Policies and procedures

While it is considered safe and desirable to exercise during pregnancy and Pilates programs can be ideal in the recovery phase of injury, Merrithew courses can be quite demanding physically, and have not been tailored for pregnant or injured participants or those in a post rehabilitation phase.

For this reason, we are not able to accept course registrations from students who are knowingly pregnant or who are currently or recently injured. A major component of our courses is physical performance of all exercises. This necessitates that participants are injury-free, and able to participate fully, in order to fulfill this requirement.

Under certain circumstances, permission to participate may be granted for select workshop titles from our Post-Rehabilitation, Pre and Post-Natal, and Active for Life Specialty Tracks, as well as the Injuries and Special Populations course.

Extensions will be granted for those needing to earn CECs, at no additional cost. Requests for permission or extension must be submitted in writing to the Merrithew Education Programming Department at least 30 days prior to the workshop/course date and for CEC extensions. This allows us time to review and consider all factors as well as provide alternative recommendations in the event the request cannot be fulfilled. Please note that we receive a high volume of requests and those received less than 30 days prior to the workshop/course date will only be reviewed if time permits.

Merrithew allows auditing of the following STOTT PILATES courses, as long as the student has previously taken the course:

• CMR
• CCCB
• IMP & IMP 2nd Edition*
• IR & IR 2nd Edition*
• ICCB (ICAD, ICHR, IBRL)
• AM
• AR
• ACCB (ACAD, ACHR, ABRL)
• ISP**

**ISP can be audited if the original course was taken post-June 2007 to present

Merrithew allows auditing of the following STOTT PILATES Rehab courses, if the original course was taken post-June 2012:

• RM1 & RM2
• RR1 & RR2
• RCCB1
• RCCB2

Auditing is not an option for the Functional Anatomy Course, Foundation Courses and/or workshops (CEC/introductory) as the main goal of the workshops is continuing education and not certification.

Please contact your closest Training Center if you are interested in auditing.

Note: Students are asked to remain silent and not participate in any group work/discussions, or ask questions during the course, unless otherwise directed by the Instructor Trainer when auditing a course.

*In order to audit the STOTT PILATES Intensive Mat-Plus^™ or Intensive Reformer 2nd Edition courses, you must have previously taken the IMP or IR, 2nd Edition course. If you have taken the IMP or IR 1st Edition course, you must complete the STOTT PILATES Beyond the Biomechanical Principles workshop to audit the IMP or IR 2nd Edition course. The workshop can be booked through a Training Center directly or through the Merrithew Corporate Training Center.

It is strongly advised that make-up hours are done as soon as possible after they are missed - especially if it occurs in the middle of a course. This allows students to cover the missed material prior to returning to the course. Please note that this is done in private review at the student’s expense. Students have six months to make up any hours missed. If they exceed this timeline, the course is forfeited and the entire course must be retaken in order to examine and certify.

• If you miss hours from the Matwork, Reformer, Cadillac, Chair, and Barrels course, you must make up these hours, preferably before the course concludes
• The makeup hours policy is as follows: for the first 5 missed hours, each hour requires a half-hour private session with an Instructor Trainer (2:1 ratio). Beyond the first 5 hours, each missed hour requires a full hour of private session (1:1 ratio). For example, if you miss 4 hours, you need 2 hours of private sessions. If you miss 10 hours, you need 7.5 hours of private sessions (accounting for 2.5 hours for the first 5 hours and 5 hours for the additional 5 hours missed)
• Rehab, Anatomy courses, ISP and Advance courses Any make-up hours for these courses are done on a 1:1 ratio due to the density of the course material and the expectation that it will take the same amount of time to teach one student as to teach a group
• No time can be missed during any Foundation Course. If a student misses any time then the course must be re-taken

Note, Merrithew Training Centers must inform us via the submitted class list that a student has not completed a course. A note will be made on the student’s file. A letter of completion will be sent to the student when the Center has confirmed that the student has completed the remaining hours.

