WSET School Policy

The following policies apply to any/all WSET instruction taking place at The Beverage Lab. Please visit our FAQ and other policy pages in the footer for additional Bevlab information.

WSET School Policy

PRIVACY POLICY

The Beverage Lab will collect a WSET student’s personal information with their express consent for the sole purposes of providing sake and wine education. 

The Beverage Lab is responsible for the personal information collected in the process of registering and educating students. The Beverage Lab will obtain consent at the beginning of every course. This personal information includes: 

  • course results
  • courses taken

The Beverage Lab can disclose a student’s personal information to educators and administrators within the school to track progress and to determine whether a student might require additional support in their studies.  The Beverage Lab will ensure that that all of the information collected is accurate and provides safeguards as required by law. 

The Beverage Lab will ensure that a student’s personal information is only shared with London’s WSET Global for the sole purpose of registering students for an exam presided over by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET). 

For the purposes of marketing, The Beverage Lab’s endeavors in wine and sake education, they may periodically capture images or videos of classes for the purposes of using to promote on its social media channels and website. These images or video may include a student’s picture. By attending a class organized by The Beverage Lab, you express your consent to allow us to use these materials. 

WSET will handle all student data in accordance with its own Privacy Policy.

 

CANCELLATION AND REFUNDS FOR WSET CLASSES

Cancellations of confirmed course enrolments and single-day classes are accepted up to 10 business days before the start of the course. An administration fee of $100 plus the full cost of the study materials and exam fees will be deducted, and the remainder of the course fee refunded to the payee. There are separate exam cancellation/transfer rules depending on the qualification. 

Transfers of a confirmed enrolment to another course or student can be made up to 10 business days before the course start date on payment of a $100 admin fee, plus the cost of any additional study materials, exam fees, that may be applicable. There are separate exam cancellation/transfer rules depending on the qualification. 

What happened if I miss a class?  There is no remake class for a missed class.  Our instructors will work with you to guide you to any coursework that was missed. 

In the event a course is paused due to a force majeure, The Beverage Lab reserves the right to postpone the remaining course sessions until the cause of the restrictions are lifted. If the course must be cancelled by The Beverage Lab, the paid course fee for the remaining course sessions will be refunded, minus the value of the received study materials. 

For cancellations less than 10 days before the start of the course (or after the course has started), the student forfeits any refund options. Transfers to a new course are possible for 50% of the course tuition.

Course transfers cannot be carried forward more than one calendar year. 

 

DIVERSITY AND EQUALITY

At The Beverage Lab, we value diversity and inclusion.  We acknowledge and appreciate (even celebrate!) our differences in all aspects, including race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, and abilities and disabilities.  We encourage expression of personal experiences and opinions so that we may better educate, innovate and inspire. The Beverage Lab is completely committed to fostering diverse student and staff communities and to ensuring all students feel welcome, respected, and empowered to voice their unique perspectives. 

The Beverage Lab is committed to being fully equitable in our student onboarding process, hiring practices, and educational and service partnerships.  We seek to enroll, employ and partner with the best talent and those who complement our diverse community of learners. We recognize the barriers that exist within the historical wine trade and are committed to dismantling them through providing excellent and wide-reaching education. Courses at The Beverage Lab are open to the public.  All students that are 19 years or older are welcome in accordance with the legal drinking age in Ontario. 

As we endeavor to be an equal opportunity and anti-discrimination business, we are committed to making any accommodations to all students who require them while taking our courses. The easiest way to notify us of any special educational considerations is to note it on the registration form when registering for your course. 

The Beverage Lab operates through Ki Modern Japanese + Bar, an accessible facility with an wheelchair accessible classrooms and restrooms.

 

COMPLAINTS

We hope that you don’t! But should you have an issue with a course you have taken, please submit all correspondence to our email: WSET @ bevlab.ca.

The Beverage Lab and its educators will make our best effort to handle any complaints with care, consideration and privacy.  We are committed to resolving any issue and approaching the situation without bias or discrimination. 

When placing a complaint, the student is asked to:

Provide their complaint in writing, to The Beverage Lab’s attention via email to WSET@bevlab.ca within seven business days of the issue arising. 

Please provide the following information:

  • Name, address and contact information
  • Full description of the complaint
  • Supporting Information
  • Description of any previous attempts to resolve the issue; and the expected outcome  

Upon receiving the complaint, the Beverage Lab endeavors to:

  • Acknowledge any formal complaint  within five business days of receiving it
  • Endeavour to resolve the issue within 2-weeks’ time of the original complaint
  • Cooperate fully in any investigation process. 

If the response you received from The Beverage Lab is still not satisfactory, a complaint can be written to WSET’s quality assurance team: qa@wsetglobal.com.

Should the WSET be involved, the complainant should understand that the timeline of final resolution will deviate from The Beverage Lab’s internal policy. 

Resolutions

Students will receive a written response on the outcome of their complaint.  All information gathered during the formal complaint process will be kept strictly confidential. A register of the nature of the complaint along with any resolutions will be maintained anonymously to continuously improve policies and practices.

