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Terms and Conditions

The Chief of Staff Executive Certification Programme

The purpose of these Terms and Conditions is to set out the contractual basis for your relationship with The Chief of Staff Association as it pertains to the Chief of Staff Executive Education Programme and to draw your attention to key terms.Your contract with us is made up of:
  • these Terms and Conditions,
the programme description on the programme web page
  • the offer letter or email from The Chief of Staff Association 
  • The Chief of Staff Association standard terms and conditions found at https://www.csa.org/privacy
Conditions of your contract with The Chief of Staff Association1. Your offer of a place in the Chief of Staff Executive Certification Programme is set out in the offer letter or email from The Chief of Staff Association (the “Offer”). Upon paying your full fees you enter into a contract with The Chief of Staff Association.2. You will enter into this contract with The Chief of Staff Association even if your fees are paid by a third party on your behalf.3. It is a condition of your contract that any information submitted with or in relation to your application is true, accurate and complete (i.e., does not omit information you have been asked to provide).4. If you have received an acceptance email from The Chief of Staff Association but have not yet paid your fees for the programme your offer may be withdrawn at our discretion.5. By paying your fees you agree to comply with the Harvard Business School’s Statutes and Regulations as amended from time to time and with the Statements and Codes of Policy, Practice and Procedure which are made under them. These include the Harvard Business Schools’s Code of Discipline, and other regulations concerning your studies, conduct and behaviour including regulations relating to harassment, the use of IT facilities, health and safety issues (including safe behaviour required during any pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency) and legislative requirements such as data protection. You similarly agree to comply with Harvard Business School’s policies and guidance as amended from time to time.6. You may be excluded from some or all of the programme if Harvard Business School or The Chief of Staff Association considers that you are in breach of any of these rules.Your responsibilities7. It is your responsibility:a) to act as a responsible member of The Chief of Staff Association and Harvard Business School’s community, including treating other members of the community, fellow programme participants and the public with courtesy and respect.b) to comply with any measures or instructions given by Harvard Business School or The Chief of Staff Association to reduce risk of transmission of any illness or to safeguard health during a pandemic (including Covid-19), epidemic or local health emergency. Without limiting that general obligation, reasonable measures may include imposing specific requirements regarding personal protective equipment such as the wearing of masks, or specific safety measures such as use of sanitiser or distancing procedures. You must also immediately declare to Harvard Business School staff and The Chief of Staff Association  if you have, or suspect you may have, symptoms of Covid-19 (or any other serious infectious illness), or if you have received a positive test result for Covid-19, comply with the period of self-isolation required by government, and comply with any other distancing or health and safety measures in place, as updated from time to time.c) To comply with any other reasonable instructions in relation to delivery of the programme (eg other health and safety requirements, confidentiality, use of devices in sessions and complying with licence terms on programme materials)d) To attend all teaching sessions, arrive promptly, carry out all relevant preparation for programme sessions and engage fully with programme activities.8. If you fail to comply with clause 7 without proper reason, you may be excluded from sessions or from the programme as a whole (and to notify your funder if your fees are being paid by a third party) to ensure your behaviour does not have a detrimental effect on other participants. If you are excluded from the programme or if (without reasonable excuse) you do not attend all teaching sessions of the programme, you will not receive a certificate of attendance. No refunds will be payable to you where you are excluded from the programme, or any sessions, in these circumstances.

Fees and payment9. The following items are included in the programme fee.i. All Faculty instruction and facilitation;
ii. Preparation and despatch of pre-Programme reading materials to Participants as
iii. Preparation of classroom teaching materials (Faculty handouts, slides, etc.)
iv. All Programme functions as determined by the programme design
vi. Collation and distribution of any evaluation forms upon completion of the Programme
vii. Duplication of Faculty handouts and slides as reasonably necessary
viii. Stationery including name badges and name plates;
iv. Standard certificates of attendance or similar acknowledgement of completion
x. Group photograph of Participants
xi. Books, Programme binders and case studies;10. Shortly after sending your Offer, The Chief of Staff Association will issue you an invoice with details of how to pay. Invoices are payable immediately upon receipt. Places on programmes are allocated following receipt of the full fees, subject to availability. Your place is not confirmed until your fees are paid in full.11. The Chief of Staff Association reserves the right to refuse you admission to the programme if you have not paid all programme, registration and accommodation fees before the programme starts.12. All payments must be in USD (United States Dollar). You must pay any currency conversion costs or other charges incurred in making the payment or in processing a refund.

