Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that assessments are valid, reliable, and consistent with the standards set by the relevant Awarding Body. The aim is to ensure decisions made by assessors are accurate and consistent for the same qualification for all learners and are applied fairly and consistently to meet awarding body requirements.

Scope

This policy applies to all courses offered by Certifika where assessment for certification by relevant Awarding Bodies is required.

The policy covers the recording of accurate marking and internal verification to meet the criteria set by the awarding body ATHE with whom the Certifika is accredited.

Introduction

Certifika will ensure that assessment criteria established by ATHE is met; that standards are applied and the integrity of the assessment process is quality assured using a verification process.

Verification is a process designed to ensure the quality of delivery and assessment of all courses is established and in place. It ensures all learners who undertake the same qualification are assessed fairly and consistently to the specified standards set by the Awarding Body.

Assessment – Marking

The assessment and marking of assignments is the responsiblity of Certifika. All markers have been approved by the awarding body to assess learner work. Marking is the first stage of the assessment process.

Assessment – Internal Verification

The Internal Verifier (IV) is a process responsible for ensuring the suitable assessment of learner work has taken place by the marker. The IV should ensure that the chosen assessment is practicable. A valid assessment is one that is designed to allow candidates to produce evidence to show that they have the required knowledge, understanding and skills for the qualification they are aiming for.

All assessments are provided by the awarding body. Assignments and the relevant specification document gives details of the learning outcomes and assessment criteria for each assignment.

Standardisation Exercises

The assessment of learner assignments and the assessor judgements must be accurate and consistent across all learner work. Standardisation is an important part of the assessment process and is designed to ensure accuracy of making and the erradication of differences. By conducting standardisation exercises Certifika is able to identify any discrepancies that may exist between assessors.

Standardisation exercises are carried out periodically in the assessment process. The internal verifier (IV) will meet with assessor(s) that have marked common pieces of learner work. The purpose to discuss the decision and marks awarded for learner work. The IV will be responsible for recording any conclusions made during the meeting and disseminate to assessors.

Sampling Assessment Decisions and Candidate Evidence

The IV must select a sample of learner work to check that each assessor is making consistent decisions in line with awarding body standards. The IV will take a representative sample of the learner work and check the assessor judgmenst are correct. The sampling process is ongoing to ensure decisions are accurate and consistent between markers.

Learner work is sampled to ensure:

1. Assessments have been carried out in accordance with the unit specification

2. All assessors are assessing to the same standard

3. Feedback is appropriate and aids the learner

4. The outcomes of internal verification is fed back to the assessors and used to refine assessment.

All assessment that leads to certification must be sampled and signed off by the IV before results are sent to the Awarding Body. This is carried out upon the satisfaction of the IV of the assessment decisions, and once any corrective action has been completed. The IV must sign off assessments by countersigning the assessor marksheet.

Number of Learners – Sample Size

Each learner will have a minimum of 1-2 assignments internally verified with the aim to cover the whole qualification. An example is as follows:

Assignments per qualification of 8. Two learners will have 4 assignments internally verified. In contrast 8 learners with a qualification assignment of 8 will have 1 assignment per learner internally verified. The purpose to cover the whole qualification.

Maintaining Assessment and Verification Records

Certifika is committed to accurately recording internal verification activity and to secure storage of assessment and verification records securely. All documents are made available to the External Verifier appointed by ATHE.

Post-Delivery Verification

Assessors and the internal verifiers meet quarterly to discuss assessments and any changes. This ensures a consistent approach.

Introduction

Plagiarism is the passing off or attempting to pass off another person’s work as your own. It includes copying words, ideas, images or research results of another without acknowledgement or reference. In the academic field an example of plagiarism is to copy the work of another learner or to include an article without crediting the author.

Plagiarism can undermine a learner’s integrity, research and the assessment process. The following guidance explains what is meant by plagiarism, and includes preventative measures.

Avoiding plagiarism

Students whom register with Certifika automatically consent to their work being checked for plagiarism. Certifika will electronically submit leaner work for review. The plagiarism software used by Certifika is Turnitin. Should Turnitin not be accessible for any reason an alternative software will be used of the same standard.

The purpose of the plagiarism check is to ensure learner work does not contain sections that match another’s’ work.

Learner work is meant to be original to the learner and should include reference to source material.

Learners are requested to observe the following guidelines:

• Copied or quoted material from another source including electronic sources such as the internet, must be in quotation marks and attributed to the original author. Learners must acknowledge the source and give full details, such as the author, date, page number.

• Synthesising work of others involves the learner using the ideas of another in their words. This is acceptable but acknowledgement of the source must be made. This can be done in a number of ways depending on the context. For example: ‘Hart (2003, 52) maintains that…’ ‘Hart (2003, 52) provides evidence for..’: ‘It is argued, or submitted by Hart (2003, 52) that…’ The learner must give the source of the original work.

• Full citations are not expected. Learners must indicate general indebtedness and always credit any quotations used to remember.

Important: If in doubt when referencing provide source and reference the work.

Academic Appeal PolicAs an academic provider of learning Certifeka is duty bound to provide a means by which learners are able to appeal against an assessment decision. The aim of this document is to detail the mechanism by which an appeal against assessments can be made.

