Policies

The Alliance Française de Washington (AFDC) is a non-governmental non-profit, locally operated organization.  All classes and activities are open to everyone without discrimination on the basis of gender, race, religion, nationality and/or ethnic origin and other laws and statutes of the District of Columbia and/or federal laws.

AFDC general policies are intended to protect the rights and safety of learners, members, volunteers, and staff, and to preserve and protect the AFDC facilities and property. Any person who violates one or more of the following rules may be subject to immediate removal from AFDC property, lose their membership privileges, be banned from AFDC programs, and/or face legal action.

Jump to Section:  Premises  |  Adult Classes  |  Kids & Teens Classes  |  Private Classes  |  Culture and Events  |  Summer Camps

I. PREMISES

A. GENERAL

• Most of our adult classes are ONLINE. ALL ONLINE ADULT classes are recorded so that students who miss a class can catch up the content of the class.
• Most ONLINE cultural events are recorded, so that attendees who had a last minute change and could not attend an event can receive the recording.  If you do not wish to be filmed, you can keep your camera off. 
• 1. Cultural events will be uploaded to our YouTube Channel, except for the lecturer/artist/author's decision that it may be against his/her copyrights, company rights, etc.
• 2. Class recordings will be kept up to 3 days in the Zoom Cloud and permanently deleted from the Zoom Cloud Trash after 30 days.
• Theft, vandalism, and mutilation of AFDC property are criminal offenses and may be prosecuted.
• The AFDC reserves the right to call 911 or ask its security guard to inspect all bags, briefcases, backpacks, and other such items when the staff has reason to believe an offense has occurred.
• Smoking is prohibited on AFDC property, garden included.
• Engaging in any physically and/or verbally intimidating behavior or in unlawful activities is prohibited. Any person engaging in such behaviors will be immediately and permanently removed from any AFDC property.
• Soliciting or selling products or services is not permitted, except as part of an AFDC-sponsored program.
• All wheeled conveyances (bikes, strollers, scooters, etc.) must remain outside of the building and may not obstruct exits, ramps, stairs, and alleys.
• Dogs are welcome on AFDC property as long as they are on a leash and classified as guidance or emotional support  dogs.
• Animals may not be left unattended on AFDC property.
• Please switch your cellphone to “Vibrate” in the library and in the classrooms.
• Eating and drinking are tolerated in the classrooms but we ask that you leave the room as neat as you found it.

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B. LIBRARY USE

• Library patrons are responsible for knowing and adhering to the library policies. Failure to adhere to these policies will result in a loss of borrowing privileges.
• A valid membership to the AFDC is required to borrow materials from the library.
• Patrons may call, e-mail or stop by the library desk to renew. In addition, patrons may view their accounts, renew, make reservations and check the status of their memberships online at http://librarycatalog.francedc.org.
• Fines accrue at 25 cents per day, per item and $1 per day, per new DVD. Failure to pay library fines will result in the loss of borrowing privileges.
• Library materials may be returned in the book drop (located at the end of the main hall) when the library is closed.
• Phone calls, Skype calls and loud music without headphones are strictly forbidden in the library.
• Any roughhousing, damage to materials or abuse of policies will allow in a suspension and patrons will be asked to leave the library. Repeated offenses will result in a loss of membership privileges.

C. PRIVACY

Pre -pandemic, no recording of the class was allowed without the express consent in writing of all the students attending the class and the formal approval of both the Academic Director and the Executive Director. The Alliance Française wants to ensure that the privacy of all students is respected and that all trade secrets are protected. Any breach of this policy by a student could entail immediate removal from the premises, cancellation of membership and / or prosecution.

In light of the pandemic since March 11, 2020 and the use of Zoom to provide classes, AFDC had to adjust its policy to provide recordings to students who mayhave had to class a class due to personal excruciating circumstances:

• Adult students who would prefer not to be recorded can keep their computer cameras off durig class.
• All under 18 classes require the unanimous approval of parents for a class to be recorded.

