Acceptable Use Policy
Effective: April 1, 2025.
Our mission is to share the timeless wisdom of Jain philosophy, history, and culture through world-class online education. We believe strongly in preserving free speech and expression for our users as well as academic freedom for our Content Providers and instructors. We also want to make sure that all of our users and instructors feel safe and comfortable while using our Services. We have drafted this policy to ensure that people understand and follow the rules when participating in our online community and otherwise using our Services.
We may remove or edit inappropriate content or activity identified by or reported to us. We may separately suspend, disable, or terminate a user's access to all or part of the Services.
1. You are prohibited from using our Services to share content that:
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Contains illegal content or promotes illegal activities with the intent to commit such activities. Please keep in mind that users who are as young as 13 use Arihanta Institute, and we do not allow content that is inappropriate for these younger users.
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Contains credible threats or organizes acts of real-world violence. We don’t allow content that creates a genuine risk of physical injury or property damage, credibly threatens people or public safety, or organizes or encourages harm.
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Harasses others. We encourage commentary about people and matters of public interest, but abusive or otherwise inappropriate content directed at private individuals is not allowed.
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Violates intellectual property, privacy, or other rights. Do not share content that you do not have the right to share, claim content that you did not create as your own, or otherwise infringe or misappropriate someone else’s intellectual property or other rights. Always attribute materials used or quoted by you to the original copyright owner.
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Spams others. Do not share irrelevant or inappropriate advertising, promotional, or solicitation content.
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Otherwise violates the Arihanta Institute Terms of Use.
Please note that specific Content Offerings may have additional rules and requirements.
2. You also aren't allowed to:
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Do anything that violates local, state, national, or international law or breaches any of your contractual obligations or fiduciary duties.
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Share your password, let anyone besides yourself access your account, or do anything that might put your account at risk.
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Attempt to access any other user's account.
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Reproduce, transfer, sell, resell, or otherwise misuse any content from our Services, unless specifically authorized to do so.
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Access, tamper with, or use non-public areas of our systems, unless specifically authorized to do so.
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Break or circumvent our authentication or security measures or otherwise test the vulnerability of our systems or networks, unless specifically authorized to do so.
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Try to reverse engineer any portion of our Services.
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Try to interfere with any user, host, or network, for example by sending a virus, overloading, spamming, or mail-bombing.
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Use our Services to distribute malware.
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Use our Services or any functionality of the Arihanta Institute platform for anything other than for completing online courses or for pedagogical purposes.
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Impersonate or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity.
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Encourage or help anyone do any of the things on this list.
3. Without prior written consent from us, you also aren't allowed to:
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Visit or use our Services for any form of content, data, or text scraping (including but not limited to screen scraping, web harvesting, or web data extracting) through manual, mechanical, or automated means including by the use of bots or other similar software.
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Use any content, data, or text in any form in the Services for text or data mining purposes, or develop or train any application, software, code, or data models including but not limited to generative artificial intelligence or other artificial intelligence and machine learning models irrespective of the purposes whether commercial or non-commercial.
Copyright and Trademark Policy
Effective as of April 1, 2025.
Arihanta Institute respects the intellectual property rights of our Content Providers, instructors, users, and other third parties and expects our users to do the same when using the Services. We reserve the right to suspend, disable, or terminate the accounts of users who repeatedly infringe or are repeatedly charged with infringing the copyrights, trademarks, or other intellectual property rights of others.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (the "DMCA") provides recourse for copyright owners who believe that material appearing on the Internet infringes their rights under U.S. copyright law. If you would like to read the DMCA, please visit the U.S. Copyright Office website at http://www.copyright.gov/legislation/dmca.pdf.
If you believe in good faith that materials on the Arihanta Institute platform infringe your copyright, the DMCA provides that you (or your agent) may send us a notice requesting that the material be removed or access to it blocked.