Right to Appeal

The appeal process is available to all learners. The following are the circumstances which a learner can appeal. They are for:

• A grade awarded for any piece of work that contributes to the final grade

• A grade awarded which may affect a learners transfer/progression opportunities between courses or level of courses

• A final year/course grade

Grounds for Appeal

Learners can appeal against any aspect of an assessment decision. However, it is expected that student’s would normally appeal against the following:

• That parts of the documented procedures have disadvantaged the learner to a degree which has materially affected the decision/recommendation made, rendering it unsound.

• The lack of opportunity to show examples of competency against the assessment criteria/and or national academic standards.

• That the decision-making body took a decision which no reasonable person would find comprehensible. Note that a disagreement with the decision does not make it incorrect. To apply this ground, learners must provide substantive argumentation as to why no reasonable person could have arrived at the decision that was made.

• The prejudice or bias of an assessor, which can be proven.

Invalid Grounds for Appeal

The following circumstances will not be considered grounds for appeal:

• Perceived shortcomings in tuition, supervision or support not previously raised with the college cannot be considered as grounds for appeal.  Concerns relating to the quality of teaching or supervision, or other circumstances that relate to the delivery of a program must be raised under the Complaints Policy.

• An Appeal may not be made to question the academic judgment. A learner’s feeling that the result unfairly reflects the merit of their work or their ability is not a ground of appeal.

• An Appeal may not be made against the actual mark awarded for a piece of assessed work, which is a matter of academic judgment, except where the case rests on a claim of procedural irregularity.

• Errors in calculating or recording marks on the basis of which the original decisions made cannot be submitted as grounds for appeal, unless these errors have been identified by the leaner and brought to the attention of the college.

Submission of Appeals

Appeals will only be accepted if submitted within one calendar month of the learner receiving notification of their result. Only written cases, made clearly and comprehensibly using the below form, will be accepted. There may be times when a student submits an appeal, the subject of which is actually a complaint, or vice versa.  In these cases, the college may decide to reclassify the appeal or complaint, at whatever stage of the procedure that has been reached, and the college will inform the student of this. The procedure for an Appeal is shown in schedule 1 of the chart below. Forms to be completed are found at schedule 2.

(Schedule 1)

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Complaints Policy

Overview

Certifeka seeks to always provide the highest possible levels of service but also recognises that in doing so, there may be times when this falls short of student’s expectations. In these instances, the focus is on finding an acceptable outcome. All complaints are taken seriously and will be investigated according to the procedures laid down.

Any student who makes a complaint shall not be disadvantaged in any way and the complaint will be undertaken by Certifeka impartially and without bias. Privacy and confidentiality will be maintained throughout the process and each case will be considered on its own merits and taking into account:

• The seriousness of the issue raised

• The credibility of the concern

• The likelihood of confirming the issue from attributable sources.

Aims

Certifeka committed to ensure the complaints procedure will:

• Make the process open and transparent

• Place the emphasis on prompt resolution

• Not apportioning blame

• Take forward all reasonable complaints made

• Ensure that complaints are quickly rectified

• Ensure learners are supported during the complaint procedure

• Collect equality data on complaints for monitoring purposes (through confidential means)

(Schedule 1)

Informal Process – Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

ntroduction

Certifeka is committed to ensure learners are treated fairly throughout the learning process and seeks to eliminate discriminatory behaviour.

The aim of the policy is to ensure all Certifeka’s stakeholders including; directors, employees, and learners who interact with our centre understand how conflict of interest is managed.

Certifeka ensures guidance is given through training to management, staff, and learners about how to deal with any potential conflicts of interest that arise.

Conflict of Interest – Definition

Certifeka defines a conflict of interest as a position where an individual or organisation has competing interests or loyalties. In such cases a conflict will arise that may potentially influence decisions, so they become invalid. A conflict can arise in a variety of circumstances and can be found in a variety of ways.

Conflict of Interest – Examples

Examples where a conflict of interest may occur are shown below. The list is not exhaustive.

• • When an individual is contracted by Certifeka to work on its behalf but has competing and/or other interests in a separate organisation(s) which are directly or indirectly pertinent to the work of Certifeka.

  • Where an individual has a position in another organisation and may seek to influence decisions at Certifeka for financial and/or personal reward.

  • Where the learner is known to the tutor/centre on a personal level and will gain an advantage from being known.

Conflict of Interest – Approach

The Conflict of Interest Policy provides for a three-fold approach:

• Disclosure of the conflict to those involved

• Manage the conflict

• Prohibit the activity where necessary

Recognising and Managing Conflicts of Interest

Certifeka recognises that a conflict or potential conflict that is identified will need to be managed effectively.

• All individuals involved in the management, delivery, quality assurance or promotion of the qualifications offered by Certifeka will need to read the Conflicts of Interest Policy.

• Individuals employed or contracted will expressly confirm to adhere to the policy.

• Individuals are responsible to disclose any potential or actual conflict to the head of centre. The potential or actual conflict will be held on file.
  
  

Managers

• Manager must ensure all individuals employed or contracted sign a declaration stating any potential Conflict of Interest that has or may occur when they enter into a contract with Certifeka.

