The SIMI Swiss disciplinary procedures aim to promote values such as trust, respect, honesty, and tolerance. Each student is given the opportunity to make a positive contribution to the university community and is held responsible for his or her own actions and behaviors. It is therefore not only required but also expected that each student will behave in a way that respects a positive environment of learning and development.

The SIMI Swiss operates a strict attendance policy. In order to ensure engagement with the set learning outcomes, a responsible attendance record is required from students. Lecturers and other sanctioned staff members take attendance at the start of every lecture, tutorial, workshop, excursion or any other relatedactivities where students’ presence is required (hereafter collectively referred to as workshop). It takes 10% finalgrade in each module. 

The SIMI Swiss absence procedure will not consider the nature of the absences (personal matters, health issues, interviews, etc.) in normal instances. Deviation from the above policy due to special or unusual studentcircumstances (e.g., chronic illness) can only be approved by the Academic Director or, in the case whereexpulsion is considered, in a Disciplinary Board Meeting with School.

Students not present on time, properly groomed and/or adequately prepared for class will be marked absent for the relevant hour(s). The Institute does not count, approve or give excuses for illness, interviews, family circumstances or any other matters that prevent students from going to workshop. Students are allocated a threshold of acceptable absences and are required to take full ownership of their studies by managing their time, schedules, meetings, interviews, events and private matters accordingly. Absences beyond thethreshold will deem students to have not satisfied the Learning Outcomes of the module, whether thoseabsences are due to matters in the students own control or not.

Students may be absent for a maximum of 30% absences overall in the programme. Once the studentreaches over 30% of absence in a module, he/she will be automatically deregistered and withdrawn from this module. Thereafter, for the applicable module students are not permitted to neither join the class norsit/submit any assessments, and grades earned thus far voided. The transcript will indicate a W (withdrawal) for the applicable module. To pass the module once withdrawn, and so to complete the semester, studentsare required to retake the module in the same way as if the module was failed. Self-study or online retakesessions are not offered to students who are withdrawn from a module.

A warning system and policy of withdrawal is to be applied as follows:

1. Once a student reaches 20% of absence in the programme, he/she will receive a written This warning is called the First Warning Letter.
2. In case the student reaches 25% of absence in the programme he/she will receive a Final Warning The student signs the final warning letter and will get a copy of it. The Academic Office willthen send a scanned copy of the warning letter to the students Regional Representative.
3. At this stage, the student will also, be invited for a formal meeting with the Academic Director todiscuss the student’s intentions for the continuation of study at the

This policy is applied equally to all students and all modules, theoretical, supporting workshops and all other mandatory.

The student should have submitted the absence form to SIMI Swiss 24 hours prior to the start of class. The student send the absence application form to support@simiswiss.ch via email

Malpractice in the academic world refers to any action, whether it was done intentionally or not, that has the potential to compromise the honesty that is necessary for study and research. This includes the following:

• Plagiarism

• Collusion

• Fabrication or falsification of results,

• Anything else that could result in unearned or undeserved credit for those committing it.

Academic dishonesty may occur either on purpose, as in the case of cheating, or accidentally, as in the case of careless work. The SIMI Swiss will take a severe approach toward any and all instances of academic misconduct, regardless of whether or not the misconduct was intentional.

Depending on the specifics of the misconduct and the degree of its seriousness, the following punishments might be given:

• 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

• A combination of two or more of the above

• Other actions

Upon advise from SIMI Swiss’s Council, it may be necessary to notify the police if the malpractice looks to constitute a criminal offense.

Plagiarism is one of the most serious academic offenses. As all other institutions, SIMI Swiss does not accept plagiarism. This document will help students have a deeper understanding of the anti-plagiarism regulations of SIMI Swiss.

7.1.                                     Definition of Plagiarism 

Plagiarism is presenting the work or ideas of another as one’s own, with or without their permission, or integrating it into one’s own work without giving proper credit. Hence, a failure to properly cite all sources might be seen as purposeful and therefore as plagiarism by a grader.

7.2. Regulations on LAS’s acceptable percentage of similarity

• SIMI Swiss allows a similarity score of 25%.

• SIMI Swiss uses many types of plagiarism detection technologies to identify situations of concern. Any submitted assignment with a similarity rate over 25% will be double-checked by other individuals.

