Dear Students and Parents, 

Greetings! 

Thanks for showing interest in participating/permitting your ward to participate in the Freshworks STS Software Academy Program.

You are hereby requested to carefully read, understand and adhere to the following Terms and Conditions, applicable to you / your ward in connection to the said program and the decision of the officials of Freshworks STS Software Academy will be final and binding on students with respect to the program activities.
 

1. Probono: Freshworks STS Software Academy (FSSA) is a not for profit initiative. FSSA is part of  Freshworks Technology Private Limited set up to carry out educational activities of the company, in connection to its  Social Impact program, but that may be subject to change from time to time. Applicants / Students agree and understand that this is a pro-bono initiative and doesn’t give any rights to them for challenging the validity, continuity or quality of the program or the Academy.

 

2. No Bond & No Job Guarantee - FSSA neither solicits nor accepts any course fee or bond from the Applicants nor guarantees any job to the Applicants/Students. Students are at their discretion to apply for jobs anywhere, after completing the training program. 
 

3. What we provide to students - 

4. What is expected of students - All students are expected to maintain high levels of participation & sincere commitment throughout the program. Students are expected to meet the below success criteria every month.  The success criteria are defined by the below things:

 

5. Paid Internships: Paid Internships is part of the 2nd year of the program & offered to all students, upon successful completion of their 1st year program per these T&C’s. FsSA will try to provide opportunities for internships in areas that best suit the interest of all students who successfully complete the 1st year program, within Freshworks &/or/ third parties. The amount of stipend shall depend upon the opportunity, and there can be a possibility that some are paid higher / lower depending upon the skill or the opportunity. 
 

6. Laptop & Internet Dongle: Laptop and other office equipment provided, if any, shall be returned back to FSSA in good condition as provided by FWSA. 
 

7. Connectivity & Availability: Students shall ensure that they have good internet connectivity to ensure they attend classes online smoothly. Further, it will be the student’s responsibility to maintain at least 90% attendance each month to ensure the successful continuation of the program. In case the student is unable to attend the classes due to poor connectivity at their end, the same shall be marked as absent. Freshworks reserves the right to expel a student if the attendance falls below 90% for three consecutive months.

 

8. Assessment period: The initial 3 months will be an assessment period of the Student. During this assessment period, students who show high motivation towards the program and are able to meet the success criteria specified in clause-4 will be allowed to continue beyond the assessment period. FSSA reserves the right to expel the student at the end of the assessment period based on their performance. Students too can withdraw during the assessment period, after returning the laptop/dongle without any financial obligation if such assets are returned in original condition, and without any damage. Students who successfully complete & clear the assessment period will get a monthly stipend of INR 10000 & will be allowed to continue in the program. Under special circumstances, a student may be allowed to continue, with approvals from the Head of the Program, even if some of the above performance criteria are not met during the assessment period.
 

9. Students withdrawing after assessment period or expelled owing to breach of code of conduct: Students acknowledge and understand that dropping out after the assessment period, would have utilized significant resources of FSSA and would have taken away a seat of a more deserving student who could have potentially joined in their place. In such unforeseen circumstances, we expect the students/parent/guardian to return the laptops & office equipment in good condition and will not be allowed to appear for future FSSA batch admissions. Under special circumstances with approvals from the Head of the FSSA Program, the obligation of student/parent/guardian/referee may be waived off.
 

10. Right to expel the student by FSSA anytime: In cases where a student fails to meet any of the success criteria mentioned in clause-4 for 3 months in a row, in spite of sufficient warnings and notices, FSSA reserves the right to expel the student from the program thereafter.
 

11. Stipend: Stipend shall be paid monthly, INR 5000 (during assessment period), INR 10000 (after assessment period). The stipend shall be continued only if the student meets clause-4 above. FsSA reserves the discretion to pay a stipend and the student agrees that there is no legal right bestowed to him to compel FSSA to pay a stipend, for such a training program which is provided free of charge.
 

12 . Duration: This is a 2 year program, with 1st year of in-classroom training followed by paid internship experiences upon successful completion of the 1st year program per clause-4.
 

13. Assistance in Job Opportunities: FSSA may assist and guide the top performers for getting ‘full-time jobs’ to students at its discretion, based on candidates meritorious performance in the FSSA program. The completion of the Software Training and internship program doesn’t automatically enroll a student to be offered a full-time job opportunity at Freshworks or any other company. Students are open to apply for jobs with third parties directly, after the completion of the training program. 