• Certifeka does not discourage staff to study a qualification at the centre. However, the centre must be informed when this takes place, and should explain how the assessment and internal quality assurance processes will be managed.

• Staff at Certifeka with a financial interest in the outcome of assessment, such as directors and shareholders should not normally make assessment or internal quality assurance decisions at he centre. If they have a role in the centre as internal quality assurer, or assessor this must be declared to the EQA at the health check and/or monitoring and development visit by the awarding body.

Responsible Officer

• The Responsible Officer will report any actual or likely conflicts of interest to the Board and to the regulatory authorities as necessary.

• All cases of actual or likely conflicts of interest will be checked and/or investigated and a judgement and/or report will be produced as appropriate.

Conflicts of interest – Awarding Body

The awarding body will require all centres to have policies on conflicts of interest which will be checked during the health check process. The awarding body expects centres to implement the policy which will be checked as part of the monitoring and development visits. Guidance will be provided by the awarding body if requested by the centre.

1. Introduction

Certifeka is committed to ensuring the establishment of a culture and environment in which learners, staff and visitors understand and embrace the principles and practices of equality and diversity.

In addition, Certifeka seek to ensure that all learners are able to maximise their potential and do not face any unfair barriers. The college will therefore college will not tolerate discriminatory behaviour with respect to any of the following protected characteristics of Equity Law.

• Age

• Race

• Gender reassignment

• Religion or belief

• Marital status

• Sex

• Sexual orientation

• Disability

• Pregnancy and Maternity

2. Aims

Certifeka will continually develop strategies and procedures to tackle varying forms of discrimination, unfair treatment and barriers which may occur.

These will broadly fit into the following categories:

• Direct discrimination – where a person in not treated equally due to any of the categories listed above.

• Indirect discrimination – where a requirement, situation or condition, which is applied for all groups, has an adverse effect on one or more groups.

• Harassment – where someone is subjected to unwanted conduct, i.e. unwelcome sexual attention or racial harassment.

• Victimisation – where someone is treated less favourable due to action taken against others.

• Segregation – where someone is segregated due to his or her beliefs, attitudes or opinions.

3. Roles and responsibilities

It is the duty of all individuals and groups associated with Certifeka to avoid discriminatory practices themselves to condone and discourage discriminatory practices from others.

Certifeka will encourage those who wish to report instances of discrimination and provide a confidential process by which all discriminatory matters can be dealt with by means of the formal Grievance Procedures.

A designated Certifeka senior manager who will be responsible for Equality and Diversity monitoring and the point of contact for those who may wish to discuss any discriminatory practice informally in the first instance.

Certifeka will communicate Equality and Diversity in a variety of forms to all staff, learners, potential applicants (staff and learners), contractors and collaborative partners. Certifeka will take action against anyone who is in breach of the Equality and Diversity Policy.

4. Learners

Certifeka will offer equity for access to all its courses and will encourage the recruitment of students from the widest possible audience both nationally and internationally. Certifeka will also offer flexibility of access to the curriculum by enabling students to enrol for both units of programmes and full awards. This will be reinforced by:

• Marketing literature which is produced for all courses

• An admissions process which is sensitive and supportive to the needs of all students which includes

• An enrolment process, which provides for assessment of learning support for those students who may have special needs.

Regarding the curriculum, student progress and achievement will be monitored by the course review process to ensure that equality of opportunity has taken place.

All materials used for distance learning study and assessment will be subject to evaluation prior to issue to make sure that they do not contain anything which could be considered discriminatory or offensive to individual students or groups.

5. Statistical Analysis

Equal opportunities statistical information will be provided to focus primarily on equal opportunities statistics of those who register for the courses.

Documentation relevant to Equality and Diversity

• Admissions Procedures

• Induction Procedures

• Assessment Policy

• Grievance Procedure

• Complaints Procedure

• Assessment Policy

Company Name: Certifeka Inc.

Company Address: Building 93, 2^nd District, 5^th Settlement, New Cairo, Cairo, Egypt.

United States: 2035 Sunset RD, Suite B-2, NEWARK, DE 19702

Introduction

Certifeka is committed to upholding the privacy of its learners and employees and conforming towards the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). To achieve this commitment, information about our learners, employees and other clients, contacts and other stakeholders must be collected and used fairly, stored safely and not unlawfully disclosed to any other person or third party. It should be clear why the data has been collected and how it will be used.

It is a policy to make as much information public as possible and in particular the following information will be available to the public.

• Names of our Directors

• Photographs of key staff

• List of staff

• Learner performance data

Principles

Certifeka, its staff and others who process or use any personal information must ensure that they follow the data protection principles set out in the GDPR. Certifeka will ensure that the following is adhered to pertaining to Data.

• Be obtained and processed fairly and lawfully

• Be obtained for a specified and lawful purpose and shall not be processed in any manner incompatible with that purpose

• Be adequate, relevant and not excessive for those purposes

• Be accurate and kept up-to-date

• Not be kept longer than is necessary for that purpose

• Be processed in accordance with the data subject rights

• Be kept safe from unauthorised access, accidental loss or destruction

• Not be transferred to a country outside the European Economic area, unless that country has equivalent levels of protection for personal data

Certifeka will not release staff or learner data to third parties except to relevant statutory bodies. In all other circumstances Certifeka will obtain the consent of the individuals concerned before releasing personal data.