• Assignments having a similarity score over 25 percent will not always be deemed in violation of SIMI Swiss’s anti-plagiarism policy due to variances between the applied program and the period of verification using the same software. As indicated previously, SIMI Swiss will double-check identical content above 25% to maintain academic fairness and integrity. 
• SIMI Swiss  is proud of its academic credibility and rigor. Students must conform to formal, internationally accepted citation standards. If students used any material that requires citing, they must ensure that it is properly mentioned in the text and in the referencing section, using Harvard or another style of referencing.
• A failure to properly cite all sources might be seen as purposeful, and consequently as plagiarism, by a grader. Plagiarism is a grave academic violation. It occurs when a student is suspected of presenting work completed by another as his or her own. A student may be judged guilty of plagiarism if any paper submitted for individual evaluation contains the unacknowledged work of another individual or individuals. If the student intentionally presents content as his or her own in an attempt to fool the examiners, then this is a very serious crime.
• Any sources must be mentioned, and all quotes from other writers’ works must be explicitly labeled as such. If a student’s work contains verbatim (or near-verbatim) quotations from the work of other writers (including other students’ past or current work) without obvious recognition, the student has committed plagiarism, regardless of whether the student meant to deceive the examiners. This restriction also applies to the false submission of one’s own work for use as the work of another student.
• If work is shown to be plagiarized, students will get a grade of 0 along with a warning letter and may face disciplinary action. In the event that the test committee verifies an instance of plagiarism, a score of 0 will be assigned to the evaluation. If the module is ultimately failed, the student will be eligible for a referral in accordance with the standard referral process. Students will be required to repeat the full module if they receive an F.
• Final assignments are exactly what their names imply: distinct, original pieces of work. It is prohibited to copy another person’s work in whole or in part.
• Please leave nothing up to chance. SIMI Swiss has severe laws about plagiarism and uses specialized electronic monitoring equipment to identify whether or not a piece of work is plagiarized.
• PLEASE NOTE THAT PLAGIARISM WILL NOT BE TOLERATED (copying the work of other authors without attribution or credit). Plagiarism is equivalent to test cheating since it involves “stealing” others’ answers to problems, ideas, or written content and passing them off as one’s own. Students detected engaging in these sorts of cheating will receive a failing grade and be reported to the university dean. Two incidences of cheating or plagiarism will result in a suspension from school.
• For information on what plagiarism is and how to avoid it, please read the pages 40 and 41 in the book:TURABIAN, Kate L., A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, Chicago Style forStudents and Researchers, 7th Edition, The University of Chicago Press, 2007

In general, (1) students shall have access to their educational records, and (2) educational institutions shall not disclose such documents without the student’s consent. Before the School can distribute information about a student to prospective employers, government agencies, credit bureaus, etc., the student’s written agreement is necessary. Students and alumni who are seeking for employment, credit, etc., can accelerate the application process by giving the School with written authorization to release their records, indicating which records and to whom they should be released. Please contact the Administrative Office for more information on any exceptions to the regulations governing the release of student records.

During the duration of a student’s studies, Short Courses reserves the right to utilize or distribute newsworthy material and/or films with local media and in various publications or video productions. In addition, SIMI Swiss manages websites, brochures, pamphlets, and social marketing channels that include authentic student photographs.

According to Swiss law: 22 KUG/Art. 28 Para. 1 ZGB/Art. 35 aURG/Art. 12 Para. 1 DSG/Art. 3 lit. a DSG/Art. 12 Para. 2 lit. b DSG/Art. 27 ZGB and WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization), we require your express permission to use your photos.

Please carefully read the following disclaimer; you are consenting to the usage of photographs.

“By signing the student handbook, I affirm and acknowledge that photos of me as a person or as a member of a group are accessible for publishing globally in any online or offline medium. In addition, I realize that Short Course cannot exclude or regulate the use of these photographs by third parties, and that my images may be used in formats or designs that differ from the original version.

My permission to use my photographs is effective as of the day I sign this contract. I accept that if this consent is not rescinded, photos of myself will stay in all Short Courses media after my affiliation has ended, but will be replaced in any new publications as they are generated.

It is impossible to guarantee the destruction or cancellation of all published photographs, as search engines may add them to their index or third parties may have duplicated them. A later recall by me about the usage of a published group photograph does not necessitate the image’s removal.