 

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

A Conflict of Interest exists where an individual has interests or loyalties that could adversely influence their judgement, objectivity or loyalty to The Beverage Lab or WSET when conducting activities associated with WSET qualifications. 

As an Approved Program Provider of WSET qualifications, The Beverage Lab is required to identify and assist in managing or monitoring actual, potential and perceived conflicts of interest involving both APP staff and the APP’s students, and report to them to WSET. This policy complements WSET’s conflicts of interest policy and works to safeguard the integrity of WSET qualifications and promote confidence in WSET and The Beverage Lab processes and procedures. 

This policy applies to all staff, students and individuals acting on behalf of The Beverage Lab. 

Examples of Conflicts of Interest include: 

  • The assessment of candidates by an individual who has a personal interest in the result of the assessment for any or all individuals concerned
  • The moderation of assessment of candidates by an individual who has a personal interest in the result of the assessment for any or all individuals concerned
  • The undertaking of a WSET qualification by any individual employed by an APP
  • The coaching of candidates by any individual involved in the assessment of a candidate
  • The employment by an APP of individuals engaged in the delivery of taught programs or in the role of Internal Assessor in another APP

Please note that in some cases, some of the conflicts of interest listed above can be managed and therefore acceptable.  Any potential conflict of interest will be brought to the attention of WSET in advance in order to place measures to maintain the integrity of an exam.  Please note that the failure to declare a conflict of interest may have consequences for the student or The Beverage Lab due to our obligations to report conflicts to WSET.

 

REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS

WSET and The Beverage Lab are aligned in their common goal to assess all students in a way that puts them at no disadvantage or advantage over others. 

What is a reasonable adjustment?

It is any action that helps to reduce the effect of a disability or difficulty that places the student at a substantial disadvantage in the assessment situation. With approval by the WSET, a reasonable adjustment is put in place before the assessment activity occurs.  In essence, a reasonable adjustment is an arrangement to provide the student access to the qualification. The use of a reasonable adjustment is not considered during the assessment of a student’s work. 

Scope

A reasonable adjustment should only assist the student with the disability or difficulty.  It must not give an unfair advantage over students that are not subject to a reasonable adjustment.  They should not affect the reliability and validity of the assessment outcomes as detailed in the Specification.

Examples of reasonable adjustments:

  • Changing standard assessment arrangements, for example, allowing students extra time to complete the assessment activity
  • Adapting assessment materials, such as providing materials in large text format
  • Providing access facilitators during the assessment, such as a sign language interpreter or reader
  • Re-organizing the assessment room, such as removal of visual stimuli for an autistic student

Applying for a reasonable adjustment 

At the time of a student’s enrollment, The Beverage Lab must identify any special needs which may require a reasonable adjustment at the time of the examination. A Reasonable Adjustment Application Form must be submitted by The Beverage Lab to the WSET at least three weeks before the examination date (WSET qualifications Levels 1-3). Supporting evidence must be provided with the completed form. 

The specific arrangements for the examination process itself, or for marking, will be agreed upon in each case between the WSET and the Examination Officer at The Beverage Lab.  It will vary according to individual circumstances. Please note that The Beverage Lab cannot offer reasonable adjustments to any students until WSET has been informed and agreed to it. The request/information for reasonable adjustment must be submitted three weeks in advance of and exam. Supporting information will be passed to WSET and handled in accordance with their data privacy policy. 

Students and their advisors should be aware that it is not appropriate to make requests for

reasonable adjustments where the student’s difficulty directly affects performance in the attributes that are the focus of the assessment. Note that the WSET cannot agree to reasonable adjustments where a student’s particular difficulty directly affects performance necessary to complete the assessment outcomes. 

Records of all reasonable adjustments will be kept by The Beverage Lab.

 

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

A special consideration pertains to things that happen immediately before or during an exam that have a material impact on the student’s ability to take the exam or performance. To be eligible for a special consideration, a student must have completed the whole course and been fully prepared to take the examination if not for a temporary illness, injury, or other uncontrollable event. A special consideration may be provided for an individual (a student becomes ill the day of the exam) or a group of students (an exam is interrupted by a natural disaster). 

Eligibility for a special consideration: 

  • A student’s performance on the exam is adversely affected by an event outside of their control. This may include temporary illness, temporary injury, bereavement or exam room conditions
  • Reasonable adjustments which were agreed in advance of the exam proved inappropriate or inadequate
  • The application of special consideration would not make a passing result and certificate misleading about the student’s ability to satisfy the qualification’s assessment criteria

Applying for special consideration

If your exam is imminent or you have already taken an exam, and you feel that you have a temporary injury or illness, or other uncontrollable event that has interfered with your ability to complete your exam, please contact The Beverage Lab at WSET @ bevlab.ca as soon as possible. We will provide you with a Special Consideration Application Form, which must be completed and returned with supporting documentation within 5 business days after the effected exam. The information you submit will be shared with WSET and will be handled under WSET’s Privacy and Data Protection Policy. 