Use of Personal Data

Certifeka uses personal data to:

• Keep those who contact the centre up-to-date on news and stories about work at Certifeka

• Provide a personalised service, such as customised website content or personalised emails

• Keep records of questions, suggestions, or complaints made by those who contact Certifeka

• Conduct market research to help understand our customers and the views they give.

Responsibilities

The management is responsible for the review and implementation of this policy.

The Principal and Senior Staff Members are responsible to ensure compliance of the policy and to communicate the policy to all Certifeka staff.

All staff are responsible for ensuring that any personal data held must be secure and to ensure it is not disclosed to any unauthorised third party. All staff are responsible for ensuring any personal data provided to Certifeka is accurate and up-to-date.

All learners are responsible for ensuring that all personal data provided to Certieika is accurate and up-to-date.

Use of personal data

Certifeka may use the personal data collected to:

• Keep learners up-to-date on news and stories about work at Certifeka.

• Provide a personalised service, such as customised website content or personalised emails.

• Keep records of relationship with Certifeka e.g. questions asked, suggestions or complaints made by individuals.

• Conduct market research to aid understanding of customers and their views.

Consent

Certifeka will process learners and staff members personal data only upon consent given by the individual. Preference may change at any time by contacting Certifeka by telephone, post or email as shown in the section ‘Learner rights and telling the college when things change’ below.

Safety and duration of information

Certifeka will hold information only as long as deemed necessary and you have the right to ask us to remove the data we hold about you. Our network is robustly protected from unauthorised access and is routinely monitored.

Certifeka ensure that access to personal data is restricted only to those staff members or associates whose job roles require such access and that suitable training is provided for these staff members and associates.

Certifeka may make limited use from time to time of external companies to collect or process personal data on behalf of our college. When done so, we carry out checks on these companies, put in place contracts to make sure the college’s requirements are clear, and carry out periodic reviews.

When external companies are used Certifeka will remain responsible for the storing and processing of learners personal data. Note however, the internet cannot be 100% guaranteed and learners submit data at their own risk.

Personal information stored

Certifeka uses cloud-based systems to process data. Certifeka will take all reasonable steps to ensure that your data is stored and processed securely in accordance with this policy. By submitting personal data learners agree to the transfering, storing and processing of information. Should sensitive personal data be requested by a third party for whatever reason Certifika will seek the consent of the learner.

Credit / debit card security

Certifeka may use a third party to process payments using cards. The third party will be required to process in line with the GDPR and the Payment Card Industry Data Standards.

In addition, payment by the college will also be done so in accordance with the Payment Card Industry Data Standards.

All card details are not stored upon completion of a payment. Bank details of learners are kept and held securely.

Service providers and third parties

Associates may be asked to carry out tasks on behalf of Certifeka, such as Learner Verifications or Health Checks. These associates are bound by contract to protect learner data and remain responsible for their actions.

Certifeka may provide third parties with general information about users of the site. The information is both aggregate and anonymous. However, Cetifeka may use IP address information to identify a user.

Learner rights and telling the college when things change

Certifeka recognise a learner rights to have data removed, to be forgotten, to opt out of communications or withdraw consent and to have a copy of personal data.

Request college to stop processing

Learners have the right to ask Certifica to erase personal data, to ask the college to restrict processing or to object to the processing of a learners personal data. To do so learner will need to write to the college with their request at: [email protected]

Rights of Access Information

Should learners want to exercise the right to request the information held about them please write to the Access to Data Personal/Data Controller at [email protected]. Learners will be sent the form at appendix 1.

Certifeka will make a charge on each occasion that access is requested, although Certifeka has discretion to waive this. This charge will be automatically waived off for staff.

Certifeka aims to comply with requests for access to personal information as quickly as possible, but will ensure that it is provided within 21 days unless there is good reason for delay. In such cases, the reason for delay will be explained in writing to the data subject making the request.

Conclusion

Compliance with the DPA 1998 Act is the responsibility of all members of Certifeka. Any breach of the policy may lead to disciplinary action being taken, access to Certifeka being withdrawn, or even a criminal prosecution. Any questions or concerns about the interpretation of this policy should be referred to your line manager.

Marketing

The marketing team coordinate a number of recruitment activities that span the full Business Management Curriculum. Recruitment activities are ongoing through digital marketing. Facebook, Instagram and internet visibility. In addition, the centre may host at least one open event to encourage enrolments. Prospective learners are encouraged to register their interest online and are welcome to refer friends and family members.

Learner Suitability

Learner who enquiry about a course will be given detailed information such as course content, structure and entry requirements. Learners that register will be required to complete an application form and provide evidence, if applicable, of previous studies by way of certificates gained. The centre will review the learner’s eligibility to the entry requirements of the course. Should a learner not meet the entry requirements they will be advised to join an alternative foundation course.

Learners where English is a second language may be required to write a short paragraph about themselves to assess their level of English.

Induction

Learners can join a course at any point. Upon joining learners will receive a welcome email with login details to their own dedicated learner portal.

Learners are invited to an induction. The induction is an opportunity for Certifeka to explain; how to access course material through their learner portal; how assignments are assessed, how to submit assignment and availability of 1-2-1 tutor sessions.

