Conference Policies

Please review these policies carefully. If you have any questions, contact the Conference Planning Committee at [email protected].

Registration Policies

Member Pricing

A membership discount code is available to any member of ARHE, ARS or AAPG. Membership must be active at time of purchase, as well as during the conference dates.

If you’re not sure of your membership status or have not received the discount code, email [email protected].

Students do not receive a member discount to the conference, as student registration is already discounted.

Student registration can be used by students registered in full-time classes. Part-time students may utilize student pricing only if they are not also employed by the institution. Student pricing is not intended to be utilized by professionals taking courses.

Registration Refund / Cancellation

Please note that we will fully refund your ticket upon request until Friday, April 11, 2025, less a $50 administrative fee. Refund requests received between April 11, 2025 – May 16, 2025 will be refunded at 50%, less a $50 administrative fee. Refunds may not be granted after May 16, 2025.

Cancellation requests or refund requests must be submitted in writing to Louise Irizarry at [email protected]

"Pay Later" Options

If choosing the option to “Pay Later” by Check or Purchase Order, you are agreeing that this registration is binding and held to the same refund/cancellation policy as a registration paid in full by credit card. Full payment must be received by Friday, May 16, 2025. If full payment is not received by this date, your registration may be cancelled and a new registration with full payment at the late registration conference rate will be required, unless otherwise notified in writing by Louise Irizarry ([email protected]).

Registration Transfers

Tickets may be transferred to another individual. All transfer requests should be sent to Louise Irizarry at [email protected]

Group Registration

There are no group registration rates for the 2025 ARHE/ARS/AAPG Annual Conference.

Payment Policies

Accepted Forms of Payment

ARHE accepts payment by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover), check, or purchase order.

Payment Remittance

Credit card payments may be remitted online via the conference registration portal website at the time of purchase, or through the ARHE website if changing payment type post-registration.

Check payments may be remitted through the mail via the ARHE mailing address:

Association of Recovery in Higher Education
P.O. Box 1541
Kennesaw, GA 30156

Changes in Payment Method

Changes in payment method can be accommodated by contacting Louise Irizarry at [email protected].

If payment has already been received, changes in payment require receipt of funds via the new method before any monies can be returned. A refund for the original payment will be provided by ARHE after the new payment has been deposited.

Changes in payment method after May 16, 2025 will be subject to a $50 administrative fee. Please be sure you are using the correct payment method before purchasing.

Returned Checks / Chargebacks

There is a $50.00 administrative processing fee invoiced against all returned checks or disputed credit card charges resulting in a charge back.

Credits

Financial credits cannot be applied to any account.

Please see the refund/cancellation policy for dates to adhere by to request a refund.

Sponsorship Payments

Full payment of exhibit/sponsor fees must be provided within 45 days of completion of the online reservation process.

Please note: The ARHE/ARS/AAPG Annual Conference may be cancelled or postponed due to unforeseen circumstances. In this case, registration fees will be refunded or credited to the next year’s conference; however, we will not be responsible for additional costs, charges, or expenses, including cancellation/change fees assessed by airlines, hotels, and/or travel agencies. ARHE/ARS/AAPG will not reimburse registration fees for weather, travel-related delays or cancellations, or other circumstances outside of the conference planning committee’s control that prevent an attendee from traveling to the event.

Presenter Policies

Presenter Registration, Travel, and Lodging

All session and keynote presenters are required to register for the event and cover the full cost of their registration, unless told otherwise in writing by the Executive Director of ARHE. Due to the timeline to receive confirmation of presenter status, presenters will be permitted an extension of the Early Bird Rate during the Regular Rate period. After this date, the Last-Minute Ticket fee will apply.

While we recommend that presenters attend the entire meeting, a daily rate option is available for those who prefer to choose specific days.

For poster sessions, at least one of the listed authors is required to register for the event and be available onsite. Poster session authors will be permitted to record a brief overview of the poster for attendees to view, even if not all authors are in attendance.

All presenters must check-in to the onsite Registration Area upon arrival to receive a name badge (which is required for admittance to meeting sessions and all areas of the conference).

