Terms & Conditions

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Terms & Conditions

IBM Z Student Ambassador Program ("Program") is an opportunity provided by IBM Z and is managed by Your Big Year, an International Connector LLC program ("Manager"). Your participation in IBM Z Student Ambassador Program is subject to the following terms and conditions:

The Program

The selected participants will join a virtually facilitated program from September 2024 - May 2025. The Program will provide access to a virtual curriculum that includes the IBM Z mainframe technology, leadership training, personal development skills, and professional development skills. In addition, there will be opportunities for networking and opportunities to hear from companies who hire for IBM Z technical skills.

Participants will be required to consistently undertake a variety of activities and demonstrate their advocacy, including earning badges, organizing events or workshops on IBM Z for their campus community, establishing a mainframe community on-campus, teaching mainframe to their peers, and showcasing their work within the program on social media. Ambassadors are required to maintain an ‘Active’ status according to set criteria in order to remain in the program.

There is no fee charged to the applicant or selected participant to participate in the Program. Applicants acknowledge that the Manager or our Your Big Year partners and sponsors are not responsible for any fees the Participant may incur in addition to the advertised opportunity. Any additional fees are the sole responsibility of the participant.

Term

The IBM Z Student Ambassador Program, Class of 2024-25 application process (the “Application”) opens in June 2024, with various intake periods until March 2025.

The main Program runs from September 2, 2024 - May 31, 2025. There is also a summer session for ambassadors continuing from the previous year that runs from June to August 2024.

There are three admission periods: 1. Summer: for applications to 19 July 2024; 2. Fall: for applications to 18 October 2024; 3. Winter: for applications to 21 February 2025. (Manager reserves the right to make amendments to application periods as required.)

All accepted applicants must (1) attend one onboarding session and (2) complete the IBM Z Xplore Concepts Badge within two weeks of provisional acceptance into the program in order to be official IBM Z Student Ambassadors and take part in the program.

Eligibility

  • Current students of university or college. Apprenticeship programs not attached to a University or college are not eligible.

  • Aged 18 years or older

  • Must be registered on IBM Z Xplore platform

  • Have an intermediate level of English

  • Submit a complete Program application form by October 20, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. (PDT).

  • Be registered on the IBM Z Xplore platform Note: all successful applicants will have to complete the IBM Z Xplore Concepts Badge within two weeks of acceptance.

  • Be residents of the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Peru, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA (including US territories), Turkey and the United Kingdom.

  • IBM Z and International Connector reserve the right to remove any participant from the program at any time, at their sole discretion, if the participant is found to have engaged in behavior or actions that do not align with the standards, values, or expectations set forth by either IBM Z or International Connector for program representation.

Agreement to Rules

Participation in the Program constitutes your full and unconditional agreement and acceptance of : (I) these terms and conditions, (ii) the privacy policies of Your Big Year and our Partner, and (iii) the decisions of the Manager and the selectors which are final and binding.

To Apply

To apply for the program:

If you are accepted into the program, this acceptance is provisional until you:

  • Complete the Concepts badge on the IBM Z Xplore platform within two weeks of advisement.

  • Attend an orientation within two weeks of advisement.

Selection Determination

There is one application for Program participants.  All applicants will be reviewed for compliance with the rules. Based on the data and information gathered, a shortlist of finalists will be delivered to our selectors. Each selector will have a list of criteria to make their decisions.  The decisions of the selectors are final.

In the event that the selected participant to the Program cannot be traced or does not respond within three (3) days to a participant notification as required or refuses the participation spot, the position will be forfeited and the Manager, in its sole discretion, may choose whether to award the participation spot to another applicant.

Information Submitted by Applicant, aka You

Submitting a Program application, the applicant represents warrants, and covenants that all information provided is truthful and accurate. Any and all information submitted must be valid and must be yours.  

Any website or blog links must not, in the sole and unfettered discretion of the Manager, contain obscene, provocative, defamatory, sexually explicit, or otherwise objectionable or inappropriate content.

