Premise

It is an unfortunate fact that for there to be rules there must be a process for disciplinary action when those rules are broken. Such a process must ensure due process and consistency of results.

Reasons for disciplinary action

The reasons for disciplinary action are expressed in the code of conduct. The code of conduct is considered to describe the acceptable behaviors, therefore anything outside such behaviors is not acceptable. There is no expectation that every unacceptable behavior is described explicitly in the code of conduct, and breaches, be it in letter or spirit, are eligible for disciplinary action.

Types of disciplinary action

There are two types of action.

Type 1: warning

The warning can be issued by any member of the permanent staff (instructor or otherwise), against a student or another member of staff. It should be issued over email. The accused has a right to appeal from this warning within 72 hours, if they find it unfounded. Should there be such an appeal, the process of resolution is followed. If there is no appeal within 72 hours, the warning is considered given and accepted.

Type 2: expulsion

All expulsions require a resolution, and some may require a prior warning, depending on the code of conduct. A student or staff member that is expelled is automatically banned from all future Academy initiatives, and has no right to refunds, if applicable.

Resolution

A resolution is a final verdict by the Executive Team. For there to be a resolution, the following steps must be taken:

1. A document is compiled with the reasons why the student/staff should be given disciplinary action.
2. The document is presented via email to the student/staff. At this stage the document is considered closed, and may not be altered a posteriori, unless new evidence surfaces which was not available at the time that the accusation was presented.
3. The defending part is allowed to respond, via email, to the accusations. This response happens only once, unless the Executive Team requests further clarification.
4. The Executive Team reviews both the evidence and the defense, and comes to a conclusion.
5. There must be a 2/3rd majority for disciplinary action.
6. The defending party is communicated the results over email.
7. The decision is final, and cannot be appealed.