We understand that plans can change. The following policies are designed to provide flexibility while ensuring program quality and planning integrity.

Refund Eligibility

• Full Refund: Participants are eligible for a full refund, less a $40 administrative processing fee, if a request is submitted at least two (2) weeks prior to the program start date.
• Partial refund: A 50% refund is available for requests made within two (2) weeks of the program start date, up until the program begins.
• No Refund: Refunds are not available once the program has commenced.  Participants who withdraw after the program has started are not eligible for a refund, regardless of level of participation.

Refund processing time is approximately 2 weeks.

Attendee Substitutions

• Registrants may request to substitute a participant up to 1 week before the program start date.
• All substitution requests must be submitted in advance by contacting secureai@cybersecurecatalyst.ca

Deferral

• Participants may request to defer their registration to a future course offering, provided the request is made at least two (2) weeks prior to the program start date.  All deferral requests are subject to approval by the Catalyst.
• Deferrals must be used within one (1) calendar year of the original program date.
• Deferrals are subject to availability in future cohorts.

Cancellation by the Catalyst

In the unlikely event that the Catalyst cancels a program, participants will be offered:

• A full refund, or
• The option to transfer to a future cohort

Please reach out to secureai@cybersecurecatalyst.ca with any questions about refunds, transfers or deferrals.

Completion & Badging

Secure AI is designed as a practical, applied learning experience. To receive a certificate and digital badge, participants are required to:

• Complete all assigned pre-work 
• Complete E-learning modules over the course of the program 
• Participate in all live workshop sessions
• Complete all required exercises/assignments

If you are unable to attend a session, please contact the program team in advance at secureai@cybersecurecatalyst.ca. In select cases, access to session recordings may be provided to support completion.

This is a highly interactive program built on peer discussion and applied learning.

• Participants are expected to join sessions on time and prepared to engage
• Cameras on is strongly encouraged to support a collaborative learning environment
• Active participation in discussions and exercises is expected

Use of AI Tools and Note-Taking

To maintain a trusted and consistent learning environment:

• Participants are not permitted to use AI notetakers or recording tools during live sessions

Confidentiality and Participant Contributions

Secure AI is designed as a collaborative, peer-based learning experience.  Participants are encouraged to share real-world challenges, approaches, and perspectives.

To support open and meaningful discussion, this program operates under a Chatham House Rule approach:

• Participants are free to use insights gained during the program
• However, comments, examples, or experiences shared by other participants must not be attributed to individuals or organizations without explicit permission

We ask all participants to engage with discretion and professionalism, ensuring that the program remains a trusted environment for candid discussion.

Use of Materials and Intellectual Property

All program materials and resources provided as part of Secure AI are the intellectual property of the Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, unless otherwise stated.

• Materials are provided for personal use and application within your organization
• Materials may not be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written consent
• Participants may apply and adapt concepts within their own organizational context

Code of Conduct

The Catalyst is committed to providing a respectful, inclusive, and safe learning environment.

Participants are expected to engage professionally and respectfully at all times. Disruptive, harmful, or inappropriate behaviour – including harassment, discrimination, or misuse of program resources – will not be tolerated and may result in removal from the program.

A full Code of Conduct, including expectations and disciplinary processes, is available upon request and will be shared as part of onboarding. 

Code of Conduct

Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst (the “Catalyst”) is a learning, teaching, and working community of students, Catalyst staff and partner personnel are committed to providing a civil and safe environment that is respectful of the rights, responsibilities, well-being and dignity of all of its members. To maintain this environment, all students are expected to refrain from conduct that has a negative impact on other students, instructors and staff. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Disruption of learning, teaching and working of Program activities or operations;
• Any assault or behaviour that is abusive, demeaning, threatening or intimidating;
• Theft, damage, and destruction of property;
• Misuse of facilities, equipment, property, materials or services, including, but not limited to, those related to computing and information technology; 
• Misconduct related to the use of alcohol/drugs;
• Conduct that threatens or endangers the health or safety of any person;
• Any form of sexual violence or non-consensual sexual contact;
• Engaging or participating in conduct that is, or is reasonably seen to be, humiliating, or demeaning to another person or coercing, enticing or inciting a person to commit an act that is, or is reasonably seen to be, humiliating or demeaning to that person or to others (e.g. hazing), regardless of consent;
• Forging, altering, or misusing any document, record, card, including, but not limited to, instruments of identification.  instrument of identification; and/or
• Aiding or encouraging others to commit an act prohibited by this Code or another Program code, policy, or procedure.