All presenters must make their own travel arrangements. Presenters are responsible for all costs relating to their travel, unless told otherwise in writing by the Executive Director of ARHE.

All presenters must make their own lodging reservations. Presenters are responsible for all costs relating to their lodging, unless told otherwise in writing by the Executive Director of ARHE. The hotel booking link can be found on the Conference Website.

Presenter Disclosure and Eligibility

ARHE/ARS/AAPG consider a conflict of interest (COI) to arise when all of the following conditions are met:

The presenter has had a financial relationship with a company within the last 24 month
The company is a for-profit entity
The presentation topic is directly connected to the company’s products or services.

To avoid any potential commercial bias resulting from such conflicts, all presenters must disclose any financial ties with for-profit companies, including but not limited to ownership of a business, consulting roles, speaking engagements, research or grant support, or major stock ownership. Disclosure forms will be sent to presenters after the Call for Proposals, and only those selected for sessions or posters are required to complete the form. All presenters or authors must complete the disclosure before CE units can be evaluated. Presenters or authors who do not complete the disclosure will have their name removed from the program.

If a conflict of interest is identified, ARHE will determine the necessary steps to address it, which may include:

Disqualification of presentation
Allowing the presentation with alternative presenter(s)
Allowing the presentation with certain conditions:
- Assessment of the process by which the practice gap was identified and the learning objectives and content were developed
- Assessment of potential value of the educational content, presenter’s qualifications and expertise (unique and not otherwise attainable), and program planner’s or committee/coalition chair’s commitment for direct involvement in measures to resolve the presenter’s COI)
- Review of presentation materials by members of the Conference Planning Committee
- Assignment of a moderator to the session to monitor and, if necessary, control for commercial bias
- Confirmation of appropriate disclosure to learners

In general, presentations with a documented conflict of interest will not be afforded CE units, per Amedco’s CE policy.

All presenter disclosures will be shared with attendees, allowing them to assess the information and determine if the presenter’s external relationships might introduce bias into the content or conclusions presented.

Continuing Education Requirements

If sessions are to be eligible for continuing education, all educational sessions must be designed and delivered with independence, objectivity, and scientific integrity, free from the promotion of specific products or services and without bias. As such, the marketing and promotion of products or services is strictly prohibited:

Educational sessions must remain free from any form of marketing or sales. Presenters are not allowed to promote or sell products or services related to their professional or financial interests during the session or within the 30 minutes before or after the session.
Educational materials, such as slides and handouts, must not include any marketing content, including company logos, trade names, or product-specific messaging created by or for a company.
Presentations must provide an impartial perspective on therapeutic options when applicable. To support this neutrality, generic names should be used. If trade names are included in the presentation, they must represent products from multiple companies rather than focusing on a single company’s products.
Speakers who are authors are prohibited from selling all or portions of their books during the educational session.
No promotional activities following the session may reference ARHE, ARS, or AAPG.

Presenters must address the learning objectives outlined in their Call for Programs (CFP) proposal.

The content must be presented within the allocated time for the session. Presenters are expected to use the full duration (60 or 90 minutes), including time for lectures, discussions, or Q&A. If the session concludes early, presenters should have additional discussion points or activities prepared to engage participants for the remaining time.

When developing content, presenters are encouraged to consider addressing barriers that hinder populations from achieving positive health outcomes. These barriers may include social, economic, demographic, cultural, or geographic factors, along with related policies and practices.

Presentation Materials

All images, photographs, logos, music, videos, and illustrations used in the presentation must be the original work of the presenter(s), or they must have obtained written permission from the copyright holder to include such content. No material that infringes upon the ownership rights of any third party, including copyright, should be used. All content utilized must be properly cited, with sources noted.

Presenters should assume that any work they intend to use is protected by copyright unless they can clearly verify it is not, such as very old works or works created by the U.S. government. Copyright protection applies regardless of whether a work is registered, published, or contains a copyright notice. The fact that content is publicly available on the internet does not imply it is in the public domain and free for use.

Additionally, presenters must ensure that all content is accessible to all participants, adhering to accessibility guidelines such as providing captions for videos, alt text for images, and other accommodations as needed. Additionally, it is expected that all presenters utilize the provided microphones for sound amplification to ensure that accommodation requirements are being met.