Data Privacy

Applicants agree that personal data, especially name and email address, may be processed, shared, and otherwise used by the Manager or our Partners, located anywhere in the world (including across country borders), for the purposes and within the context of the selection and any other purposes outlined in the Official Rules. The data may also be used by the Manager to verify the applicant's identity or to otherwise verify the applicant's eligibility to participate in the Program. Applicants have the right to access, review, rectify, or cancel any personal data held by the Manager by writing to the Manager. Personal data will be used by the Manager, Program partners, and its affiliates exclusively for the purposes stated herein.

License

If accepted, throughout the program you will be asked to upload a profile photo, submit videos, share social posts, event and club/community photos and videos, amongst other similar requests.

By entering the Program, all applications grant an irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide non-exclusive license to the Manager and their Partners, to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the entries (along with a name credit) in connection with the Program and promotion of the Program, in any media now or hereafter known, for no additional compensation, including, but not limited to: display at a potential exhibition of selected participants or online highlighting entries or selected participants of the Program or broadcasts of general video footage (the “License”). Applicants consent to the Manager doing or omitting to do any act that would otherwise infringe the applicant’s “moral rights” in their entries. Display or publication of any entry on an Authorized Party’s website does not indicate the applicant will be selected to participate. Authorized Parties will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such use as authorized by the License. Additionally, by entering, each applicant grants to Authorized Parties the unrestricted right to use all statements made in connection with the Program, and all pictures, audio/video recordings, or likenesses of Program applicants, or choose not to do so, at their sole discretion, except where prohibited by law. Authorized Parties will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such use.

General Conditions

In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the Program is impaired in any way for any reason, including, but not limited to fraud, virus, or other technical problem, the Manager may, in its sole discretion, suspend the Program to address the impairment and then resume in a manner that best conforms to the spirit of these Terms and Conditions. The Manager reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any applicant it finds to be tampering with the entry process, or the operation of the Program, or to be acting in violation of these Terms and Conditions or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Any attempt by any person to undermine the legitimate operation of the Program may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, the Manager reserves the right to seek damages from any such applicant to the fullest extent permitted by law. The Manager's failure to enforce any term of these Terms and Conditions shall not constitute a waiver of that provision. The authorized account holder is defined as the applicant who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address.

Policy and Practices of Other Websites

The Manager and Your Big Year are not responsible for the policies and practices of other websites that are accessible by hyperlink from our Site.  Acknowledgment that the promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Medium, Discord, LinkedIn, TikTok, X, YouTube or similar platforms.

Release and Limitations of Liability

By participating in the Program, applicant agrees to release, discharge, and hold harmless the Manager, Your Big Year, Partners, selectors, and their affiliates, parents, subsidiaries, sales representatives, agents, advertising, marketing and promotion agencies, consultants, contractors and prize providers, and each of their respective officers, directors, shareholders, employees, agents, and representatives, and each of these companies’ and individuals’ respective successors, representatives (collectively, “Released Parties”) from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Program or receipt or use of any prize, including, but not limited to: (a) unauthorized human intervention; (b) technical errors related to computers, servers, providers, or telephone or network lines; (c) printing or faxing errors; (e) errors in the administration of the program or the processing of entries; or (f) injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from applicant’s participation in the Program or receipt of any prize. Applicant further agrees that in any cause of action, the Released Parties’ liability will be limited to the cost of entering and participating in the Program, and in no event shall the Released Parties be liable for attorney’s fees. Applicant waives the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages.

Governing Law

Except where prohibited, Applicant agrees that any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of, or connected with the Program or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the appropriate court located in New Jersey, United States of America. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation, and enforceability of these Official Rules, Applicant's rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Manager in connection with the Program, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws in New Jersey, United States of America, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether New Jersey, United States of America or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than in New Jersey, United States of America.

Disclaimer of Warranty

Although we work very hard to provide you with the most current and accurate information on our Site, we can’t and don’t warrant that everything you see on this Site is up-to-date, error-free, or complete. While we may periodically add, modify, or delete any of the information on this Site, we don’t make any commitment or assume any obligation or duty to do so, and you should assume that the information is current and up-to-date only as of the date it is posted to this Site. Neither we nor any of our consultants for this Site will be liable for any direct, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of your access to or use of this Site. Everything on this Site is provided to you “as is” without warranty of any kind either expressed or implied, including but not limited to any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or noninfringement. Some jurisdictions may not allow the exclusion of implied warranties so this statement may not apply to you.

Last updated:

November 27, 2024