D. LOST ITEMS

• The AFDC is not responsible for unattended personal items or for any lost items.
• A Lost & Found box is located in the main office, at the 2nd floor reception desk. Items left unclaimed for more than 365 days will be given to charity.

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II. ADULT CLASSES

A. PLACEMENT TESTS

Placement tests are required for all prospective students who have any background in French including, but not limited to:

• Previous instruction at any institution;
• Previous instruction with the Alliance Française de Washington if it has been more than a year since the student’s last class.

B. MEMBERSHIP

All students are required to be members of the Alliance Française in Washington, DC to enroll in classes. Tuition costs do not include membership.

C. BOOKS

Books are compulsory for most classes. Books are not mailed. They will be distributed on the first day of the session or can be picked up beforehand at our main office, 2142 Wyoming Ave NW. Tuition costs do not include textbooks, workbooks, or books required for literature and grammar classes. No book can be returned once picked up by students.

D. PAYMENT

Payment must be made in full at time of registration, by credit card (VISA/MC/AMEX), check*, or cash. This includes payment for the membership. Books or materials can be bought on the first day of class.
*A $25 surcharge will be levied on all checks returned to AFDC with insufficient funds.
Where a student’s employer pays for the course: If, three weeks after being invoiced, an employer has failed to pay the cost of a student’s tuition fees and course material, the student must pay for such costs within one week of notice from AFDC.

E. DISCOUNTS

Discounts can be accumulated for early registration or double registration (two or more courses for the same student during the same session or two or more family members taking courses during the same session). Early registration deadlines will be posted for each session. Discount will be taken at registration.

Some courses may not benefit from any discounts or only benefit from one type of discount.

F. WAITING LIST

If a class is full, you can request to be placed on the waiting list. You will be contacted by email and by phone as soon as there is an opening in the original class due to a withdrawal, or when the number of students requires that an additional class be created.

G. MISSED CLASSES / MAKE UP CLASSES

Students should inform their teacher of any foreseen absence to allow the teacher a) to prepare for the class accordingly, b) to be informed about what they miss, and c) to receive homework assignments
Students may not attend a different section of a course at the same level as their own to make up a class, but can schedule a one-hour private make-up class with a teacher (to be purchased separately at a discounted rate). Students should contact the Academic Director to arrange for such a class.
The class has to be booked and paid in advance and is subject to availability of teachers and classrooms. Once the class has been scheduled and confirmed, no changes or refund are possible.

All cancellations for make-up classes require one business day notice from the client as well as from the instructor.
Group Class fees will not be pro-rated.

H. AGE REQUIREMENT

Adult classes are for age 18 and up.*
*Please contact us if you area  student under 18 matriculated in a community college or university.

I. CANCELLATIONS

The Alliance Française reserves the right to cancel or reschedule a class if enrollment does not meet the minimum enrollment standard. Notifications will be sent to those enrolled by email and/or phone call.

