Version 2
March 2024
Introduction
When signing up to attend one of our training courses, you will have received a link to this Code of Conduct and been informed of the agreement you are making with us.
This Code of Conduct is specific to courses run or co-ordinated by Advanced Research Computing (ARC). It supplements, not replaces, any other code of conduct that courses may be subject to - for example the Carpentries Code of Conduct for Carpentries courses.
This document
It is important to note that this is a living document. It will change over time but these changes are managed via Contensis which means we can refer back to the version you signed up to. Please read the detail each time you sign up to one of our courses to see if anything has changed. The date that the current version last came into effect is shown at the top of this page.
If you want to keep a copy of the current version of the Code for your reference, please save or print this page now. On request, ARC will also be able to supply a copy of the version that was current when you signed up to a course.
Rationale
All of our courses are currently offered free of charge and are intended to help develop useful skills to assist your research. They are optional, extra-curricular and not credit-bearing. The courses are delivered and supported by ARC staff and volunteers from across the University. They are intended for research staff and research students from the University of Birmingham only. Taught students - undergraduate and postgraduate - are not eligible to attend.
The success of courses depends on attendees as much as trainers. Preparation and participation are essential, as is positive behaviour during the sessions. The Code is designed to ensure participants understand their commitments as well as what they can expect.
Signing up to the Code is a precondition for your place on a course.
Your Conduct
You agree to abide by these rules when you book a place. Signing up to our course signals your acceptance of this.
If you are not able to attend the session:
- Please cancel your place as soon possible.
- Courses have a limited number of spaces, usually the capacity of the room, and are typically over-subscribed. If you do not cancel you will prevent someone else from attending and benefitting from the limited workshop capacity that we have. It is demoralising for our instructors when there are empty seats and a waiting list.
Before attending the session
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Please check the course details to ensure that you meet the specific pre-requisites, the course objectives meet your training needs, and to find out what preparation you need to do prior to the course.
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For some workshops, you may be asked to fill in a pre-workshop survey, so that the trainer can tailor the workshop to the attendees’ needs. Please respond to the relevant communications to aid their preparations.
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Persistent failure to attend booked courses might result in you being excluded from future training opportunities.
During the session
If for any reason you are going to be late for the course, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you. However, please note that late admittance is at the trainer's discretion.
Attendees will not speak over the instructor/presenter whilst the training course is being delivered, this is disruptive to other training attendees.
Our Conduct
Before attending the session
We will send you the location, times, and any other pre-requisite information at least one calendar week prior to the course starting and we may ask you to reconfirm your place via email, depending on numbers registered. We may need to cancel a course if there are insufficient registrations.
During the session
We will deliver the course you signed up for on an open basis that welcomes engagement; we believe that 'there are no stupid questions', you should expect mixed experience and abilities in other attendees.
Sanctions
Sanctions for breaches of this agreement may include exclusion from future courses or being asked to leave the current course.
If you do not turn up to a course and have not let us know more than 24 hours ahead, we reserve the right to block you from booking onto the next two dates of that particular course. Exceptions will be made in the case of sickness or emergency circumstances which mean you are not able to attend work.
We reserve the right, in extreme cases, to exclude people from any or all of our courses should their behaviour prove seriously disruptive.
Disputes/appeals
Any disputes or appeals regarding this code of conduct and any sanctions enforced will be addressed by the ARC Training Coordinator.