Policy

These policies govern information provided to Smart Horizons by enrolled or potential students so that Smart Horizons can provide services i.e.… render advice regarding appropriate courses of study, systematization of policy and our purpose for online training programs.

Smart Horizons shall respect the privacy of student educational records. Student educational records shall only be disclosed only to the student, to the persons within Smart Horizons with a legitimate interest and to persons authorized by the student to receive the student’s educational records.

• Student – Refers to any person currently enrolled in a Smart Horizons Training Program or refers to any person who has previously enrolled and/or completed a Smart Horizons Training Program.
• Legitimate Interest – shall mean an interest in reviewing student education records for the purpose of performing appropriate research, educational and administrative function.
• Student Education Records - shall mean any record that contains personally identifiable information about a student, regardless of its format or methods storage.
• Smart Horizons Official – mean any person employed by Smart Horizons/AST in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research or support staff position.

Student education records are private and shall not be disclosed except as appropriate to the following;

1. The student
2. Smart Horizons Officials with legitimate interest in the information
3. Persons specifically authorized by the student in writing to receive the information
4. Accrediting organization and state or federal education authorities using information to auditing, evaluating or enforcing legal requirements of educational programs, provided data is protected to prohibit the identification of students and all personally identifiable information is destroyed when no longer needed

These policies govern information provided to Smart Horizons by enrolled or potential students so that Smart Horizons can provide services i.e.… render advice regarding appropriate courses of study, systematization of policy and our purpose for online training programs.

Smart Horizons has a legitimate interest in the student, respecting the student and their best interests in online education. Smart Horizons has a Refund Policy in place to protect the interest of students as well as that of Smart Horizons.

Account Alterations – any alteration such as name change, program transfers, i.e.…

Smart Horizons Official – refers to any person employed by Smart Horizons/AST in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research or support staff.

Students - refers to any person currently enrolled in a Smart Horizons Training Program or refers to any person who has previously enrolled/or completed a Smart Horizons Training Program.

Webinar - any seminar conducted via the World Wide Web.

REFUNDS FOR ONLINE TRAINING – If the request to cancel an order is received within thirty (30) days from the purchase date and prior to enrolling in a lesson, a refund minus processing fees will be issued to the student by a Smart Horizons Official. Any use of the web-based products constitutes full use and negates any refund. All other sales are final.

REFUNDS FOR WEBINARS – All sales are final. NO refunds will be offered for Webinar purchase. Credits toward another webinar offering will be available for up to 10 working days prior to the scheduled Webinar. NO CREDIT will be offered after 10 days prior to the scheduled webinar.

ACCOUNT ALTERATIONS – Any account alterations such as changes or program transfers must be made within 30 days of purchase and prior to enrolling in a course. If a request is made after this allotted time period and prior to enrolling in a course, the student WILL be responsible for an administrative fee. NO NAME CHANGES WILL BE MADE AFTER ENROLLMENT. (Fee Schedule available, click here – For WEBSITE USE ONLY).

These policies govern information provided to Smart Horizons by enrolled or potential students so that Smart Horizons can provide services i.e.… render advice regarding appropriate courses of study, systematization of policy and our purpose for online training programs.

Smart Horizons has a legitimate interest in the student, respecting the student and their best interests in online education. Smart Horizons has a Program Transfer Policy in place to protect the interest of students as well as that of Smart Horizons.


Smart Horizons Official – refers to any person employed by Smart Horizons/AST in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research or support staff.

Student - refers to any person currently enrolled in a Smart Horizons Training Program or refers to any person who has previously enrolled/or completed a Smart Horizons Training Program.

Non-Enrolled student(s) – a student, who has paid for online courses, received a Welcome Letter which includes a username and password and HAS NOT ENROLLED in any online course through Smart Horizons/AST.

Enrolled student(s) - a student who has paid for online courses, received a Welcome Letter which includes a username and password and HAS ENROLLED in any online course through Smart Horizons/AST.