J. WITHDRAWAL, REFUNDS & CREDITS

• For all Group Classes (including Standard, Fast Track, Intensive, Workshops): All cancellations must be received in writing in the form of an email or letter (with a postmark establishing the date of the request). Please state the course name and the reason for the cancellation. Withdrawals or refunds cannot be made by telephone. Please note that the absence from class does not constitute notice of withdrawal
• Refunds will be processed within 10 days according to the following policies:
  • Withdrawals received prior to the start date of the course: Students will be refunded full tuition, minus a $25 processing fee. Refunds will be processed to the credit card used for payment or issued in the form of a check if payment was made by cash or check.
  • Withdrawals from one day classes (Immersion day or Boot Camps) must be sumitted at least 3 days prior to the start day of the class.
  • Withdrawals received less than 7 days after the start date of the regular courses or workshops: Students will be refunded 50% of the tuition paid, minus a $25 processing fee.
  • Withdrawals from Fast Track and Intensive classes received after the first day of class will be refunded 50% of the tuition paid, minus a $25 processing fee. 
  • Withdrawals received more than 7 days after the start date of the regular courses or workshops: No refund will be issued. 
• Credits may be applicable on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Academic Director. Documentation will be required for any credit requests. Credits are given according to the following policies:
  • Credits cannot be issued if 1/3 or more of session-hours have been completed. Example 1: for a regular class (30 hours, General French Language Class), no credits wil be granted after 5 classes have been taken. Example 2: for a workshop (16 hours, any topic), no credits will be granted after 2 classes havebeen taken.
  • Credits are valid for a period not exceeding twelve (12) months from the last attended class.
  • Credits will be processed based on the number of remaining classes in the course, once AFDC receives written notice of the student's intent to withdraw.
  • Credits will not be granted for missed classes.
  • Credits are granted according to the following scale: 75% of tuition will be held in credit within the first week of the session (after classes 1 or 2 for a 30-hour General French Language Class; after workshop 1 for any 16-hour workshop); 50% of tuition will be held in credit within the second week of the session (after classes 3 or 4 for a 30-hour General French Language Class; after workshop 2 for any 16-hour workshop).
  • For 30-hour General French Language Classes held on Saturdays, the first Saturday regroups classes 1 and 2; the second Saturday regroups class 3 and 4.
  • No tuition ill be held in credit after class 4 or workshop 2, unless excruciating circumstances can be presented to the Executive Director on a case-by-case basis.
  • Students are not entitled to a credit for a course where a previous credit was used as full or partial payment of tuition fees.
  • Exams are non-refundable.
  • Books are non-refundable once they have been picked up by the student.
  • Membership is refundable only in the event of a course withdrawal, for a period of 30 days from the date of purchase if it has not been used, minus a $25 processing fee as long as the request for refund has been received before the end of fiscal year (AFDC's fiscal year ends on 08/31)

K. REPETITION OF THE COURSE

In case the student does not have the level to go to following course, AFDC reserves the right to request that the student repeats the course.

L. INCLEMENT WEATHER

AFDC follows the federal government regarding closures during inclement weather. Check http://www.opm.gov and the AFDC website for weather updates. Please note that if the AFDC is open, we follow our regular business hours and classes take place at their regularly scheduled times unless otherwise indicated. Class cancellations and make-up classes are announced and scheduled by email.

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III. KIDS & TEENS CLASSES

A. PLACEMENT TESTS

Placement tests are required for all prospective students who have any background with French including, but not limited to:

• Previous instruction at any institution;
• Previous instruction with the Alliance Française de Washington if it has been more than a year since the student’s last class. Placement tests for kids & teens classes should be scheduled online here.

B. CLASSES

• When their child is under the age of 5, we ask parents/legal guardians/nannies to attend the classes. This is for security reasons, but also because the adult in the child’s life is part of the learning process.
• For ages 1 to 3 (Bébés 12-24 months, Bébés 24-36 months) parents/legal guardians/nannies need to be with their child in the classroom.
• For ages 3 to 5 parents/legal guardians/nannies can stay in or just outside the classroom.
• For ages 6 to 13: children cannot be dropped off or left unattended once the class is over. Parents need to accompany their children to class and pick them up on time.
• For ages 6+: Parents may attend the first 15 min of the first class only. Parents are then welcome to wait for their child in the library or come back once the class has finished.

If your 3-5 year old child does not feel comfortable and still needs your presence, please stay with them. If you want your child to slowly get used to be by themselves, please discuss it with the teacher before class.

C. MEMBERSHIP

All students are required to be members of the Alliance Française in Washington, DC to enroll in classes. Tuition costs do not include membership. AFDC recommends that parents enrolling more than one child in classes take a Family Membership: the last and first names of the students and their age must be added to the membership so the teacher has the right information for roll call.
Parents enrolling only one child can elect to buy only an individual membership but still need to fill in their name and contact information as well as their child.

D. BOOKS

Books are compulsory for most classes. Books are not mailed. They will be distributed on the first day of the session or can be picked up beforehand at our main office, 2142 Wyoming Ave NW. Tuition costs do not include textbooks, workbooks, or books required for literature and grammar classes. No book can be returned once picked up by students.

