ADW Policies

*Para la versión en español, solicite una copia al siguiente correo electrónico: adw@academiadewhisky.com

 Conflict of Interest Policy  

As an APP Academia de Whisky is required to identify to WSET and assist in managing or monitoring  actual, potential and perceived conflicts of interest (‘Conflicts of Interest’) involving both APP staff and  students. This policy complements WSET’s conflicts of interest policy and works to safeguard the  integrity of WSET qualifications and promote confidence in WSET and Academia de Whisky processes  and procedures.   This policy applies to all Academia de Whisky staff and students and to any individual acting on behalf of  Academia de Whisky.   A Conflict of Interest exists where an individual has interests or loyalties that could adversely influence  their judgement, objectivity or loyalty to WSET or Academia de Whisky when conducting activities  associated with WSET qualifications.   Examples of Conflicts of Interest include:  • The assessment of candidates by an individual who has a personal interest in the result of the  assessment for any or all individuals concerned;  • The moderation of assessment of candidates by an individual who has a personal interest in the result  of the assessment for any or all individuals concerned;  • The undertaking of a WSET qualification by any individual employed by an APP;  • The invigilation of a WSET assessment by any individual involved in the delivery of training leading to  the assessment;  • The coaching of candidates by any individual involved in the assessment of candidate scripts;  • The employment by an APP of individuals engaged in the delivery of taught programmes or in the role  of Internal Assessor in another APP;  • The investigation of a non-compliance incident by someone who is unable to act impartially.  Some of these Conflicts of Interest are manageable and therefore acceptable. For example, if family  member of one of Academia de Whisky’s educators or APP staff takes a qualification and exam through  Academia de Whisky, or when an employee of Academia de Whisky, or of the WSET, takes a WSET  qualification through Academia de Whisky, we can notify WSET in advance and work with them to put in  place measures to maintain the integrity of the exam.   Some Conflicts of Interest are not manageable and are not acceptable. For example, no mitigation  efforts overcome the conflict created when a single individual serves as the educator and exam officer  of an exam for a family member where an external invigilator is not available.   Any staff member or student of Academia de Whisky who becomes aware of a Conflict of Interest must  inform Joe Cabassa at adw@academiadewhisky.com as soon as possible. Joe Cabassa will inform the  WSET of the possible conflict of interest and will work with WSET to put any protective or mitigating  measures in place to manage the conflict on a case-by-case basis. If WSET and Academia de Whisky  determine the conflict is not manageable, Joe Cabassa will inform any impacted APP staff or students.   Please note that the failure to declare a conflict of interest may have consequences for the student or  Academia de Whisky because we are required to report conflicts to WSET.  

Reasonable Adjustments Policy   

Both WSET and Academia De Whisky want to make WSET assessments accessible for all students, so  none are at an advantage or disadvantage based on a disability or differing ability. This policy and the  reasonable adjustment process allows us Academia De Whisky to work with you, our student, before an  assessment to gather the information we need to submit a request to WSET and work with them to  make arrangements that give students access to WSET qualifications.   A reasonable adjustment is any accommodation or arrangement that helps to reduce the effect of a  known disability or difficulty that substantially disadvantages a student’s assessment. Using a  reasonable adjustment does not impact how WSET grades your exam, or your result, but WSET cannot  agree to reasonable adjustments where your particular difficulty directly affects performance necessary  to complete the assessment outcomes (e.g. inability to smell or taste for a Level 3 Exam). The goal of a  reasonable adjustment is to give you equal access to a WSET qualification, not to give unfair advantages  over other students who take an assessment without the same adjustment, or to affect the overall  reliability of the assessment outcomes that are explained in the course Specification.   Examples of reasonable adjustments may be:   • Changing standard assessment arrangements, for example allowing candidates extra time to complete  the assessment activity;   • Adapting assessment materials, such as providing materials in large text format;   • Providing access facilitators during assessment, such as a sign language interpreter or reader;   • Re-organising the assessment room, such as removal of visual stimuli for an autistic candidate.  Academia De Whisky will gather the information we need from you to submit a Reasonable Adjustment  Application form to WSET. WSET must approve and arrange reasonable adjustments before the  assessment activity takes place. Before completing enrolment with Academia De Whisky, we will give all  students access to this policy and the chance to identify any special needs that could require a  reasonable adjustment. If a student identifies a special need, Academia De Whisky will give the student  the Reasonable Adjustment Application form as soon as possible and work with the student to gather  the necessary information.   For any student seeking a reasonable adjustment, please contact Natalia Cabassa at  adw@academiadewhisky.com with:   • Your full name;   • contact information;   • description of the special need, disability or differing ability that requires an adjustment; and   • supporting documentation.   You must submit this information at least 30 working days before the exam date for Levels 1-3  qualifications. The information you submit will be shared with WSET and will be handled under WSET’s  Privacy and Data Protection Policy.   Academia De Whisky will keep records of all reasonable adjustment applications.  