Cancellation Policy13. You have the right to cancel your contract for the programme at any time within 7 days of accepting your offer. You will receive a full refund of any payments you have made in relation to education services.14. If after 7 days the participant provides notice of cancellation, the following refund conditions apply:
  • between 8-18 weeks before the programme start date: 50% refund.
  • less than 8 weeks before the programme start date: no refund.
Cancellation by us15. Insofar as reasonably possible, if a pandemic (including but not limited to Covid-19), epidemic, local health emergency, fire, flood, explosion, lockouts strikes or other industrial disputes, protests, riots, civil disturbance, war or national emergency, acts of terrorism, acts of government and acts of God, means that on-campus teaching needs to be cancelled, The Chief of Staff Association will notify participants as soon as practicable and will give you the opportunity to either:a) Transfer to the same on-campus programme at a later date, subject to availability, orb) Cancel your place on the programme, subject to a cancellation fee of 5% of the programme fees.16. The Chief of Staff Association’s liability when it cancels a programme will be limited to a refund of any fees or charges paid for the cancelled programme. For partial cancellation of a programme, such refunds will be made on a proportionate basis.Changes to programmes17. The Chief of Staff Association will seek to deliver each programme in accordance with the description set out on your programme web page.18. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for The Chief of Staff Association to make changes in programme provision, either before or after enrolment. The Chief of Staff Association therefore reserves the right to:a) make reasonable changes to the timetable, location or academic staff specified for a programme; andb) make reasonable changes to the content and syllabus of a programme.19. In exceptional circumstances we may need to suspend, discontinue or combine programmes. This may be because of the effect of a pandemic (including Covid-19), epidemic or local health emergency, academic changes within subject areas, or as a result of low student numbers on a programme.20. Where a pandemic (including but not limited to Covid-19), epidemic or local health emergency necessitating measures to reduce risk of infection or illness arises or has already arisen, Harvard Business School or The Chief of Staff Association may make such changes it reasonably deems necessary to comply with government or local authority regulations or guidance, and/or its own health and safety advice and/or to ensure the health and safety of staff, students and third parties and/or to respond to consequential staffing or resource constraints. Examples of measures Harvard Business School, or The Chief of Staff Association may take in such circumstances include:a) Moving the location of teaching and/or restricting student numbers permitted to attend any location at one time (including restricting numbers at libraries, lectures or seminars or splitting a programme cohort into two or more groups);b) Changing the times of scheduled teaching, including evenings or weekends;c) Requiring participants to comply with:i. social distancing measures;
ii. wearing of face-masks;
iii.  wearing personal protective equipment;
iv. other health and safety measures deemed necessaryd) Varying, limiting or cancelling access to some services or facilities;21. The Chief of Staff Association will ensure that, when making changes as a result of a pandemic (including Covid-19), epidemic or local health emergency, the key learning outcomes of each programme will still be provided. The scope of The Chief of Staff Association’s right to make changes under clause 20 of these Terms and Conditions should be construed accordingly.22. Save as set out expressly above, no refunds, discounts, damages or waivers of programme fees or other charges will be payable to you where changes or delays have resulted from, been caused by, or are in relation to a pandemic (including but not limited to Covid-19), epidemic or local health emergency necessitating measures to reduce risk of infection or illness. Furthermore, Harvard Business School and The Chief of Staff Association will not be liable for any consequential losses or expenses you may incur (eg travel or accommodation costs) as a result.Events beyond our control23. The Chief of Staff Association will not be in breach of its obligations under its contract with you, nor liable to you for any loss caused to you under its contract with you which results from events which are beyond The Chief of Staff Association’s reasonable control, such as: a pandemic (Covid-19 or otherwise), an epidemic or a local health emergency necessitating measures to reduce risk of infection or illness; industrial action; acts of God; acts of terrorism; the unanticipated departure or absence of key members of staff; or failure or delay by third party suppliers and subcontractors.Complaints procedure24. If you have a complaint you should submit details to contact@csa.orgTermination25. Your contract with The Chief of Staff Association will end in the following circumstances:a) when you finish your programme or if you cancel or withdraw from your programme; b) if The Chief of Staff Association exercises its right to cancel or discontinue your programmec) if you are excluded from a programme under clause 8; ord) if you fail to comply with paragraph 5, 6 or 7 above.26. The following terms will survive termination of your contract with Harvard Business School for any reason:a) terms relating to personal data as described in The Chief of Staff Association’s terms page (https://www.csa.org/terms) and;Jurisdiction27. Your contract with The Chief of Staff Association and any dispute arising from it (including non-contractual disputes) shall be governed by the laws of the United States of America and the State of New York and are subject to the mandatory arbitration provisions set out in The Chief of Staff Association’s general terms and conditions.