1. Introduction

1.1. The Pastoral Formation Institute (PFI) is an established Institute within the Archdiocese of Malta and licensed by the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority as a Further and Higher Education Institution under licence number 2013-FHI-028. The PFI offers various formation programmes in pursuit of its mission to form Christians for today’s world and ministry.

1.2. The aim of this document is to guarantee that the PFI offers a safe, pleasant, and deeply formative learning experience by outlining the rights & obligations of past, present, and future applicants or students of the PFI.

2. Definition of Terms

“AFF-Level”: Archdiocese Formation Framework Level. Applicable to programmes which are recognised by the Archdiocese of Malta, but have not been accredited by the MFHEA and thus are not recognised by the MQRIC;

“applicant”: an individual who is considering or is in the process of submitting a complete and formal request for enrolment to a PFI programme;

“Archdiocese”: the Catholic Archdiocese of Malta;

“Board”: the Board of the Pastoral Formation Institute;

“candidate”: an individual who has submitted a complete formal request for enrolment to a PFI programme, but has not yet been granted it;

“certificate” or “certification”: electronic and/or hard-copy document/s attesting to a student having successfully completed a formation programme offered by the PFI;

“course”: an extended period of organised study on a particular subject, usually as a series of lessons and/or training sessions revolving around a common theme and together forming a single cohesive unit of learning;

“credits”: credits are numerical values assigned to programmes and designed to measure programme workload and facilitate the implementation of recognition of formation within the Archdiocese of Malta, but have not been accredited by the MFHEA and thus are not recognised by the MQRIC. They can help to accumulate and recognise learning outcomes towards certification recognised by and within the Archdiocese of Malta.

“day/s”: unless otherwise specified, refers to the PFI offices’ working days;

“Director”: the Director of the Pastoral Formation Institute;

“ECTS”: acronym for the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System. ECTS are credits recognised by civil entities in line with European tools. All education pegged to the MQF is quantified in workload hours using an ECTS framework as per MFHEA standards.

“grade/s”: a scalable representation of the quality of a student’s work using, for example: percentages (in which case, it is also referred to as a “mark”), deciles, letters such as A-B-C-D-E-F, etc.;

“lecturer/s” (or “educator/s”): academically and/or professionally qualified individuals appointed by the PFI to deliver content, material, training, supervision, tutoring, task assignment & grading, and/or any activity directly related to formation of students;

“MFHEA”: the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority;

“MQF/EQF-Level”: Malta/European Qualifications Framework Level. It is only applicable to programmes which have been accredited by the MFHEA and indicated as such in programme promotion;

“MQRIC”: Malta Qualifications Recognition Information Centre;

“NSO”: the Malta National Statistics Office;

“office hours”: unless otherwise specified, refers to the PFI offices’ normal contact hours (08:30-12:30) during its working days;

“personal data” and “data subject”: as defined in GDPD and GDPR legislations, ‘personal data’ means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (‘data subject’); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person;

“PFI”: the Pastoral Formation Institute of the Archdiocese of Malta;

“PFI member”: all individuals in an active, formal relationship with the PFI, such as Board members, administrative & executive staff, appointed lecturers, enrolled students etc.

“programme”: in these Terms and Conditions, the term “programme” is used to refer to any one complete and formative activity offered by the PFI, whether it be a course consisting of several sessions, a single-session event or seminar, supervised training in one or more sessions etc.;

“session”: a single continuous encounter (including a short break, if applicable), in-person and/or online, between student/s and lecturer/s;

“staff”: unless otherwise specified, refers to members of the PFI’s administrative and/or executive team;

“student/s”: an individual who has been successfully enrolled in a PFI programme as a recipient of formation;

“these T&Cs”: “these Terms and Conditions” i.e. this document

“VLE”: Virtual Learning Environment, the PFI’s web-based digital environment used as an adjunct to student learning.

When referring to individuals (students, lecturers, members of staff etc), for the sake of simplicity these T&Cs will avoid the use of gender specific pronouns and will use the third-person plural instead.

3. Enrolment

3.1. The PFI commits itself to publishing all information relevant to each programme prior to its commencement. This information includes but is not limited to: course description, lecture dates, venue, mode of assessment etc.