Scope of the policy

This policy is aimed at all college learners of Certifeka, and staff who use any of the college products and services and who are involved in suspected or actual malpractice or maladministration.

The policy sets out how the centre should work to deal with reported, suspected or actual cases of malpractice and maladministration. It also identifies the college’s responsibilities in dealing with such cases and the steps that will be followed when reviewing such cases.

Definitions of Malpractice

For the purposes of this policy ‘Malpractice’ is defined as

“Any deliberate activity, neglect, default or other practice that compromises the integrity of the assessment process and/or the validity of certificates”

For the purposes of this policy it also includes some forms of misconduct and forms of unnecessary discrimination or bias towards certain groups or groups of learners.

Definition of Malpractice:

Malpractice is any activity – intentional or otherwise – that is likely to undermine the integrity essential to study and research. It includes;

• plagiarism,

• collusion,

• fabrication or falsification of results,

• anything else that could result in unearned or undeserved credit for

those committing it.

Predominantly academic malpractice can result from a deliberate act of cheating or may

be committed unintentionally. Whether intended or not, all incidents of academic malpractice will be treated seriously by the college.

Safeguards:

• Wherever practicable assessment tasks and topics will vary periodically.

• Assessment will focus on demonstration of the understanding of

knowledge rather than the relatively straightforward repetition of such knowledge.

• Learners will be asked to submit a draft or outline of major pieces of work; this allows useful formative feedback, helps Certifeka assessors the opportunity to identify possible plagiarism, and help to combat plagiarism from the internet.

• All assignments issued to Distance Learning learners will require that they sign a declaration that it is the learners own work. This will be countersigned by a designated mentor.

• Wherever practicable assignments will be submitted for electronic scrutiny using the plagiarism detection systems (usually ‘Turnitin’) to check for passages found elsewhere on the web, in books and journals or in work submitted previously. The college will inform learners of this procedure as needed.

• The college will give learner clear guidance on the appropriate styles of referencing, the need for bibliographies and their layout, etc.

• A single instance of the copying or close paraphrasing of two or three sentences of perhaps no more than 50 words in total of someone else’s material, without direct acknowledgement, or the reproduction of a single unacknowledged diagram should not necessarily be regarded as plagiarism. These might better be described as ‘poor academic practice’, rather than malpractice. In such cases, learners should be informed why they fall below the standards required, and should then be penalized accordingly through appropriate assessment criteria, which explicitly mention the need for the use of quotation marks, referencing and the provision of a full bibliography.

• Before reporting suspected instances of collusion, the college will check with the learners concerned, at the earliest opportunity, that they have properly understood what is required of them in terms of the submission or presentation of assignments. In cases where misunderstandings have apparently occurred, a request for resubmission or re-presentation would probably be the most appropriate form of action.

Investigation

Initial response

Where a centre discovers any irregularity in internally assessed work, they will be expected to have robust policies in place and reference the actions they will take should malpractice in learner work be identified for example a refusal to accept learner work for assessment purposes.

The verifiers who discover or suspect malpractice in assessments when visiting centres, or when sampling learner evidence record their findings, including supporting evidence in full in their report. The centre is given initial oral feedback on the findings and the contents of the report. The centre is also informed that the report will be sent to the Head of Quality and Assessment or Centre Head at the college for final checking and approval. In such cases the college will formally write to the Head of Centre and request information so that an investigation into the malpractice and appropriate action can be undertaken.

Procedures

In conducting an investigation the college will follow the below procedures:

• Inform the learner in writing at the earliest opportunity of the nature of the alleged or suspected malpractice, of the procedures that will be followed, and the possible penalties if malpractice is proved

• Undertake an investigation of the allegation or suspicion

• Provide the learner with an opportunity to contest or refute the allegation or suspicion, either in writing, or at a hearing, or both

• Allow the learner to be accompanied by a friend at any hearing

• Make a decision based on the investigation

• Inform the learner of the outcome in writing

• Update the awarding body of the final outcome

Penalties of Malpractice

The following penalties may be imposed, depending on the nature and gravity of the malpractice:

• A written warning

• Loss of credit in the unit concerned

• Loss of credit in all units in the qualification concerned

• Disqualification from the qualification concerned

• Learner is barred from registering for qualifications for a set period of

time

Where the malpractice appears to involve a criminal offence, it may be appropriate to report the case to the police

assignment and the retake of an assignment. It also gives details of the policy adopted by Certifeka to it’s learners resubmissions and retakes.

The Difference

A resubmission is the submission of a piece of work by a learner to their college. The college will advise the learner the number of resubmissions they can submit for the same piece of work in the event of a fail. The college will work with the learner to make improvements to the work to ensure a pass grade where possible. Note that the college cannot guarantee a pass grade until such time as the work has been assessed by an External Verifier appointed by the awarding body.

A retake is the retake of a piece of work by a learner that has been failed by the awarding body. The awarding body will have advised the college of their policy in terms of the number of retakes a learner can submit. Learners will be advised of this number.

The following is the resubmission and retake policy of Certifeka.

