks to increase attendance.
Minimum Enrollment: It is the responsibility of each instructor to contact the education department at education@arteast.org BEFORE the cancellation timeframe expires to verify enrollment numbers for an upcoming workshop. Workshops that have at least two (2) enrolled students will be considered a “go.”
If an instructor does NOT wish to teach a workshop that has only 2 (two) students enrolled, the instructor must cancel by email (education@arteast.org) seven (7) days prior to the start date of the workshop. If the instructor does not take the responsibility for canceling the workshop by email within the timeframe allowed, the instructor will be committed to teaching the workshop with two students, and will be asked to pay the Facility Use Fee and Student Processing Fees for the workshop. This is a courtesy to the registered students and to artEAST.
Note on Timing and Pricing: While instructors may need to set a workshop price for a minimum of three (3) or more students to be cost-effective, an instructor may decide to take their chances at the seven (7) day mark and go with just two (2) registered students and try to help artEAST hustle up more students, in which case there is a greater chance to make a lot more profit—or not! Sometimes the gamble will work in the instructor’s favor and sometimes not.
Fairness: These practices are in line with (and often less than) those of the other area art centers.
Student Cancellation Policy: Please review the Student and Waiver Policies so that you are familiar with what they contain.
Materials Fee
In most cases we would prefer that instructors plan for and INCLUDE the materials cost per student in the advertised price for the class. Note that this does NOT include any additional Supply Lists (see next section below).
However, if you have a variable materials cost (dependent upon project student chooses to do during the class), do NOT add it to the advertised price of your class. Instead we can add a note at the bottom of your workshop description, such as:
Additional Materials Fee payable to instructor during class, ranging from $X to $Y, depending on project chosen by student
Make sure you give us the $X and $Y info with your workshop proposal, and indicate if your workshop has this additional variable rate materials fee.
In this case, students will be paying instructors directly for their materials—this payment is between the instructor and student; artEAST will not become involved. Instructors must indicate if proposed workshops have this additional variable rate materials fee, and provide the cost range information in their proposals.
Supply Lists
When filling out the Proposal form, please remember to fill out the Supply List if students are required to bring items. The Supply List will be posted on the workshop’s web page.
Use Social Media to Advertise!
When instructors help artEAST advertise their workshops and round up students, they have a greater potential to make a lot more money with artEAST’s education program’s fee-based instructor payment system! Help us help you, by posting links to your workshop webpage URL on your Facebook and Twitter accounts!
Workshops vs. Series
At this time, keep in mind that usually a workshop (3 hour, 4 hour, whole day, or weekend) will fill more easily than an ongoing weekly workshop series, due to economics and time constraints students tend to have.
artEAST Education Department
September 1, 2011
