Study regulations
These terms and conditions govern the provision of training services by Geneva Institute of Technology (an institution established under the legal name of Satom IT & Learning Solutions, a company specializing in ICT training). These terms and conditions constitute the entire agreement and supersede any prior oral or written agreements between the parties.
General valuation rules
Learners are not permitted to be absent during assessments. They must be perfectly punctual, any lateness being penalized by a mark of 1 in the assessment. Learners may only keep authorized documents or media with them. Any other unauthorized item is by default forbidden and may constitute cheating. Any learner caught cheating (e.g. using the CHATGPT application, if not authorized) will automatically receive a mark of 1, with no possibility of making up the grade. In the event of a repeat offence, the learner is liable to the most serious sanctions (see Disciplinary Board section).
Catch-up
Access to catch-up is automatic for :
- Learners who have had an authorized or justified absence on the day of the assessment.
- Learners who fail to achieve an average for the module concerned
Access to make-ups is subject to acceptance by the school director or his representative for : Students with an unjustified absence on the day of assessment. The school reserves the right to refuse access to remedial sessions to students who are regularly absent from assessments. Various make-up sessions are organized throughout the year, and students are entitled to only one make-up session per module during the current year. Make-up tests are only taken in class. If a learner is caught cheating (e.g. using the CHATGPT application, if not authorized), a mark of 1 is automatically applied. Catch-up is authorized within a 5-year time limit. Catch-up is only possible on the current school year's program.
Attendance and respect for schedules
Attendance is compulsory for all classes, including practical sessions.
Every learner is expected to be punctual and to adhere strictly to the course timetable.
All learners must adhere to class schedules, which are :
8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday
Delays :
In the event of lateness, for any reason whatsoever, the teacher may accept or refuse the learner entry to the class.
Between 1 and 15 minutes late: the student is considered late, but may return to class unless the teacher refuses.
More than 15 minutes late: access to class is deemed to have been refused by the teacher, resulting in an unjustified absence, unless a valid receipt is presented.
If the student is an apprentice or on a professionalization contract, the employer will be informed of any delays on a monthly basis.
Absences :
In the event of absence, proof must be presented to the school administration within 48 hours. In the case of a student on a work-study contract (professionalization contract or apprenticeship contract) with a host company, this proof must comply with labor law (sick leave, etc.).
Absences are automatically forwarded to the student's family, as well as to the employer (apprenticeship supervisor and HR) if the student is an apprentice or on a professionalization contract or internship.
Absence status :
An absence is an «Authorized Absence» if the learner has asked to be absent beforehand, providing valid justification (medical appointment that cannot be moved, administrative summons, etc.).
An absence becomes an 'excused absence» if the learner subsequently submits valid proof (medical certificate, etc.) to the school administration.
In all other cases, the absence is an «Unjustified absence»:
Any unjustified absence beyond the 3rd absence may result in a disciplinary hearing and a warning.
3 warnings for unjustified absences may result in permanent exclusion.
Each unjustified absence may result in a Disciplinary Board meeting.
Learners are not allowed to leave the premises during class hours unless they have provided proof or obtained prior written authorization from their campus administration. In all cases, the learner must make himself/herself known so that the administration can be informed and give its prior approval.
The learner must consult the school's communication tools for learners on working days (in particular his/her @satom.ch e-mail address, his/her virtual classroom space on Microsoft Teams, or any other tool that may be used by the school in the future) in order to be kept up to date with the latest information concerning his/her schedule, grades or any other subject related to his/her studies.
Know-how
Professional and respectful behavior is expected of every learner.
In class, learners must focus on their training and refrain from any behavior that might disrupt the lesson (chatter, cell phones, games, etc.).
In particular, learners must avoid any attack on the physical and/or moral integrity of other learners during lessons and on social networks.
- Moral integrity is characterized by respect for each individual's sensitive data, i.e. :
- Racial or ethnic origin
- Political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs or trade union membership
- Genetic data (e.g. DNA analysis)
- Biometric data for unique identification purposes (e.g. fingerprint data or facial or iris recognition)
- Data concerning health or intimacy (build or other) Data concerning sex life or sexual orientation.