14. Student/Parent/Guardian obligation: Equipment Guarantee - Laptops & internet dongles will be provided upon under-signatures from the parent/guardian, in the appropriate consent form,  who takes financial responsibility for the asset provided. Under special circumstances with approvals from the Head of the Program, the obligation of student/parent/guardian may be waived off.

 

FSSA Student Code-of-Conduct

 

1. This Student Code of Conduct (“Code”) sets out the standards of conduct required from all students of FSSA  as well as give students general notice of academic and non-academic prohibited conduct. Besides providing a clear framework, the policies and procedures are designed to mirror expectations from our students so that they can hold themselves in a professional environment. The Code along with the T&C is binding on students.

 

2. The Code of Conduct should be read broadly and is not designed to define misconduct in exhaustive terms. The Code of Conduct is an overarching policy that also includes all published policies and procedures. It holds individual students and groups of students responsible for the consequences of their actions. Failure to fulfil these responsibilities may result in the withdrawal of privileges or the imposition of sanctions including but not limited to termination from the course, ban from sitting for demo days and placements etc.

 

3. FSSA  reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify, add, replace or delete all or any part of the Code at any time without notifying the students in advance. The Code of Conduct, along with any other document as published by FWSA shall be applicable and binding in relation to the behaviour of the Students that is in-person, written, or conducted online. 

 

4. For Students who do not abide by the terms of this Code of Conduct (including in relation to meeting the minimum attendance requirement) or who are in breach of their responsibilities as set out in this Code of Conduct, FSSA  shall have the absolute right to expel such Students from the program. In such a case, depending on how far you have completed the program, the consequences as set out in the FSSA T&C shall apply. The determination by FSSA authorities/officials that the Student is in breach of the terms of this Code of Conduct shall be final and binding on the Student.

 

5. At FSSA, we value an educational environment that respects the values of individual students and their personal and professional development. We strive to create and maintain an environment in which individuals are treated with dignity, decency, respect and to ensure that we provide to the students the best learning experience. FSSA prohibits unlawful discrimination against and harassment of staff, instructors, and students. All policies including but not limited to the Code of Conduct may be enforceable for incidents that happen outside of FSSA that affect the FSSA community (i.e. personal social media pages, Facebook, and/or meetups or any other events as determined by FSSA). 

6. If someone brings concerning behaviour to our attention, FSSA will work to determine if there is an actual or alleged violation. Upon receipt of such a report of the actual or alleged violation, we will notify the student(s) accused, Parents (if necessary) meet with them, gather information about the incident(s), and work to prevent reoccurrence. As with any alleged violation of this Code of Conduct or FSSA’s policies, if a Student is found in breach of this Code of Conduct, FSSA  will take appropriate action, both to protect students involved and to continue to foster a harmonious learning environment for everyone. When deciding the appropriate action to take, FSSA will consider the severity of the incident, additional information (such as past behavioural history), and the context we may have. 

7. All students are expected to know and abide by the Code of Conduct and all published policies and procedures. In addition, we may from time to time publish announcements to Students for them to abide by - for example in the #announcements channel in Slack about topics related to the Code of Conduct.

 

8. Attendance, Punctuality & Leave of Absence: FSSA  expects each Student to actively participate in their course by attending all lectures, lab hours, having an online presence during course hours, engaging with their instructor and collaborating with other Students. 

 

9. Completion of Assignments, projects and coursework: FSSA  expects students to complete each and every assignment given as part of the course within the due date specified because the concepts learned in one assignment are a building block needed for future assignments.  Even if a student knows a concept, repetition solidifies the foundation of their knowledge. We encourage Students to reach for stretch goals and practice on their own. Students must have at least 90% assignment submission rates (within due dates), if the completion rates are below 90% disciplinary action will be taken i.e., granting of warning to the Student, suspension of the stipend to Student, the expulsion of the Student from the program as mentioned in FSSA T&C clause-4.

 

10. Integrity: FSSA expects students to maintain high standards of academic integrity. Breaches of academic integrity include, but are not limited to inappropriate collaboration, cheating, sharing solution code, plagiarism, copyright infringement, and inaccurate citations. Asking for help and researching online is a key part of learning; however, Students cannot use the code that has been written by someone else.