Special Consideration Policy  

Special consideration is any adjustment given to a student who has temporarily experienced an illness or  injury, or other event outside of their control at the time of the exam that significantly affects their  ability to take the exam or their ability to show their knowledge and understanding in the assessment.  Special consideration is only for things that happen immediately before or during an exam that have a  material impact on your, the student’s, ability to take the exam or on your performance.   To be eligible for special consideration, you must have completed the whole course and would have  been fully prepared if not for the temporary illness, injury or other uncontrollable event. A special  consideration may be for an individual (e.g. a student becomes ill the day of the exam) or a group of  students (e.g. an exam is interrupted by a natural disaster).   You may be eligible for special consideration if:   • Your performance on the exam is adversely affected by an event outside of your control. This  may include temporary illness, temporary injury, bereavement or exam room conditions;   • Reasonable adjustments which were agreed in advance of the exam proved inappropriate or  inadequate;   • The application of special consideration would not make a passing result and certificate  misleading about the student’s ability to satisfy the qualification’s assessment criteria.   Applying for special consideration   If you have taken an exam, or your exam is immediately approaching, and you feel that you have a  temporary injury or illness, or other uncontrollable event that has interfered with your ability to  complete your exam, please contact Natalia Cabassa at adw@academiadewhisky.com as soon as  possible. Academia De Whisky will provide you with a Special Consideration Application Form, which  must be completed and returned with supporting documentation within 4 working days after the  effected exam. The information you submit will be shared with WSET and will be handled under WSET’s  Privacy and Data Protection Policy.   If there has been serious disruption during an exam affecting a group of students, Academia De Whisky  will submit a detailed report of the circumstances and candidates affected to WSET to request a special  consideration.   Academia De Whisky will keep records of all applications for special consideration.  