Upon successful completion of the exam, students are considered certified instructors from their exam date. If the student takes the exam on two separate days, the latter date is the date that they may refer to themselves as a Certified Instructor. CECs are then earned the next full calendar year after one becomes certified, regardless of what month they examine in.

Photography, video and/or audio recordings of any Merrithew course/workshop is strictly prohibited. If there are exceptional circumstances that make this necessary, the student must apply for and receive express written permission from the Merrithew Education Programming Department and sign a contract restricting its use. This policy is to help us avoid any infringement on our intellectual property.

Observation hours can be logged during or after the course and can be accrued by watching a STOTT PILATES Certified Instructor teach clients, as well as observing the relevant course package DVDs. We recommend that 80% of observation hours be completed by watching a Certified Instructor teach. Please contact your nearest Training Center or STOTT PILATES Certified Instructor, to arrange for observation.

Candidates must be at least 18 years of age to participate in any Merrithew course, workshop or STOTT PILATES examination.

Special exam accommodations may be arranged for students with disabilities or circumstances that prevent them from taking the STOTT PILATES written examination as outlined in our regular procedures. In order to be considered, a formal request supporting the student’s situation must be provided to the Merrithew Education Programming Department at exams@merrrithew.com at least 30 days prior to the scheduled examination date. This allows us time to review and consider all factors as well as provide alternative recommendations in the event the request cannot be fulfilled. Please note that we receive a high volume of requests and those received less than 30 days prior to the exam date will only be reviewed if time permits. Merrithew reserves the right to determine the reasonableness of the accommodation requested.

Merrithew takes dishonest and unethical behavior very seriously. If a student is found to have cheated on any exam a mark of zero will be recorded for that exam and the student will be unable to re-take that exam for a minimum of six months. The re-take and any future exams will then need to be completed at our Toronto Corporate Training Center or at one of our Merrithew Training Centers and may not be proctored. The student will be required to pay for a STOTT PILATES Instructor Trainer to be present during the written exam. Merrithew will not be held responsible for any adverse effect this policy may have.

Students who wish to submit an appeal to Merrithew must provide sufficient evidence to establish valid grounds for their appeal. Appeals must be submitted in writing to educationadvisor@merrithew.com within 30 days of completing the course or workshop.

Valid Grounds for Appeal

To be considered, appeals must be based on one or more of the following valid grounds:

• Administrative errors – Such as incorrect grading, miscalculated attendance records, or clerical mistakes
• Procedural fairness issues – Where due process was not followed, affecting the student’s outcome

Required Information for an Appeal

To ensure a thorough review, the appeal submission should include:

• Student’s Full Name
• Student’s Address
• Student’s Phone Number
• Reason for the Appeal – A clear explanation of the basis for the appeal.
• Supporting Evidence – Documentation that substantiates the appeal.
• Additional Relevant Information – Any other details that may assist in the review process.

Appeal Review Process

All appeal submissions will be reviewed within 60 days of receipt to ensure a comprehensive evaluation. During this period:

• Merrithew will assess all relevant factors and may request additional documentation or clarification if needed.
• If the requested outcome cannot be achieved, alternative solutions may be considered.
• The appeal will be reviewed by an internal committee, and a written response outlining the final decision will be provided to the student.

Possible Outcomes

The review may result in one of the following outcomes:

• Upholding the original decision – No changes are made.
• Modifying the decision – A correction or adjustment is applied.
• Implementing an alternative resolution – A different but fair resolution is provided.

Final Decision

Final decisions regarding appeals are made at Merrithew’s discretion, and all appeal decisions are final and binding. Appeals that do not align with this policy may not be considered.

For any questions regarding the appeal process, students may contact educationadvisor@merrithew.com before submitting an appeal.

Students who wish to submit a formal complaint regarding their education or training may do so in writing to educationadvisor@merrithew.com within 30 days of completing their course or workshop.