Transfer for Non-Enrolled Students: If the request to transfer from one program to another is received within thirty (30) days from the purchase date and prior to enrolling in a lesson, the student will be transferred at no cost, less the packages are of equal cost.

Transfer for Enrolled Students: If the request to transfer from one program to another is received within the thirty (30) days from the purchase date and the student has enrolled in a lesson the student will be issued a processing fee.

These policies govern information provided to Smart Horizons by enrolled or potential students so that Smart Horizons can provide services i.e.… render advice regarding appropriate courses of study, systematization of policy and our purpose for online training programs.

Smart Horizons has a legitimate interest in the student, respecting the student and their best interests in online education. Smart Horizons comprises a community of learners and Smart Horizon Officials who share a commitment to learn. Academic integrity/ honesty/responsibility is essential to learning, because it is so essential in the learning process, Smart Horizons has established a policy for academic integrity. The guiding principal that lead to the formation of the Academic Integrity Policy is derived from the following convictions: Honesty/responsibility is the foundation of personal integrity, honesty/responsibility promotes substantive learning, honesty/responsibility validates the recognition of scholarly achievement and honesty/responsibility demonstrates respect for the work of others, and enabling effective cooperation.

Academic integrity – is characterized by honesty and responsibility in scholarship following assumptions about academic work at Smart Horizons.

Plagiarism – is the practice of claiming or implying authorship of another person’s work, ideas, and/or words through incorporation, in whole or part, into one’s own work acknowledging or crediting the source. Plagiarism usually takes the form of submitting ideas of another (written, artistic, technical, etc...) as one’s own

Cheating – includes the giving or receiving of any unauthorized assistance or providing or obtaining unfair advantage in any form of academic work.

Falsification - includes the statement of any truth either verbally or in writing with respect to any circumstances relating to one’s academic work.

Multiple submissions of the same work – It is a violation of the academic integrity policy to submit work that was prepared for one course for credit i
n another or to submit the same work for credit in two courses, without permission from the responsible Smart Horizons Official.

Fabrication – intentional misrepresentation or invention of information, such as falsifying research, inventing or exaggerating data, or listing incorrect or fictitious references.

Smart Horizons expects a commitment from its Community which includes students and Smart Horizons Officials, to academic honesty in all academic exercises and assignments. It is expected that the community upholds academic integrity and not abuse courseware flexibility and the method of online learning for expedited gains. Each student is expected to complete each course without the aid/assistance of other individuals. It is the policy of Smart Horizons that members of the community will take appropriate actions to report and resolve any suspected violations of the principle of academic honesty/responsibility following the procedures established in appropriate policies. All members of The Smart Horizons community (students, Smart Horizon Officials, i.e.…) must take academic honestly /responsibility seriously by being well informed, by contributing to a climate in which honesty is valued, and by taking responsible action to discourage dishonesty in the work of others. NO MEMBER of the community will condone or tolerate cheating, plagiarism, falsification or acts of academic dishonesty, as these negatively affect the community and all its members.

ALL accusations of violation of The Academic Integrity Policy shall be heard by The Academic Integrity Review Board. APPEALS will be heard by the chair person of the Academic Integrity Review Board, ALL chair person decisions are FINAL!

Procedures for Alleged violations;

• When academic dishonesty is alleged, the student involved shall have an opportunity to admit or deny the allegation. In a timely manner, the Academic Integrity Review Board shall make the student aware of the violation and the reason(s) why the Academic Integrity Review Board believes that they have committed the act of academic dishonesty and what sanctions could be imposed by the Academic Integrity Review Board
• In all incidents of academic dishonesty, the instructor shall record the incident on “Notice of Academic Dishonesty” report.

ALL accusations of violation of The Academic Integrity Policy shall be heard by The Academic Integrity Review Board. APPEALS will be heard by the chair person of the Academic Integrity Review Board, ALL chair person decisions are FINAL!

Academic Integrity Review Board
The Review Board will convene under the following circumstances:

1. When a student is cited for an instance of academic dishonesty, students will automatically be called before an Academic Review Board for consideration of action.
2. Students may request an Academic Review Board hearing to appeal a notice being placed in the Academic Integrity File or in the student file.

