1. Our values

• Our mission is to be Ireland’s leading provider of high-quality, tutor-supported further education, delivered flexibly through blended and fully online modes, where every learner is known by name, actively supported, and enabled to complete a qualification that employers value and recognise.
• Quality driven: our quality systems operate within external awarding body regulatory frameworks and guidelines, and quality assurance is treated as a core competence.
• One-to-one support: we provide individual support to learners from qualified and experienced tutors.
• Learner service: we monitor and track the learner experience to ensure that learners are satisfied and achieve the learning outcomes.
• Innovation: we adopt emergent technologies where they demonstrably improve learning, access, or reliability.
• Accessibility: we encourage and facilitate access for those normally excluded from further education.

2. Pre-enrolment practices

At all times information given to prospective learners, whether written or oral, will be truthful and accurate. The website provides the following details:

• The course name and title of the award.
• The name of the awarding body and the level of award.
• The length of the course, the key dates for the start and end of study, the course objectives, the course content (syllabus), and the documentation required for enrolment.
• Access to course / Pre-requisites.
• Arrangements for exemptions for major awards.
• Assessment methods.
• Opportunities for transfer and progression.
• The mode of delivery of the programme (blended or fully online) and any mandatory attendance requirement. For blended programmes we state the on-site components, dates, locations, and travel implications; for fully online programmes we state that no on-site attendance is required, together with any named exception (for example Garda vetting).
• The learning effort, in hours, and an “equipped to participate” statement describing the knowledge, skill and competence needed to succeed on the programme.
• The technology requirements and the level of technical ability needed, including the digital tools you will be asked to use (the Moodle virtual learning environment, Microsoft 365, including Microsoft Teams, HubSpot, PlagiarismCheck.org, Proctorio, and the online forms on our website) and the legal basis on which your data is processed.
• The full course price, whether instalments are available, the terms of any instalment plan, and the total cost of that plan, and the total cost of that plan, together with the payment rules, the refund policy and the 14-day Cooling-Off Period.
• The academic conduct policy, the reasonable accommodation policy, the student support available, and the scope of online tutoring.

3. Tutoring Standards

• Regular external and internal monitoring will be conducted on tutoring standards.
• Tutor comments will be provided to learners following all assessments, normally within ten days of submission.
• Tutors will demonstrate a conscientious desire to help learners.
• All assessments will be appropriate to the subject matter and be of real assistance in helping learners achieve their objectives.
• Learners may contact Tutors through the online messaging system and will receive a reply within two working days.
• All tutors complete CMIT’s formal instructional design and online delivery training before delivering any programme and undertake mandatory annual continuing professional development covering online pedagogy, assessment, accessibility, academic integrity, and the use of artificial intelligence in learning.

4. Administration Practices

• During college hours, a member of staff will be available to respond to online or phone enquiries of a support or pastoral nature.
• Communications about administrative matters will be responded to within 1 working day, and communications about tutorial matters within 2 working days.
• Queries, where a longer timescale is required for a complete answer, will be acknowledged within 3 working days, the delay explained, and an indication given of when a full answer can be expected. Technical issues affecting access to your course are addressed within 24 hours.
• Entry requirements are specified for each programme.

5. Enrolment Practices

• Learners will be enrolled within 3 days of payment being made.
• A decision on an application is communicated in writing within ten working days of receipt of a complete application. Your unique identifier and access to the learning platform are issued no fewer than five working days before your programme start date.
• Your identity is verified by photographic identification at enrolment and re-verified at each proctored examination.
• If your application is refused, or if a condition is attached to it, or if your enrolment is cancelled because an entry, identity or documentation requirement has not been met, you may appeal under the Non-Assessment Appeals policy documented in Section 6.18 (www.cmit.ie/qa).
• All information given by learners is confidential to the institution, its employees, and tutors.
• Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 you have the right to cancel your purchase within 14 days, without giving a reason (the ‘Cooling-Off Period’). For a course delivered online the 14 days run from the date of purchase; where physical materials are supplied, the 14 days for those materials run from the day you receive them. By accessing/downloading a course manual or uploading an assessment, you agree to the immediate commencement of service provision and waive your right to a full refund within the 14-day Cooling-Off Period. If you wish to cancel your purchase, please send a written request to info@cmit.ie.
• If a learner is paying by instalments, 60 days’ notice must be given where they wish to cancel; instalment payments will be payable during this notice period.
• If a learner falls ill during their assigned time to a particular programme, they must contact the college immediately and apply under the Extenuating Circumstances policy (Section 7.7), supported by a statement from an appropriate professional or other recognised person verifying the circumstances and their impact. We may allow learners to defer for a stated period and if the course is no longer available at this stage, they will be allowed to transfer to an alternative or similar programme. Each request will be considered on an individual basis and is at the discretion of the college. Each request is considered on an individual basis by the Student Services Director; no more than two extensions are granted in an academic year, and the decision may be appealed under the Non-Assessment Appeals policy (Section 6.18).