 

11. Inappropriate Collaboration - Collaboration on assignments is prohibited unless explicitly permitted by your instructor. The goal of FSSA  and your experience here is to learn the material to master. While we welcome both self-reliance and peer engagement, if a Student is caught inappropriately collaborating, a member of the Curriculum team / Operation team will evaluate the situation. Based on findings, the Student may face disciplinary action, up to being suspended or rusticated from FSSA. 

 

12. Cheating - Cheating can be a tricky subject in the world of collaboration and open source. For our purposes, we define cheating as:

 

13. Sharing Code Solutions: FSSA projects and curriculum are the property of FSSA, any unauthorized sharing of project solution code within or outside of the FSSA  community may result in dismissal from the program. FSSA owns all code for FSSA assigned projects,  including any code written by a Student for projects outside of the core FSSA curriculum until the completion of the two-year program, and any code written during the term of the Program but published after the completion of the Program.

 

14. Plagiarism: Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty that includes the wrongful appropriation of another's work, thoughts, ideas, or expression. If a student is caught plagiarizing, which can include copying code from instructors, other Students, outside sources, or generally submitting work that is not their own, a member of FSSA will evaluate the situation. Based on findings, the Student may face disciplinary action, up to being withdrawn from FSSA. 

 

15. Respect and Professionalism - FSSA  is fortunate to have Students, instructors, and staff from extremely diverse backgrounds. Contribute to creating a positive experience for everyone by being respectful in communication (sarcasm translates poorly via text and online chat). Students are expected to do their part to make FSSA  a welcoming place to learn by encouraging their fellow Students, offering support, and listening to others. FSSA  does not tolerate discriminatory, harassing, or insulting remarks to other students, instructors, staff, or anyone else, online or in-person; please see the Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment policy below. 

 

16. Ask for help If a student feels lost or is stuck on an assignment, it’s their responsibility to reach out to their instructor for help. Others can only provide support if Students let them know. Students may not always be given the answer, but they will be provided with the tools to come up with the answer on their own. Students should use the following order in asking for help on technical problems/challenges and coursework: 

 

17. Disciplinary Measures that may be imposed under the Code include but are not limited to:

 

All powers relating to discipline and disciplinary action in relation to the students of FSSA shall vest with the Head of the FSSA Program. The Head of the FSSA Program may delegate all or any of his powers as he/she deems fit, to such other officers as he/she may nominate on that behalf.

 

Student/Parent/Relative/Guardian Consent Form 
 

I _______________________(Father/Mother/Relative/Guardian) of Mr/Ms. ______________________  support my ward to join FSSA 2 year training program full time 9a-7p Mon-Fri starting on <date>.

OR

I __________________________________________________ (Student First Name, Last name) 

Date of Birth : _____________Pan Card No : _______________ Aadhar Card No : _________________________

Residence Address : __________________________________________________________________________

I hereby undertake/cause my ward to ensure the following: <tick the respective option> 

1. I will be able to give 90% or more attendance during the course duration                                                       Yes/ No

2. I understand coursework is delivered online using Zoom / Slack / or other platforms                                   Yes/ No

3. I will make sure to not have other commitments conflicting during the course hours.                                    Yes/ No

4. I will never indulge in any kind of unethical practice (sharing code etc.)                                                           Agree /Disagree

5. I am ready to adhere to Course timings for Full time (9 am to 7 pm for 5 days a week)                                 Yes/ No

6. I plan to work full time immediately after completing the course                                                                       Yes/ No

7. I am keen on working in Technology Jobs after the completion of the course                                                 Yes /No

8. I will arrange for a stable internet connection using the stipend provided                                                        Yes /No

9. I have read and understood the liability clause if I drop out after the assessment period                               Yes/ No

10. I understand that I should achieve the green/yellow zone in each month’s report card                                 Yes/ No

11. I also confirm that I have no degree higher than +2/Diploma                                                                             Yes /No

12. I will be able to visit the Chennai FSSA office & attend classes in person whenever requested.                 Yes/ No

13. I read, understood and agree to all the FSSA T&C clauses including clauses 3, 4 on what is expected of me to successfully complete this program and clause 14 student/parent/guardian’s equipment guarantee                                                              Yes/ No

 

Signature                                                              Signature

 

-------------------------                                            ---------------------------

Applicants Name:                                                Parent/Guardian Name:

 

Date:                                                                      Date: