Handbooks
Student Guidelines and Understanding
Vermont Adult Learning-Chittenden
Communication
You should use the Gmail address that VAL has on file to contact VAL advisors and teachers. The account on file is the only account advisors and teachers will use to contact you. You must communicate through a Gmail account. If you need to create a Gmail, please let your advisor know. If you change your Gmail address, please let your advisor know so they can update your file (include your first name, last name, and date of birth in your email so they can identify you). Please note that confidential educational information will be sent through the Gmail account on file; anyone with access to that Gmail account including family or friends may see those documents. Choose wisely who has access to your Gmail account or keep it private. Communicate early and often with your advisor and instructors to let them know if changes need to be made or issues need to be solved. Check your Gmail each morning for notifications from instructors and advisors.
Attendance
Group Class 1 No Call/No Show: Teacher will email you with inquiries.
Group Class 3x No Call/No Show: Teacher will contact advisor. Advisor will try to organize a meeting with you to find out what circumstances caused this and find a way to resolve the issue causing missed classes.
50% of Classes Missed: Cannot pass class regardless of circumstances for ADP students.
One-on-One Appointments 1 No Call/No Show: You may reschedule your appointment by reaching out to your advisor.
One-on-One Appointments 3x No Call/No Show: Current students must reflect on what steps they will take to ensure they attend future meetings through reflective worksheet*. Prospective students may schedule a meeting for 1 month in the future. Other students will take priority until you are able to consistently attend meetings.
One-on-One Appointments 3x Cancellations (or 3x Cancellations combined with No Call/No Show): You will schedule a meeting for 1 month in the future.
Remote Assessment Cancellations: You will receive 1 make-up appointment. After that, no cancellations may be made and you must complete your assessment in-person. You will be eligible for another remote assessment during your next progress assessment period (after 40 hours of instruction).
*Sample Reflective Worksheet: You will receive the following worksheet from your advisor only if you miss 3 appointments per the above attendance policy.
Instructions: You have received this reflective worksheet because you have missed 3 appointments with Vermont Adult Learning. Please take a moment to reflect on your commitment to your education with the following questions.
What factors or circumstances have been preventing you from keeping your appointments with Vermont Adult Learning?
Have these factors or circumstances changed? If so, how? If not, how are you currently working to change them?
In your own words, what are your next steps for meeting your goals at Vermont Adult Learning?
How do you plan on successfully fulfilling these next steps?
What are some strategies you can use to ensure you attend your appointments at Vermont Adult Learning?
Class/Meeting Conduct and Participation
*This applies to ALL classes and meetings–remote and in-person
We expect that your behavior as a student in class will reflect the professional standards of the space of Vermont Adult Learning as well as those spaces which you may find yourself in after your education.
Drug-Free Environment, Smoking, and Vaping
Illicit drug use, smoking of any substance, vaping, alcoholic drinking, and lewd and lascivious behavior is prohibited. Attending class or meetings under the influence of drugs or alcohol is prohibited. If you engage in any of these behaviors, you will be asked to leave class and referred to your advisor to discuss the matter with the regional director. You may not return to class until you have discussed the situation with your advisor. If the behavior repeats in future classes, you may be permanently removed from that class.
Academic Honesty
All work completed at Vermont Adult Learning is expected to be the product of your honest understanding and effort. As such cheating, submitting the work of others, using AI dishonestly and plagiarising or failing to properly cite sources are all prohibited at VAL and may result in failing an assignment or course. If repeated then that may result in removal from the course.
Cell Phones and Other Devices
If texting or social media use in class becomes a repeated issue, you will be asked to leave class and referred to your advisor to discuss. You may not return to class until you have discussed the situation with your advisor. If the behavior repeats in future classes, you may be permanently removed from that class. If you need to text or call someone urgently, excuse yourself to the hallway. Cell phone use is not permitted during assessments. If cell phones are used during assessments, the assessment will be invalidated, and your eligibility for taking a repeat assessment will be discussed with the regional director.
Dress
Learners are expected to dress and groom themselves appropriately. Each student is expected to keep themselves and their clothing presentable. Sleep and loungewear are discouraged. Footwear and shirts must be worn. Clothing or accessories with slogans, symbols, or displays regarding drugs, alcohol, sex, obscenities, or gangs are prohibited. If inappropriate clothing is worn, you will be asked to leave class and change into something appropriate. They may rejoin when they have changed into something appropriate.
Conduct and Harassment
Students, teachers, and advisors will display respect toward each other. Inappropriate language, bullying, harassment, and disruptive behavior is prohibited. Language that targets individuals based on protected categories is especially prohibited. If this behavior occurs either repeatedly or in excess during one interaction, you may be removed from the class and will have a meeting with their advisor and/or the regional director. Depending on the severity of the incident, you may be unable to return to working with that peer or instructor. Verbal threats toward peers, teachers, or advisors, as well as harassment based on protected categories, will result in you being removed from all VAL programming. Sexual harassment of any person at VAL, as well as sexually pursuing a minor student at VAL, will result in a conversation with the regional director, as well as possible removal from class and/or all VAL programming.
Violence and Weapons
Physical assault and physical threats of peers, teachers, or advisors, as well as intentional destruction of VAL property, is strictly prohibited. Weapons are strictly prohibited from VAL centers as well as the intentional display of weapons on a remote meeting. If any of these behaviors occur, you will be removed from all VAL programming. In the case of unintentional displays of weapons on remote meetings, you will be asked to consult with their advisors about how to arrange a professional environment for remote work.
Recording and Photography
To protect the privacy and security of all students, staff, and visitors, unauthorized photography and audio or video recording are strictly prohibited both in-person and during remote classes or meetings. Students must obtain explicit permission from all parties involved before recording any class, meeting, or conversation. If this behavior occurs, you may be removed from the class and unable to return to working with that peer or instructor especially if the behavior was intentional.
Participation and Visitors
The general expectation for remote classes and meetings is that the camera remains on for the duration of class or meeting if your computer has a camera unless otherwise instructed by your teacher or advisor and that you participate verbally, responding when called on. Please ask about your specific instructor or advisors for their expectations in their meetings. If you need an accommodation for this expectation, you should discuss it with your advisor. If you do not exhibit active participation in remote classes, you may not receive credit for the class. Adult visitors are welcome to wait in the common area at the center while you are in class. No children are permitted in classes or unaccompanied in common areas.
Chromebooks
To receive a Chromebook loaner, you must complete the sign-out sheet provided by your advisor. You are financially responsible for broken, lost, or stolen VAL Chromebooks. Please refer to the computer contract. VAL holds the right to take legal action against any unenrolled student who fails to return their VAL laptop upon exiting the program, or any student, enrolled or unenrolled, who fails to pay for repair or replacement of their broken, lost, or stolen VAL laptop.
Re-Engaging Student
Students who have not engaged with Vermont Adult Learning in 3 months will need to re-engage with the onboarding specialist. This could entail any combination of the following: completing new registration paperwork, completing an orientation session and/or coursework, completing new baseline assessments. Engagement requires paired hours with an instructor or advisor, at a minimum every 90 days, to maintain enrollment with VAL.
Transportation
It is the learner’s responsibility to make their own transportation plans. Student carpooling is encouraged. If you have difficulty securing transportation, please speak with a Chittenden VAL staff member for free single ride bus passes.