Seniornet of Staten Island, Inc.
Policies
And Procedures for the Learning Center Committee (LCC)
Prepared
by Dora Valente, chairperson, Mary Bartnett, Ann Merlino, Bea Victor from
the original document and minutes of July 2001 to June 2005 -
Updated - 05-22-09
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
GOVERNANCE
Term of Office
LCC Coordinator and Monthly
Meetings
REGISTRATION
AND FEES
Fees
Enrollment
Mailings
SAFETY
AND SECURITY
Keys
Computers
Software
USERS GROUP
WEATHER/CLASS
CANCELLATIONS
SCHOLARSHIPS
Awards
Selection Process
INTRODUCTION
SeniorNet
is a non-profit international organization offering seniors, 50 and over,
instruction in computer skills by their peers.
The
organization has over 200 international sites.
The
Staten Island Jewish Community Center SeniorNet Computer Learning Center
was established in 1993.
It was incorporated
in April 2008 as SeniorNet of Staten Island, Inc.
From
its inception, SeniorNet has been staffed by volunteers, all of
whom are seniors.
MISSION
We
seek to overcome barriers that limit the socialization of Staten Island
Seniors. We provide computer
literacy education with emphasis on the senior population, 50 and over,
both mobile and homebound, including the physically challenged.
We
seek to inform this population on Staten Island about the availability of
our program.
We
seek to heighten the understanding of computers and promote computer
literacy.
This
program serves the diverse ethnic and socio-economic community of Staten
Island.
Through
this interaction and intellectual stimulation, we seek to promote the
socialization of the senior community.
GOVERNANCE
The
SeniorNet of Staten Island, Inc.
LCC is responsible for
establishing and implementing policy and overseeing the day-to-day
operations of the Learning Center.
Committee
Membership
The
LCC shall have no less than 20
members and no more than 25 members.
One-third
of the committee membership represents a quorum.
All
LCC members are seniors and volunteers.
Recommendations
for committee membership are referred to the Nominating Committee, which
reports its recommendations to the full committee.
Complimentary
SeniorNet membership is extended to
LCC members, instructors and
assistant instructors.
Committee
members and instructors may enroll in classes, without charge, if seats
are available at the start of classes. They are responsible for the cost
of the manual.
Term
of Office
A new
LCC
member shall serve a
one-year
term with the option of renewal.
After the initial one-year term, LCC members serve two-year terms.
LCC
Coordinator and Monthly meetings
All members of the LCC are requested to
take turns as the monthly meeting coordinator and chair.
Members may defer. The
member scheduled to chair the upcoming meeting is responsible for
preparing the agenda and picking up the mail.
At the meeting the coordinator may appoint members of the LCC to
particular short-term tasks. The coordinator should be available to
members of the LCC who need assistance in accomplishing a task and should follow
up on any previous actions taken by the LCC. The monthly coordinator
serves from the first to the last day of the month.
An
LCC member shall be appointed to reserve the meeting room for the year.
All
LCC members are encouraged to suggest items for the agenda in advance of
the meetings. If members are unable to attend a monthly meeting, they
should inform the coordinator.
Funds
requested for special functions require budget approval.
Expenditures
up to $100.00 should have the approval of the coordinator and expenditures
over $100.00 should have prior approval of the LC Committee. In
an emergency, approval may be given via E-mail by the coordinator.
All
Learning Center volunteer instructors and assistant instructors
are allowed to accept gifts from students or classes.
LCC
records are to be available to LCC members when requested.
Sub-Committees,
Ad-hoc Committees and Areas of responsibility
Standing committees, ad hoc committees and member assignments to various
areas of responsibility are determined by the coordinator and the
LCC.
REGISTRATION
AND FEES
The
LCC schedules all courses and sets class fees.
Fees must be paid in full at registration or, in the case of phone
registration, prior to the first class. The
course fee will be refunded to a student who drops out and informs the LCC before the
second class.
Enrollment
In-person
registration has priority over mail registration.
Priority
is also given to first-time registrants for a class.
Students
wishing to repeat a course in consecutive sessions must wait until the
following session, unless space is available.
There
is a policy of “first-come, first-served” for each new session.
However, priority is given to persons closed out of a
previous session, when classes they selected were already filled.
Students
are advised to complete the Intro-I course before enrolling in
intermediate and advanced courses. Exceptions
are made by the registrar or the instructor.
Owning
or access to a computer outside the lab is not a pre-requisite.
Students
enrolling in courses requiring a manual may purchase the manual only at
registration.
A
scheduled class may run with an enrollment as low as three.
The instructor may choose to defer to another instructor, or the
class may be canceled.
Mailings
Mailing lists are periodically reviewed to eliminate names of students
who have not enrolled
in classes or expressed recent interest in Seniornet.
The
LCC mailing lists may not be used outside of the LCC for commercial
purposes.
SAFETY AND
SECURITY
Fire
Drills are conducted
periodically by the JCC. The
instructor and assistants must inform the students of all building safety
exits
on the first day of classes.
Keys
Keys to the computer lab are
held by each member of the LCC.
Keys to the locked cabinets in the computer room are
also held by members of the LCC.
Computers
Installation of SeniorNet
programs and files must be approved by the JCC administration.
Students
are instructed to leave their disks
and /or flash drives
at the Lab and not take them home and
not
bring their own disks
and /or flash drives
to the lab. This protects our computers from
viruses.
Software
The technical committee chair
will have access
to software kept in a locked cabinet in the lab.
The
LCC will accept all free programs as they become available
and are approved by
the JCC.
1.
Licensing
agreements must be honored.
2.
Only the
coordinator or a designee may request permission from a software company
to use its products outside the Learning Center. Software is made
available for home use only upon recommendation of the coordinator and
approval by the Committee.
3.
Software
brought home after approval, is for SeniorNet Learning Center use only,
not for personal use.
USERS GROUP
The USERS GROUP
schedules several meetings throughout the year to inform the community
and students and former students about SeniorNet Staten Island programs,
activities and course offerings.
WEATHER/ CLASS CANCELLATIONS
In
the event of heavy snow storms or other severe weather or emergency
situations:
The
instructor shall call or notify the students in his/her class.
The
instructor shall call the JCC to inform the receptionist if the class is
still scheduled or canceled.
If
the class is indeed canceled, the instructor is expected to re-schedule
the class, if possible.
SCHOLARSHIPS
It
is the policy of Seniornet to offer scholarship assistance to those with
demonstrated financial need
through the Sam Finkelstein Scholarship program,
funded by the
Staten Island Rotary and by Soroptimist International of Staten Island.
Scholarship assistance may consist of one or more of the following:
Selection
Process
The
scholarship committee reviews requests for financial assistance, may
interview applicants via phone or in person, and then recommend
scholarship recipients
each session.
Students
requesting scholarships must
submit an application and proof of need two weeks prior to registration.
All information is confidential, except for
the purpose of registering the applicant for SeniorNet membership.
Students
are eligible for one scholarship per session.
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