SENECA HACKATHON
Terms & Conditions
Please read carefully before completing your registration.
Overview
These Terms & Conditions govern participation in the Seneca Polytechnic Hackathon. By checking the box on the registration form, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by all terms set out here. Organizers reserve the right to amend these terms; updates will be communicated to all registered participants.
•The Seneca Polytechnic Hackathon is open to students from any institution, as well as alumni and approved industry guests. All are welcome to register and participate.
•Each team must include at least one current Seneca Polytechnic student or alumni. Non-Seneca participants who register individually will be assisted by organizers in finding a team that satisfies this requirement.
•Alumni eligibility: Only students currently enrolled or alumni who graduated in 2020 or later are eligible to participate, regardless of institution.
•Free to participate: The Seneca Polytechnic Hackathon is free to join. There are no registration fees or participation costs for any stage of the event.
•Seneca students must provide a valid Student ID or proof of current enrollment upon request.
•Teams must consist of 3–5 members. Individual registrants will be matched with a team by the organizers.
•Team composition: All team members must be registered participants only. Teams may not include organizers, volunteers, judges, sponsors, or anyone else in a privileged or official role at the event.
•Registration must be completed by the published deadline.
•Participants are expected to attend all scheduled sessions, including opening events, mentorship meetings, and the finale.
•All team members must be present at the event, either virtually or in-person, for the duration.
•Unexcused absences during the in-person finale may result in the individual not receiving their micro-credential. If you anticipate a conflict, please notify the organizers in advance.
•All submission and demo deadlines are published on the hackathon portal.
All work submitted must be original and created during the hackathon period. The following are strictly prohibited:
•Reusing code, designs, or concepts from prior personal or academic work (e.g., thesis or coursework).
•Submitting pre-built, commercialized, or third-party solutions, or work created by non-team members.
•Using proprietary code or assets without legal authorization.
The following are permitted with appropriate care:
•AI-assisted code generation tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT) are allowed. Teams are responsible for understanding and being able to explain any AI-generated code in their project.
•Open-source code is permitted with proper attribution (citing applicable licenses such as MIT or GPL within the code). Copying entire repositories or complete solutions as-is is prohibited.
•All third-party assets (images, datasets, APIs) must be legally licensed (e.g., Creative Commons, Kaggle).
•Teams retain full ownership of their projects and any intellectual property developed during the event.
•Seneca Polytechnic does not claim ownership over participant work. No software licenses are provided by the event; participants may apply open-source licenses of their choosing.
•By submitting a project, participants grant the organizers a non-exclusive right to reference, display, or feature the project for event promotion and educational purposes.
Participants are expected to uphold a respectful, inclusive, and professional environment throughout the event. The following behaviours are prohibited:
•Abusive communication of any kind — verbal, written, electronic, or via social media — that intimidates, disparages, or causes harm to any individual.
•Harassment, bullying, or discrimination on any basis.
•Any conduct that violates Seneca’s policies or applicable local, provincial, or federal law.
Participants must comply with directions from Seneca staff, event organizers, contracted security personnel, and Seneca Student Federation employees acting in an official capacity.
For full details, please refer to Seneca’s official Student Code of Conduct Policy. (https://www.senecapolytechnic.ca/about/policies/student-code-of-conduct.html)
Participants may earn official Seneca Polytechnic Hackathon micro-credentials based on their level of achievement:
•Participant: Awarded to any team that submits a qualifying round presentation.
•Finalist: Awarded to teams that advance to and compete in the finale.
•Winner: Awarded to teams that place and receive a prize at the finale.
•Organizer: Awarded to members of the organizing team in recognition of their contribution to running the event.
Micro-credentials will be issued after the event concludes. Eligibility is contingent on compliance with these Terms & Conditions throughout the event.
By registering, you consent to the collection and use of your personal information for event administration purposes. The following information may be displayed on official hackathon platforms (website, leaderboards, and promotional materials):
•Preferred name and institution
•Team name and project title
•Public GitHub or DevPost profile (if submitted as part of hackathon requirements)
Information is handled in accordance with Seneca College’s Privacy Policy.
Rule violations are reviewed by the Seneca Hackathon Review Panel (comprising three faculty members and one industry expert). Penalties are applied as follows:
•Minor breaches (e.g., incomplete attribution, minor rule infractions) — a 10% score deduction applied to the team.
•Major breaches (e.g., plagiarism, harassment, bullying) — immediate disqualification from the event, with formal referral to Seneca’s Academic Integrity Office.
•Repeat or severe violations may result in a ban from future hackathon events.
Participants must cooperate fully with any investigation and provide truthful, accurate information when requested. All decisions made by the Review Panel are final and binding and may not be appealed.
•The Seneca Hackathon Organizing Team reserves the right to enforce all rules and take appropriate action to maintain competition integrity, including measures not explicitly listed in this document.
•These Terms & Conditions may be amended at any time. Changes will be communicated to all registered participants promptly.
•The interpretation of all rules rests solely with the Seneca Hackathon Review Panel.
•General inquiries: hackathon@senecapolytechnic.ca
•Campus emergency: +1 (416) 764-0911
Official communications: All official communications regarding registration, qualification results, finale invitations, and micro-credential issuance will be sent by email. Participants are responsible for ensuring their registered email address is active and monitored.
•Seneca Polytechnic and the Hackathon Organizing Team are not responsible for any loss, theft, or damage to personal property, equipment, or data that occurs during the event, whether in-person or virtual.
•Participants take part in the event at their own risk. Seneca Polytechnic shall not be liable for any technical failures, service interruptions, or errors that affect a team’s ability to submit or present their project.
•By registering, participants release Seneca Polytechnic, its employees, organizers, sponsors, and volunteers from any claims, damages, or liabilities arising from participation in the event.
By registering, participants consent to being photographed, filmed, or recorded during the event (both in-person and virtual sessions). This material may be used by Seneca Polytechnic for promotional, educational, and archival purposes, including but not limited to:
•Social media posts, websites, and newsletters.
•Event highlight reels, recap videos, and future recruitment materials.
•Participants who do not wish to be photographed or recorded should notify the organizers in writing prior to the event at hackathon@senecapolytechnic.ca.
Please note: Participants who do not provide photo and media consent will not be permitted to attend the in-person finale. If you wish to opt out, please contact the organizers at hackathon@senecapolytechnic.ca before the registration deadline.
•Participant withdrawal: Teams or individuals wishing to withdraw must notify the organizers in writing as soon as possible. Withdrawal after the qualifying round may affect the team’s eligibility for micro-credentials.
•Event cancellation or postponement: Seneca Polytechnic reserves the right to cancel, postpone, or modify the format of the event (e.g., switching from in-person to virtual) due to circumstances beyond its control, including but not limited to weather, health emergencies, or facility issues. Participants will be notified as promptly as possible.
•Seneca Polytechnic shall not be liable for any costs or losses incurred by participants as a result of event cancellation or postponement.
These Terms & Conditions are governed by and constructed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario and the applicable federal laws of Canada. Any disputes arising from participation in the Seneca Polytechnic Hackathon shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Ontario.
By checking “I agree to the Terms & Conditions” on the registration form, you acknowledge that you have read and understood these terms and agree to abide by Seneca’s Academic Integrity Policy and this agreement for the duration of the hackathon.
Scroll to the bottom of the box above to enable the agreement checkbox.