6. How your programme is delivered

• CMIT delivers programmes in two modes, and the mode of your programme is stated before you enrol.
• Blended: teaching, learning and assessment take place through a mix of online and on-site learning. A blended programme at CMIT includes an in-person, on-site element delivered at a CMIT-designated venue.
• Fully online: teaching, learning and assessment take place online, synchronously, asynchronously, or in combination, with no on-site instruction required. You can complete the programme entirely at a distance, apart from any named exception stated before enrolment.
• Live sessions are the primary site of synchronous learning, dialogue, and formative feedback. Attendance at a minimum of 80% of scheduled live sessions is mandatory on QQI programmes, and attendance is recorded.
• Face-to-face sessions at a physical location may also be part of your course. These are delivered at venues designated and approved by CMIT, and the dates and locations are given in your Personal Learning Plan and on your course page, with a confirmation sent to you before each session.
• Sessions are recorded for quality assurance and staff training. Recordings are not issued to learners who miss a session, so that the value of live participation is preserved. This does not override any arrangement agreed under the reasonable accommodation process.

7. Staying on track: engagement and support

• CMIT monitors learner engagement so that difficulties are identified early and support is offered before a learner falls behind. Monitoring is supportive, not disciplinary.
• What we do: your activity on the learning platform is checked against a defined set of twenty-seven plain-language triggers — for example, no activity for 14 days, an assessment not submitted by its due date, or attendance below the required level. We do not give learners a risk score or rating, we do not profile learners, and no decision affecting you is made by software alone.
• What happens next: an automated reminder is issued first. If the matter continues, your tutor makes personal contact within five working days if you are on a module, or within ten working days if you are on a major award. If it remains unresolved, the Student Support Team contacts you within five working days and refers you to the support you need. Where contact is not answered, or where there is a wider concern, the matter is managed by the Student Services Director or the Academic Director.
• After 30 days without activity on your course, you will receive a personal email inviting you to arrange a pastoral-care meeting with Student Support to review your progress, any barriers, and what support would help.
• What we ask of you: complete your Personal Learning Plan at the start of your programme, log in within five days of enrolling, keep to the submission schedule you set out, attend at least 80% of live sessions where your programme is a QQI programme, and respond when we contact you. Tell us early if something is getting in the way — requests for extensions, deferrals and reasonable accommodation should be made before the deadline concerned, because retrospective requests are considered only in exceptional cases.

8. Learner Protection

• CMIT has put in place appropriate arrangements for the protection of learners on QQI programmes that have a duration of three months or longer, should CMIT cease, for any reason, to provide such a QQI programme. CMIT Learning Ltd has approval to offer learner protection insurance to its learners. Learner Protection insurance is only in place when each learner receives their Insurance Policy. Each learner should ensure that they receive a Learner Protection Insurance Policy in their name. Learner Protection insurance is provided by Arachas and underwritten by Aviva Insurance Ireland DAC. Aviva Insurance Ireland DAC, trading as Aviva, is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. The learner protection policy provides for a refund of fees as specified in the 2012 Act. In some circumstances, it may be possible for a learner to transfer to a similar programme in another provider. In such circumstances, the learner may opt to receive the cost of an alternative similar academic programme. Transfer to another programme is always only a second option. The learner protection insurance policy is governed by s. 65(4)(b) of the 2012 Act.
• These arrangements are agreed with QQI before any programme of three months or longer is advertised or delivered, are reconfirmed at any material change, and are published for learners.

9. Inclusivity

• CMIT does not tolerate discrimination on gender identity, gender expression or the nine grounds in the Equal Status Acts 2000-2018 of gender, civil status, family status, age, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion, and membership of the Traveller community.
• We recognise that each person has the right to define their own identity and be addressed accordingly.
• It is our policy that staff and learners feel safe to express their identity without fear of discrimination.
• Staff and learners are free to choose whichever pronouns they wish to be referred to by others, or to choose none at all. This reflects the college’s commitment to providing an inclusive environment where everyone’s identity is respected and affirmed.
• Learners may contact Student Support if they need assistance related to identity, inclusion, or respectful communication.