Review Board Membership
The Review Board for each case will consist of five members. Members will be made up of Smart Horizons Officials; including Program Manager(s), Curriculum Advisor(s), Enrollment Advisor(s) & other Smart Horizons team Members.

1. The Chair of the Review Board will be held by Program Manager. Members for a specific appeal hearing will be selected from within the committee on a case-by-case basis for each individual hearing, with emphasis placed on avoiding conflicts of interests and on maintaining representation of different divisions.
2. All members of a Review Board hearing are expected to maintain the highest level of discretion and confidentiality regarding all proceedings rendered.

Process for Appeals

1. A student may request a hearing with the Academic Integrity Review Board, chair person within thirty days (as determined by the date on the initial allegation notification letter).
2. The Chair of the Review Board must schedule a hearing within (14) days after receiving a student's request for an appeal. All efforts should be made to guarantee that the hearings take place in a timely manner.

The Review Board has the following responsibilities:

1. Determine whether the parties acted according to the Smart Horizons policies regarding academic dishonesty;
2. Decide whether the allegations of academic dishonesty are warranted;
3. Decide what the sanction action is valid;
4. Consider a number of resolutions such as clearing the student, failing grade on assignment, failing grade in the course, suspension or expulsion. The Program Manager will inform the interested parties of the decision within thirty days.

The following Rules and Procedures will apply to the Academic Integrity Review Board:

1. Any member of the Review Board who has a conflict of interest with the case in question must remove him/herself from the case.
2. The student will be informed by the Chair of the Academic Integrity Review Board of his/her right to provide any evidence at the hearing.
3. Final decisions will be recorded in the Academic Integrity File.

Notice of Academic Dishonesty Report

In all incidents of academic dishonesty, the instructor shall record the incident on the “Notice of Academic Dishonesty” report and note on the report any recommended academic sanction(s).

If the student admits academic dishonesty and accepts the academic sanction imposed by the instructor, it shall be so noted on the “Notice of Academic Dishonesty” report.

In cases in which the student denies the allegations of academic dishonesty or admits academic
Dishonesty, the instructor shall record a Grade status “NG” (meaning No Grade) on the “Notice of Academic Dishonesty” report, and the matter shall proceed in accordance with the procedures hereafter.

The “Notice of Academic Dishonesty” report shall be completed, dated and signed by both the instructor and the student at the completion of the conference( to be held with student letting them know that a that they are accused of violating the Academic Integrity Policy )required by the instructor and the student shall each retain a copy of the report. Should the student refuse to sign the report, the instructor shall so indicate on the report. Within three working days from the date of the report having been signed, the instructor shall forward copies of the report to the academic review board, chair person. (this form is electronic and you will be able to agree with the report or disagree with the report.)

In the event the student suspected of academic dishonesty is unavailable for the conference
the instructor shall record a grade status of “NG” and forward copies of the report to the Academic Integrity Review Board/Chair Person of Academic Integrity Review Board. The “NG” status shall be assigned as the term grade pending the outcome of a hearing by the Academic Integrity Review Board.

If within 5 working days of the notice being sent to the student, is not reached or a hearing is not conducted due to either non-availability of the student or lack of response from the student, the NG status shall be changed to an F (Failure) grade no later than one week (7 working days) after the lack of response or not reachable student.

If a student withdraws from a course under a pending charge of academic dishonesty, the resulting grade of “W” may be changed to an “F” (Failure) by the instructor at the end of the current semester unless the student chooses to contest the charge, pursuant to the procedures governing academic dishonesty, and is
successful in his/her defense. A withdrawal from a course under a pending charge of academic dishonesty shall serve as a de facto admission of the guilt absent a successful contest of the charge. From the moment an alleged incident of academic dishonesty occurs a charge is considered pending. Additionally, a student cannot evade a sanction by withdrawing from a course after admitting guilt and accepting the sanction on the Notice of Academic Dishonesty.

