Seattle Film Institute prohibits copyright infringement in any form, including the illegal downloading and uploading of copyrighted works through peer-to-peer file sharing as defined by Title 17 of the United States Code.  Copyright infringement may result in civil and criminal penalties, including damages of up to $150,000 per infringed work, imprisonment of up to five years, and fines of up to $250,000 per offense. For more information, please see the website of the U.S. Copyright Office at www.copyright.gov, especially the FAQs at www.copyright.gov/help/faq.  In addition to the civil and criminal penalties outlined above, students who engage in illegal downloading or unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials using Seattle Film Institute’s network will also be referred to Seattle Film Institute’s Discipline Committee and be subject to disciplinary sanctions, up to and including suspension from the Institute, under the Regulation of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures.  These and other policies are part of Seattle Film Institute’s Student Network and Internet Usage Agreement.

General Facilities:  Seattle Film Institute is located in Interbay, a stone’s throw from downtown, in an area of Seattle that is ideal for meeting both educational and student needs.  The Seattle Film Institute is within easy access of housing as well as production services and facilities that provide both educational and employment opportunities for the SFI community.  The immediate neighborhood offers amenities attractive to students such as coffee shops, restaurants, and supermarkets.  Students benefit from the location as it provides convenient access to housing opportunities and an incredible wealth of location opportunities within walking distance of the Institute.

The Seattle Film Institute is located in a purpose-driven 10,000 sq. ft. building.  The overall design of the space promotes the institute’s educational objectives in terms of the teaching needs of specific programs and also facilitates the interaction and collaboration between students enrolled in different programs. The Institute’s list of equipment available for student use includes a variety of 16mm and 8mm cameras, HD cameras, professional lighting and sound equipment, Steadycam, dollies, and computer stations for editing and music composition.

Seattle Film Institute Library and Learning Resource Center:

The role of the Seattle Film Institute library is to provide access to the world of knowledge and information to the institution’s community of students, faculty, and staff.   The library fills it’s role through the combination of its physical collection, the online library, and interlibrary loan services that cumulatively meet the needs of Seattle Film Institute’s educational program.

Learning Resource Center

The campus has a Learning Resource Center (LRC) located in its facility, which provides materials to support Seattle Film Institute’s mission and curriculum and helps each student attain his or her educational goals. The collection includes books (circulating, reference, and reserve),  screenplays, all format Videos (DVDs, etc.), CDs, and a specific Sound FX and Music collection for production work.  Students also have access to the Online Library, an electronic library system specially designed to support the programs and students of Seattle Film Institute.  A staff librarian works with the Institute to manage the Learning Center and Online Library resources and to provide support to SFI students through scheduled hours and the “ask-a librarian” support system.

The LRC provides access to field-specific works in the areas for which Seattle Film Institute provides training.  The physical collection of Seattle Film Institute is located in its own dedicated space—the LRC (Room 206) and in various classrooms.  For example, books, scripts, and material related to screenwriting are located in Room 203 where many screenwriting classes are taught.  The specific distribution of material is posted in the Resource Center.  Access to the LRC is through the administrative area, which allows student access and checkout to occur during all normal building hours and allows for maximum flexibility and efficiency in terms of staffing and student use. The LRC is open during normal building hours of operation and Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 6:00pm-10:00pm.  Librarian hours are posted at the Learning Resource Center and the librarian is also available through SFI’s “Ask-a-Librarian” real-time response via online requests.

Online Library

The online library is an internet-accessible information center committed to facilitating the learning and achievement of the Seattle Film Institute community. This “virtual library” powered by the Library Information Resource Network (LIRN®) provides students with peer-reviewed and full-text journal, magazine, and newspaper articles, e-books, podcasts, audio, video resources, and reference materials from Gale Cengage, ProQuest, EBSCO, eLibrary, and more.  Instructional materials are available for students and faculty and are designed to enhance information literacy skills.  Students can access the online library and the Seattle Film Institute online catalog through a computer located in the Resource Center (206) as well as in the primary computer labs—Room 103 and 202 during all hours in which the building is open for use, as well as 24/7 for those with Internet access.

Seattle Film Institute strives to ensure that all students are provided with an equal opportunity to participate in SFI’s programs, courses, and activities. Students requiring special assistance must self-identify themselves to the Academic Affairs Officer and provide current documentation supporting their disabilities. Students must assist in identifying the proper accommodations and negotiate these accommodations at the beginning of each quarter. As outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Seattle Film Institute will provide reasonable accommodations and academic adjustments as long as provisions do not fundamentally alter the nature of the programs or the academic requirements that are considered essential to the program of study.

Seattle Film Institute offers distance education for certain courses and/or programs.  In advance of registering for a distance education course, students will be informed if a course requires specific equipment or skills and students will be made aware of information about any hardware and software requirements and prerequisite skill level. Students enrolled in distance education courses will have access to services traditionally provided in person including the learning resource center and services, academic advising, career services, financial aid services and counseling, and other student services as appropriate.