• Resubmission. Learners are able to resubmit their work to Certifeka in the event of a fail. Learners can submit work on no more than 4 occasions prior to submission for External Verification (EV) with the awarding body. This gives learners the opportunity to benefit from assessor feedback by their Certifeka assessor.

The assessor will work with the learner to revise the work ahead of its submission to the relevant awarding body. Certifeka will submit all work the the awarding body for the learner.

• Retake. If, once presented to the awarding body the work is judged to have failed to meet the standards required, the learner will have the opportunity to retake the assignment in line with the awarding body Retake Policy. The policy states that learners have one opportunity to retake the same assignment. If upon resubmission to the awarding body the work is deemed to have failed again then the learner can retake the assessment using a new assignment.

Should the assignment be failed again at External Verification then the learner will need to retake the assignment for a third time using the same new assignment provided for the second retake. If this fails then the learner cannot retake and will not be able to achieve the full diploma.

Purpose

This policy:

Although predominantly an online education provider, Certifeka is committed to ensure the health and safety of staff members, learners where appropriate, and any visitors by way of contractors or those invited to the centre for any reason.

Our aim is to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all those mentioned above and ensure our business operations or works carried out are done so safely.

Responsibilities

Our management team and staff members are all responsible for providing and maintaining the following:

• a safe working environment

• safe systems of work

• plant and substances in safe condition

• facilities for the welfare of all workers

• any information, instruction, training and supervision needed to make sure that all workers are safe from injury and risks to their health

Staff and any student are responsible for:

• ensuring their own personal health and safety, and that of others in the workplace

• complying with any reasonable directions (such as safe work procedures, wearing personal protective equipment) given by management for health and safety

We expect any visitor to our centre is must:

• comply to all reasonable directions and procedures to ensure one’s health and safety during the visit at our premise.

A failure to adhere to health and safety will be taken seriously by the centre and potential disciplinary action by way of verbal or written warning given if deemed necessary.

Reporting an Issue

Any issue of health and safety must be reported immediately to ensure the safety of self and others. Instances should be reported to;

Any incident will be recorded by the Head of Centre and a review undertaken to ensure any future incidents minimised. Health and Safety update will be given to staff bi-annually to ensure the safety of staff and visitors. Training will be undertaken where deemed necessary.

This Policy sets out the centre’s position regarding the ownership of intellectual property (IP) developed by the centre staff, students and consultants as instructed by the centre.

For clarification IP may be regarded as ‘knowledge and its creative application’. IP covers the following. The list is not exhaustive:

• Learning material generated by the centre;

• Assessments generated by the centre;

• Material and ideas generated by the centre

• Any activity as instructed by the centre

For the security of the centre this policy is referred to in employee contracts and any contract of those of any consultants as instructed by the centre.

Ownership of IP

IP is owned by the centre in the following circumstances. This is not an exhaustive list:

• Where a member of staff creates IP during the course of their employment

• Where a student creates IP as part of their academic studies

• An idea/work carried out within a project created by an individual(s) as instructed by the centre

It must be noted that the centre will normally be regarded as owning all intellectual property generated by the centre of any work created by staff in the course of their employment. However, not all IP generated by staff during the course of their employment necessarily belongs to the centre. This is:

• Where with prior agreement any document written by another for centre is deemed not to be IP. The agreement must be recorded in the event of any dispute.

Commercial Exploitation

For the purposes of this Policy commercial exploitation is where the centre or members of staff seek the commercial exploitation of the IP owned in whole or in part by the centre. The precise mechanism for exploitation may vary: in some cases it may be through a new company, licensing, or revenue share. Where a financial return is generated the inventors will receive a proportion of the net proceeds.

Dispute

I n the event of a dispute or issue of IP by staff member or contractor appointed by the centre, the centre will look to resolve matters amicably without legal recourse. Should all reasonable avenues be exhausted the centre reserves the right to seek legal advise.

Certifeka is an online provider of accredited courses. Based in the UAE we want to be a leader of the most up-to-date policies in the field of education in the region. We take on board, adhere and amend our policies to meet modern day issues. Modern day slavery is one such issue and policy that we want to address.

We believe there are two main areas of risk in respect of modern slavery:

1. People: our demographic is may on occasion be very diverse where we register students from all regions. Whilst most of our undergraduate students will come from the Egyptian region we will also have a large student population from the UAE region and internationally.

2. Supply chains: we are predominantly an online provider. To this end we have a supply chain from which we purchase a diverse range of works, and services. As a centre we are committed to spend our money in a responsible manner.

We are committed to equality and inclusion and have a zero tolerance approach to slavery and human trafficking. We have a chain of accountability for modern slavery with the Head of Centre being inform of an suspected cases. We take our responsibility seriously and will contact external agencies to highlight any suspected cases. We ensure all staff members are appraised of modern slavery issues as part of the annual training.

Certifeka recognises its pastoral duty to safeguard learners that are deemed at risk and who may participate in any activity organised or managed by the centre, or who may come into contact with any member of staff employed by the centre.

This policy supports the protection of those deemed vulnerable. The policy sets out how the centre will deal with concerns that are raised by a learner who may be at risk of harm, exploitation, or abuse (including radicalisation), and the type of action that will be taken to manage such matters and provide support.

