WORCESTER INSTITUTE FOR SENIOR EDUCATION (WISE) AT ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY

Academic Year 2020-2021

12.16.2020

TOC will go here.

 

POLICIES

I. INTRODUCTION.

1. The Worcester Institute for Senior Education (WISE) at Assumption University is a program that
   1. Is a part of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies at Assumption University.
   2. Follows the principles outlined in the Agreement between Assumption University and WISE.
   3. Follows the policies and procedures at Assumption University, including, but not limited to:
      1. Code of Ethics
      2. Human Resources and Personnel
      3. Finance and Accounting
      4. Fund Raising
      5. Information Technology and related issues
      6. Classes, Events, Instructors, Rooms, and Facilities
      7. Food Services and other Support Amenities
      8. Parking
2. Complies with the Assumption University Anti-Discrimination Policies as well as all state and federal laws prohibiting discrimination in employment and its educational programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, disability, age, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, genetic information or family medical history, military status, or other legally protected status.
3. The President of WISE and the President of Assumption University, or their designees, review their affiliation every four years, or earlier if necessary.

II. MISSION and VALUES STATEMENTS.

Mission Statement

The Worcester Institute for Senior Education (WISE) at Assumption University is a nonprofit, member-directed organization that provides lifelong learning opportunities for older adults.

Values Statement

The Worcester Institute for Senior Education (WISE) at Assumption University fosters a culture of teamwork, participation, acknowledgment, respect, inclusivity and transparency.

 

III. COMMUNICATIONS.

1. The Charter and Membership of the Communications Committee are outlined in the Committees section.
2. The Communications Committee ensures that WISE is in compliance with the Communications Policies of Assumption University.
3. Publications and announcements by the Committee made on behalf of WISE are done by email and social media.
4. The timetable of regular communications follows a schedule during September through May each year for the following individuals:

1. Presiden
2. Director
3. Chair, Communications Committee
4. Technology Advisor
5. Others to be selected by the Committee from time to time.

5. The Committee determines the precise steps involved in this schedule.

6. The Committee is responsible for:

a) All content on the WISE Website: https://assumptionwise.org

b) Social Media including Facebook, Twitter and others.

c) All information collected by WISE on the Website shall be governed by the WISE privacy policy and the policies of Assumption University.

7. The WISE Website is not to be used for advertising for events or entities other than WISE and Assumption University.

8. The Committee has the responsibility to assign operational access to the Website to the:

a) Chair, Communications Committee

b) President

c) Director

d) Office Manager

e) Technology Advisor

9. Other individuals may be granted access to a portion of the Website to facilitate the execution of their responsibilities, which include:

a) Responsibility for updating and maintaining the website, course information, emails, collecting and reporting financial information.

b) Other aspects of the Website.

 

III (a). PRIVACY.

1. The WISE Privacy Policy and practices are in accordance with the Assumption University’s Privacy Policy.

2. WISE does not make available, information about WISE members to outside organizations or individuals without the members’ permission.

3. WISE does not store credit card information on the WISE Website or in the WISE office.

4. The WISE Office Staff and Website administrators use member information in the course of their work, such as reviewing membership payments, course registrations, event registrations and communications.

5. Members may restrict the type of personal information in the privacy settings in the Website guide.

6. The WISE Directory is visible only to current WISE members and is limited by the members’ privacy settings.

III (b). RECORDING OF WISE CLASSES.

This document describes the WISE policy regarding recording and distribution of WISE classes and meetings. In addition, it outlines the process of recording and distribution that will be used for WISE online classes.

i. Policy

1. This policy addresses recording and distribution of WISE classes and meetings. These recordings may be made from online or in-person sessions.

2. WISE classes and meetings may be recorded and distributed to WISE members under the following conditions:

a) The instructor or meeting chair assents to the recording.

b) The participants are informed prior the start of the session.

3. With the permission of the instructor and the WISE Director, a recording or selected segment may be made available for promotional or training purposes.

4. Unless otherwise agreed by the Instructor and WISE director, the recordings shall be removed after the meeting date.

 

ii. Copyrighted material.

1. WISE cannot provide specific legal advice regarding the use of copyrighted materials in classes, whether recorded or not. Use of copyrighted material in educational settings is addressed under the fair use provision of

U.S. Copyright law.

2. For a description of fair use, see the following article, More Information on Fair Use, provided by the U.S. Copyright Office, as well as Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use.

3. WISE and its instructors will comply with the terms of service of the copyright holders and media distributors.

4. WISE will comply with related policies of Assumption University.

iii. Recording and distribution of WISE online classes.

1. Starting with June 2020, WISE is offering online classes via Zoom. The following outlines the process by which recordings are made and distributed.

2. All classes are recorded automatically to the Zoom cloud.

3. The Tech Adviser updates the Recordings page, https://assumptionwise.org/Course-Recordings/, by 10 a.m. on the day following the class.

4. The video may be edited to remove extraneous material at the start and end of the session.

5. Recordings remain available online for 30 days following the class meeting.

6. The Tech Adviser downloads and archives the recordings for possible later use. (Long-term archival policy TBD)

 

III (c). ZOOM.

1. In June 2020, WISE purchased 20 Zoom licenses. These licenses allow more flexibility with scheduling and coverage for WISE courses, Clubs, Special Interest Groups, special lectures, training and Committee Meetings.

