EVENT CALENDAR AND REGISTRATION

Prerequisites must be met prior to registering for events.  Exceptions to any event prerequisites or certification pathway can only be made through petition.

Skiing and riding are international sports and our industry benefits immensely from instructors with dual-language skills.  Currently, The PSIA-AASI assessments do require mastery of highly technical English language and the capacity to support engaging two-way communication.  We are exploring appropriate language accommodations in our assessment criteria and exam formatting.  In the meantime, dual-language speakers are welcome to bring a translator to any PSIA-AASI Western Exam or Event.

Translators must be able to safely ski or ride alongside the exam or event.

Translators must have their own gear and lift ticket.

Translators may not also be exam candidates or event participants.

You must provide a minimum of two-weeks’ notice if you intend to have a translator support you at an event or exam.  Please email the region to discuss bringing a translator to your event.

Americans with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) Policy

Notice to candidates:

PSIA-AASI is committed to providing access to those persons with disabilities during the clinic and examination process. An individual with a disability is defined by the ADA as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment. Various states may have broader definitions.

If you feel you have such a disability and seek a reasonable accommodation during the testing process we need to know this well before the examination so we can work together to create, if possible, the accommodation which will allow you to take the exam under conditions that maintain safety for all involved.

If you seek an accommodation, please contact us in writing (info@psia-w.org) four weeks before the clinic or examination (or as soon as the need for the accommodation is apparent), to notify the region of your request for an accommodation.

PSIA-AASI may seek medical or other guidance to address the most appropriate accommodation and to assess the need and type of accommodation requested. If this is applicable to you, please be prepared with that information.

Please Note:

The association is not required to provide a reasonable accommodation if doing so will be an undue hard- ship, or compromises the safety of anyone involved in the examination process. Undue hardship means significant difficulty or expense, significant disruption of the association, or a change to the basic nature of the fundamental skills being tested.

If the person with a disability asks for a reasonable accommodation that is an undue hardship for your association, or compromises safety, the association will determine if there is another accommodation that is less burdensome, more safe, and/or less expensive.

Event Participant Conduct Expectations

1. Purpose

PSIA-AASI Western Region events are where members learn, train, and earn certification. They work best when participants and education staff can focus on skiing and riding in an environment that is safe, respectful, and fair.

These standards explain how the existing PSIA-AASI Code of Conduct (Policies & Procedures Manual, Section 2.3) applies at Western Region events. They do not create new grounds for discipline. They clarify what the Code already requires, including that members “shall not engage in harassment of any kind against… PSIA-AASI association employees, volunteers, contractors, or another member” (Section 2.3.6), and that members conduct themselves with “professionalism, a high standard of integrity, self-control, and responsible behavior” (Section 2.3.1).

2. Who and when

These standards apply to every registered participant at a Western Region clinic, exam, exam preparation, rally, or other event. They apply from arrival at the venue until departure, including lodging, meals, lifts, and social functions connected to the event. They also apply to event-related communication with staff, such as registration, scheduling, feedback, and exam results.

They apply equally to all participants, regardless of role, tenure, or views on any organizational matter.

3. Your right to your views

Members may hold and express any opinion about the organization, its leadership, its board, or its decisions, including strong criticism. Nothing in these standards limits a member’s right to:

• Raise concerns, questions, or complaints through official channels
• Vote and take part in governance processes under the bylaws
• Share opinions about the organization publicly
• File a good-faith report under the Whistleblower Policy (Section 19.4) without retaliation

These standards cover conduct toward people. They do not cover opinions about the organization.

4. Expected conduct

Participants will:

1. Treat education staff, event staff, volunteers, resort employees, guests, and fellow participants with courtesy and respect.
2. Follow the directions of event staff on safety, terrain, schedule, and logistics.
3. Follow resort policies and the Responsibility Code.
4. Bring concerns about an event, exam, or result to the event lead or the Western Region leadership (CEO or Deputy Director).
5. Bring governance, board, legal, or leadership concerns to the Board of Directors, not to education staff at events.

5. Education staff and governance matters

Examiners are employees of the Western Region. At events, they are there to teach and evaluate. They are not authorized to speak for the organization on governance, board, personnel, or legal matters.

So that education staff are not put in an unfair position, participants will not:

1. Press education staff at events to discuss, comment on, or take a position on governance, board, personnel, or legal matters
2. Publicly name individual education staff, or single them out, to pressure them to take a position on those matters, whether in person, online, or through others
3. Make an education staff member’s evaluation, treatment of a participant, or continued employment conditional, or seem conditional, on their views about those matters

Participants can discuss the organization with one another and share their views through the channels listed in Section 3.

6. Prohibited conduct

The following are violations of the Code of Conduct at any event:

1. Harassment, intimidation, threats, or bullying of any person, in person or online
2. Confronting, following, or cornering staff or participants, or hostile, demeaning, or abusive language directed at them
3. Discrimination based on any characteristic protected under Section 2.3.7
4. Posting or sharing an individual staff member’s personal information, location, or schedule to encourage others to contact or confront them
5. Retaliation against anyone who reports a concern or takes part in a review
6. Conduct under the influence of alcohol or other substances that affects safety or the event
7. Any conduct that endangers the safety of others

7. Reporting a concern

Anyone who experiences or sees conduct that may violate these standards can report it to:

• The on-site event lead or any staff member
• The Western Region office: info@psia-w.org
• The Board Chair, for concerns involving the CEO: WesternBOD@psia-w.org

Reports will be handled as confidentially as possible, consistent with a fair review.

8. How concerns are handled

• On-site safety. If conduct at an event creates an immediate safety concern or seriously disrupts the event, the event lead may ask the participant to pause, change groups, or leave the session for the rest of that day. The event lead will document what happened and report it to the Deputy Director the same day.
• Formal review. Any further action follows the disciplinary procedures in Section 14. That includes written notice, a chance for the member to respond before any decision (Section 14.3.2.c), and the right to appeal to the Board (Section 14.5).
• Possible outcomes. Under Section 14.4, outcomes range from a letter of warning to probation with conditions, to suspension or termination of membership.