The notice must include the following information:
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the physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed;
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identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed (or, if multiple copyrighted works located on the platform are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works);
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identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or the subject of infringing activity, and information reasonably sufficient to allow Arihanta Institute to locate the material on the platform;
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the name, address, telephone number, and email address (if available) of the complaining party;
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a statement that the complaining party has a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and
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a statement that the information in the notification is accurate and, under penalty of perjury, that the complaining party is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.
Notices must meet the then-current statutory requirements imposed by the DMCA. Notices and counter-notices with respect to the Services can either be sent:
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via mail: Arihanta Institute, 2636 Gayley Place, San Jose, CA 95135
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via email: copyright@arihantainstitute.org
We suggest that you consult your legal advisor before filing a notice. Also, be aware that there can be penalties for false claims under the DMCA.
Arihanta Institute also respects the trademark rights of others. Accounts with any other content that misleads others or violates another's trademark may be updated, suspended, disabled, or terminated by Arihanta Institute in its sole discretion. If you are concerned that someone may be using your trademark without proper permission on our Services, please email us at copyright@arihantainstitute.org, and we will review your submission. If we deem appropriate, we may remove the offending content, warn the individual who posted the content, and/or temporarily or permanently suspend or disable the individual’s account.
Payments and Refund Policy
Effective as of April 1, 2025.
For details on our refund and cancellation policies, please refer to the information below. Please note that our policies may differ between offerings, and payment options may vary. Please also note that we treat violations of our Terms of Use and Honor Code very seriously, and we have no obligation to offer refunds to users who violate these or other Arihanta Institute policies, even if their requests are made within the designated refund period. Similarly, we have no obligation to offer late refunds to users who do not receive a passing mark in a Content Offering, or who are otherwise unsatisfied with their final grade.
1. One-time Purchases
General Refunds
Individual Courses and Course Bundles
If you are unsatisfied with an Individual Course or Course Bundle, Arihanta Institute will offer you a complete refund until 14 days after payment, or until you have completed 50% of the course or 50% of any one course in the Course Bundle, whichever is earlier.
If you pre-enroll and pay for an Individual Course or Course Bundle, Arihanta Institute will offer you a complete refund until 14 days after the Individual Course or Course Bundle launches or until you have completed 50% of the course or 50% of any one course in the Course Bundle, whichever is earlier.
Refunds for Certificates
Courses
Once you have earned a course certificate with your payment, you are not eligible for a refund even if it is within 14 days.
2. Memberships
General Refunds
Membership fees paid monthly are non-refundable, except where required by law. If you cancel, you retain access for the remainder of the billing cycle but will not receive a refund for unused time.
Membership fees paid annually are eligible for a prorated amount, not including the first month of membership.
Upgrades & Downgrades
Changes in membership tiers take effect in the next billing cycle unless otherwise specified.
Refunds for Trials
To avoid being charged during a free trial period, you must cancel your subscription before your free trial ends. If you complete a course during the free trial period, Arihanta Institute reserves the right to require you to pay for a one-month subscription in order to receive a course and/or specialization certificate.
Cancellation
Your course membership subscription will continue on a month-to-month or annual basis unless and until you cancel or the subscription is suspended or discontinued by Arihanta Institute. If you cancel your subscription, cancellation will be effective at the end of the current billing period. You will continue to have access to your subscription for the remainder of that period, but you will not receive a refund.
3. Graduate Seminars
Refund policies for Graduate Seminars are determined by Claremont School of Theology’s Payment and Refund Policy.
4. Other Paid Services
Except as described in this Refund Policy or as explicitly stated as part of the sign-up process for a Service, Arihanta Institute has no obligation to provide refunds or vouchers for any other Services.
Arihanta Institute reserves the right to offer refunds at its discretion. Please note that our policies differ between subscription payments and one-time payments made for Individual Courses, Course Bundles, and other purchases, and that payment options may vary from one offering to another. Please also note that we treat violations of our Terms of Use and Honor Code very seriously, and we have no obligation to offer refunds to users who violate these or other Arihanta Institute policies, even if their requests are made within the designated refund period. Similarly, we have no obligation to offer late refunds to users who do not receive a passing mark in a Content Offering, or who are otherwise unsatisfied with their final grade.
