Non-Discrimination Policy

• PVWW welcomes writers of all genres, backgrounds, races, colors, national or ethnic origins, ages, religions, disabilities, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and veteran statuses. We prohibit all discrimination against and harassment of any instructor or student on the basis of any of the above. 

• For those applying to teach at PVWW, we do not discriminate based on race, color, national or ethnic origins, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and/or veteran status. For more information on applying to teach at PVWW, see our application and criteria. 

Class and Workshop Policies

Requirements for Multi-Week Workshop Attendance: Basic Computer Literacy

• For multi-week workshops, all participants must be comfortable with basic computer use, including frequent emailing and attaching of documents. If you are not comfortable with this, we recommend seeking help from friends, family, or local libraries or universities before applying.

• For multi-week workshops or workshops that require handing in or distributing your work, all participants must be able to type up and correctly format all work related to the class. If you need help with this, we recommend seeking out friends, family, local libraries or universities, or investigating certain voice-recognition software before applying.

• Students with disabilities: We do everything we can to accommodate students who need extra assistance, though we are not able to offer rides, typing services, or direct computer support, though please let us know if you need extra help with any of this, and we're happy to make suggestions and brainstorm possibilities. Our classroom is wheelchair accessible, with an elevator. 
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Payment for Classes and Workshops

• Payment is due in full before arriving at any class or workshop. We do not consider you registered in any class or workshop unless and until we receive full payment. 

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• We do not allow payment in multiple installments except in rare occasions if arranged separately. 

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• Gift Certificates: If you'd like to redeem a gift certificate, simply let us know which class you'd like to apply it toward, and we will register you for that class. 

Credit and Refund Policy

• If you withdraw from a workshop ten days or more before the start of the class: You'll receive full credit toward another workshop or class of equal value OR a refund minus 20%. Credits cannot be converted into refunds.

• If you withdraw from a workshop nine days before the start of the class up until 48 hours before: You'll receive full credit toward another class OR a refund minus 30%. 

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• If you withdraw from a workshop less than 48 hours before the start of class or after the class has begun: We are not able to offer you credit toward another class or a partial refund. Though please contact us and let us know about your situation, as this will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

• To withdraw from a workshop or class you MUST contact Joy at either joy@pioneervalleywriters.org or 518-645-1113. Informing an instructor does not count as a withdrawal. 

• If we have to cancel a class for any reason, we will give you a full refund or, if you choose, a credit in the amount of your payment, to be used for any future PVWW class. Anyone who does not specify whether they would like a refund or a credit for a cancelled class within 3 months will automatically receive a credit and will no longer be eligible for a refund.

• In the event of an emergency, we may consider a refund, in partial or in full. We handle these requests on a case-by-case basis. Please contact Joy (joy@pioneervalleywriters.org) for this. You must make your request within the given season in which the class transpired.  

 

• If you attended an entire workshop, one-day or multi-week, and found that the content varied significantly from what was outlined in the description, please let us know and we will consider a refund or credit, either partial or in full. We are unable to consider refunds or credits if the experience was “not to your liking,” although we always appreciate thoughtful critical feedback in an effort to improve our offerings.

 

• Credits are valid for two years from date of issue.  They may not be converted into refunds.

 

• If you decide to withdraw from a class and receive partial credit, you may apply that credit to another workshop, only if that workshop has not yet begun.

 

• Gift Certificates: If you are enrolled in a class and plan to use a gift certificate, you are still subject to the normal refund policies. 

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• Unforeseen Circumstances/Emergencies During Multi-Week Workshops: If there is an unforeseen emergency (such as instructor illness or medical leave) that causes the workshop to end mid-session, all students will be refunded a pro-rated amount based on the number of classes left that will be canceled. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer refunds if students must drop out of the workshop mid-session due to personal reasons or emergencies.

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• Other scenarios: We know there are all kinds of scenarios that might bring you to request a refund. We will try our best to accommodate you , though there are certain scenarios where we cannot offer refunds, regardless of the situation. We are unable to offer a refund in the following instances: ​​If you have been provided with materials from the workshop; if the instructor has devoted significant amounts of time to you and/or worked with you via email in any way; if you are requesting a refund while a class is currently running.

Class Cancellation Policies

• One-Day Craft Classes: If a one-day craft class is canceled or rescheduled due to circumstances outside our control (ie. weather, instructor illness, building emergency, etc.) all enrolled participants will have the option of either receiving a full refund or putting their credit toward another PVWW one-day craft class. 

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• Multi-Week Workshops: If circumstances outside our control (i.e. weather, instructor illness, building emergency, etc.) require that a particular day (or days) in a multi-week workshop be canceled, PVWW and the instructor will make sure that the missed class is rescheduled at a time that works best for as many participants as possible. We are unable to offer any type of refund to those who cannot attend the rescheduled classes. 

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• If we must cancel a class for any reason before it begins - either one-day or multi-week - all those who've already paid for the class will have the option of receiving a full refund or full credit toward another class of equal value. 
  

In-Class Disputes and Problems

• If any disputes, problems, offensive content, or issues arise within the workshop or class setting, our goal is to resolve tensions in as professional and helpful a manner as possible. As writers tackling often-difficult subjects, we cannot fully control some of the topics that may be discussed. However, we aim to establish a safe and open space for communication and discussion of any issue that may arise. If you do not feel safe discussing an issue in the group, please reach out to your instructor. 

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• Any individual who behaves in a loud, unruly, and/or disrespectful manner to any student(s) and/or instructor(s) will be asked to leave and will not be entitled to a refund.

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Consulting & Coaching Policies

Payment for Manuscript Consulting, Editing, and/or Coaching Services

• Payment for consulting, editing, and coaching services is due in full before any services are rendered. Once we receive payment, your consultant and/or coach will be in touch with you. 

• Currently, we can only accept payment via our secure online payment system, Stripe (similar to PayPal). We normally send an invoice, though we are happy to take your payment over the phone if that's easier. 

Refund and Customer Satisfaction Policy

• We are committed to making sure you're satisfied with the services you receive, and in the event that you're unhappy with these services please let us know and we'll see what we can do. Unfortunately, we cannot give refunds on consulting or coaching services, but we can discuss with the consultant/coach and see what went wrong and how we might fix it.