Policies

Eligibility Requirements

1. Full tuition of £1,100 before course start (£100 non-refundable registration + £1,000 tuition for 110 hours); instalment plans available if agreed in writing

Payment and Refunds Requirements

2. All fees must be paid before or by the agreed date.
3. Refunds are available within 14 days of registration, in compliance with the UK Consumer Contracts Regulations.
4. Upon enrolment, students acknowledge and accept the Student Fees & Refunds Policy terms and conditions.
5. Written cancellation requests must be submitted (email is acceptable) within the 14-day cooling-off period.

Student Information and Attendance Requirements

6. Accurate personal information must be provided at enrolment.
7. Consistent attendance at live sessions is essential and expected.

Conduct and Compliance Requirements

8. Students must behave respectfully and professionally during all online interactions.
9. Misconduct may result in non-refundable suspension or removal from the course.
10. Compliance with SMC's Code of Conduct and academic regulations is mandatory.

Academic Integrity Requirements

11. Original work on all assignments is required; all submitted work must be the student's own.
12. Plagiarism will result in disciplinary action.

Data Protection Requirements

13. Personal data will be processed and stored in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and used only for course administration purposes.

Intellectual Property Requirements

14. All course materials provided are the intellectual property of the course provider and may not be distributed or reproduced without permission.

Course Modification Requirements

15. The course provider reserves the right to cancel or reschedule classes with notice; alternate arrangements will be made in such cases.

Dispute Resolution

16. Any disputes will be resolved under the jurisdiction of the laws of England and Wales.

Policy Awareness Requirements

17. Students must be familiar with the Appeal and Complaint Policy, Plagiarism Policy, and Student Fees & Refunds Policy as available on the LMS.

1. Accuracy: All information provided must be true and up-to-date every term, course or four months.
2. Employment Status: It is a Freelance unless otherwise agreed.
3. Data Protection: Tutors are responsible for handling all personal data (even theirs or others) in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).
4. Code of Conduct:  Tutors must maintain professional and respectful behaviour in all teaching activities and communications.
5. Intellectual Property: Any course content or materials developed is retained as intellectual property of the course provider (SMC).
6. Payment Terms: Payments will be processed as agreed upon, based on SMC.
7. Jurisdiction: Any disputes arising will be governed by the laws of England and Wales.

1. Purpose

This document outlines the policy and procedure for handling appeals and complaints by learners in a fair, transparent, and efficient manner. It ensures all grievances are addressed promptly while maintaining confidentiality and respect for all parties involved.

2. Scope

This policy and procedure apply to:

• All learners enrolled in programmes provided by Strategic Management College.
• Grievances related to educational matters (e.g., assessment decisions, academic progression) and non-academic matters (e.g., facilities, services, or the conduct of staff and other learners).

3. Key Principles

• Fairness: Appeals and complaints are addressed impartially, ensuring no bias or favouritism in the investigation and decision-making process.
• Confidentiality: All information shared during the process is kept confidential and used only for the purpose of resolving the grievance.
• Accessibility: Learners can easily access the process through clear guidance and designated forms available on the Learning Management System (LMS).
• Timeliness: Resolutions are provided promptly, with clear timelines defined for each stage of the process.
• Continuous Improvement: Feedback from appeals and complaints is used as a valuable resource to improve our services, policies, and learning outcomes.

4. Appeals

An appeal is a formal request to review a decision related to assessments, grading, or other academic matters. The appeals process is outlined below:

Submission:

Learners must submit an appeal within 10 working days of receiving the academic decision.

Appeals must be made using the designated Appeal Form available on the LMS, and must include:

• A clear description of the issue and the grounds for the appeal.
• Supporting evidence (e.g., assessment feedback, relevant emails, medical certificates).
• The desired outcome.

Acknowledgement:

The appeal will be formally acknowledged in writing within 3 working days of receipt.