5. Third Party Marketplaces
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if you purchase or subscribe for a course, specialization, guided project, or purchase any other paid Service, through a third party marketplace (e.g., in-app purchases through the Apple App Store or purchases made through certain alternative payment services), the refund policy applicable to that third party marketplace will apply, unless otherwise explicitly stated by Arihanta Institute. Except as otherwise explicitly stated by Arihanta Institute, the third party marketplace will be solely responsible for making refunds under its refund policy, and Arihanta Institute will have no refund obligations. Arihanta Institute disclaims any responsibility or liability related to any third party marketplace's refund policy or the third party's compliance or noncompliance with such policy.
6. Promotional Offers
We may from time to time offer special promotional offers or discounts (“Offers”). Offer eligibility is determined by Arihanta Institute at its sole discretion and we reserve the right to revoke an Offer in the event that we determine you are not eligible. Users with an existing Offer may not be eligible for additional Offers. We may use information such as method of payment or an account email address used with a Arihanta Institute purchase to determine Offer eligibility. The eligibility requirements and other limitations and conditions will be disclosed when you sign up for the Offer or in other communications made available to you.
7. Changes to Price and Subscription Plans
We reserve the right to change our subscription plans or adjust pricing for our service or any components thereof in any manner and at any time as we may determine in our sole and absolute discretion. Except as otherwise expressly provided for in these Terms, any price changes or changes to your subscription plan will take effect following notice to you.
8. European Users Right of Withdrawal
In addition to the refund policies set forth above, if you have a right of withdrawal under the relevant laws in your country including any applicable European Union laws, then:
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You have a right of withdrawal for a period of 14 days. You may withdraw your contract with Arihanta Institute for the Services, without giving any reason, and without incurring any costs other than those provided for in this clause.
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The withdrawal period will expire after 14 days from the day that your contract was concluded. However, you do not have a right of withdrawal a) if the Services have already been fully performed with your prior express consent and with your acknowledgement that you will lose your right of withdrawal once the Services have been performed by us or b) if the Services have begun with your prior express consent and your acknowledgement that you will lose your right of withdrawal upon beginning use of the Services.
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To exercise the right of withdrawal, you should inform us of your decision to withdraw by an unequivocal statement (e.g., a letter sent by post or by contacting us. You may use the below model form, but it is not obligatory.
Model Withdrawal Form (complete and return this form only if you wish to withdraw from the contract)
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To Arihanta Institute, 2636 Gayley Place, San Jose, CA 95135:
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I/We () hereby give notice that I/We () withdraw from my/our () contract of sale for the provision of the following service (),
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Ordered on ()/received on (),
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Name of consumer(s),
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Address of consumer(s),
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Signature of consumer(s) (only if this form is notified on paper),
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Date
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You may also electronically submit the model form or any other unequivocal statement to us at https://www.arihantainstitute.org/about/contact. You shall have exercised your right of withdrawal within the 14-day withdrawal period if the communication is sent by you before that period has expired. The exercise of the right of withdrawal shall terminate the obligations of the parties to perform the contract. If you exercise your right of withdrawal, any ancillary contracts shall be automatically terminated.
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If you withdraw the contract, we shall reimburse to you all payments received from you, including, if applicable, the costs of delivery, without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which we are informed of your decision to rescind this contract in accordance with this clause. We will carry out such reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise. In any event you do not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement.
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If you want the Services to begin during the 14-day withdrawal period you should make an express request thereto, where you acknowledge that you will lose your right of withdrawal once the service has been fully performed. If you exercise the right of withdrawal before the Services have been fully performed, you shall be liable to pay us reasonable costs, consisting of an amount which is in proportion to what has been provided until the time you have informed us of the exercise of the right of withdrawal.
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The burden of proof of exercising the right of withdrawal in accordance with this clause shall be on you. Except as provided for in this clause, you shall not incur any liability as a consequence of the exercise of the right of withdrawal.