For the purposes of this Policy the term “centre” is deemed to include all of those participating in centre business and who represents the centre. The centre will ensure that it maintains the highest standards possible to meet its responsibilities in order to safeguard and protect the welfare of learners wherever possible. The centre is committed to take action appropriate to protect those from harm and/or to respond to any allegations or suspicions.

Scope

This Policy is designed to assist the centre to achieve the commitments set out above and to take reasonable steps to safeguard those who are vulnerable by ensuring there are clear guidelines and procedures for identifying risk, reporting concerns and taking action.

Whilst the centre is predominantly an online provider of education it may now or in the future come into contact with adults who may be at risk. These periods of contact may include the following (this is not an exhaustive list):

• Any pre-arranged admissions event for learners;

• Any pre-arranged summer school event;

• Any pre-arranged day event by the centre;

• Any pre-arranged online forum event by the centre;

• Any online teaching session by the centre;

• Any visit to the centre for any reason other than those listed above;

An Adult at Risk

The centre regards the definition of an adult (aged 18 or over) to be at risk if they are in need of additional support services due to them being unable to protect themself from significant harm, abuse or exploitation.

An adult at risk may:

• Include a person who is experiencing any form of neglect or abuse

• Not be able to protect themselves from neglect or abuse.

Taking Action

A safeguarding concern needs to be reported to the Head of Centre where an initial response be received within 24 hours. Should the issue raised be deemed true or an element of truth necessary agencies will be notified to protect the victim of neglect of abuse.

nvironmental Policy/Mission Statement

Certifeka is committed to protecting the environment, the health and safety of our employees, and the community in which we conduct our business. It is our policy to seek continual improvement throughout our business operations to lessen our impact on the local and global environment by conserving energy, water and other natural resources; reducing waste generation; recycling and; reducing our use of toxic materials. We are committed to environmental excellence and pollution prevention, meeting or exceeding all environmental regulatory requirements, and to purchasing products which have greater recycled content with lower toxicity and packaging, that reduce the use of natural resources.

Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Policy

Preference will be given to purchasing products and services that have the following environmentally friendly attributes with acceptable parameters for price, quality and delivery:

• Maximizes post-consumer recycled content.

• Minimizes packaging and other wastes.

• Minimizes toxicity.

• Are durable and reusable.

• Are more locally available to minimize transportation.

• Are made from sustainably produced materials.

• Are compostable or biodegradable.

• Conserves energy, water and other natural resources.

Environmentally preferable products and services that are comparable in quality to their standard counterparts will receive a purchasing preference. In situations where the most environmentally preferable product is unavailable or impractical, secondary considerations will include production methods and the environmentally and socially responsible management practices of suppliers and producers. Environmentally preferable purchasing is part of our long term commitment to the environment. By sending a clear signal to producers and suppliers about this commitment, we hope to support wider adoption of environmentally preferable products and practices.

Certifeka LLC, is committed to ensure learners are treated fairly throughout the learning process and seeks to eliminate discriminatory behaviour.

The aim of the policy is to ensure all Certifeka’s stakeholders including; directors, employees, and learners who interact with our Centre understand how conflict of interest is managed.

Certifeka LLC ensures guidance is given through training to management, staff, and learners about how to deal with any potential conflicts of interest that arise.

Certifeka recognizes that a conflict or potential conflict that is identified will need to be managed effectively.

I, _______________________, grant permission to CERTIFEKA LLC, hereinafter the usage of the delivered output (Academic Curriculum of_________________)

I hereby waive any right to inspect or approve the finished electronic matter that may be used in conjunction with them now or in the future, whether that use is known to me or unknown, and I waive any right to royalties or other compensation arising from or related to the use of the image.

Signature: ________________________________

Date: _______________________

Name (ID or Passport): ________________________________

ID number ( National ID or passport) ________________________________

Mobile number: ________________________________

1.1 This policy establishes the guidelines and methodology for managing the payroll and salaries, that certifeka for training, hereinafter the “Company”, grants its employees, while monitoring and ensuring their opportune payment in due time and form, in compliance with the unalterable commitment to gender equity and the respect for the human rights of all employees.

1.2 Salary Policy covers the managers and employees working in every level in the Company.

2- Salary structure

2.1 The following factors must be taken into consideration to establish the employee salary structure:

• Comply with Egyptian laws and regulations.

• relevant to the declared Egyptian minimum wage

• Relevance of the position in terms of its responsibilities

• Performance of individuals in the fulfillment of their duties

• Competitiveness in the salary market in the region

• Increase in the cost of living

• The Company’s economic situation

2.2 The salary structure must abide by the following guidelines:

• All employees will be qualified by the title of the position they hold

• Each position will be assigned a salary band, with minimum, average, and maximum limits

3- Annual salary increase

3.1 minimum annual salary increase 3% of insurance subscription wage stipulated in the social insurance and pensions law per financial year with minimum 100 L.E

3.2 Increases to a salary range will not result in an automatic or general increase to salaries of employees within a respective salary range. At the time of a range increase or promotion, the company will review employees whose salaries may fall below the minimum of their respective range and may adjust salaries based on the individual’s evaluated performance and other relevant circumstances, to the extent possible.

4-Laws and regulations

4.1 All the Egyptian laws and regulations must be applied; According to Egyptian law number 119 for 1918 the company must adhere to the declared minimum wage and permissible working hours.

