Terms and Conditions

Complaints and Appeals - The Savannah Wine Institute prides itself in offering exceptional wine/spirits education and training programs to its students. While we make every effort to meet high quality standards of service, we are always open to feedback and opportunities for improvement. Whenever necessary, students are encouraged to discuss concerns or give feedback directly to their instructor in person or via email. However, should a student have a complaint about The Savannah Wine Institute’s lessons, policies or instructors, a written complaint should be emailed to the Director of Education at info@savannahwinesinstitute.com with the subject line “ATTN: Director of Education”. 

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If a student feels that their concerns were not addressed or handled properly, they may then reach out to the school director via email at info@savannahwinesinstitute.com with the subject line “ATTN: School Director”. The Savannah Wine Institute takes feedback very seriously and will respond in a timely manner to all formal complaints with the aim of resolution taking 30 days or less.  Any decisions made regarding the matter will be communicated to the student in writing. If the student feels that a complaint or concern received in writing by the director of The Savannah Wine Institute was not handled properly, they may then submit their concerns directly to the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission https://gnpec.georgia.gov/student-resources/student-complaints

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Conflict of Interest - A conflict of interest may exist wherein a student which is closely affiliated to an instructor or employee of The Savannah Wine Institute is enrolled in a WSET class administered by the school. It is the intent of The Savannah Wine Institute to treat all students equally and minimize practices which may be deemed unfair. As such, registration of any students which may be at risk for being a conflict of interest will be noted by the Director of Education and forwarded to School Director for review. The Savannah Wine Institute will not engage in student preference, even for those participating in our Teacher Assistant Program, or other potentially unfair practices. Given that all exams are graded offsite , The Savannah Wine Institute agrees to securing all exams prior to completion and post completions without student assistance. Any student concerns about instructor conflict of interest should be directed to The Savannah Wine Institute Director of Education via email at info@savannahwinesinstitute.com.

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Diversity and Equality – The Savannah Wine Institute believes that all people deserve the right to fair, and equitable, wine and spirit education. As such, in the enrollment process, and in education or examinations, we do not discriminate on the grounds of race, religion or beliefs, sex or sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy or age (provided the legal minimum age for consumption of 21 is met). We work to ensure that we promote equality by first ensuring equal registration opportunities for all students. We also work with students with documented special needs to ensure education and examinations are provided through reasonable accommodations. We invite feedback from students with regard to the nature of their educational experience, and we review policies as needed to continually meet local and national requirements. Students who believe they have been unfairly discriminated against should contact the school director promptly to resolve the issue.
 

Reasonable Adjustments – A reasonable adjustment is defined as an action used to minimize the effect of a difficulty or disability that significantly challenges a candidate’s success during instruction and assessment. The Savannah Wine Institute seeks to make wine and spirit education accessible to all students regardless of special needs or disabilities. In order to achieve this, students should indicate any special education needs and disabilities on their enrollment form, or communicate their special needs with the director of education via email at info@savannahwinesinstitute.com (subject line “ATTN: Director of Education”) during the enrollment process. The Director of Education will discuss potential accommodations with the student and create a plan which can enable more equitable learning. Some examples of reasonable adjustments to ensure student success include: handicap-accessible building and classroom(s); one-to-one proctoring for the hearing impaired; lessons and curriculum modified to meet the needs of those with learning disabilities. If a student requires special assistance prior to an exam, a request should be submitted prior to the exam to allow for adequate time to make necessary accommodations. Any modifications to curriculum or examinations must be submitted to and approved .

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Special Consideration - A special consideration is an action taken after an assessment as a result of a student being at a disadvantage due to adverse circumstances, injury or temporary illness which prevented them from being able to take the assessment as required. Students may be eligible for special consideration if they were affected by circumstances beyond their control. Such circumstances include bereavement, accident, personal illness, alternate assessment arrangements found to be inadequate or inappropriate, or unacceptable exam room conditions. All requests for special consideration must be submitted in writing by email to the director of education within 2 days of the assessment and may require evidence. The Savannah Wine Institutewill review the request and any action taken will be communicated to the student in writing.
 

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