10. Reasonable Accommodation

• CMIT is committed to providing learners with disabilities equitable access to complete a programme of study as far as can be provided. This is in accordance with the Disability Act, 2005 and the Equal Status Act 2000.
• Accommodation procedures are in place and published to ensure that all learners are aware of this policy and how to access reasonable accommodation if required.
• In the context of assessment, reasonable accommodation is the term used for the adaptation of assessment as necessary to cater for the needs of learners whose personal situation means that the assessment would otherwise be unfair, for example, learners with a disability, and/or other learners covered by equality legislation.
• In the context of participation, reasonable accommodation is the term used to describe any additional supports, arrangements put in place for a learner to ensure they can access, engage, and complete their programme without experiencing disadvantage due to their disability.
• You may request reasonable accommodation at any point during your programme before the relevant deadline or the submission of the assessment work concerned, through your Personal Learning Plan, the Reasonable Accommodation Form, or by contacting Student Support; retrospective requests are considered only in exceptional cases. Your request must be supported by written verification from an appropriate professional or other recognised person. The Academic Director and the Student Services Director review the request, the Academic Director tells you the outcome, and you may appeal the decision under the Non-Assessment Appeals policy (Section 6.18). Where a need is disclosed at application, the Student Services Director contacts you within five working days to discuss it and to record what is agreed.
• If you cannot sit a proctored online examination — for example because you do not have suitable equipment or a private space, or for reasons of disability — you may request an alternative. This may be an examination sat under on-site invigilation at a venue designated and approved for that purpose by the Academic Director, or at CMIT’s own office, or another form of assessment approved by the Academic Director. Requests are made in advance through the Student Support Team.

11. Recognition of Prior Learning

• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) allows learning you already have — whether formal, non-formal or informal — to be identified, assessed and formally recognised. CMIT operates RPL for three purposes: to gain access to a programme where the standard entry requirements have not been met; to claim exemption from components of a programme; and to receive credit towards a qualification.
• Prior certified learning (RPCL) is learning already linked to a formal award. Prior experiential learning (RPEL) is learning gained through life, work or voluntary experience that has not previously been certified. Experiential learning may be used for access to a programme; exemptions from certified components require certified prior learning that matches the award standard.
• All applications are assessed against the learning outcomes and standards of the target award, using the same principles of validity, reliability, fairness, and consistency that apply to any CMIT assessment. Certificated learning must normally be less than five years old at the date of application; for exemptions from QQI Common Awards System components this five-year limit is a QQI certification condition and applies without discretion.
• You are told about RPL and exemption options at enquiry and enrolment, including the evidence required and how to apply. The outcome of your application and the reasons for it are given to you in writing. If your application is refused, or a condition is attached to it, you may appeal under the Non-Assessment Appeals policy (Section 6.18) within 14 days of being notified of the decision; no fee applies.

12. Assessment and Appeals

• Assessments must be made by submitting within specified deadlines. Failure to do so may result in the award not being made to the learner.
• Learners may be requested to re-submit their assessments if their work does not meet the required standard. This may impact the learner’s ability to complete the course within the specified time. Where learners fail to meet the assessment criteria, following 2 re-submissions of their work, this may result in a ‘Fail’ grade.
• The grading bands that apply to QQI awards are published to you: Pass 50–64%, Merit 65–79%, and Distinction 80% and over, together with the criteria applied at each band.
• Multiple-choice questions are not used on their own to decide a summative result. Where they contribute to summative marks, they are combined with short-answer and long-answer questions and sat under proctored examination conditions. Outside examinations, quizzes and multiple-choice questions are used for practice and feedback only.
• Examinations are sat online and invigilated remotely using Proctorio. Closed-book examinations are recorded in full, including screen, webcam, and microphone. Examinations are closed-book unless you are told in advance that another format applies. You receive the examination rules, study topics, and proctoring requirements through your course page at least six weeks before the examination, and you complete a short practice check beforehand to confirm your equipment. A channel is available for you to contact the invigilator during the examination. No decision about you is taken by the proctoring software alone.
• All learners’ work must be their own original work. The college has a strict policy in relation to plagiarism of submitted work, and if it is established, the penalties may include re-submission of work (with or without a Pass or Merit grade cap) or exclusion from the programme. Please read the dedicated Plagiarism and Referencing student guide for detailed information on this and how to avoid plagiarism.
• CMIT uses specialist software to detect possible plagiarism in learners’ work (PlagiarismCheck.org), which also checks for AI-generated content and, where authorship is in question, for authorship anomalies against your established writing profile.
• All learner work for QQI and ILM programmes is marked by your tutor as assessor. On QQI programmes, assessment is checked on a sample basis by an Internal Verifier and by an External Authenticator; on ILM programmes, it is sampled by an Internal Quality Assurer and by an External Quality Assurer appointed by ILM.
• All appeals must be submitted within 14 days of receipt of a result. Information on appeals may be requested by contacting the college. An appeal fee of €75 applies to an appeal against an assessment result.  This fee is refunded if the appeal does not meet the grounds for appeal.
• Certification of learners will take place on at least two occasions during each calendar year. Cut-off deadlines exist to meet a certification date.

