Faculty Policies & Terms

Institutional Document · Faculty Office

This document sets out the formal policies governing TGC faculty appointments, conduct, compensation, intellectual property, and termination. It complements the Faculty Handbook and the signed Faculty Agreement. Where this document conflicts with the Faculty Agreement, the Faculty Agreement controls. v 2.0 · 2026

1. Appointment

Faculty appointments are made by the Faculty Office on the recommendation of the relevant division head. Appointments are documented in the Faculty Agreement, which establishes the term, scope of work, rate-setting authority, revenue share, intellectual-property terms, and termination provisions of the appointment. No instruction may be delivered to TGC students before the Faculty Agreement is signed.

Appointments are at-will subject to the notice provisions in §10. Continuation in good standing is not contingent on a minimum teaching load, but faculty who do not teach a TGC student in any 18-month period may be moved to inactive status; reinstatement requires a brief check-in with the division head.

2. Independent contractor status

TGC faculty are independent contractors, not employees of TGC or of any TGC affiliate. Faculty are responsible for their own tax reporting and compliance in their jurisdiction of residence. TGC issues year-end income summaries to faculty (e.g., 1099 in the United States; equivalents elsewhere) consistent with applicable tax law, but does not withhold or remit taxes on faculty's behalf except where a specific jurisdiction requires it (e.g., certain Indian or Korean withholding regimes).

3. Rate-setting and compensation

3.1 Faculty rate authority

Faculty set their own per-session rates for each lesson format (private lesson, group session, masterclass, intensive coaching, assessment session, recorded course). TGC does not impose a minimum or maximum rate. Faculty may revise rates with 14 days' notice for existing students; new students are billed at the published rate at the time of booking.

3.2 Revenue share

Faculty retain a substantial majority of student tuition. The exact share is documented in the Faculty Agreement and varies by lesson format. As a published reference, faculty retain a minimum of 70 percent of private-lesson tuition, with TGC retaining the remainder for platform, payment processing, faculty support, student services, and administrative overhead.

3.3 Payment timing

Earned tuition is reconciled and paid monthly. Payments are issued within 14 calendar days of month-end via the payment method specified by the faculty member during onboarding (Wise, Stripe, PayPal, bank transfer, or local equivalent). Faculty are responsible for maintaining a valid payment account and notifying the Faculty Office of any change.

3.4 Disputes regarding payment

Discrepancies in monthly statements should be raised in writing to info@theglobalconservatory.com within 30 days of the statement. The Faculty Office investigates and responds within 14 days. Unresolved disputes may be escalated to the institutional ombudsperson.

4. Scheduling, cancellation, and minimum service standards

4.1 Faculty availability

Faculty publish their own availability through the platform. TGC does not impose minimum hours. Faculty may close their booking window for any reason and at any time.

4.2 Student-initiated changes

Students may reschedule a session up to 24 hours in advance without penalty. Student rescheduling within 24 hours of the session is at the faculty member's discretion; established practice is to accommodate one such request per student per term, with subsequent requests potentially incurring the full session fee.

4.3 Faculty-initiated changes

Faculty may reschedule sessions with 24 hours' notice. Emergencies, illness, and family circumstances are accommodated without penalty. Faculty who repeatedly reschedule (more than 3 times in a 90-day period without documented cause) are reviewed by the program advisor.

4.4 No-shows

A student no-show without 24-hour notice is documented; the session fee is retained by the faculty member. A faculty no-show without 24-hour notice triggers a credit to the student and a review by the program advisor. Repeated faculty no-shows may result in suspension or termination of the appointment.

5. Intellectual property

5.1 Faculty-owned IP

Faculty retain copyright in their own teaching materials, repertoire annotations, performance recordings, and personal pedagogical work product, except as expressly assigned in the Faculty Agreement.

5.2 TGC-owned IP

TGC retains copyright in the platform, the curriculum framework, the certificate architecture, the editorial identity (logo, brand, typography), and any work product specifically commissioned and paid for by TGC. Lesson notes contributed via the faculty portal become part of the student's academic record at TGC.

5.3 Joint work

Where faculty and TGC jointly produce work product (e.g., a recorded masterclass developed and produced under TGC commission), the IP terms are documented in a separate work-for-hire or revenue-share agreement specific to that engagement.

5.4 Student work

Students retain copyright in their own performances, compositions, and creative work. TGC may use student-submitted material for assessment, internal calibration, and (with explicit consent) marketing or institutional showcase purposes.