Review:

• The appeal is reviewed by the Head of Academics (Stage 1) or an Appeals Panel (Stage 2), which includes subject matter experts and relevant senior staff not involved in the original decision.
• The panel investigates by reviewing all submitted evidence and may consult with involved parties.

Outcome:

• A formal written response is provided within 15 working days for a Stage 1 review, and 20 working days for a Stage 2 review. The response will detail:
  • The panel’s decision (e.g., upheld, modified, or dismissed).
  • The reasons for the decision and any corrective actions to be taken, if applicable.

5. Complaints

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about non-academic matters, such as services, facilities, or the conduct of staff or other learners. The complaints process is outlined below:

Informal Resolution (Recommended First Step):

Before submitting a formal complaint, learners are strongly encouraged to try and resolve the issue informally by speaking directly with the person involved (e.g., instructor, administrative staff).

Submission:

• If informal resolution is not successful or appropriate, learners must submit a formal complaint using the designated Complaint Form within 10 working days of the incident.
• The complaint should include:
• A detailed description of the issue, including relevant dates and names.
• Supporting evidence (e.g., emails, photos, witness statements).

Acknowledgement:

Formal complaints are acknowledged in writing within 3 working days of receipt.

Resolution:

Stage 1: The issue is referred to the relevant department head (e.g., Head of Administration) for investigation and resolution. A formal written response is provided within 15 working days.

Escalation (if unresolved):

• If the learner is not satisfied with the Stage 1 outcome, the complaint can be escalated to Stage 2. This involves a review by a Complaints Panel convened by the College Director.
• The panel reviews the case and provides a final formal resolution within 20 working days.

Outcome:

A final written response is shared with the learner, summarising the findings of the investigation and any actions taken.

6. Monitoring and Record-Keeping

• All appeals and complaints are documented securely and confidentially. Records are retained for a period of three years.
• Anonymised data is analysed annually by senior management to identify trends, address systemic issues, and improve our services and the student experience.

7. Communication

This policy and procedure, along with the necessary forms, are made accessible to all learners through multiple channels, including:

• The Learning Management System (LMS).
• Induction sessions for new learners.
• The official Student Handbook.
• Strategic Management College website.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you interact with our page on the SMC website.

Information We Collect

When you visit or interact with our page, we may collect:

• Personal Information: Name, email address, phone number, or other contact details you voluntarily provide through forms or messages.
• Non-Personal Information: Browser type, device information, IP address, and pages visited, collected automatically through cookies or analytics tools.

How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Respond to inquiries and provide requested services.
• Improve our content, features, and user experience.
• Send updates, news, or promotional materials (only if you have opted in).
• Comply with legal obligations.

Information Sharing

We do not sell or rent your personal information. We may share it only:

• With SMC administrators or service providers assisting in page operations.
• If required by law or to protect our rights and security.

Data Security

We take reasonable technical and administrative measures to safeguard your information against unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure.

Your Rights

You may request to access, update, or delete your personal information by contacting us through the details provided below. You may also opt out of receiving communications at any time.

Cookies and Tracking

Our page may use cookies or similar technologies to improve functionality and analyse traffic. You can manage cookie preferences in your browser settings.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date.

Comments

When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection. An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.

Media

If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website.

Cookies

If you leave a comment on our site you may opt-in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year. If you visit our login page, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser. When you log in, we will also set up several cookies to save your login information and your screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options cookies last for a year. If you select "Remember Me", your login will persist for two weeks. If you log out of your account, the login cookies will be removed. If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie will be saved in your browser. This cookie includes no personal data and simply indicates the post ID of the article you just edited. It expires after 1 day.

Embedded content from other websites

Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website. These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

Who we share your data with

Suggested text: If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the reset email.

How long we retain your data

If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognize and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue. For users that register on our website (if any), we also store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.

What rights you have over your data

If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.

Where your data is sent

Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.

Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact: Email: info@sm-college.co.uk Phone: (+44) 7770717044