Honor Code
Effective as of April 1, 2025.
All users of learning materials hosted on the Arihanta Institute platform are expected to abide by the following standards to ensure the integrity of learning within Arihanta Institute learning experiences. Learners are expected to familiarize themselves and comply with the Terms of Use for the Arihanta Institute platform and any code of conduct, academic policy, honor code or or any institution's requirements associated with programs which a learner has enrolled onto through the Arihanta Institute platform has established.
Academic misconduct undermines the value of Arihanta Institute hosted credentials and devalues the authentic efforts of other learners. Learners who engage in misconduct are therefore subject to consequences as described below.
Academic misconduct is defined as any activity which circumvents, or attempts to circumvent, the learning experience provided by the course through violation of course learning policies or specific policies provided by the instructor or outlined by the syllabus, or misrepresentation of the authorship or conditions of completion of course activities. The following standards provide clarification of the most common types of academic misconduct, but the list is not exhaustive. Other behavior may constitute academic misconduct in a particular course or across the Arihanta Institute platform.
Definitions
Work within a Arihanta Institute activity - all activity on the Arihanta Institute platform including logins and all course activities is subject to these policies. Work includes but is not limited to exams, quizzes, peer review activities, assessments, discussion board contributions, guided projects, and labs. Furthermore, activities outside the platform that pertain to coursework on the platform are also covered by these policies.
Unauthorized - activities that violate Arihanta Institute’s Terms of Use, course or platform policies, activities which are illegal, or those activities which violate academic standards or standards of integrity that a learner on the Arihanta Institute platform should be expected to know are considered to be unauthorized.
Violations
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Plagiarism: Plagiarism is when you copy or reproduce words, ideas, or any other materials from another source without giving credit to the original author. Plagiarism also includes the practice of employing or allowing another person to alter or revise your work, and then submitting the work as your own. Learners may discuss assessments among themselves, or with an instructor or tutor, but all assessment submissions must be original works done independently by the learner. This includes work paraphrased, translated or otherwise modified using automated means. Plagiarism can also include self plagiarism, where a learner submits the same work that they had already submitted for another assessment or module, where this is not disclosed and permitted.
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Use of Unauthorized Materials: using or consulting unauthorized materials (including electronic materials and generative AI tools including, but not limited to, ChatGPT or similar software or applications) or using unauthorized equipment or devices on any work within a Arihanta Institute activity, unless expressly permitted.
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Unauthorized collaboration: working together with any person on any work within a Arihanta Institute activity unless expressly permitted.
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Contract cheating: paying, trading, or otherwise getting another person to create work for submission to a Arihanta Institute course or for work within a Arihanta Institute activity.
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Impersonation: completing work within any Arihanta Institute activity (including but not limited to exams, assessments, and learning activities) when logged in as another user or having another user complete work within a Arihanta Institute activity when logged in as you; otherwise misrepresenting the authorship of work submitted on Arihanta Institute.
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Unauthorized sharing of resources: making any information about or solutions to homework, quizzes, exams, projects, and other assessments available to anyone else (except to the extent an assessment explicitly permits sharing solutions). This includes both solutions written by you, other learners, outside resources, or any solutions provided by the course staff or others.
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Fraud: any misrepresentation about the authorship or the conditions under which work within a Arihanta Institute activity was performed not otherwise specified or falsifying any evidence in support of any mitigating circumstances claim.
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Other: any other behavior that confers an unfair advantage to you or someone else or any activity that attempts to dishonestly improve your results or improve or harm the results of others in the performance of work within a Arihanta Institute activity.
Consequences for Non-degree Products
Arihanta Institute will determine relevant sanctions based on the kind of misconduct, the severity of the behavior, the stakes of the assessment, and any previous history of misconduct by the user.
No refunds will be issued in the case of any corrective action for such violations. Honor Code violations will be determined at the sole discretion of Arihanta Institute and Arihanta Institute partners. You will be notified if a determination has been made that you have violated this Honor Code and you will be informed of the corresponding action to be taken as a result of the violation.