3.1.1. Nevertheless, the PFI reserves the right to subsequently adapt any programme, if necessary, to accommodate for circumstances which were unforeseen at the time of publication and/or lie outside the PFI’s reasonable control.

3.1.2. The PFI will notify candidates and students via email of any significant changes made to programmes to which they have already applied/enrolled. If, due to these changes, a candidate or student no longer wishes or is no longer able to participate in said programme/s, and they inform the PFI of this by replying through the appropriate channels (see the ”Communication with students” section of these T&Cs) within five days of receiving written notification of these changes, then a full refund will be given.

3.2. Candidates are expected to possess basic Information Technology (IT) skills, to have access to electronic devices, to have access to internet, and to have a personal email account which they check regularly in order to: access their VLE, open and read files uploaded by lecturers, compose documents using a word processer, upload assignments to the VLE, access emails etc. They must also be fluent in English and in the language in which the programme will be delivered. Unless otherwise specified, programmes are offered in Maltese.

3.3. Unless otherwise stated, applicants are to apply online for a programme through the relative application form embedded in the programme’s webpage or in the PFI’s website. Due payments are to be effected via the online system linked to the aforementioned application form. Applicants who encounter difficulties in this process may contact the PFI’s office for assistance or for an alternative method of application and/or payment.

3.4. An application will only be considered complete for enrolment into a programme once all data has been submitted correctly, all entry requirements for the programme have been fulfilled, and payment has been successfully processed. Note that data may be collected and processed (see the section of these T&Cs dedicated to “Protection of Personal Data”) even if the application is not considered complete for enrolment purposes.

3.4.1. The enrolment of students less than eighteen years old will not be considered complete, and they shall not be allowed to commence any programme of formation offered by the Pastoral Formation Institute, without formal consent provided by their parent or legal guardian. This can be done by asking the PFI for the appropriate consent form, then filling it out and submitting it correctly to the PFI before the deadline for programme enrolment will have passed.

3.5. Late applications will only be accepted at the discretion of the PFI and may incur an additional 20% fee to cover administrative expenses.

3.6. Applicants will receive a confirmation email from the PFI confirming the reception of a valid and complete application, or otherwise, to the programme applied for within five days of the applicants having submitted a complete application.

3.7. The PFI may request an interview with applicants before enrolling them for a programme. During the interview, the applicant’s academic competencies, language skills, motivations, openness to formation, and attitude will be evaluated. The interview will be conducted by at least two persons appointed by the Director.

3.8. An applicant whose application to a programme is declined will be fully refunded.

3.9. The PFI reserves the right to cancel a programme due to a low number of applications or other unforeseen circumstances. In such cases, students will be notified by email and will be fully refunded.

3.9.1. If for any reason beyond its control the PFI should have to terminate a programme in progress, students’ fees will be fully refunded.

3.10. The PFI reserves the right to limit the number of students following a programme in-person and/or online, before or even after an applicant has successfully applied. In either case, the PFI may offer applicants the opportunity to follow the programme in another modality (if possible), or to be placed on a waiting list (if possible), or to cancel their application and receive a full refund. Applicants will be informed via email of the situation and of the options available, of which they can avail if they respond within five days.

3.11. Not later than five days before the commencement of any programme, the students of that programme will receive a welcome email which confirms their enrolment and which will include further information regarding the programme, together with their VLE credentials.

3.12. Except for situations similar to those described in sub-paragraphs 3.1.2 and 3.9.1 (when a full refund is due), if a student withdraws their enrolment from a programme:

• • ten or more days before its commencement, only 80% of the fees will be refunded, the remaining 20% being retained to cover administrative expenses.
  • later than ten days before its commencement, no refund is due.

3.13. If an applicant/candidate/student withdraws their application or enrolment because, prior to submitting a complete application for a programme and for reasons beyond the PFI’s responsibility (for example, the student’s own negligence), they would have not adequately considered whether the programme would be in line with their expectations and/or whether they possessed the necessary skills, resources, or time to pursue it successfully, paragraph 3.12 still applies. Failure to read in full these Terms and Conditions and/or the information published by the PFI regarding said programme (as outlined in paragraph 3.1) may alone constitute sufficient evidence of inadequate consideration.

3.14. A student will be unenrolled from asynchronous programmes after three calendar months from when they would have first logged in to that programme’s VLE profile, or – if they do not log in to that programme’s VLE profile – three calendar months from when they were first given access by the PFI.