Exhibitor and Sponsorship Policies

Eligibility and Acceptance

Organizations, companies, and individuals providing products or services relevant to collegiate recovery, recovery high schools, or alternative peer groups are eligible to exhibit or sponsor.

ARHE reserves the right to review and approve all exhibitor and sponsorship applications.

ARHE reserves the right to reject any application that does not align with the conference’s mission and values.

Payment and Cancellation Policy

Full payment of exhibitor/sponsor fees must be received within 45 days of completing the online reservation process.

Promotion of sponsorship benefits will commence only after payment is received.

ARHE retains the right to resell any booth space cancelled by an exhibitor.

All cancellations must be sent in writing via email or regular mail to:

Email: [email protected]
Mail:
- Association of Recovery in Higher Education
- P.O. Box 1541
- Kennesaw, GA 30156

Booth Assignments & Exhibit Space

The placement of sponsorship exhibits is at the discretion of the ARHE committee, and locations may change. Exhibitors must use only their designated space and may not encroach on neighboring booths or common areas. Exhibitors must not move to a different booth or location without discussing with the ARHE Staff and approved by the ARHE Executive Director. Failure to comply with this may result in the exhibitor being asked to not return in the future

Set Up and Tear Down

Exhibitors may set up during the designated hours only.

Exhibitors should remain for the full duration of the event. Leaving early disrupts the conference experience for attendees. Please discuss circumstances with ARHE Staff.

At the end of the event, exhibitors are responsible for removing all materials and leaving the booth area clean.

Acceptable Use of Attendee Contact List

The Associations of Recovery in Higher Education (ARHE), Recovery Schools (ARS), and Alternative Peer Groups (AAPG) may provide an Event Attendee List to sponsors or exhibitors at the Annual Conference, subject to the terms outlined in this policy.

ARHE, ARS, and AAPG maintain full ownership of the List, and all information contained within it is the exclusive property of these associations.

The List will be provided to sponsors or exhibitors for a one-time use only. Sponsors or exhibitors must adhere to the following conditions: (i) the List may be used solely for a single mailing; (ii) the List may not be reused for any future purposes, including marketing campaigns; (iii) the List cannot be copied, reproduced electronically, sold, leased, or distributed; (iv) sponsors or exhibitors may not record, download, or incorporate any names, addresses, or other information from the List into their own databases; (v) ARHE, ARS, or AAPG trademarks, logos, or slogans may not be used in any communications without prior written consent; (vi) sponsors/exhibitors may not suggest, directly or indirectly, that ARHE, ARS, or AAPG endorses or supports their products or services; (vii) sponsors/exhibitors must submit any intended communications to ARHE, ARS, or AAPG for review and approval before sending; and (viii) all communications must comply with relevant laws, including the U.S. CAN-SPAM Act and other anti-spam regulations.

Non-compliance with this policy by sponsors or exhibitors will result in, at a minimum, future disqualification from ARHE, ARS, or AAPG events, as well as from using any ARHE, ARS, or AAPG attendee or membership lists. Violations of this policy may also result in legal action.

Code of Conduct

Exhibitors and sponsors are expected to adhere to the Conference Code of Conduct and maintain professional behavior.

Any exhibitor engaging in disruptive, discriminatory, or inappropriate conduct may be removed from the event without a refund.

Sponsorship Policy

Sponsorships are available at various levels, each with different benefits.

ARHE reserves the right to determine the placement and visibility of sponsor branding at the event.

Sponsorships do not grant decision-making authority over conference content or structure.

Custom sponsorship requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Liability and Insurance

Exhibitors and sponsors are responsible for their own liability insurance.

ARHE, ARS, and AAPG are not liable for loss, theft, or damage to exhibitor materials.