6. Confidentiality and data

Faculty are entrusted with student information including identity, contact details, learning history, family contact (for minors), and in some cases health, neurodiversity, or accessibility information. Faculty are required to:

• Treat all student information as confidential
• Use student information only for the purpose of teaching that student
• Not share student information with third parties (other faculty, agents, family members not on file, etc.) without explicit consent or institutional authorisation
• Not retain student records after departure from TGC except as expressly permitted in the Faculty Agreement
• Comply with applicable data-protection law (GDPR for EU/UK students, CCPA for California, equivalent regimes elsewhere)

The TGC Privacy Policy applies to all student data. Breaches of confidentiality must be reported within 24 hours to info@theglobalconservatory.com.

7. Conduct, conflicts, and exclusivity

7.1 Professional conduct

Faculty represent TGC in every interaction with students, parents, colleagues, and the broader community. The standards of professional conduct set out in the Faculty Handbook (§6) are policy and binding under this document. Material breaches may result in suspension or termination.

7.2 Non-solicitation of TGC students

During their TGC appointment and for 12 months after departure, faculty agree not to solicit TGC students for private off-platform engagement that would have, in normal course, been booked through TGC. This does not restrict faculty from continuing to teach a student who chooses, after the conclusion of the formal TGC engagement, to continue privately — provided no solicitation occurred during the TGC appointment.

7.3 Non-exclusivity

Faculty are otherwise non-exclusive and may continue to teach, perform, record, publish, and engage with other institutions during their TGC appointment, except where a specific conflict creates a meaningful confusion in the market (e.g., advertising oneself as "Faculty, [Direct competitor]" without acknowledging the TGC role).

7.4 Conflicts of interest

Faculty disclose any material conflict of interest to the Faculty Office at the time of onboarding and as it arises. Examples include: a leadership role at a directly competing online conservatory, a financial interest in a vendor providing services to TGC, or a personal relationship with a TGC student or their family that pre-dates the TGC engagement.

8. Safeguarding (students under 18)

The TGC Safeguarding Policy is binding on all faculty teaching minors. Key provisions:

• All sessions with minors are observable by a parent or guardian in real time
• All written communication with minors copies the parent or guardian
• Sessions involving minors may be recorded for safeguarding purposes
• Faculty complete the TGC Safeguarding Module before their first session with a minor
• Concerns about a minor's welfare are escalated immediately to info@theglobalconservatory.com

Failure to comply with safeguarding policy is a fundamental breach and grounds for immediate suspension pending review.

9. Discipline, suspension, and review

Concerns about faculty conduct, performance, or compliance are reviewed in stages:

• Informal: The program advisor or division head raises the concern with the faculty member directly. Most concerns are resolved at this stage.
• Documented: If unresolved, the Faculty Office issues a documented notice describing the concern, the requested change, and the timeline. The faculty member has 14 days to respond in writing.
• Suspension: For serious matters (safeguarding breach, persistent failure to meet standards, conduct inconsistent with institutional values), the Faculty Office may suspend the appointment pending investigation. Suspension is communicated in writing with reasons and a clear path for the faculty member to respond.
• Review: A panel of three (the division head, a peer faculty member, and a Faculty Office representative) reviews suspended cases and issues a recommendation within 30 days.
• Termination: Termination for cause is the final step and is documented in writing, with right of response, and per the Faculty Agreement.

10. Termination, departure, and post-appointment

Faculty may end their TGC appointment with 30 days' written notice to info@theglobalconservatory.com. During the notice period, the faculty member completes in-progress sessions with their existing students or arranges student-handover through the program advisor.

TGC may terminate an appointment for cause (safeguarding breach, persistent breach of policy, conduct inconsistent with institutional values, or failure to meet teaching standards after documented notice and review) per §9. Termination for cause may be effective immediately and does not require the 30-day notice.

On any departure, the following terms apply:

• The faculty member retains professional reputation and any work product they authored, subject to the IP provisions in §5
• TGC retains the academic records of students who studied with the faculty member
• Earned tuition through the last completed lesson is paid out per §3.3
• The faculty member returns or deletes any TGC-issued materials, credentials, or access
• The non-solicitation provision in §7.2 applies for 12 months

11. Amendment

This document is reviewed annually and updated as TGC evolves. Material amendments are communicated to all faculty in writing. Continued appointment after a 30-day notice period of any material amendment constitutes acceptance.

12. Governing law and dispute resolution

The Faculty Agreement and these policies are governed by the law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Disputes are subject to arbitration under the rules of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, except where local employment or independent-contractor law of the faculty member's jurisdiction requires otherwise.