Participation Agreement
Community Guidelines
All of us—Juniper staff, instructors, and participants—bring our varied identities to the Institute. We are a diverse group in terms of our own personal, cultural and social identities, as well as our experiences and background with creative writing. Juniper strives to provide the accountable and accessible spaces necessary for everyone to be able to participate fully in the week’s events. This means we are committed to supporting the following community guidelines:
- Treat one another with dignity, respect and fairness
- Share, act, and communicate honestly, truthfully and with integrity
- Expect to learn something new about yourself and others
- Recognize your communication style
- Challenge your thinking, engagement, and comfort
- Explore your emotional reactions, perceptions, & assumptions
- Take care of yourself and support others to care for themselves
Attendance & Participation
Participants are expected to attend all Writing Lab sessions and to participate in a manner that is in line with Juniper’s Community Guidelines (see above). If for any reason the participant is unable to attend or will be late to the Writing Lab, we ask that they contact their instructor. Instructors reserve the right to establish additional attendance, participation and/or community guidelines for their lab.
Behavior
Participants must abide by all applicable federal, state, local, and University laws and regulations. Any participant who endangers their own health or safety or the health or safety of another student, staff member, or faculty member will be subject to disciplinary action. Consumption, possession, or being in the presence of alcohol or illegal drugs is grounds for immediate dismissal, as is possession or use of drug paraphernalia, firearms, other weapons, or fireworks. Participants must show respect for the rights and safety of others in the community and must not engage in any form of harassment. Participants will follow all directions involving their video and audio settings at the instructor’s or program’s discretion.
Supervision
The Juniper Young Writers programs are creative academic programs for mature, self-motivated high-school writers. They are not meant to provide supervision.
Mandated Reporting
Pursuant to Massachusetts law, Juniper staff and instructors are Mandated Reporters. Accordingly, if any Juniper staff or instructors have reasonable cause to believe that a child under the age of 18 years is suffering from abuse and/or neglect, they are required to report the same to the Department of Children and Families.
We ask that all members of the Juniper community follow the above guidelines, and agree to practice every opportunity to establish a more inclusive space. Any participant who violates these guidelines, or is continually distracting in ways that inhibit the learning of the group, may be asked to leave the program.
Juniper's Cancellation Policy
An enrolled participant may withdraw from Juniper and receive a partial refund in accordance with the Pre-College @ UMass Amherst cancellation and refund policy. Please review the schedule here. In general, students must withdraw at least 3 weeks before the first day of the program to remain eligible for a partial refund. Enrolled participants must contact Pre-College @ UMass Amherst and Juniper via email, in writing, to cancel. The $500 enrollment deposit is non-refundable.
University Cancellation Policy
The University of Massachusetts Amherst reserves the right to cancel any program it deems necessary. In the event of program cancellation, payment will be refunded in full. If UMass Pre-College Programs cancels a course for any reason, students receive a full refund.