Early Termination
Please communicate with your Coordinator if you have any concerns about completing the year.
QVS Fellows are not employees of QVS. Fellows are free to terminate their Fellowship relationship with QVS at will at any time, with or without cause. Similarly, QVS reserves the right to terminate a Fellowship relationship at will at any time for any reason not prohibited by law, with or without prior notice or cause.
If a Fellow leaves the program, they will no longer receive a stipend, grocery money, or transportation benefits. They must vacate the QVS House. They will cease working at their site placement.
Leaving the Program
At the discretion of QVS Staff, a Fellow may be asked to leave the program. QVS will make every attempt to resolve concerns before taking this step. It almost never happens! QVS has over 275 alums; only 5 Fellows have ever been asked to leave the program.
QVS is committed to collaborating with Fellows and site placements to resolve any concerns that arise. However, Fellows may be asked to leave the program if they choose to stop working at their site placement, or if their work consistently fails to meet the expectations of the site placement.
We expect your full participation in QVS Days, retreats, and community life. Fellows may be asked to leave the program if outside commitments prevent them from participating fully. Outside commitments may include employment, educational opportunities, relationships, or any endeavor that demands considerable time and attention.
Fellows may be asked to leave the program if they violate trust. Trust may be broken by the irresponsible or excessive use of alcohol, marijuana, or other substances. Trust may be broken if Fellows make false or misleading statements to QVS, or refuse to provide requested information in a timely manner. Trust may be broken if Fellows escalate interpersonal conflict beyond possibility of reconciliation. Criminal conduct, including the possession, distribution or use of illegal drugs on QVS property or while on QVS business will break trust.
If you notice a housemate struggling with substance use which is impacting your house community, please let your Coordinator know.
Fellows who engage in behavior that QVS deems detrimental to the welfare of the QVS community may be asked to leave the program. QVS will not tolerate abuse, violence or harassment.
Fellows removed from the QVS Program will be given two weeks to move out of the QVS House. If QVS determines it’s not viable for them to remain in the House, they will be provided alternative housing during the two-week transition. We value the personal safety of Fellows removed from the program, and we will take reasonable steps to ensure their safety after their departure from QVS. Equity funds may be available to pay for transportation to another city or to offset other relocation expenses.
Fellows who are removed from the Program are not eligible for the Program Completion Stipend, nor are they considered alums.
Reasons for Dismissal
We recognize harassment may occur within any environment: at QVS, at your site placement, or wherever you go in your city.
Harassment is offensive, belittling, threatening, or otherwise unwelcome behavior directed at someone based on protected characteristics like age, race, color, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. When an individual expresses discomfort with an action or communication, it is unwelcome to that individual. Any non-consensual sexual behavior is a form of harassment. QVS does not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind.
If you are the target of discrimination or harassment in any form, please immediately notify your City Coordinator and/or the Director of Program. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you notice someone else behaving inappropriately or if you suspect a housemate is being discriminated against or harassed but not reporting it. If your concern is about the behavior of a QVS City Coordinator, please immediately contact Mike Huber, the Director of Program.
Upon being notified, QVS will first act to support the target of harassment or discrimination. We are committed to acting swiftly in order to prevent further harm. If the incident involves a community partner, QVS will ask site placement organizations or meetings to take action based on their internal harassment policies. If we determine that a work environment is unsafe, we will remove Fellows from that site. We will offer to connect those who experience harm with counseling resources.
If harassment occurs between Fellows or between a Fellow and someone in a QVS role (e.g. QVS staff or Spiritual Nurturer), we will follow the QVS harassment procedure:
(1) Request a Statement. Those who notify us about an incident of harassment will be asked to produce a written statement. We recognize the emotional labor required to produce such a document. We urge those making a written statement to work with a trusted support person throughout the process. The statement (including identifying information about who has written the notification) will be seen by the City Coordinator and several national staff members in leadership positions: the Executive Director, Director of Program, and Director of Equity and Empowerment. If the complaint is against a QVS staff person, that person will be excluded on the initial list of recipients. QVS will not retaliate against any Fellow for complaining about harassment or discrimination or for cooperating with any investigation. Any Fellow who believes retaliation has occurred should immediately report this to the City Coordinator or Director of Program.
(2) Form a Response Team. Within 5 days of receiving the written notification, the QVS Leadership Team will appoint 2-3 people to serve as a Response Team. The Leadership Team may appoint QVS staff, Board members, or people outside QVS. The Leadership Team may consult with the author of the written statement prior to making appointments; however, the Leadership Team will make a final decision about the Response Team composition based on their best judgment.
(3) Meet with the Author(s) of the Written Statement. The Response Team will arrange a meeting with the person who wrote the notification of harassment within 7 days after QVS received the written statement. During this meeting, the Response Team will answer procedural questions and ask clarifying questions about the situation that led to the notification. The person who wrote the notification may choose to bring a support person to this meeting.
(4) Meet with the Person(s) Identified as the Target of Harassment. If the written statement identifies targets of discrimination or harassment who are not among the authors of the notification, the Response Team will schedule a meeting with them. The person who has been a target of harassment will be encouraged to bring a support person to the meeting. They will be provided with information from the written notification; QVS cannot guarantee the anonymity of the author. For the sake of future Fellows and staff, and for the integrity of our organization, QVS cannot abandon an investigation once we receive a written notification of harassment. With that said, we will endeavor to respect the wishes of someone who has been the target of harassment as the process continues.
(5) Meet with the Person(s) Accused of Harassment and/or Discrimination. Once the Response Team discerns it has gathered sufficient information, they will schedule a meeting with person(s) accused of harassment and/or discrimination. The accused will be informed that a complaint has been filed and invited to bring a support person to the meeting. At the meeting, the accused will hear details of the incident. Identifying the specifics of harmful behavior almost always reveals the identity of the person who was harmed, so QVS cannot guarantee anonymity. After describing the incident as it was written and clarified through direct communication with the author of the written notification and the recipient of harassment or discrimination, the Response Team will ask the accused if the details are in dispute and if there is additional information that should be considered.
(6) Meet with Others to Investigate as Needed. If the accused agrees that the incident has been described accurately there is no need for further investigation; the Response Team may proceed with its report as described below. If the accused disputes the facts of the incident, then further investigation will be required. The Response Team will need to hear from anyone who can speak to the sequence of events that led to the complaint. Fellows and QVS Staff are required to cooperate with any such investigation.
(7) Report Conclusions. The Response Team’s report will be presented to the author of the notification, to the recipient of harassment or discrimination (if different than the author of the notification), to the accused, and to the Executive Director, Director of Program, and Director of Equity & Empowerment. The report will offer the Response Team’s conclusions:
(a) What Happened? If the facts are in dispute, the Response Team’s final report will include their best understanding of what happened. If the facts are not in dispute, the Response Team’s final report will include the written notification and any clarifying notes obtained through subsequent conversations.
(b) How Should QVS Respond? Whether or not the Response Team determines that harassment or discrimination has occurred, they will recommend action to repair harm and set the foundation for healthy community. If the Response Team concludes that discrimination or harassment has occurred, they will discern the appropriate action to hold people accountable.
(8) Implement Recommendations. The Executive Director, Director of Program, and Director of Equity & Empowerment will take action based on the Response Team’s conclusions. This may include following established procedures for removing staff or Fellows, establishing expectations for additional training, providing counseling or other resources to the involved parties, or requiring other actions named by the Response Team.
Fellows who harass others may be immediately asked to leave QVS or the premises of the Fellow’s site placement, and the Fellowship relationship with QVS may be terminated.