Malpractice and Maladministration Policy   

Both Academia De Whisky and WSET have policies and procedures in place to protect WSET students  and safeguard the integrity of WSET qualifications. Academia de Whisky ensures compliance with  Academia de Whisky and WSET’s policies through this Malpractice and Maladministration Policy, which  gives a framework for both us and you to identify, report and manage potential malpractice or  maladministration.   Non-compliance with Academia de Whisky or WSET Policies and Procedures can fall into two distinct,  but related, categories:   1. Maladministration, where the non-compliance is generally unintentional, or the result of  mistakes, carelessness, inexperience or poor processes; and   2. Malpractice where the non-compliance is intentional or the result of a negligent or reckless  action without consideration of the consequences of the action.   Context is important and the line between maladministration or malpractice is not always clear: for  example, maladministration incidents may become malpractice (e.g. if you fail to implement corrective  measures, repeat the same or similar incident, or attempt to misrepresent or hide information during an  investigation); or there may be mitigating factors that turn potential malpractice into maladministration.  Though malpractice and maladministration are distinct concepts, they can shade into one another.  Malpractice and maladministration are always case, context and fact specific. Both APPs and students  can commit malpractice and maladministration.   There are many ways that malpractice or maladministration could occur, including new ways we have  not seen yet. But some examples of malpractice or maladministration include:  For APPs  • Failure to adhere to WSET Policies and Procedures;   • Failure to follow WSET requirements for course delivery or exam regulations;   • Failure to follow WSET’s candidate registration and certification procedures;   • Late student registrations;   • Fraudulent claim for certificates/fraudulent use of certificates/reproduction or forgery of  certificates;   • Withholding critical information from WSET quality assurance;   • Insecure storage of exam materials;   • Revealing or sharing confidential exam materials with candidates ahead of an exam;   • Intentional attempts to manipulate exam results so that they do not reflect the candidate’s  actual exam performance;   • Issue of incorrect exam results/failure to issue results to students in a timely manner;   • Failure to timely respond to WSET;   • Unathorised reading/amendment/copying/distribution of exam papers;   • Failure to report changes in APP ownership/personnel/location/facilities;   • Denying WSET access to information, documentation, workforce, facilities;   • Failure to return exam papers within the specified timeframe or to follow delivery and tracking  regulations;   • Infringements of WSET copyright, trademarks, intellectual property rights and brand identity;   • Use of unqualified and/or unregistered educators or internal assessors;   • Breach of confidentiality   • Misleading advertising/publicity;   • Any action likely to lead to an adverse effect.   • Failure to disclose a Conflict of Interest;  For students:  • Cheating, or facilitating cheating, including the use of unauthorized devices or materials;   • Disruptive behavior in an exam;   • Plagiarism of any nature by students;   • Impersonation (including forgery of signatures);   • Unauthorized reading/amendment/copying/distribution of exam papers;   • Any action likely to lead to an adverse effect;   • Breach of confidentiality.  In general, we also expect that both Academia De Whisky staff and our students should treat others and  be treated professionally and respectfully at all times. We will treat inappropriate behavior including  verbal or physical abuse, persistent or unrealistic demands, or threats that cause stress to staff as  misconduct and may report student misconduct to WSET as necessary.   Reporting and Investigation of Malpractice or Maladministration  As an APP, we aim to ensure compliance with WSET Policies and Academia De Whisky policies and will  keep records of potential or actual malpractice or maladministration by you, our students, or our staff.  We are required to notify WSET immediately of any non-compliance issues that could be malpractice or  maladministration, so that WSET can investigate the non-compliance under their own Malpractice and  Maladministration Policy.   We ask that you also raise any concerns or non-compliance issues that may be malpractice or  maladministration with Academia De Whisky as soon as possible by contacting Joe Cabassa at  adw@academiadewhisky.com.   During WSET’s investigation, they may reach out to Academia De Whisky or to you directly to request  further information or conduct an interview. Please respond to any requests promptly and honestly.   Managing Non-Compliance  If WSET identifies malpractice or maladministration, they will consider its impact and may apply  sanctions. WSET will take all reasonable steps to ensure the sanctions do not disadvantage uninvolved  students affected by malpractice or maladministration. However, in some cases, they may need to  disallow or withhold results and/or certificates.   Appeals  If you wish to appeal penalties or sanctions WSET has imposed due to Malpractice or Maladministration,  please follow the procedures laid out in WSET’s Complaints Policy.  

Complaints and Appeals Policy  

Academia De Whisky is committed to providing a fair and transparent process for addressing complaints  from our customers, employees, partners, and other stakeholders.   This policy applies to all complaints related to our products, services, operations, or interactions as  WSET course providers. Any dissatisfaction with the course educators, staff and personnel, interaction  with other students, can be subject to a complaint matter.   For any complaint concerning refunds or cancelations of courses please consult our Cancelations and  Refund Policy  All complaints must be submitted in writing via email to adw@academiadewhisky.com. Upon receipt of  a complaint or appeal, we will acknowledge receipt within 3 working days and investigate with a goal of  determining within two weeks. Complaints will be investigated impartially and thoroughly. We may  request additional information or clarification from the individual submitting the complaint or appeal as  needed.  We will make reasonable efforts to resolve complaints promptly and fairly. The resolution process may  involve consultation with relevant parties, analysis of available evidence, and consideration of applicable  policies and procedures. Individuals will be kept informed of the progress and outcome of their  complaint. This determination will be final at APP level. The concerning party can make a complaint or  appeal about our decision with WSET at QA@westglobal,com.  All complaints will be treated confidentially, and information will be shared only with individuals directly  involved in the resolution process. We prohibit retaliation against individuals who raise legitimate  complaints in good faith.  We will periodically review and analyze complaints to identify trends, root causes, and opportunities for  improvement. Feedback obtained through the complaints process will be used to enhance our products,  services, and internal processes.  For submitting complaints or seeking further information about this policy, please contact Joe Cabassa  at adw@academiadewhisky.com.  