Violations could consist of a single act, or repeated acts that form a pattern of behaviour that, taken together, constitutes a violation of the Code. Violations of the Code could result in one or more of the following disciplinary measures:

• Temporary or indefinite removal from a virtual or in person classroom, workshops, speaker events, activities, or communication channels;
• A written warning or reprimand and letter of expectation or agreement to modify behaviour;      
• Probation, during which certain conditions must be fulfilled and good behavior must be demonstrated;
• De-enrolment from any Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst Program and barring from future applications to any Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst Program;     
• Loss of fees, funding, awards, scholarships;
• Fines or payment of costs or compensation for any loss, damage, or injury cause by the misconduct;
• Issuance of an apology, made publicly or private;
• Restriction or prohibition of access to or use of Program facilities, services, activities, or programs; and/or
• Any other remedy or sanction that may be appropriate, having regard to all relevant factors, including, but not limited to, the nature and circumstances of the conduct or action in question.

The following are penalties that can be imposed:

By Program Operations Staff Members (including Course Instructors and Partner Personnel) 

• Temporary removal from a virtual or in-person classroom, workshops, speaker events, or communication channels, e.g. Slack. Any disruption that results in the removal of a student shall be reported to the Director, Skills Development & International Programs, Cybersecurity Training Programs. 

A Penalty imposed by a course instructor can be appealed, in writing, to the Director, Skills Development & International Programs, Cybersecurity Training Programs. 

By the Director, Skills Development & International Programs, Cybersecurity Training Programs

• Written reprimand—a notice in writing to the student that the student has committed or is committing an offence
• Letter of Behavioural Expectations — an undertaking (i) not to engage in certain behaviour, and (ii) setting out the consequences if the letter is not followed, and in some cases (iii) that prescribes a range of actions to be taken (e.g. cannot post comments on Slack)
• De-enrollment from current cohort

A penalty imposed by the Director, Skills Development & International Programs can be appealed, in writing, to the Director, Cybersecurity Training Programs within 10 days of communication of penalty. 

By the Director, Cybersecurity Training Programs 

• Restriction on communication, accessing premises and/or services — prohibition or limitation on entering Cybersecure Catalyst premises or specific parts thereof, restriction on contact with specific person(s), accessing a specific learning environment 
• Prohibited from enrolling in all future cohorts

A penalty imposed by the Director can be appealed, in writing, to the Founding Executive Director of Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst within 10 days of communication of the penalty.

Any appeal of a disciplinary measure must be received within 10 days of the imposition of the measure.

Code Discrimination and Harassment Prevention

Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst (the “Catalyst”) is committed to fostering a collegial environment which is free of discrimination and harassment and in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. Every member of our community has a right to equal treatment under the law with respect to the receipt of training and related services and facilities without illegal discrimination or harassment on the basis of the following grounds: race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, marital and family status, and disability, or other grounds as may be provided for in Ontario’s Human Rights Code.      

Illegal discrimination and harassment, as defined by the Ontario Human Rights Code, are behaviours which are considered incompatible with the standard of conduct required of a member of the Catalyst community. A student found to have engaged in illegal discrimination or harassment may be subject to removal from their program of study, at the discretion of Director, Cybersecurity Training Programs. 

Direct discrimination describes an act, behaviour or practice of treating a person unequally on the basis of any of the prohibited grounds. Direct discrimination may be overt and admitted or covert and denied.

Harassment is normally considered to be a course of unwanted remarks, behaviours, or communications in any form based on a prohibited ground of discrimination where the person responsible for the remarks, behaviours or communications knows or ought reasonably to know that these are unwelcome.

A finding of discrimination or harassment on the basis of a protected ground may result in a range of remedies or penalties being imposed.  These sanctions include, but are not restricted to, one or more of the following:

• A directive from a senior administrator of the Catalyst to cease the behaviour, with failure to do so leading to further penalty;
• A program of education;
• A verbal or written apology;
• Loss of privileges;
• Restriction or prohibition of access to, or use of, any Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst facilities, services, activities or programs;
• Suspension for a set time from any program provided by Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst; 
• Expulsion from any program provided by Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst; or
• Any other remedy or sanction that may be appropriate, having regard to all relevant factors, including, but not limited to, the nature and circumstances of the conduct or action in question. 

The Catalyst is not concerned with the way students conduct their personal lives and will not institute disciplinary proceedings unless the Catalyst’s interests are affected; the actions have a negative impact on staff or other students; the actions damage the learning, teaching and work environment of the Catalyst; the actions disrupt the Catalyst’s operations and activities, or the actions impact the reputation of the Catalyst or its partners. 

A student may appeal a disciplinary measure within 10 days of the imposition of the measure. Appeals will be reviewed by the Founding Executive Director, Rogers Cybersecure Catal