13. Data Protection and Disclosures

• We comply fully with the GDPR including the right to access, right to rectify, right to delete, right to object to direct marketing, and right to withdraw consent at any time, without detriment, where CMIT relies on consent. See our Privacy Policy for more details. You may also lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission.
• Several digital systems process your data — the Moodle virtual learning environment, Microsoft 365, including Microsoft Teams, HubSpot, PlagiarismCheck.org, Proctorio, and the online forms on our website. A Data Protection Impact Assessment has been completed and approved for each of these systems.
• Examination recordings are encrypted, stored in the European Union, retained for 12 months, and then deleted. Messages on the learning platform, assessment documents, tutor feedback, and engagement records are retained until six months after your course expiry date. Grades and records of programmes completed are held indefinitely, as certification requires.
• It is assessed against simple, published rules that you can see and check; CMIT does not operate profiling or predictive models on learner engagement data, and takes no automated decision that produces a legal or similarly significant effect.
• You may contact the CMIT Data Protection Officer at any time about how your data is processed, by email to info@cmit.ie marked for the attention of the Data Protection Officer, or by telephone on 01-2865783. Raising a concern will never disadvantage your assessment outcome.

14. The Environment

• CMIT is dedicated to minimising its environmental impact and promoting sustainability in every facet of its operations. We have a strong commitment to the environment and continue to increase our responsibility in this area including the following:
• Commitment to delivering our courses digitally wherever the learning outcomes allow, with on-site sessions held only where a programme requires an in-person element, reducing paper consumption and transportation needs.
• Use of digital communication, documentation, and certification to reduce paper usage across all departments.
• Preference for working with suppliers who demonstrate environmental responsibility.
• Commitment to the recycling of all paper, plastics, and electrical materials, ensuring responsible waste management practices.
• Reduce waste, limit emissions, and prevent harmful discharges by opting for cleaner, more efficient methods in day-to-day college activities.
• Conserve energy, water, and materials. Seek opportunities to reuse and recycle wherever possible, with a particular focus on digital course delivery to minimise paper usage.
• Set and review measurable objectives related to sustainability. Use data on resource consumption and waste generation to refine practices and achieve ongoing environmental gains.

15. Modern Slavery

• CMIT is committed to preventing acts of modern slavery and human trafficking from occurring within its business and supply chain. We also expect the same standards from our contractors, suppliers and other business partners and would not work with any organisation that we suspected of involvement in modern slavery. We do not consider that we operate in a high-risk sector. We review our supplier relationships as part of our annual review cycle and act if any concerns regarding modern slavery or unethical practices arise.
• CMIT is a UK and Irish based online training organisation. We are a limited company registered in Ireland (451082) and approved by QQI and ILM to offer programmes leading to QQI awards on the National Framework of Qualifications of Ireland and ILM awards on the Regulated Qualifications Framework in the UK.
• No reports were received from employees, the public or law enforcement agencies to indicate that modern slavery practices had been identified in our supply chain or through the retention of contractors.
• Employees and contractors are required to adhere to our Policies and Procedures and are encouraged to identify and report any potential breaches of our Modern Slavery Policy.
• This statement is made in accordance with section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes CMIT’s slavery and human trafficking statement.

16. Complaints

• Complaints should be made to the Student Services Manager in writing by email, to info@cmit.ie or by post to CMIT, Southern Cross Business Park, Bray, Wicklow A98 CY94.
• All complaints will receive an initial reply within 1 working day.
• Following a full review, a response will be issued within 14 days, with the aim of resolving all complaints.
• All complaints will be logged in a register.
• All active complaints are reported to the Quality Committee.
• If a learner is not satisfied with the response received, they may escalate the matter by writing to the Student Services Director at info@cmit.ie, who will respond within 14 days.
• Where your programme is certified by ILM, a complaint may also be made to ILM as the awarding organisation. Once CMIT’s internal process is exhausted, the decision is final within CMIT.
• We treat every complaint seriously.
• We deal with any complaint quickly and are committed to making it as easy as possible to make a complaint where the need arises.
• We treat any clear expression of dissatisfaction with our operations, which calls for a response, as a complaint.
• We respond accordingly – for example, with an explanation or apology where we have got things wrong, and with information on any action taken, etc.
• We learn from complaints, monitor them, and use them to improve our operations as part of our continuous improvement process.