4. Communication with Students

4.1. The PFI’s primary communication channels are email (using ‘@pfi.edu.mt’ email accounts) and the VLE. It is the student’s responsibility to regularly check their email and VLE to keep themselves up to date. The PFI is not obliged to take any responsibility, grant extensions, nor make exceptions for deadlines missed because students did not responsibly keep up to date with their email or VLE.

4.1.1. Occasionally, the PFI may also communicate with students by post, or by messages or phone calls through the PFI’s official phone numbers. In exceptional circumstances, such as in emergencies, other means of communication outside official channels may be considered.

4.2. Students are to communicate with the PFI preferentially via official email and/or VLE accounts. They may also opt to communicate by phone through the PFI’s official phone numbers or by post. The PFI will not respond to, follow up, or act on communications received from staff, lecturers, students and/or other individuals occurring through communication channels other than the PFI’s official ones.

4.2.1. If students wish to communicate with other students, with lecturers, or with third parties on business directly related to the PFI or its programmes, they must do so through the PFI’s official channels only. This can be done by asking a PFI staff member to provide them with such channels. All other forms of communication (for example, using a non-‘@pfi.edu.mt’ email account, FacebookTM, WhatsAppTM, or other telecommunication platforms) are unofficial, and the PFI not only takes no responsibility for them but firmly opposes even the use of such channels and groups. PFI students may not create or participate in any communication or social media group/page (unless officially created by the PFI) directly or indirectly related to programmes to which they have applied, or in which they are presently or have been previously enrolled.

4.3. Certificates attesting to a student’s successful completion of a programme will be issued as electronic copies via email. Where applicable, results of assessments will be published through the VLE.

4.3.1. Students may request a printed copy of their certificates – further details can be found in the “Completion of programme and certification” section of these T&Cs.

4.4. The PFI reserves the right to deactivate a student’s VLE account after three calendar months will have passed from having fulfilled all the criteria below:

• • • The student is not enrolled in any programmes which are either still in progress, or still pending commencement.
    • The student has already received any results that they are eligible to receive, taking into consideration even potential ‘revision of paper’ processes.
    • The student has already received all the certificates for which they would be eligible, whether in electronic or hard copy.

Further information can be found in the PFI’s “Data management policy”.

5. Student Card

5.1. Students accepted for blended or in-person programmes will receive a PFI Student Card, which they are expected to bring with them for every in-person session during that academic year as an official means of identification and of electronic attendance records.

5.1.1. The PFI reserves the right not to issue a Student Card for programmes having less than five credits.

5.2. At the discretion of the PFI and in agreement with third parties, the Student Card will enable students to benefit from discounts from selected retailers. Such discounts will be determined by said retailers and may be discontinued at any time during the course.

5.3. Through the Student Card, students enrolled in certain programmes will benefit from a free subscription at the Archbishop’s Seminary Library, Rabat.

6. Mode of Programme Delivery

6.1. Programmes are delivered in various modes, primarily:

6.1.1. Asynchronous: Learning occurs at a pace determined largely by the student and by their own schedule, primarily using sources (such as audiovisual materials) which are generally accessible to students from the VLE at all hours and for extended periods of time (generally, within a time-window specified by the PFI). There is little to no real-time interaction between lecturers and students.

6.1.2. Synchronous: Learning occurs in real-time using internet-based conferencing tools, mainly ZoomTM, with programme participants calling in from different physical locations.

6.1.3. In-person: Learning occurs through face-to-face, in-person interactions. Lecturer/s and students are all present at and in the same allocated time and place where a formation session, usually in the form of a lecture, is delivered.

6.1.3.1. For valid reasons, the PFI may allow students to follow synchronously programmes which are normally offered in-person. Such a permission will always be given in writing and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and would lie at the discretion of the PFI and may be granted for parts of the programme or for its entirety. Since the programme would not have originally been designed for synchronous, hybrid, or limited hybrid learning, students may find the quality of the equipment, the internet connection, and/or other elements of the synchronous learning mode to be unsatisfactory.

