Terms and Conditions

TERMS AND CONDITIONS UT LANGUAGE CENTRE 

INTRODUCTION 

The University of Twente Language Centre (UTLC) caters to the learning needs of University of Twente (UT) staff and students regarding language, communication, and related skills. Under certain conditions, external parties can also participate in UTLC’s programmes, as well as use our services and support. Information on UTLC’s course offer and how to participate can be obtained through UTLC’s website and UTLC's Support Office.  

REGISTRATION 

• Registration takes place online through the Course Finder.  
• Incomplete registrations cannot be processed. 
• Registrations expire  if no payment has been received within two working days following registration. 
• Registration closes automatically seven days before the start of a course or workshop. 
• Registrations are processed in chronological order. 
• If a course is fully booked, interested parties can register on a waiting list. When a place becomes available, the next person on the waiting list will automatically enrol in the course and receive a confirmation email including the link for payment. Please note that being on a waiting list does not guarantee a place in the course at hand, nor in any alternative course. Participants who are entered in a course will be removed from the waiting list. Registrations will be confirmed by e-mail. 

 COURSE COSTS 

• Course and/or registration fees are due to be paid at registration or, at the latest, within two working days following registration. 
• The fees for each course or workshop are listed in the Course Finder, under “course information”. 
• Learning materials are included in the course fees; they are only provided once. Before learning materials are provided, all administrative and financial obligations must have been met. 
• Participants can change courses before the start of the course or workshop, provided there are places available. In this case, administration fees must be paid again. 

 ADMISSION 

• Admission to a particular course or workshop is only granted when the applicant has fulfilled all registration and admission requirements. 
• Admission requirements may entail taking an admission test, attending an intake meeting, or submitting previously obtained certificates. UTLC reserves the right to decide whether to admit prospective participants. 
• If a participant is admitted into a course or workshop, they will receive an invitation by email containing all the course or workshop details shortly before the start of the course or workshop. 
• If, after the start of the course or workshop, the participant's level of knowledge proves not to be suited to the level of the course or workshop, a suitable solution will be sought in due consultation between the teacher of the course or workshop, the UTLC Support Office, and the participant. 

CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDING OF COURSE FEES 

• Each course or workshop has a minimum and a maximum number of participants, as stated in the course or workshop description in the Course Finder. In the event of an insufficient number of participants, UTLC will cancel the course or workshop. The decision to cancel the course or workshop will be taken no later than one week before the start of the course or workshop. 
• In the event of a cancellation by UTLC, participants will be informed by email and course fees and administration fees will be fully reimbursed. 
• Participants can only cancel their registration before the registration deadline (i.e. seven days before the start of the course or workshop). Participants may cancel their registration by sending an email to the UTLC Support Office at utlc@utwente.nl. This email must include the participant's full name and the course or workshop code. Administration fees will not be reimbursed or transferred; additional course fees will be reimbursed if applicable. 
• Participants who cancel their registration after said deadline will receive no reimbursement for course fees, except in cases of pressing personal circumstances. Participants can request reimbursement for late cancellations by sending an email to the UTLC Support Office at utlc@utwente.nl. This email must include the participant's full name, course details, a statement concerning the reason for cancellation, and supporting documentation. UTLC will take a decision on reimbursement within four working weeks. 
• If, due to mitigating circumstances, a participant is unable to complete a course or workshop, they will not automatically be placed in a different group or course. UTLC will consult with the participant to determine if a reasonable alternative solution can be found.  

ATTENDANCE

• Attendance at every lesson or session is compulsory.  
• If a participant misses parts of a course, they are expected to catch up by self-study. The compulsory attendance average percentage is listed in the course or workshop information. In the event of a no-show at the beginning of the course or workshop, or of missing three consecutive sessions, UTLC reserves the right to remove the participant from the list of participants. 
• If a participant misses three separate skills or academic writing workshops in one academic year, they will not be allowed to register for any further workshops that year.  

 CERTIFICATE 

• A certificate of attendance will be issued to those course participants who will have attended the minimum number of lessons or sessions and fulfilled the assignments as stated in the course or workshop information in the Course Finder. 
• The certificates for language courses issued by UTLC are proof of attending a course or workshop course taught at a given Common European Framework (CEF) level. The certificate does not indicate that the participant has obtained the equivalent level of a Cambridge, IELTS, or TOEFL examination. 
• The language course certificate contains details including the name of the course participant, the course title, the study workload involved, and the level as established by the Common European Framework. The personal details of the course participant which appear on the certificate will be those details provided by the participant on their registration form. 

 SOCIAL SAFETY 

• Students and teachers have the right to a safe learning environment, including a safe classroom in which learning and respectful interaction with each other are possible. We all contribute to such a learning environment and have the responsibility to protect it. 
• If a participant has a negative experience, does not feel safe, or otherwise wants to report an incident, incident reports can be submitted here: https://www.utwente.nl/en/service-portal/dossiers/social-safety/ 
• If a participant creates an unsafe learning environment, UTLC reserves the right to deny said participant further access to the course or workshop. 

 COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE 

• If participants are not satisfied with (the behaviour of) teachers or other staff, or with the quality of UTLC’s services, and no solution can be reached informally, they can file a complaint. Such complaints can be filed by emailing UTLC's Head of Department, providing a clear description and all relevant details of the reason. Every complaint will be treated confidentially.  
• Complainants will receive a confirmation of receipt within five working days. They will receive an email with the assessment of their complaint, including a suggested solution, no later than ten working days following the confirmed receipt of their complaint. If complainants are not satisfied with the outcome of the complaint procedure, do not agree with the procedure as followed, or believe UTLC is not the right party to handle their complaint, please contact one of the following parties: 
  For Students 
  https://www.utwente.nl/en/education/student-services/contact/complaints-desk/ 
  For Staff 
  https://www.utwente.nl/en/service-portal/employment-personal-development/terms-of-employment/confidential-adviser-complaints-and-disputes 

 PRIVACY REGULATIONS 

• These regulations apply to the processing of personal data of participants in UTLC programmes. 
  This data may include: 

1. Name, gender, date of birth, address, postal code, e-mail address, telephone number, bank account number, nationality, place of birth, native tongue, faculty, study programme; 
2. Data relating to courses followed, language proficiency levels, results achieved, intake results, assessment results; 
3. Information on the provision of educational resources; 
4. Digital copies of a certificates obtained; 
5. Data relating to settling financial obligations (e.g. the payment of course fees and indicating course costs to participants); 
6. Anonymised data to improve UTLC services and/or for promotional purposes. 

• This data is collected to ensure and improve the most efficient organization of education and related activities.  
• UT is responsible for safeguarding the security of the data provided in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation. UTLC also adheres to UT rules regarding the retention period. 
• Data will not be shared with third parties unless permission has been granted and unless sharing data is relevant for educational practice. 
• Students have the right to request access to their personal data as stored by UTLC. A request for access can be submitted by email to the Head of Department. 

HARDSHIP CLAUSE  

In cases not provided for in these Terms and Conditions, UTLC aims to ensure a reasonable solution.