17. Academic Integrity

• We are committed to providing fair and consistent access, participation, and assessment.
• We have documented our approach to this in the publication of our Quality Assurance Policies and Procedures.
• We recognise that the basis of maintaining academic integrity is built on trust and a shared set of values and behaviours.
• Academic integrity is the commitment to, and demonstration of, honest and moral behaviour in an academic setting. It assumes that all interactions between the college and learners are approached with honesty. This includes all documentation and information submitted to the college for academic purposes.
• While academic integrity is a shared commitment (supported by learners, tutors, assessors, and administrative staff) learners must take responsibility for their own academic integrity and engage honestly and truthfully during their studies.
• A statement of learner responsibility is set out in clause 14 of the Terms and Conditions, which learners agree to adhere to on enrolment.
• All learners enrolling on a programme of study with the college agree to the Terms and Conditions of enrolment which include the acceptance of the colleges terms and conditions in relation to the appropriate use of college resources, and adherence to the Academic conduct policy.
• Learners are expected to: use any information provided to them in an appropriate manner according to copyright and privacy legislation, acknowledge all sources of information used in completing assessment work, not present the work of others as their own, conduct research in an ethical manner in line with the college Academic conduct policy and act in an honest and ethical manner throughout their academic endeavours with the college.
• With continued changes and development in digital and online interactions we expect that learners will continue to maintain academic integrity and always adhere to the college Academic conduct policy.
• Generative artificial intelligence: you are given clear guidance on what use of AI tools is and is not acceptable in each assessment. Where AI use is permitted you must declare its nature and extent. Undeclared or unauthorised use is treated as academic misconduct.
• Engaging with other learners on social media platforms to gain an unfair advantage in an assessment (for example through the reproduction and sharing of unpublished exam information / questions, sending, or sharing assessment work produced by another learner for the purpose of its use by another learner) is an example of breaching the college Academic conduct policy and any cases where this has been deemed to have taken place would be dealt with in accordance with this policy.
• The use of online assessment generators i.e., essay mills is another example of breaching the college Academic conduct policy. This represents attempting to pass off the work of another person as your own.
• How a case is handled: suspected misconduct is classified at one of three levels. Level 1 poor academic practice is addressed locally by your tutor through advice and guidance. Level 2 and Level 3 cases are investigated and determined by the Academic Integrity Panel. Level 2 and Level 3 cases are investigated by the Academic Administrator and, where the investigation indicates that misconduct may have occurred, are considered, classified, and determined by the Academic Integrity Panel. You are told in writing of any allegation and the evidence relied upon, you are given a reasonable opportunity — normally ten working days — to respond, and you are treated as acting in good faith unless and until misconduct is established. If you do not respond within the period allowed, the investigation proceeds on the available evidence and may result in the affected work being withdrawn from certification.
• Investigations are normally concluded within twenty working days of notification, so that a learner against whom an allegation is not upheld is not disadvantaged in progression or certification. Sanctions are proportionate to the classification and range from mandatory academic integrity education and a recorded reprimand, through resubmission or reassessment with or without a mark penalty or a grade cap, to a mark of zero, a fail grade, withdrawal of the work from certification, or suspension or removal from the programme. Where misconduct is established after an award has been conferred, the case is referred to the awarding body with a recommendation that the award be revoked. Where a learner admits the matter at an early stage, that is treated as mitigation.
• You are told in writing of any decision, the reasons for it, and your right of appeal. An appeal against a decision of the Academic Integrity Panel is made under the Non-Assessment Appeals policy (Section 6.18): it must be lodged within 14 days of notification, carries no fee, and is reviewed by the Programme Director, who had no prior involvement in the case. You are issued with a written report of the findings within 14 days. The outcome is final within CMIT’s internal procedures.
• Learners are encouraged to be aware of the various situations which may present themselves during their studies and to always protect their own academic integrity by refusing to engage with any instances which may breach the college polices on same.
• Questions or queries in relation to academic integrity can be directed to the Academic Director at any time and will be dealt with in an open and fair manner.

V-240926  |  Issued as part of the CMIT Quality Assurance Manual  |  Aligned to the CMIT Strategic Plan 2026-2028 v0.79