6.1.4. Hybrid: students can choose to follow the programme either in synchronous mode or in in-person mode.

6.1.5. Limited hybrid: Students can choose to follow synchronously part of a programme otherwise offered in in-person mode. The number of sessions followed synchronously should not exceed 20% of the total number of sessions. Should they wish to follow an otherwise in-person session in a synchronous mode, the student who has already been enrolled in a limited hybrid option is to inform the PFI by email or by phone at least one full working day before the commencement of that session to ensure that the required equipment for synchronous learning is in place.

6.1.6. Blended learning: learning is done partly asynchronously, and partly in-person at an allocated time/s and place/s. The ratio between asynchronous and in-person programme delivery will be decided by the PFI.

6.2. By accepting programme enrolment, students automatically consent to programme sessions and their participation therein to be recorded and/or transmitted through the PFI’s official equipment, telecommunication channels/programs/links. The recording may be shared on the PFI’s VLE and may be used for quality assurance purposes and disciplinary processes.

6.3. Outside official telecommunication channels/programs/links, no one is allowed to transmit or record audio, videos and/or other visual data which pertains to an official PFI formation programme’s content – whether from in-person or online programme session/s, from their PFI VLE account, or obtained through other means – using telecommunication, electronic and/or audiovisual devices such as, but not limited to: mobile phones, electronic tablets, computers, microphones, cameras.

6.3.1. An exception to paragraph 6.3 may only be granted by PFI staff in writing. Any other form of permission is considered invalid. In cases where the PFI grants permission, the student is personally responsible for informing the lecturer/s and the other students present for that session and obtaining their consent. Without such consent, the student should not proceed notwithstanding the PFI’s permission. In all cases, the student remains personally and solely liable for any legal action that may be taken in relationship to the recording/transmission and its use. The PFI’s permission to transmit and/or record does not imply permission to share.

7. Attendance

7.1. The PFI will keep a record of each student’s attendance of the sessions (lectures, conferences, events etc) pertaining to the programme/s in which they are enrolled.

7.2. Attendance may be taken in various ways. In case of in-person sessions, and unless otherwise specified, attendance is taken electronically using the Student Card. Thus, students are expected to have their Student Card with them when attending in-person sessions. For synchronous sessions, students are to register their attendance by writing their full name and surname in the chat feature of the internet-based conferencing tool being used (usually ZoomTM) at the beginning of the session.

7.2.1. During online sessions, students should have their full name and surname in the name tag of their profile in the internet-based conferencing tool being used. They must also show their face at all times and in real-time using a web camera or similar. Failure to do so may be considered failure to attend the session. Should there be a valid reason for not doing so, written permission must be sought from PFI staff before the session takes place. Other details specific to netiquette are available in the section of these T&Cs titled “Etiquette when joining online sessions (“netiquette”)”.

7.3. For a programme to be considered successfully completed, unless otherwise stated in writing by the PFI, the student must attend at least 80% of the non-asynchronous sessions and/or carrying out all tasks (such as watching videos uploaded in the programme’s VLE) required.

7.4. If a student presents themselves more than fifteen minutes after the start of a session, be it online or in-person, that student may be considered absent.

8. Etiquette when joining online sessions (“netiquette”)

8.1. Students must deal with any personal technical difficulties prior to the start of each session.

8.2. All students must be punctual and login to each session at least five minutes before it starts.

8.3. If a student cannot attend an online session, a notice through email must be sent to [email protected] at least one working day in advance.

8.4. Students are to dress, sit, and act as they would at a public, in-person lecture. Students should join the call in a place which is unlikely to present distractions to themselves or to other participants in the session.

8.5. Students should avoid animated or otherwise inappropriate screen backgrounds: the screen background setting should be off or should be plain and simple (e.g. “blurred background”) without distracting elements.

8.6. Students’ microphones should always be kept mute and should only be switched on when explicitly invited to do so by the lecturer for any questions or comments. This serves to minimise disruptions and background noises during the session. Should a student need to speak or to draw attention (e.g. needs to leave early), they should use the “raise hand” feature and wait for the lecturer to invite them to speak.

8.7. The chat feature of the internet-based conferencing tool (usually ZoomTM) used during online sessions should only be used for comments or queries pertaining to the session in progress, and the text should always be respectful.