Minimum wage: refers to lowest nominal wage per month, for permanent workers and the current minimum wage is 2700 EGP per month.

Working hours: Minimum wage is based on 8 hours per day – five-day workweek. Or 6-day work week, 7 hours per day (42-hour working week is standard) More than eight hours each hour must count for overtime.

5-Policy change

5.1 Salary Policy shall be revised and updated by the company director for at least once a year with the purpose of keep updated with laws and regulations and increasing motivation and loyalty of the employees in such a manner that it supports the targets and strategies of the Company

Course Library – Terms and Conditions

Welcome to Certifeka! Before you begin your learning journey with us, please take a moment to read and understand the terms and conditions that apply to your chosen learner tier/package.

Course Library

1. Timeline: Your subscription is on a monthly basis, with automatic renewal. You can cancel your subscription at any time.

2. Access to Course Content: Upon subscribing, you will have immediate access to one course content.

3. Refund Policy:
– You are eligible for a refund within 7 days from the original subscription day.
– No refunds will be provided for any unused subscription period.

4. Course Content:
– You will receive one course certificate of completion by Certifeka per month.
– You can enroll in and access only one course at a time.
– Once you have completed the current course, you may access another course.
– The maximum number of courses you can access in a month is two.

5. Cancellation and Extension:
– To avoid being billed for another month, you must cancel your subscription before the next renewal date.
– Certifeka does not offer extensions to the subscription period.
– Cancellation requests should be initiated by the user through the website.

By subscribing to Certifeka, you agree to abide by these terms and conditions. Please make sure to read our Privacy Policy and Code of Conduct as well. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact our support team.

Thank you for choosing Certifeka as your learning platform. We look forward to helping you achieve your educational goals!

Professional Certificate – Terms and Conditions

Welcome to the Certifeka Professional Certificate Tier! Please read and understand the terms and conditions applicable to your chosen package.

Timeline:

1. You will have access to the Certifeka platform and course content for a period of 90 days.

2. If needed, you may request a 7-day extension, which will be granted at the discretion of our community specialist.

3. You are entitled to submit two assignments for evaluation during your subscription.

4. We aim to deliver your CMI (Certifeka Membership and Certification) within 10 days of successfully completing your course.

5. Also, a certificate of completion from Certifeka is auto generated upon completion of Course content.

Refund Policy:

1. You can request a refund within 7 days of your initial subscription date.

2. No refunds will be provided for any unused portion of your subscription period.

Content:

1. You will have access to one course during your subscription.

2. We recommend submitting your assignment within week 4 of your subscription for the best experience.

Cancellation and Extension:

1. You can request a 7-day extension if needed.

2. If you decide to cancel, please initiate the cancellation process through the Certifeka website.

Assignment:

1. Assignment verification will be completed within 7 business days, either internally or externally.

2. If you wish to submit additional assignments beyond the included two, a fee of $75 per extra assignment submission will apply.

Important Notes:

If you are unable to submit your assignment within the 97-day period (subscription period + extension), you will be given a 1-month allowance period to submit it. The decision to extend the assignment period beyond this will be at the discretion of the Community Specialist.

By subscribing to the Certifeka Professional Certificate Tier, you agree to abide by these terms and conditions. Be sure to review our Privacy Policy and Code of Conduct as well. If you have any questions or require further assistance, please feel free to contact our support team.

Thank you for choosing Certifeka for your professional development journey!

Certifeka Expert Tracks – Terms and Conditions

Welcome to the Certifeka Expert Tier! Please carefully review and understand the terms and conditions associated with this premium package.

Timeline:

1. Your subscription grants you 6 months of full access to the Certifeka platform and its content.

2. A 7-day extension can be granted upon request.

3. You are entitled to submit two assignments for each course you enroll in.

4. We aim to deliver your CMI (Certifeka Membership and Certification) within 10 days of successfully completing your course.

Refund Policy:

1. You can request a refund within 7 days of your initial subscription date.

2. Please note that no refunds will be provided for any unused portion of your subscription period.

Content:

1. In this tier, you will have access to a full track of 3 courses.

2. For the best experience, we recommend submitting your assignments within week 3 of your subscription.

3. Also, a certificate of completion for each course in the track from Certifeka is auto generated upon completion of Course content.

Cancellation and Extension:

1. You have the option to request a 7-day extension if needed.

2. If you decide to cancel, the cancellation process must be initiated through the Certifeka website.

Assignment:

1. Assignment verification will be completed within 7 business days, either internally or externally.

2. Assignment verification is subject to a fee of 150 EGP per assignment.

3. If you wish to submit additional assignments beyond the included two, a fee of $75 per extra assignment submission will apply.

Important Notes:

If you are unable to submit your assignment within the 187-day period (subscription period + extension), you will be given a 1-month allowance period to submit it. The decision to extend the assignment period beyond this will be at the discretion of the Community Specialist.

By subscribing to the Certifeka Expert Tier, you agree to adhere to these terms and conditions. Please also review our Privacy Policy and Code of Conduct. If you have any questions or require further assistance, feel free to contact our support team.

Thank you for choosing Certifeka to advance your expertise and career!