Policies

All staff, students, and mentors must abide by the Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct applies during all Code Kentucky-related activity, including weekly meetups (virtual and in-person), online discussion such as through Slack, optional events, etc.

Violation of the Code of Conduct may result in immediate removal from Code Kentucky, as determined by program staff.

Being a Code Kentucky participant requires appropriate adult behavior and respect for others. Staff and mentors can set classroom rules of conduct, require adherence to standards of civility appropriate to learning, and have the right to remove anyone for disruption or obstruction of those standards, or for violation of any law or Code of Conduct policy. Participants will exhibit courtesy and respect toward all other students, mentors, and staff at all times. Disrespectful comments concerning race, gender, sexuality, political views, appearance, or of any other type will not be tolerated; this applies to serious as well as “joking” comments.

Attendance at the weekly meetups is a requirement to participate in Code Kentucky. Students are allowed a maximum of 3 absences during the 12-week session; exceeding that amount may result in being removed from the course and/or the program. These absences are provided specifically to allow for life events that occur - sickness (personal or family), scheduling conflicts, bereavement, etc. Exceptions for an additional absence are typically not granted, but a case-by-case basis may be made for extenuating circumstances, at the discretion of the Student Community Coordinator.

The following criteria are required to enroll and participate in Code Kentucky:

• 18 years of age or older at the time of program orientation

• Resident of one of the following counties:

  1. • • Kentucky: Bell, Boone, Breathitt, Campbell, Carroll, Carter, Clay, Elliott, Floyd, Gallatin, Grant, Harlan, Jackson, Johnson, Kenton, Knott, Knox, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, Menifee, Morgan, Owen, Owsley, Pendleton, Perry, Pike, Wolfe

       • Ohio: Butler, Clermont, Hamilton, Warren

       • Indiana: Dearborn

• Apply online through the website's application

• Successfully complete the pre-work assessment in the given time

While Code Kentucky is open to all who meet the eligibility requirements, priority may be given to those on the waiting list who are most in need of job skills training. This is in alignment with KentuckianaWorks' values statement: "We embrace a commitment to equity in all that we do to ensure our efforts help address past inequities and offer fair treatment and equitable access to all customers.”

Those that meet one or more of the below categories may be moved to the front of the line on the waiting list and invited to join the next open class:

• Low-income families

• Disabled

• Veterans

• Homeless or housing-insecure

• Recipients of public assistance such as SNAP and TANF

• Populations or residence specifically targeted by KentuckianaWorks as part of its racial equity approach

• Referrals through community partners that serve residents in particular need of job skills training

This is only a summary of the policy. Additional descriptions of these categories and how the Priority of Service system works may be provided if there is any uncertainty.

Enrollment into your first session in Code Kentucky adheres to the Program Eligibility and Priority of Service policies. The Community Coordinator will facilitate this process and contact you to begin the pre-work assessment, attend orientation, and begin the first week of meetups.

Upon successful completion of your first course - including meeting all requirements set by the program and the course syllabus - the opportunity to enroll in a second class may be offered. Enrollment in these classes is given based on availability of seats, with priority given based on when you completed your first program. Those that completed the most recent class get priority over those that completed it two sessions ago, and so on back until all spaces are filled. What this means is that once you complete the first class, you will have several options to sign up for your second class, but eventually you will be far enough back on the list that you will no longer be invited to return to the program.

Code Kentucky is a program of KentuckianaWorks, in partnership with the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP), and the Northern Kentucky Workforce Investment Board (NKWIB). As such, we are connected to the Kentucky Career Centers which may offer additional services in skills training, job searching, and accessing services to assist with these. Examples include, but are not limited to: acquiring a computer, transportation, food, clothing, childcare and more so that you may participate in the program. Code Kentucky staff can make a referral to the Kentucky Career Center so that you may be put in touch with a career coach to identify your needs and eligibility. Please contact program staff if you need assistance.

Code Kentucky courses will generally come with access to some form of online curriculum (typically Pluralsight). Your access to this curriculum is a privilege of participating in the program and may be revoked as needed. Access is not guaranteed in any way and can be removed for any reason, including, but not limited to, completion of or removal from the program. Barring any unusual circumstances, you should expect to have access while you are an active, participating student in the program. We will also strive to provide access after your participation is complete for as long as we are able.

All Code Kentucky courses require some sort of project, activity, or other assignment to confirm your successful completion of the program (along with any other requirements of the course). Project requirements will be provided for each class that describe what is required to pass the course. At the conclusion of each course, these projects will be reviewed by a staff member or a class mentor to verify all requirements have been completed. All projects are reviewed on a pass/fail basis. A pass will be given to any project that meets all requirements listed. Failure to meet just one of the requirements may result in your project not passing.

We strive to make the review process as objective as possible and all project reviewers complete a short rubric when reviewing a project. However, software development can often be difficult to strictly define and subjectivity may come into play. Code Kentucky will make all efforts to evaluate a project as objectively as possible. Any project that is reviewed and rejected by a mentor will automatically be reviewed by a staff member before finalizing the results.

In certain cases, a project may be debatable if it meets a requirement as it was intended. Some projects may meet a very strict, technical definition of meeting the requirement while also demonstrating little to no understanding of the code. Code Kentucky reserves the right to reject a project if the staff feel the project does not demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental programming principles.

If your project was rejected and you disagree with the assessment, please see the appeals section below.

If you wish to appeal a decision made by Code Kentucky staff or mentors (such as your project review), you should first contact the Operations Manager with a description of the event and why you feel the decision should be changed. If you feel the situation was not resolved satisfactorily, you may then appeal to the Program Director - again with a description of the event and why you feel the decision should be changed.