9. Assessment

9.1. The PFI employs various modes of assessment, including but not limited to:

9.1.1. multiple-choice questions

9.1.2. written assignments

9.1.3. reflective journals

9.1.4. class presentations

9.1.4.1. At the discretion of the PFI, a class presentation may be recorded or a second examiner may be present when it is being delivered.

9.1.5. oral examinations

9.1.5.1. At the discretion of the PFI, an oral examination may be recorded, or a second examiner may be present when it is being held.

9.1.6. practicum supervision and/or reports

9.1.7. project-based assessments

9.2. The mode of assessment will be stipulated within the programme description, as mentioned in the section of these T&Cs titled “Enrolment”.

9.3. All text-based assessment submissions are to be referenced following the most recent edition of the Chicago Manual of Style.

9.4. No form of plagiarism or collusion is acceptable. All sources are to be referenced, even if the author of the source is the same person as the student submitting the assignment.

9.4.1. An assignment submitted previously as part or full fulfilment of another programme/course offered by the PFI or any other entity may not be resubmitted as part or full fulfilment of the programme being undertaken.

9.4.2. While Artificial Intelligence (AI) software may be used to assist students in their research, an assignment generated in part or in full by AI will be considered null and fraudulent. Disciplinary procedures and actions taken in response to plagiarism and collusion apply for such cases too.

9.4.3. The PFI may use different methods to check for plagiarism, collusion, and other fraudulent practices, including detection software.

9.4.4. To investigate suspected cases of plagiarism, collusion, and other fraudulent practices and consequently propose disciplinary action if necessary, a disciplinary board will be appointed. The disciplinary board will be composed of the Director of the PFI, the Secretary to the Board, another Board member, and the examiner. An additional member and an expert in the field may be appointed by the Director to the disciplinary board.

9.4.4.1. Following preliminary conclusions, the student will be given the right or asked to present their case to the disciplinary board.

9.4.4.2. Disciplinary action taken against the student (if found guilty) can vary according to the case, and includes but is not limited to: being made to retake their assessment, expulsion from the programme (also called “termination” as per the “Termination of enrolment and participation in a programme” section of these T&Cs), expulsion from the PFI etc. If the action taken is expulsion, whether from one or more programmes, the student will not be given a refund for the programme/s from which they have been expelled.

9.4.4.3. The disciplinary board’s decision is final and will be communicated in writing to the student by the Secretary to the Board.

9.4.4.4. Notwithstanding the decisions or any disciplinary action taken by the PFI or lack thereof, the student may still be subject to legal action which an alleged victim/s of plagiarism, collusion, or other fraudulent practices may take in state courts.

9.4.4.5. Further information on such procedures including information regarding appeals, may be found in the “Code of conduct and disciplinary action” section of these T&Cs.

9.5. Where applicable, students are to submit their text-based assessments digitally in .doc or .docx format and on time. Unless written permission is given by the Director, all written assessments are to be submitted in English and via the VLE.

9.6. An extension to a deadline for assessment submission may be granted at the discretion of the Director.

9.7. Grades will be assigned using criteria established for the programme.

9.8. The PFI will communicate students’ assessments’ results through the VLE, making every reasonable effort to issue these results within an acceptable timeframe.

9.9. In case of an unsatisfactory grade, a student can appeal their results up to fifteen days after they have been issued by contacting the PFI through official channels (see the “Communication with students” section of these T&Cs).

9.9.1. A student may request that the work they submitted for assessment be reviewed (“revision of paper”) to confirm that no error was made in grading, or request that they attempt the assessment once again (should this be possible) as a resit.

9.9.2. In case of a resit, a pass mark is the highest grade that can be obtained.

9.9.3. Either one of these possibilities may incur an additional administrative fee as determined by the PFI.

9.9.4. In cases of revision of paper, the PFI will engage a second examiner to grade and comment on the work submitted. Should the revision of paper result in the award of a better grade than the original one, any extra administrative fees paid (see the sub-paragraph above) will be refunded in full.

10. Completion of programme and certification

10.1. A student completes a programme successfully once:

(i) all sessions of that programme have been delivered,
and

(ii) said student has fulfilled attendance requirements (see the “Attendance” section of these T&Cs),
and, for Participation and Achievement levels,

(iii) said student has successfully completed all required assessments at or above pass grade (see the “Assessment” section of these T&Cs),
and

(iv) said student has received all pending results,
as applicable.