Privacy and Data Protection   

Academia De Whisky is committed to protecting the privacy and security of personal information  entrusted to us by our customers, employees, and other stakeholders. This Privacy and Data Protection  Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and protect personal information in accordance with  applicable privacy laws and regulations.  • Collection of Personal Information:  • We collect personal information only for lawful purposes and with the consent of the individual  whenever possible.  • Personal information may be collected directly from individuals or from third parties, as  permitted by law.  • Examples of personal information include but are not limited to: name(s), date of birth, gender,  email address and documentation provided for reasonable adjustment or special consideration  applications.  • Use of Personal Information:  • Personal information is used solely for the purposes for which it was collected, unless otherwise  authorized by the individual or required by law.  • We may use personal information to provide products or services, communicate with  individuals, manage accounts, process payments, and improve our offerings.  • Personal information may be used for the purposes of enrolling students in WSET courses or  exams, any information shared with WSET will be handled under WSET’s Privacy & Data  Protection policy.  • Disclosure of Personal Information:  • We do not disclose personal information to third parties except as necessary to fulfill the  purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law.  • Personal information may be disclosed to our affiliates, service providers, or other parties  involved in providing products or services, subject to confidentiality agreements.  • Personal information collected for purposes of WSET courses, will be shared solely with WSET  and will be handled in accordance with WSET’s Privacy Policy.   • Data Security:  • We implement appropriate technical, physical, and organizational measures to safeguard  personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.  • Access to personal information is restricted to authorized personnel who require it for  legitimate business purposes.  • Data Retention:  • Personal information is retained only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it  was collected or as required by law.  • When personal information is no longer needed, it is securely disposed of or anonymized to  prevent unauthorized access.  • Individual Rights:  • Individuals have the right to request correction, request deletion or object to us processing their  personal information, subject to legal requirements.  • If you would like to exercise any of the above rights, or if you have any questions or complaints,  please contact us at adw@academiadewhisky.com.   • Compliance and Accountability:  • We regularly review and update our privacy practices to ensure compliance with applicable  privacy laws and regulations.  • Our employees receive training on privacy and data protection principles and are expected to  adhere to this Policy.  • Contact Information:  • For questions or concerns regarding this Privacy and Data Protection Policy or our privacy  practices, please contact us at adw@academiadewhisky.com.   This Privacy and Data Protection Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in our  practices or legal requirements. Updates will be shared with our customers posted on our website, and  individuals are encouraged to review this Policy periodically.  

Diversity and Equality Policy  

Academia De Whisky is committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable environment where diversity  is valued, and all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. We celebrate and embrace diversity in  all its forms, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion,  disability, and socio-economic background. We are committed to ensuring that all participants and other  stakeholders are treated fairly and equally. We prohibit discrimination, harassment, or victimization of  any individual based on protected characteristics, as defined by applicable laws and regulations.  For questions or concerns regarding this Diversity and Equality Policy please contact us at  adw@academiadewhisky.com. To learn more information about the laws and regulations in Puerto Rico  go to Leyes de Puerto Rico | Oficina de Servicios Legislativos | Legislatura (oslpr.org)  

Cancellations and Refunds   

Cancellation requests for a confirmed course (with a refund) are accepted up to 10 working days before  the course starts subject to a non-refundable administration fee of $100.00. All cancellations must be  submitted in writing via email and confirmed received by ADW.      Cancellations made within ten (10) days of the course start date are not eligible for any refund.  In this  case, credit will be issued for an equal course at a later date.    When a cancellation request is eligible for a refund, the course fees will be refunded to the payee only.    Training Material – We do not accept returns of training materials once they have been delivered. If the  payee requests a cancellation after the candidate has received the training material, the cost of the  training material and the shipping cost will be deducted from the refund.   If a course does not reach the minimum required number of candidates, all enrolled candidates will be  notified no later than three days prior to the course's planned start date.  Also, if any other issue arises  that prevents the course from taking place on the date and place advertised (i.e., unforeseen  circumstances, acts of God), Academia De Whisky (ADW) reserves the right to change the date or cancel  the course. All enrolled students affected by the change or cancellation by ADW will be eligible for  credit. If the student would like to request a refund, please see our refund policy above on ‘Training  Material’.     For cancellation and/or refund requests, or for more information, please contact us at  adw@academiadewhisky.com.