E. PAYMENT

Payment must be made in full at time of registration, by credit card (VISA/MC/AMEX), check*, or cash. This includes payment for the membership. Books or materials can be bought on the first day of class.
*A $25 surcharge will be levied on all checks returned to AFDC with insufficient funds.

F. DISCOUNTS

Discounts can be accumulated for early registration or double registration (two or more courses for the same student during the same session or two or more family members taking courses during the same session). Early registration deadlines will be posted for each session. Discount will be taken at registration.

Some courses may not benefit from any discounts or may benefit from only one type of discount.

G. WAITING LIST

If a class is full, you can request your child to be placed on the waiting list. You will be contacted by email and by phone as soon as there is an opening in the original class due to a withdrawal, or if a new class is created.

H. MISSED CLASSES

We ask that parents inform their teacher if their child has to miss classes for any reason. Your Alliance Française teacher will post the chapters covered and homework on the Digipad link that will have been sent in the confirmation email.
Students may attend a different section of a course at the same level as their own to make up a class (if such class is available), but they need to notify the Children’s Programs Coordinator in advance.
Class fees will not be pro-rated.

I. AGE REQUIREMENT

Children classes are for ages 1 to 18.
*Please contact us if your child is a student under 18 matriculated in a community college or university.

J. CANCELLATIONS

The Alliance Française reserves the right to cancel or reschedule a class if enrollment does not meet the minimum enrollment standard. Notifications will be sent to those enrolled by email.

K. WITHDRAWAL, REFUNDS & CREDITS

• For all Group Classes: All cancellations must be received in writing in the form of an email or letter (with a postmark establishing the date of the request). Please state the course name and the reason for the cancellation. Withdrawals or refunds cannot be made by telephone.
  Refunds and credits will be processed within 10 days according to the following policies:
• Withdrawals received before to the start date of the course: Students will be refunded full tuition, minus a $25 processing fee. Refunds will be processed to the credit card used for payment or issued in the form of a check if payment was made by cash or check.
• Withdrawals received less than 7 days after the start date of the course: Students will be refunded 50% of the tuition paid, minus a $25 processing fee.
• Withdrawals received more than 7 days after the start date of the course: No refund will be issued.
• Credits may be applicable on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Children's Programs Coordinator.  Documentation will be required for any credit requests. Credits are given according to the following policies:
• Credits cannot be issued if 1/3 or more of session-hours have been completed.
• Credits are valid for a period not exceeding six months from the last attended class.
• Credits will be processed based on the number of remaining hours in the course, once AFDC receives written notice of the student’s intent to withdraw.
• All classes up to and including the date of the credit request will be deducted from the remaining instructional hours. Credits will not be granted for missed classes.
• An administration fee of $25 will automatically be deducted from the value of the credit note.
• Students are not entitled to a credit for a course where a previous credit was used as full or partial payment of tuition fees.
• Exams are non-refundable.
• Books are non-refundable once they have been picked up by the student.
• Membership is refundable only in the event of a course withdrawal, for a period of 30 days from the date of purchase if it has not been used, minus a $25 processing fee.

L. REPETITION OF THE COURSE

In case the student does not have the level to go to following course, AFDC reserves the right to request that the student repeat the course.

M. INCLEMENT WEATHER

The AFDC follows the federal government. Check http://www.opm.gov and the AFDC website for weather updates. Make-up classes will be scheduled and announced by email.

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IV. PRIVATE CLASSES

A. TUITION

Tuition and other fees must be made in full at the time of registration. Minimum purchase of 5 lesson hours is required, except for make-up classes (see II, G)

• Private course tuition is non-refundable.
• Private classes generally expire 12 months after date of purchase, except in the cases of longtime overseas work missions, deployment and/or overseas-based government work. If a student must interrupt his studies, documentation will be required for any interruption of more than 3 months.

B. TEACHERS & CLASSROOMS

Student will be assigned a teacher based on requested schedule and course goals. The AFDC reserves the right to change the teacher if necessary based on group class schedules.

Classrooms will be reserved by the teacher for each student. If no room is scheduled in advance, class may need to be rescheduled, even if the student has already arrived at the AFDC. If the teacher has forgotten to reserve the classroom, it will not be charged against the student.