10.2. After completing the programme a certificate will be issued for those who have successfully completed said programme at an Attendance/Participation/Achievement Level.

10.3. Electronic certificates (and transcripts in the case of MFHEA accredited programmes) will be issued up to eight weeks after successfully completing a programme. If hard copies will be used instead, certificates (and transcripts in the case of MFHEA accredited programmes) will normally be conferred at the next available graduation/conferment ceremony of said programme if applicable.

10.4. Although most programmes’ certificates and transcripts are issued only electronically, a student may request hard copies once they have received their electronic copy.

10.4.1. If the request is accepted, the PFI will endeavour to issue the hard copy/ies within a month of formally accepting the request.

10.4.2. The issuing of hard-copies may come at an additional cost, as decided by the PFI, to cover relevant expenses (e.g. administrative, material costs etc). Once the hard-copy is ready, students will be informed to collect it from the PFI offices during the PFI’s office hours. In exceptional cases the hard-copy/ies may be sent via post, in which case the PFI does not assume responsibility for the loss or damage of these copies after it has entered the custody of MaltaPost p.l.c.

10.4.3. When collecting their hard copy certificates and transcripts, students must do so by appointment. The student must be able to demonstrate an original formal identification document (valid ID card, passport, or driving licence). In exceptional circumstances, the student may send a delegate to collect their hard copy certificate/transcript, after having first informed the PFI. The delegate must be in possession of a document attesting to this delegation, signed by the student sending them. Furthermore, the delegate must demonstrate original formal identification documents (valid ID card, passport, or driving licence) of both the student and the delegate.

10.4.3.1. Should the student be a minor, their certificates and/or transcripts may be collected by their parents/legal guardians if the latter can demonstrate the necessary documentation attesting to their role as parents/legal guardians as well as demonstrating the rest of the documentation mentioned in sub-paragraph 10.4.3. above.

10.5. The PFI reserves the right to destroy any hard copy certificates or transcripts which remain uncollected at least three calendar months after being issued. The PFI is not obliged to re-issue any certificates or transcripts thus destroyed: should it choose to do so, and at the PFI’s discretion, an additional administrative fee may apply.

11. Types of certification

11.1. The PFI offers certification at three levels, listed below in ascending order of merit:

11.1.1. Certificate of Attendance (where applicable): awarded to students who have either,

(i) in the case of asynchronous programmes, watched all the compulsory recorded material pertaining to that programme,
or

(ii) in the case of blended programmes, watched all the compulsory recorded material and attended at least 80% of all interactive (in-person and/or online) sessions pertaining to that programme
or

(iii) in the case of all other modes of learning, attended at least 80% of all interactive (online and/or in-person) sessions pertaining to a specific programme.

11.1.2. Certificate of Participation: awarded to students who, in addition to meeting the criteria in 11.1.1 above, also show satisfactory comprehension and retention of content delivered in a programme by completing and passing a short multiple-choice online examination or its equivalent, as established in the programme description.

11.1.3. Certificate of Achievement: awarded to students who, in addition to meeting the criteria in 11.1.1 and 11.1.2, can re-elaborate programme content to apply it to different scenarios, demonstrating this through the successful completion of appropriate assessments, as established in the programme description.

11.2. A student chooses the level of certification they desire during the course of the programme simply by meeting the necessary requisites for the level desired. This is usually possible, though not guaranteed, even if the relative assessment submission deadlines have already passed.

11.3. If a student fails to achieve the level they desire, they are nonetheless eligible for certification at a lower level if the criteria for that lower level are satisfied. If certification was not granted due to disciplinary actions, no form of certification will be issued.

11.4. If a student completes only at Attendance or Participation level a programme which is MFHEA accredited (MQF-Level) at Achievement level, they will be granted an AFF-Level certificate but not an MQF-Level certificate. AFF-Level certificates are not eligible for benefits or recognition linked exclusively to MQF-Level certificates such as recognition by Malta Enterprise’s “Get Qualified” scheme or by MQRIC.

12. Code of conduct and disciplinary action

12.1. The PFI expects excellent personal conduct from all its members, be they Board members, staff, lecturers, students etc in line with the Catholic ethos.