Appeal from Decision Academic Integrity Review Board:

The student shall have the right to appeal to the sanction. The appeal shall be made within 7 working days from the date that the decision was made by The Academic Integrity Review Board.

The appeal shall be in writing setting forth the basis for the appeal. The appeal must be received by the Chair Person of The Academic Integrity review Board within the time limit established herein.

Upon receipt of the written appeal, Chair Person of The Academic Integrity or his/her designee(s), shall set up an appeals meeting. The Chair Person of the Academic Integrity Review Board shall hear all appeals and Chair person decision will be FINAL.

The Chair of Academic Integrity Review Board or his/her designee(s), shall forward a copy of the written decision to the student by mail within three working days from the date of the decision. A copy shall also be forwarded to instructor and the Smart Horizons Officials, as needed.

Responsibilities of Students:

1. Encourage and support an atmosphere of academic honesty
2. Refrain from all acts of cheating, plagiarism and other violations of the academic integrity policy and make reasonable efforts to prevent the occurrence of academic dishonesty

Responsibilities of Smart Horizons Officials:

1. Encourage and support an atmosphere of academic honesty
2. Take appropriate measures to raise the consciousness of individuals through the Smart Horizons online learning community to the importance of maintaining the values underlying academic honesty
3. Emphasize the need for appropriate source attribution in written work
4. Take appropriate action when instances of academic dishonesty are suspected
5. Keep academic integrity inquiries and investigations about particular students confidential unless a final determination has made.
6. Take steps to define academic dishonesty, ensure procedures for due process for persons accused or suspected of acts of academic dishonesty and impose sanctions on individuals found to have been guilty of academic honesty acts.

The written decision of Chair person of the Academic Integrity Review Board or his/her designee(s) shall be final. The handling of each suspected violation of the academic integrity policy will be handled accordingly case by case and could result in a failing grade, suspension from classes and/or expulsion (not an exhaustive list) although other actions could be handed down if deemed appropriate/necessary.

The following is a Grading Scale that ALL Courses and Instructors use in online class evaluation(s); please be aware that some courses have a higher grading standard and will require a grade of a B or C to both complete and pass the course. ALL courses that require a higher grading standard will be noted and you will be made aware of before you actually pay for & enroll in the courses.

A = 90-100
B = 80 – 89
C= 70-79
D = 60- 69
F (Failure) = 59 or below

These policies govern information provided to Smart Horizons by enrolled or potential students so that Smart Horizons can provide services i.e.… render advice regarding appropriate courses of study, systematization of policy and our purpose for online training programs.

Smart Horizons has a legitimate interest in the student, respecting the student and their best interests in online education. Smart Horizons has a Name Change Policy in place to protect the interest of students as well as that of Smart Horizons.
Name Change - is the change of an incorrect name spelling, legal name change, change one student to another, i.e.…

Name changes must be made within 30 days of purchase and prior to enrolling in a course. If a request is made after this period and prior to enrolling in any course(s)/class(s), the student will be responsible for an Administrative Fee. NO name changes will be made AFTER enrollment in any course/class, unless legal documentation documenting the name change is submitted.

These policies govern information provided to Smart Horizons by enrolled or potential students so that Smart Horizons can provide services i.e.… render advice regarding appropriate courses of study, systematization of policy and our purpose for online training programs.

Smart Horizons has a legitimate interest in the student, respecting the student and their best interests in online education. Smart Horizons has a Term Wavier Policy in place to protect the interest of students as well as that of Smart Horizons

Term Wavier – up to a 6 month extension from the original annual subscription termination date.

Documentation – Official notification

A term wavier (documentation is required) is granted when, for reasons beyond the student’s control, a student engaged in passing work is unable to complete all course requirements. Term waivers are granted at the sole discretion of Smart Horizons, a division of Advanced Systems Technology. Once a term wavier has been granted, course work must be completed within a time period designated by Program Manager but not to exceed 6 months from the ORGINIAL subscription termination date. In the event, a student fails to complete the course requirements within the designated time period, the term wavier will be terminated and the student will no longer have access to the course(s).