Event Cancellation and Force Majeure

The ARHE/ARS/AAPG Annual Conference may be cancelled or postponed due to unforeseen circumstances. In this case, registration fees will be refunded or credited to the next year’s conference; however, we will not be responsible for additional costs, charges, or expenses, including cancellation/change fees assessed by airlines, hotels, and/or travel agencies. ARHE/ARS/AAPG will not reimburse registration fees for weather, travel-related delays or cancellations, or other circumstances outside of the conference planning committee’s control that prevent an attendee from traveling to the event.

Compliance and Enforcement

Exhibitors and sponsors must comply with all ARHE policies and venue regulations.

Non-compliance may result in expulsion from the event without a refund.

ARHE reserves the right to take appropriate action against any exhibitor violating these policies.

Code of Conduct

Code of Conduct Policy

I. Purpose

The ARHE/ARS/AAPG Annual Conference is committed to creating a safe and respectful environment for all participants. This Code of Conduct outlines expected behavior to ensure a professional, supportive, and welcoming space for learning, networking, and community building.

By attending the conference, all participants, including attendees, speakers, volunteers, exhibitors, and staff, agree to follow this Code of Conduct. Violations could result in removal from the event.

II. Who This Applies To

This Code of Conduct applies to everyone involved in the conference and covers all conference-related activities, including:

Sessions and workshops
Social events and networking opportunities
Exhibit hall interactions
Online engagement (conference app, social media, virtual events)
Offsite gatherings directly related to the conference

III. Expected Behavior

To foster a respectful and professional atmosphere, all participants are expected to:

Be Respectful: Treat others with kindness and professionalism, regardless of role or background.
Communicate Thoughtfully: Avoid offensive language, including jokes or comments that could marginalize others.
Honor Privacy and Confidentiality: Do not share other’s personal stories, recovery status, or sensitive discussions without explicit permission.
Respect Personal Boundaries: Always seek consent before initiating physical contact or personal interactions.
Engage Professionally: Maintain a courteous and professional demeanor in all discussions, both in-person and online.
Support Wellness and Accessibility: Be mindful of wellness spaces, sensory rooms, and the needs of all attendees.

IV. Unacceptable Behavior

The following behaviors are not allowed and may result in disciplinary action:

Harassment or discrimination of any kind, including verbal, physical, or visual conduct based on identity, background, or ability.
Sexual harassment, including unwelcome advances, inappropriate comments, or physical contact.
Disruptive behavior, such as interrupting sessions, monopolizing discussions, or using inappropriate language.
Stalking, intimidation, or threats that cause someone to feel unsafe.

V. Reporting Concerns

If you experience or witness behavior that goes against this Code of Conduct, you can report it in the following ways:

In-person: Speak with a designated staff member at the registration or help desk.
Email: Submit a report to [email protected]
Anonymous Reporting: Use the reporting form available on the conference app or website.

Reports should include relevant details such as the names of those involved, a description of the incident, and any witnesses. All reports will be handled with sensitivity and confidentiality.

VI. Enforcement and Consequences

The ARHE/ARS/AAPG Conference Committee is responsible for investigating and enforcing this Code of Conduct. Upon receiving a report, the Committee will:

Assess the situation to determine immediate actions needed to prevent further harm.
Investigate the incident, gather relevant information, and speak with the parties involved if appropriate.
Take appropriate action, which may include:

A verbal or written warning.
Removal from a session or event.
Expulsion from the conference without a refund.
Referral to appropriate authorities if necessary.

Sanctions will be determined based on the severity of the violation, and failure to comply with imposed sanctions may result in additional consequences.

VII. Confidentiality

The ARHE/ARS/AAPG Conference is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of all participants involved in reporting or investigations of misconduct. While anonymous reports are accepted, please note that it may limit the Committee’s ability to fully investigate and take action.

VIII. Commitment to Wellness

We recognize the importance of mental and physical well-being during the conference. Resources available include:

Wellness Lounge for relaxation and quiet time
Sensory Space for attendees needing a low-stimulation environment
Mother’s Lounge for nursing parents
Recovery Meetings for those in recovery
Optional wellness activities such as guided meditation and movement sessions

IX. Final Acknowledgment

This Code of Conduct reflects our commitment to maintaining a professional and supportive conference experience. We appreciate your cooperation in making this event a positive experience for everyone.

For questions or further clarification, contact [email protected]