12.2. Verbal, non-verbal, online, and/or other behaviour which is not permissible in any form during any activity or at any location or within any relationship directly or indirectly associated with the PFI includes but is not limited to:

• • • any criminal offence,
    • breach of any policy of the PFI,
      bullying,
    • deceitful behaviour,
    • discriminatory and/or disrespectful comments towards persons or entities present or absent,
    • dressing inappropriately (see the PFI’s “Dress Code Policy”),
    • excessive disruptions during programme sessions,
    • false declarations,
    • falsification of documents,
    • harassment,
    • inappropriate and/or offensive behaviour,
    • inappropriate and/or offensive language,
    • inappropriate use of electronic devices,
    • intimidation,
    • misuse of the PFI student card,
    • plagiarism,
    • regular tardiness,

etc.

12.2.1. This prohibition extends even to behaviour which occurs outside of PFI-related places, events, or contexts (for example: posts on one’s personal social media page, public declarations etc) but which can still damage its good name (for example, by its association with that person) or which causes the PFI grave concerns about a person’s potential behaviour towards other persons or entities during any activity or at any location or within any relationship directly or indirectly associated with the PFI.

12.3. If a member of the PFI (Board member, staff, lecturers, student etc.) feels they are a victim of one or more other members’ actions such as those described above, they are encouraged to report it formally to the Secretary to the Board and/or to the Director.

12.3.1. Should the alleged perpetrator be the Director, the Secretary to the Board, or any member of the Board, the report should be filed with the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Malta, with procedures then following Archdiocese policies.

12.4. The PFI may investigate, either on its own initiative or else prompted by in/formal report/s from any third party/ies, any alleged unacceptable behaviour as described above. In this investigation the PFI may ask for the assistance of any relevant competent entity/experts, or even delegate the entire investigation to such an entity/experts.

12.5. Whether a report is filed by an alleged victim or the PFI itself takes the initiative to investigate, in either case the Secretary to the Board and/or the Director is to collect all relevant information and convene a disciplinary board made up of the Director, the Secretary to the Board, and at least another member appointed by the Vicar General. Great care will be taken to appoint individuals who are compassionate, just, unbiased, and personally uninvolved in the case.

12.5.1. Each case will be considered on its own merits, and the accused will have the right to defend themselves in front of the disciplinary board.

12.5.2. In exceptional circumstances, the disciplinary board may ask the accuser and/or alleged victim not to remain anonymous or the disciplinary case may be withdrawn.

12.6. The disciplinary board’s decision regarding innocence or guilt, as well as the necessity and the nature of disciplinary action if any, is final, and will be communicated to the accused through the Secretary of the Board.

12.6.1. If the accused is found guilty and is a student, disciplinary action can include one or more of, but is not limited to:

• • • • a written reprimand (“warning”),
      • dismissal from one or more programmes in progress or in future as a student and/or as a lecturer,
      • expulsion from the PFI,
      • retraction of certificates previously awarded by the Institute.

12.6.2. In the last three cases or in similar disciplinary actions, the PFI will not refund the student any expenses. The PFI will not refund any expenses, whether related to the process of disciplinary investigation, action, and/or defence, or related to the programmes the student would have followed/is following.

12.6.3. If the accused is a consecrated layperson, a member of the clergy, a religious, and/or is an employee of the Archdiocese or any of its entities, the case and the disciplinary board’s decision will also be reported to the competent ecclesial authority/ies for further action if the disciplinary board deems it appropriate to do so, whether or not the accused was found to be guilty.

12.6.4. A case can only be reexamined once, or when relevant new information comes to light. In such cases, the Director will reconvene a disciplinary board to reexamine the case.

12.6.5. Appeals to the decision of the disciplinary board may be placed with the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Malta.

12.6.6. Notwithstanding the decisions or any disciplinary action taken by the PFI or the Archdiocese of Malta or lack thereof, the accused may still be subject to legal actions which the alleged victim may take up in state courts.

13. Termination of enrolment and participation in a programme

13.1. A student may decide to terminate their enrolment and participation in a programme for any reason and at any time by formally informing the PFI in writing of his/her intentions. In this case, the PFI will not refund any fees and/or expenses the student may have already paid (for exceptions, refer to the section on “Enrolment”).