- Personal data relating to criminal convictions and offences
- Data on welfare benefits
Any violation of physical and/or moral integrity will be immediately sanctioned by the disciplinary board. For example, making jokes about sensitive data is an attack on a person's moral integrity.
A learner's behavior within the school must demonstrate the values promoted by the school: respect, civility, tolerance and professionalism. His or her behavior must not be detrimental to the school's image.
Last but not least, students are expected to dress appropriately for school. This attire must be clean and decent, compatible with current health and safety legislation, and not detract from the school's professional image. At the very least, since the school trains professionals, the dress codes of companies that take on trainees apply to them within the school.
Sports exemption
Students who do not have a sports exemption to justify their absence from sports practice will be penalized (see POSSIBLE PENALTIES chapter).
Use of emergency doors
Emergency doors are strictly reserved for emergency situations requiring immediate evacuation to ensure everyone's safety. Any unauthorized or abusive use of these doors, outside of validated emergency situations, is strictly forbidden. Students who fail to comply may be subject to immediate disciplinary action, up to and including permanent exclusion from the establishment. The aim of this measure is to preserve collective safety and avoid any behavior that could jeopardize the smooth running of the facilities.
Disciplinary board
Satom's Disciplinary Board is competent to rule on breaches of Satom's rules and regulations, and to impose the corresponding sanctions listed below. A Disciplinary Board may be convened at any time by Satom's administrative team, particularly following an incident caused by one or more students.
Composition of the Disciplinary Board
The Disciplinary Board may be composed of the following persons:
The authority that convened the disciplinary board and/or a representative of Satom's administration
The learner(s) concerned
Any other person deemed necessary by the authority calling the meeting
Class delegates if the learner(s) so wish
The authority initiating the Disciplinary Board must send an e-mail to the learners concerned by the disciplinary procedure, specifying the facts complained of and the penalties incurred, and, where applicable, the date, time and place of the Disciplinary Board meeting.
The absence of one or more persons duly summoned to the Disciplinary Board will be deemed to constitute agreement to the charges, their only recourse then being the appeal procedure.
If the facts are serious enough to justify it, a preliminary precautionary measure may be taken pending the decision of the Disciplinary Board (e.g. temporary exclusion from a course or from the Satom establishment).
At the Disciplinary Board meeting, the learner(s) concerned can provide explanations and defend themselves.
The organizing authority must hear these explanations before closing the debate and proceeding with the deliberation, which will decide whether or not to impose sanctions on the parties concerned. This decision must be communicated within 15 working days by the organizing authority.
Respect for fundamental principles in the event of sanctions
Sanctions must comply with the following principles:
Legalité They must be defined in accordance with Satom regulations and correspond to the faults committed.
Equitéthe learners concerned must be able to express themselves for an equivalent length of time
ProportionalityéPenalties must be proportional to the offence committed
Individualization: in the event of an incident involving several learners, the penalty must be individualized to take account of any extenuating or aggravating circumstances.
Within a maximum of 15 working days after the Disciplinary Board meeting, the organizing authority must communicate its reasoned decision to the learner concerned by any written means at its convenience (including e-mail, SMS, post, etc.), and must simultaneously inform the Academic Management and the Satom Presidency, noting the facts complained of, the arguments raised by the learner concerned during the meeting, and its conclusions.
Appeal procedure
Any decision handed down by the Disciplinary Board may be contested in writing within 5 working days to Satom's General Management or President. Once this period has elapsed, the decision is deemed final and the student is deemed to have accepted it as it stands.
Within 30 working days from the date of receipt of the appeal, the department to which the appeal has been lodged will rule on the legality, fairness, proportionality and individualization of the sanction and measures taken by the authority that initiated the Council. If necessary, it gathers additional information to that contained in the report accompanying the decision. Finally, it sends its final decision in writing to the applicant (by e-mail or post) and to the authority that initiated the Council.
Possible penalties
Sanctions that may be imposed on learners include :
- Warning
- Housework on the premises from 5 to 6 p.m. or at a time specified by the trainer.
- Additional work to be carried out
- Temporary exclusion
- Permanent exclusion