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Skill Contest

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PoliSciJunkie

Registered User
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Fl. Are universities and accelerator programs (not-for-profit) exempt from federal and state laws that govern skill contests when they have to choose contestant from a pool?

Do they have a legal obligation to treat the contestant fairly during the selection process?
 


PoliSciJunkie

Registered User
Yes, say an accelerator that is partnered with a university that has 20 spot in its program, accepts application from the public and the applicants are chosen based on their skill/best business etc... Does that accelerator has to use fairness through its selection process? Example: when selecting who makes the program does everyone has to go through the same criterias?

I think because they accepted application from the public and has a grant for the program therefore they are running a skill Contest and should run it in accordance with laws and regulation that govern skill Contests, such as fairness and not disadvanting any of the contestants. What do you think?
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
Yes, say an accelerator that is partnered with a university that has 20 spot in its program, accepts application from the public and the applicants are chosen based on their skill/best business etc... Does that accelerator has to use fairness through its selection process? Example: when selecting who makes the program does everyone has to go through the same criterias?

I think because they accepted application from the public and has a grant for the program therefore they are running a skill Contest and should run it in accordance with laws and regulation that govern skill Contests, such as fairness and not disadvanting any of the contestants. What do you think?
I think you're wrong. This is not a "skill contest", this is a selection process.
 

quincy

Senior Member
Yes, say an accelerator that is partnered with a university that has 20 spot in its program, accepts application from the public and the applicants are chosen based on their skill/best business etc... Does that accelerator has to use fairness through its selection process? Example: when selecting who makes the program does everyone has to go through the same criterias?

I think because they accepted application from the public and has a grant for the program therefore they are running a skill Contest and should run it in accordance with laws and regulation that govern skill Contests, such as fairness and not disadvanting any of the contestants. What do you think?
Did you not get selected for a spot in a university program because you were not judged "skilled" enough to qualify?

A public university cannot illegally discriminate against applicants and all applicants should be judged using the same criteria ... but this does not mean that a decision on who to choose for a program cannot have some subjectiveness. Skill can be measured in several ways.

What exactly is your concern?
 

NIV

Member
Did you not get selected for a spot in a university program because you were not judged "skilled" enough to qualify?

A public university cannot illegally discriminate against applicants and all applicants should be judged using the same criteria ... but this does not mean that a decision on who to choose for a program cannot have some subjectiveness. Skill can be measured in several ways.

What exactly is your concern?
I agree with quincy and add, not only "skill" can be measured in several ways, but also "fairness".
 

PoliSciJunkie

Registered User
In this case, it is not a public university. They also have grants from 2 private companies. Based on what I have gathered the acceleration program is in partnership with a private university. I called it a skill contest because only the best business ideas make it in the program and yes through various selection process.

My concern is not that I did not get in but rather how their selection process in my particular case was unfair.

I made it through the first round. The second round consists of an interview. Attended the interview. When I got there, one of the people administering the interview was my current fiancé's ex. I feel like she had an obligation to have excused herself from my application. We are not friends.

I advise the other lady that works for the company that we knew each other. That was acknowledged, but not the extent and she advised me to proceed. We did.

I then sent an email after the interview advising them that it was weird. They apologized and said that it should have never happened. My fiancé's ex is not listed as an employee, but she did attend the program and has since graduated. Not sure of her role with the company. She could have been a volunteer or contracted.

I was given a second interview by phone with a new person, the program director. The line of questions were different than the first interview and much harder (I get that this part is my perception).

But what is worse, I have since learned that my fiancé's ex is also currently mentoring someone who made the second round. I mean she had a personal stake in the outcome of the selection process. I don't she how she can be bias.

Putting aside the personal drama, does there not need to be a fair selection process given that there weren't enough seats available for all the candidates? There couldn't possibly be a lack of bias? And I was told later by the director that normally if somebody knows someone, they cannot be a part of the selection process.

I don't see why it's not a skill contest.
 

quincy

Senior Member
In this case, it is not a public university. They also have grants from 2 private companies. Based on what I have gathered the acceleration program is in partnership with a private university. I called it a skill contest because only the best business ideas make it in the program and yes through various selection process.

My concern is not that I did not get in but rather how their selection process in my particular case was unfair.

I made it through the first round. The second round consists of an interview. Attended the interview. When I got there, one of the people administering the interview was my current fiancé's ex. I feel like she had an obligation to have excused herself from my application. We are not friends.

I advise the other lady that works for the company that we knew each other. That was acknowledged, but not the extent and she advised me to proceed. We did.

I then sent an email after the interview advising them that it was weird. They apologized and said that it should have never happened. My fiancé's ex is not listed as an employee, but she did attend the program and has since graduated. Not sure of her role with the company. She could have been a volunteer or contracted.

I was given a second interview by phone with a new person, the program director. The line of questions were different than the first interview and much harder (I get that this part is my perception).

But what is worse, I have since learned that my fiancé's ex is also currently mentoring someone who made the second round. I mean she had a personal stake in the outcome of the selection process. I don't she how she can be bias.

Putting aside the personal drama, does there not need to be a fair selection process given that there weren't enough seats available for all the candidates? There couldn't possibly be a lack of bias? And I was told later by the director that normally if somebody knows someone, they cannot be a part of the selection process.

I don't see why it's not a skill contest.
An applicant for any position can be disqualified due to a personality or personal conflict. This is one of the subjective factors that can affect a decision.

I do not see any legal remedy available to you.
 

PoliSciJunkie

Registered User
Because the program did not follow their own rules, there is this big cloud. What if they did not allow someone I know to participate in the selection process would the outcome be diffrent?
 

PoliSciJunkie

Registered User
I do see your point. But I paid $25 to partake in this so the employer/employee view I don't think would apply here.

Could there be a collusion? Someone with advance knowledge, intentionally intended to defraud me, by sitting and partaking in the selection process?
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
I do see your point. But I paid $25 to partake in this so the employer/employee view I don't think would apply here.

Could there be a collusion? Someone with advance knowledge, intentionally intended to defraud me, by sitting and partaking in the selection process?
There is nothing further that this (or any) forum can do for you. Please feel free to consult with some local education law attorneys. Start with www.attorneypages.com or your State Bar Association.


Good luck.
 
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