All existing Seattle Film Institute policies including grading, course evaluation, and admission criteria, apply to all activities bearing Seattle Film Institute academic credit, including distance education. For information on a specific distance education course or program, please contact the Seattle Film Institute.

I. Statement of Policy:  The Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1989 (Public Law 101-226) requires institutions receiving federal financial assistance to implement and enforce drug prevention programs and policies. As a matter of policy, Seattle Film Institute prohibits the unlawful manufacture, possession, use, sale, dispensation, or distribution of controlled substances and the possession or use of alcohol by students and employees on its property and at any school activity.

II. Applicable Legal Sanctions:  Illicit drug purchase, possession and use are crimes under state (RCW 69.50) and federal law. Washington law prohibits a variety of alcohol related conduct, including the purchase or possession of alcohol by anyone under 21 years of age (RCW 66.44). Violations of law are punishable by fines, imprisonment, or both.

III. Health Risks:  Numerous health risks are associated with the use of illicit drugs or the abuse of alcohol. Repeated use of either drugs or alcohol can lead to dependence. Use of illicit drugs and abuse of alcohol cause a substantial number of health problems and can be fatal.

IV. Available Services:  Students or employees may be referred to abuse help centers. If such a referral is made, continued enrollment or employment will be subject to successful completion of any prescribed counseling or treatment program. Students and employees seeking additional information about the effects of drug or alcohol use or seeking assistance for alcohol or drug-related problems should contact the Alcohol and Drug Help Line (http://www.adhl.org) at (800) 562-1240 or the Registrar.

V. Sanctions:  Disciplinary sanctions will be imposed on students and employees for violations of SFI’s policy governing illicit drugs and alcohol. Sanctions may include referral for rehabilitation, expulsion, termination of employment, and referral for prosecution.

VI. Further Information:

Legal and Health Risks of Substance Abuse

A. Summary of Applicable Laws

Following is a summary of certain Washington State laws relating to the unlawful use of alcohol and drugs [RCW 66.44, 69.50].

Following is a summary of certain Washington State laws relating to the unlawful use of alcohol and

drugs [RCW 66.44, 69.50].

1. Persons under age 21 may not acquire, possess, or consume alcohol. Nor may other persons

furnish alcohol to anyone under 21 or permit under-aged consumption on premises within their

control. Penalty: Maximum $500 fine, 2 months imprisonment, or both.

(2) Persons under 21 may not be in a public place or in a vehicle in public while exhibiting the

effects of having consumed alcohol. A public place includes city streets and any buildings and

grounds used for SFI purposes. Penalty: Same as (1) above.

2. Persons under 21 may not purchase or attempt to purchase alcohol. Penalty: maximum $1,000

fine, 90 days imprisonment or both.

3. Alcohol may not be opened or consumed in a public place. Penalty: Maximum $100 fine.

4. It is unlawful to manufacture, deliver, or possess an illicit drug. Penalty: Maximum $10,000 fine,

5 years imprisonment, or both. It is unlawful to possess or use drug paraphernalia for purposes

relating to the manufacture, delivery, possession, or use of an illicit drug. Penalty: Minimum

$250 fine and not less than 24 hours in jail.

This summary is intended to apprise students, faculty, and staff of the conduct generally prohibited by state law. The unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs may subject the offender to federal as well as state penalties, including imprisonment, fines, or both. Members of the SFI community are expected to observe all applicable federal and state laws while on Institute premises or in connection with any SFI activity.

B. Substance Abuse Health Risks

Medical research has demonstrated the following health risks associated with the abuse of alcohol or drugs: (1) liver disease, including hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver, (2) digestion and nutrition problems, including pancreatitis, peptic ulcer, and vitamin deficiencies, (3) memory lapses, blackouts, loss of problem-solving abilities, and other serious neurological disorders, (4) congestive heart failure, hypertension, and stroke, (5) numerous forms of cancer, and (6) birth defects. Additional information about the health risks of alcohol and drug abuse may be obtained from the Alcohol and Drug Help Line (http://www.adhl.org) at (800) 562-1240

Profiles of SFI faculty are available in the Seattle Film Institute Catalog and on the Seattle Film Institute website at https://sfi.edu/about/faculty.

FERPA stands for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (also known as the Buckley Amendment). Passed by Congress in 1974, FERPA is a federal law designed to protect the privacy of education records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their education records, and to provide guidelines for the protection of inaccurate and misleading data through informal and formal hearings.  The Seattle Film Institute catalog contains the FERPA policy in its entirety.  The following provides a summary of the specific rights granted to students:

• The right to inspect and review their education records.
• The right to seek amendment to those records and, in certain cases, append a statement to the records.
• The right to limit disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in their records.
• The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education.
  • Students must fill out, sign, and submit a “Student Consent for Release of Records” in order to allow anyone other than themselves access to their education record. (This includes information about tuition payment, grades, registration, and more.) This form is available in the main office of the Seattle Film Institute.

Financial Aid Information

For information related to the topics below, follow the links provided or visit Policies and Consumer Information for Financial Aid.