If there has been serious disruption during an exam affecting a group of students, The Beverage Lab will submit a detailed report of the circumstances and candidates affected to WSET to request a special consideration. 

All applications for special consideration will be archived by The Beverage Lab.   

 

MALPRACTICE AND MALADMINISTRATION

The Beverage Lab and WSET both have policies and procedures in place to protect WSET students and safeguard the integrity of WSET qualifications. The Beverage Lab will at all times ensure to comply with its policies, and those of WSET’s, through this Malpractice and Maladministration Policy.  This policy provides a framework for both The Beverage Lab and the student to identify, report and manage potential malpractice or maladministration. 

There are two categories where non-compliance can occur within the policies and procedures of The Beverage Lab or WSET: 

  • Maladministration, where the non-compliance is generally unintentional, or the result of mistakes, carelessness, inexperience, or poor processes
  • Malpractice where the non-compliance is intentional or the result of a negligent or reckless action without consideration of the consequences of the action

Context is important and the line between maladministration or malpractice is not always clear: for example, maladministration incidents may become malpractice (for instance, if you fail to implement corrective measures, repeat the same or similar incident, or attempt to misrepresent or hide information during an investigation); or there may be mitigating factors that turn potential malpractice into maladministration. Though malpractice and maladministration are distinct concepts, they can shade into one another. Malpractice and maladministration are always case, context and fact specific. Both The Beverage Lab and students can commit malpractice and maladministration. 

There are many ways that malpractice or maladministration can occur. Examples of malpractice or maladministration include: 

For Approved Program Providers (such as The Beverage Lab): 

  • Failure to adhere to WSET Policies and Procedures
  • Failure to follow WSET requirements for course delivery or exam regulations
  • Failure to follow WSET’s candidate registration and certification procedures
  • Late student registrations
  • Fraudulent claim for certificates/fraudulent use of certificates/reproduction or forgery of certificates
  • Withholding critical information from WSET quality assurance
  • Insecure storage of exam materials
  • Revealing or sharing confidential exam materials with candidates ahead of an exam
  • Intentional attempts to manipulate exam results so that they do not reflect the candidate’s actual exam performance
  • Failure to disclose a Conflict of Interest
  • Issue of incorrect exam results/failure to issue results to students in a timely manner
  • Failure to timely respond to WSET
  • Unauthorized reading/amendment/copying/distribution of exam papers
  • Failure to report changes in APP ownership/personnel/location/facilities
  • Denying WSET access to information, documentation, workforce, facilities
  • Failure to return exam papers within the specified timeframe or to follow delivery and tracking regulations
  • Infringements of WSET copyright, trademarks, intellectual property rights and brand identity
  • Use of unqualified and/or unregistered educators or internal assessors
  • Breach of confidentiality
  • Misleading advertising/publicity
  • Any action likely to lead to an adverse effect

For students: 

  • Cheating, or facilitating cheating, including the use of unauthorized devices or materials
  • Disruptive behaviour in an exam
  • Plagiarism of any nature by students
  • Impersonation (including forgery of signatures)
  • Unauthorized reading/amendment/copying/distribution of exam papers
  • Any action likely to lead to an adverse effect
  • Breach of confidentiality

Additionally, there is an expectation that both the staff and students of The Beverage Lab will treat others and be treated professionally and respectfully at all times. Inappropriate behaviour including verbal or physical abuse, persistent or unrealistic demands, or threats that cause stress to staff is no acceptable and will be considered as misconduct, and The Beverage Lab may report student misconduct to WSET as necessary. 

Reporting and Investigation of Malpractice or Maladministration

As a WSET Approved Program Provider, we aim to ensure compliance with all WSET Policies and The Beverage Lab policies.  Further, the school will keep records of potential or actual malpractice or maladministration by students and The Beverage Lab staff. 

The Beverage Lab is required to notify WSET immediately of any non-compliance issues that could be malpractice or maladministration, so that WSET can investigate the non-compliance under their own Malpractice and Maladministration Policy. 

The Beverage Lab asks that students raise any concerns or potential non-compliance issues that may be malpractice or maladministration with The Beverage Lab as soon as possible by following the process outlined in our Complaints policy located above. 

During WSET’s investigation, they may reach out to The Beverage Lab or directly to the student who provided the complaint to request further information or conduct an interview. Please respond to any requests promptly and honestly. 

WSET will consider all relevant information on a case-by-case basis, balancing the facts with potential or actual effects, and against the seriousness of the sanctions against those effects. WSET records all malpractice and maladministration incidents for both APPs and students. 

If WSET determines that a student has committed malpractice or maladministration, they may apply one or any of the following sanctions: 

Appeals 

If you wish to appeal penalties or sanctions WSET has imposed due to Malpractice or Maladministration, please follow the procedures laid out in WSET’s Complaints Policy.