My permission to use my photograph is optional. I am aware that the use of my image will not result in a monetary advantage for me, and I consent to the use of my image(s) as mentioned above at no cost. My consent may be canceled at any moment in accordance with Article 27 of the German Data Protection Act. A withdrawal of my consent does not result in a disadvantage for myself.”

In its rules, methods, and procedures, SIMI Swiss does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, or handicap. Students, instructors, and staff are encouraged to notify SIMI Swiss or SIMI Swiss’s local partner/representative promptly if they believe they have been discriminated against by a member of the School’s personnel or other students. No type of discrimination will be permitted.

Any form of harassment is unacceptable at SIMI Swiss; it is inconsistent with the dedication to excellence that defines the organization’s operations. SIMI Swiss is devoted to fostering a harassment-free environment in which everyone may work, learn, and live. Therefore, harassment may result in punishments as severe as termination of work or student status. Harassment is any verbal or physical conduct, on or off campus, that interferes unreasonably with the educational or work performance of an individual or group at SIMI Swiss or produces an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational, work, or living environment. Civil laws and SIMI Swiss’s conflict of interest and nondiscrimination rules ban some forms of harassment. Sexual harassment can take a variety of forms. Sexual harassment includes sexual assault and solicitations for sexual favors that influence educational or job decisions. However, sexual harassment can also include unwelcome physical contact, solicitations for sexual favors, visual presentations of demeaning sexual imagery, sexually suggestive behavior, and offensive sexual comments.

The Institute is committed under this policy to stopping harassment and associated retaliatory behavior. All SIMI Swiss supervisors have a responsibility to act to stop harassment in the areas under their supervision.

Any member of the SIMI Swiss community who feels harassed is encouraged to seek assistance and resolution of the complaint. SIMI Swiss Micro Credential provides a variety of avenues by which an individual who feels harassed may proceed, so that each person may choose an avenue appropriate to his or her particular situation. Institute procedures are intended to protect the rights of both complainant and respondent, to protect privacy, and to prevent supervisory reprisal.

SIMI Swiss is both philosophically and legally obligated to provide equitable access to all programs for students with verified impairments. Office of Disability Assistance facilitates the provision of reasonable and necessary accommodations and services to individual students with documented impairments. After a student registers voluntarily with the Office of Disability Services by completing an impairment identification form and presenting evidence of a disability, the institution will assess the appropriate accommodations.

Each semester, students with disabilities who require academic accommodations or other disability-related support services must inform the Office of Disability Services of their needs and submit request forms in a timely manner. Additional time for timed tests, a private area for testing, the use of assistive technology, additional time for written tasks, and, in extreme cases, course substitutes or a plan for a modified course program may be provided as academic accommodations. (Both the Office of Disability Services and the Administrative Board must approve this.) The Institute will not offer such support services if doing so would impose an unreasonable burden on it. Students with disabilities, like all other students, should pick courses that take their unique strengths and limitations into consideration and advise their advisors of their difficulties.

The Institute is not responsible for and will not offer personal care help, personal purchases, personal adaptation equipment, formal educational assessment or clinical disability evaluation, as well as services or educational materials utilized by all students (pens, paper, personal computers, software, or computer supplies, etc.). These are the student’s responsibilities.

Disputes or complaints regarding disability accommodations should be reviewed with the Director of Disability Services; if not resolved, they can be escalated to the Chancellor through a more official procedure.

SIMI Swiss and University Partner and any partner (“We”) neither promises nor guarantees the following:

• We does not guarantee or promise that students will graduate if they do not meet all program requirements. Short Courses does not offer tuition refunds for students who withdraw from their academic program.
• We does not guarantee that awards/diplomas/degrees will be recognized or acknowledged by third parties. Learners who are interested will be advised to consult their particular companies, local laws, and local authorities in advance.
• We does not promise career promotions, income rises, incentives, or job placements.
• Each country has a unique set of education regulations, which are often updated. We does not ensure that the qualification will offer entry to government jobs, regulated professions, or further education at public or private institutions.
• We makes no promise and offers no assurance that students will be able to get internships, citizenship, work permits, and/or living possibilities in Switzerland or any other country.
• We will help and facilitate student visa applications, but cannot guarantee their success.