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 – 03/11/08 – 11/08/10 – 11/08/11
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 Learning Center
Committee shall have no less than 20 members and no more than 25
members. One-third of the committee membership represents a quorum.
All LC Committee members are seniors and volunteers. Recommendations
for committee membership are referred to the Nominating Committee, which
reports its recommendations to the full committee.
The Nominating committee (3
members plus 1 alternate) shall interview all potential volunteers,
teachers or committee members; they will report their findings and
recommendations at the next Committee meeting. Teachers should serve
one term as assistant teachers first.
Complimentary
SeniorNet membership is extended to LCC members, instructors and
assistant instructors.
Committee members
and instructors including current assistant teachers 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. All students’ checks must
be deposited. Only refunds will be given. No credit will be issued for
future classes.
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 class will be
accepted if space is available. Students taking the class for the first
time will have priority.
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. Any applicant who wishes to join a class
after the first lesson must be approved by the instructor. The
instructor will be supplied with the applicant's telephone number so
that he/she may interview the applicant.
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. In the event of the cancellation of a class the teacher
will notify the treasurer who will issue a refund to the student by
mail. The teacher will also notify the Staten Island SeniorNet Webmaster
and the Registrar.
If a student's check bounces,
the treasurer must notify the teacher. The teacher will inform the
student and not allow the student to continue taking classes unless
he/she pays the amount owed plus any incurred fees from the Bank for the
returned check.
Mailings
Mailing lists are
periodically reviewed to eliminate names of students who have not
enrolled or have a lapsed SeniorNet membership of two years. The LCC
mailing lists may not be used outside of the LCC for commercial
purposes.
SAFETY AND
SECURITY
Fire Drills are
conducted once per class semester. Instructors must record these dates
in the Fire Drill Log. The instructor and assistants must inform the
students of all building safety exits.
Keys
Keys to the computer
lab are kept in the JCC office. Anyone authorized to pick up keys must
sign-in and out when they are returned. Keys to the locked cabinets in
the computer room are available only to the LCC.
Computers
Only SeniorNet
programs and files authorized by the Committee may be installed on hard
drives. The committee member responsible for computer maintenance,
equipment and software, or his/her designee, has this authority. They
must be informed of any new software installed in any of the computers.
All other programs and files will be removed. Instructors, assistant
instructors and monitors are limited only to procedural changes
consistent with teaching materials. Students are instructed to leave
their disks at the Lab and not take them home, or bring their own disks
to the lab. This protects our computers from viruses.
Software
LCC members and
instructors may have access to software kept in a locked cabinet in the
lab. The key is available from the designated LCC member, and the
borrower must sign a checkout sheet.
The LCC will accept
all free programs as they become available.
Software copyright
policy is posted on the LCC Bulletin Board in the lab
1.
The
licensing agreement is signed by the coordinator or a designee.
2.
The
JCC SeniorNet Learning Committee, rather than any one individual, is
responsible for the software and manuals.
3.
The
licensing agreement must be honored.
4.
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.
5.
Software brought home after approval, is for SeniorNet Learning
Center use only, not for personal use.
6.
Lab
monitors must be instructed to be on the alert to prevent the
copying of our software.
Use of On-Line
Services
The use of any
SeniorNet Learning Center account outside of the Learning Center is
prohibited unless approved by the Coordinator.
LAB
USE AND MONITORS
There shall be a
minimum of three scheduled open labs per week.
Responsibilities
of Lab Monitors
·
All users must sign-in.
·
Confirm that each user is a member of SeniorNet.
·
Provide assistance whether solicited or not, particularly if the
monitor determines a need to take charge.
USERS
GROUP
The USERS GROUP is
expected to schedule four meetings per year.
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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