13.2. The PFI may decide to dismiss a student from one or more programmes following: (i) disciplinary action, and/or (ii) inadequate attendance (see the “Attendance” section of these T&Cs), and/or (iii) failing to submit the necessary assessment/s in the correct format and/or within the deadline/s as required by said programme (see the “Assessment” section of these T&Cs), and/or (iv) failing to process programme fees and payments in due time. In any of these cases, the PFI may withhold refunding, in whole or in part, any fees and/or expenses the student may have already paid.

14. Protection of Personal Data

14.1. PFI collects personal data on behalf of the Archdiocese of Malta, of which PFI is part. The personal data collected by the PFI under these T&Cs is thus property of the Archdiocese of Malta which consists of different units/entities, such as the PFI itself, the Archbishop’s Office, the Secretariat for Parish Life and Activity etc. As a result, in submitting any personal data under these T&Cs to the PFI, the data subject consents that such data can be shared with other entities or units of the Archdiocese in order to: fulfil the purpose for which the data was submitted, update the data subject’s profile within the Archdiocese, communicate information relevant to the subject of the programme even after programme termination, and/or for any other reason according to the purpose, conditions, and consent the data subject gave at the time of data submission.

14.2. Without prejudice to and in line with 14.1, submitting an application to a PFI programme implies consent given to the PFI to collect and process personal data for purposes indicated in its policies, including but not limited to:

• • • Communication with the data subject;
    • Enrolment in a programme or applying to attend/participate in an event/initiative organised by, in collaboration with, or supported by the PFI;
    • Fulfilling legal obligations such as those imposed by the NSO and the MFHEA.

14.3. Personal data shall not be disclosed to third parties (that is, persons not employed by the Archdiocese or entities not forming part of the Archdiocese) unless specific consent is given by the data subject and/or unless the PFI deems disclosure necessary so as to conduct its ministry, obtain essential advice, or because it would have entrusted the third party/ies to perform a service on its behalf. In any of these cases, data disclosure will be on a strictly as-needed basis and third-parties will be asked to confirm their compliance with the Archdiocese’s General Decree on the Protection of Data (GDPD) and the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) where applicable.

14.4. By submitting personal data to the PFI, the data subject consents to the Archdiocese and its different units/entities retaining this information, communicating it between themselves, and possibly collating it with data previously collected, either so as to better deliver the pastoral and/or administrative service which the data subject is receiving or has requested, and/or to improve any task or mission which falls within one or more units’/entities’ responsibility. In the latter case, the PFI will anonymise this data if necessary to respect the principles of purpose limitation and storage limitation as outline in article 5 of the GDPR.

14.5. The data subject assumes responsibility for the accuracy of the personal data submitted and, should such information change, is also responsible for notifying the PFI and any other entity in possession of said data of these changes.

14.6. With regard to their personal data, and without prejudice to other ecclesial and civil legislation, any data subject has the right to: use or disclose it, request access to it, request its portability, object to or restrict its processing, withdraw their consent to its collection, request its erasure. The data subject may request the correction of any error or omission in their personal data. All requests must be made directly by the data subject and in writing. Further information can be found in the PFI’s “Data Protection Policy” and “Data Management Policy”.

14.7. Even if a data subject restricts the processing, objects to the processing, withdraws their consent to the collection, and/or requests the erasure, of their personal data, their personal data will have been collected, processed, and/or retained legally up to that point if done so according to the prior consent the data subject would have given. Furthermore, the data subject will not be exempted from any persisting legal obligations they may have entered into when they gave such consent the first or subsequent times.

14.8. Any queries regarding the Terms and Conditions treated in this section (“Protection of Personal Data”), as well as any requests for the exercise of data subject rights, should be directed to the PFI’s administrative staff. Should there be disagreement with the PFI on matters of Data Protection, the potential or actual data subject may contact the Archdiocese Data Protection Officer (DPO). If after contacting the DPO the data subject feels their rights may be or have been breached, they have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Information and Data Protection Commissioner, Malta.

15. Changes to the Terms and Conditions

To reflect changes in legislation and/or in operational exigencies, the PFI may from time to time review these T&Cs and the PFI’s policies and amend them, uploading these changes to the PFI’s official website. Once an individual consents to the T&Cs and the PFI’s policies, it is that individual’s duty to check the PFI’s official website regularly for any updates: the PFI is not responsible for directly notifying individuals of any changes.