To facilitate a thorough review, complaints should include the following details:

• Description of the Complaint: Provide as much detail as possible, including facts, associated evidence, and any supporting documentation.
• Location of the Issue: Where did the issue occur?
• Date and Time of the Issue: When did the issue occur?
• Previous Complaints: Have you previously submitted a complaint about this issue? If so, provide the date of the last complaint and its outcome.
• Any Additional Relevant Information: Include any other details that may assist in the investigation.

All complaints will be reviewed and addressed within 60 days of receipt. During this period, Merrithew will conduct a thorough evaluation, consider all relevant factors, and explore alternative resolutions if the requested outcome is not feasible.

Students will receive confirmation of receipt and will be notified of the final decision in writing.

For any questions regarding the complaint process, students may contact educationadvisor@merrithew.com before submitting a complaint.

Students who wish to submit a formal grievance regarding their education or training may do so in writing to educationadvisor@merrithew.com within 30 days of completing their course or workshop.

To ensure a thorough review, grievance submissions should include the following details:

• Student’s Full Name
• Student’s Address
• Student’s Phone Number
• Reason for the Grievance – Provide a detailed description of the situation.
• Desired Resolution – Specify the outcome the student is seeking.
• Supporting Evidence – Include any relevant documentation or materials that support the grievance.
• Additional Relevant Information – Provide any further details that may assist Merrithew in reviewing the grievance.

All grievance submissions will be reviewed within 60 days of receipt to ensure a comprehensive evaluation. During this time, Merrithew will assess all relevant factors and explore alternative solutions if the requested resolution cannot be achieved.

Students will receive confirmation of receipt and will be notified of the final decision in writing.

For any questions regarding this process, students may contact educationadvisor@merrithew.com before submitting a grievance.

The aim of this policy is to create effective and consistent procedures that are used by Merrithew^® to ensure educational training and continual professional development meet recognized standards of quality and support the development of all students and Certified Instructors.

Prerequisites for a Certified Instructor to become an Instructor Trainer (IT):

1. You must have completed the STOTT PILATES^® Full Certification examination with a combined score of 90% or higher.
2. You must complete a minimum of 1,000 documented STOTT PILATES teaching hours after completing the Matwork & Reformer Certification examination. You must specify your teaching locations as well as the number of hours completed at each location.
3. You must be a current STOTT PILATES Certified Instructor, meeting the annual Continuing Education Credit (CEC) requirements.
4. You must meet the relevant credentials. An NCCA-recognized certification or a degree in an exercise, dance, or health science-related field is mandatory. If you do not have an NCCA certification but hold comparable qualifications recognized in your country, please provide detailed documentation.
5. You must demonstrate Physical Proficiency in the Matwork & Reformer repertoire, including modifications, and starting positions are required.

Upon successful completion of the IT course, individuals must complete a minimum of two co-teaching assignments as part of the post-course requirements to attain their IT qualification status. Once these requirements are met and approved, the individual will be notified of the specific courses and workshops they are authorized to teach. Additionally, depending on their IT designation (Floating, LTC, or CTC), they will participate in an orientation with the relevant team to review their responsibilities and expectations.

Components of the IT training and certification process

• Must complete and pass the Instructor Training Course
• Must complete and pass a minimum of two co-teaching sessions with a Mentor Instructor Trainer
• Must undergo the Exam Video Standardization Process
• Must fulfill Continuing Education Credits (CEC) requirements for all Instructor Trainers

Continuing Education

STOTT PILATES Certified Instructors and ITs are required to obtain six hours of Merrithew Continuing Education Credits (0.6 CECs) annually to maintain their certification. Every student has one full calendar year to earn their credits, beginning January 1st, the year following successful completion of your exam. If a Certified Instructor or IT fails to maintain 0.6 CECs for any of the previous 3 years, their certification status will no longer be considered current, and they will not appear on the Merrithew Instructor Finder.

Feedback

Training Evaluation Feedback Forms are collected by the coordinators as part of the post course documentation. These forms are filed under the respective training centers in our internal system. Coordinators will review the feedback forms and bring forward anything that stands out for further discussion.

Updates

Changes affecting course content and delivery are communicated across the organization to learners via info session/townhalls, IT email address, and the IT Portal.