If you need to change your private class schedule from one week to the next, it is still possible with at least 48-hours notice. However, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to accommodate your request.

C. PRIVATE CLASS CANCELLATION POLICY

• If you need to cancel a lesson, you must contact your teacher directly at least 24 hours in advance or you will be charged for the duration of the lesson (ex: if your class is 1.5 hour, 1.5 hour will be deducted from your existing bank of hours)
• Student should attend lessons regularly, as scheduled with the teacher and the administration. In the case of a break of more than 3 months between lessons, the student must inform the administration in advance. If the administration is not notified, the remaining hours on your account will expire after 12 months except in cases described under IV, A, 3.

D. INCLEMENT WEATHER

Private classes also follow the federal government. Check http://www.opm.gov and the AFDC website for weather updates.

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V. CULTURE & EVENTS

• The member discount is applicable for one ticket per member.
• Guests must pay the non-member price.
• Refunds will be automatically issued when Alliance Française cancels an event. Cancellation by an attendee has to be made through EventBrite according to each event cancellation policy. No other refunds will be given. If you need help with a refund, please email to executive.assistant@francedc.org.
• The cultural department highly recommends advanced registration (online, by phone, or in person), as events sell out quickly.
• If tickets are available, the AFDC can accept payment at the door by credit card, check, or cash (exact change only). The AFDC cannot make change at the door. The AFDC reserves the right to refuse entry to sold out events.
• Please note that photographs and footage may be taken at AFDC events. Photographs/video may be used by the AFDC for marketing and publicity in our publications, on our website, social media or in any third party publication. If you don’t wish to be on the photograph/video, please make your wishes known to the photographer and/or organizer.

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VI. SUMMER CAMPS

A. PAYMENT

Payment must be made in full at time of registration, by credit card, check, or cash. This includes payment for any books or materials. Membership is not compulsory for summer camps.

B. WITHDRAWAL, REFUNDS

All requests for refunds and/or cancellations must be done in writing, via email. No withdrawals or refunds will be accepted by phone. For Summer Camp Workshops, cancellation requests must be made 48 hours in advance. Cancellation requests made less than 48 hours in advance will not be refunded. Refunds can only be issued for in-person camp sessions cancelled more than 3 weeks prior to the first day of camp. A $90 cancellation fee will apply (per child and per session cancelled.) No refunds will be granted for withdrawals made less than 3 weeks prior to the start of the session.

Refunds for medical reasons can only be granted upon presentation of a medical certificate. Pro-rated refunds cannot be granted if a child cannot attend the camp some days due to sickness or other personal circumstance, or because other services requested and paid for are not fully utilized.

Requests for transfers will be accepted up to 3 weeks prior to the first day of a camp session, provided there is sufficient room in the preferred camp session.

C. DISCOUNTS

Discounts are available for early registration or double registration (two or more family members attending the same week). Discounts will be taken at registration.

D. FORMS

All required forms need to be handed in BEFORE the first day of camp. A child will not be accepted if the forms are not complete or not on file. Required forms include: registration form, medical form, prescription form, parental authorization for medical purposes, hold harmless waiver and multimedia authorization for photos and videos taken during camp by AFDC.

E. CAMP CANCELLATIONS

The Alliance Française reserves the right to cancel a camp if enrollment does not meet the minimum requirement of five campers.

F. LATE PICKUP

Camp ends at 3:30pm. If your child is enrolled in After Care, the latest pickup time is 5:30pm. A $25 fee per 15 minutes after 5:30pm will be charged to your account until 6:00pm. After 6:00pm, we reserve the right to call 911 if you have still not picked up your child.

G. MEDICATIONS

It is prohibited for a child to carry medications in his or her backpack. All medications accompanied by their respective prescription must be given to the Alliance’s camp manager on the first day of camp.

H. FOOD

Lunches and snacks are not provided. Make sure to include it in your child’s backpack every day. We ask that the children do not bring food containing peanuts, but we cannot guarantee that a parent will always respect this request.

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