2. These Zoom licenses shall be used for the sole purpose of conducting official WISE business including the following activities in WISE:

a) Courses

b) Clubs

c) Special Interest Groups

d) Virtual Open House or other WISE outreach events

e) New Member Orientation

f) Zoom Check and Orientation Meetings with Instructors

g) Orientation meetings with Class Assistants

h) Zoom Trainings for Members (aka: WISE Zoom Coffee Break)

i) Committee and Group Meetings

j) Staff Meetings

k) President or WISE Office Staff Meetings with Assumption Offices

l) Trainings for WISE staff, leadership and volunteers

m) Brown Bag Lunch Presentations or other Guest Lecturers

n) Other WISE meetings as needed, with the approval of the WISE Director

3. Carefully selected and assigned WISE members will be identified as “Hosts” for online WISE activity and will have access to the WISE Zoom account in order to schedule and/or to start official WISE online activity.

4. Under no circumstances should WISE Zoom licenses be shared to unauthorized individuals or used for any purpose outside of WISE official business as identified above.

 

IV. CURRICULUM.

1. The Charter and Membership of the Curriculum Committee are outlined in the Committees section.

2. Beginning in June 2021, all new members shall serve a two-year term with eligibility to renew for a second two-year term. All existing members in June 2021 shall serve their three-year term or remainder and be eligible to serve a second three-year term.

3. The Curriculum Committee shall develop catalogs for each semester, including the summer courses and distribute them.

4. Prior to approaching a current or retired Assumption Faculty member to teach a course in the WISE program the President of WISE will inform the Assumption President or the Provost to receive approval for that Faculty member, before they can teach in the program.

5. The processes for enrollment in WISE Courses are outlined on the Website and may change from time to time.

6. Only those members registered for a course may attend.

7. For the purposes of acquainting a potential member to WISE, a member may bring a friend to one class, provided:

a) The member has obtained prior approval from the Instructor.

b) The Class Assistant is informed as a courtesy.

8. An instructor may bring a guest to one session for the guest to get acquainted with WISE.

9. The stipend for each Instructor (in the Spring and Fall Semesters, as well as the Summer Semester) and Special Interest Group Speaker, is determined on an annual basis by the Curriculum Committee in collaboration with the Finance Committee and the Director and is approved by the Council.

10. In collaboration with the Director and the Chair of the Finance Committee, the Committee Chair prepares the budget for each year, which includes:

a) The stipend for each Course Instructor in the Fall and Spring Semesters, i.e. the Academic Year.

b) The stipend for each Course Instructor in the Summer Courses Program.

c) The stipend for each Summer Course Instructor and each Coordinator of the Special Interest Groups, which must be in keeping with the stipend for Instructors in the Academic Year.

11. The Budgets are submitted to the Director and the Treasurer for approval by the Finance Committee and the Council.

12. It is recommended that all Instructors read the “Guidelines for Instructors” published on the Website.

 

V. DEVELOPMENT.

1. All development and fundraising activities shall comply with the policies of Assumption University.

2. The annual fundraising drive consists of soliciting donations to one or more of the following:

a) WISE General Fund

b) Assumption University Building Fund

c) Students’ Scholarships Fund

d) Other Targeted Funds in WISE or Assumption University.

e) Gifts made in memory or honor of an individual.

3. All donations are to be made payable to Assumption University/WISE.

4. Bequests may be made by individuals to WISE.

5. All donors receive a tax identification letter signed by the Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Assumption University.

VI. DUES.

1. The dues for the Full Academic Year, Fall Semester, Spring Semester, and the Summer Courses are determined by the Curriculum Committee in collaboration with the Finance Committee and the Director and are approved by the Council for each Academic Year.

2. These dues are published on the WISE Website at the start of each Academic Year.

3. Members may upgrade their membership from the Fall Semester Membership to Full Year Membership by paying the difference (Full-Year Dues minus the Half-Year Dues).

4. The dues-paying Members are entitled to the full benefits of WISE membership for the duration that the membership is valid.

5. All WISE Officers, Committee Chairs and Group Coordinators must be full year members each year.

6. The Director and the Office Manager shall not pay any dues or Special Events fees.

7. As a part of the nonprofit status of WISE and in keeping with the mission of Assumption University, the annual dues or a portion thereof may be forgiven for those who demonstrate financial hardship as determined by the Director.

a) The total number of such members shall be limited to five each year.

b) These members will not be identified publicly and will be counted only in internal WISE documents.

8. Summer Participants are not eligible for WISE membership and its benefits.

 

VII. FINANCE.

1. The Finance Committee Charter and Membership are outlined in the Committees section.

2. The Financial Statements will follow the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) as outlined by Assumption University.

3. The Academic or Fiscal Year shall be from June 1 through May 31 of the following year.

4. WISE shall allocate a portion of its reserve funds in Assumption University’s investment funds.

5. The WISE Director shall be:

a) Allowed discretionary funds, the amount of which shall be recommended by the Finance Committee and approved by the Council each year.

b) Responsible for all operational expenses of WISE.

6. The budgetary process shall follow the following guidelines:

a) The budget assumptions and parameters shall be first determined by the Finance Committee.

b) The administrative budget shall be determined by the Director and submitted to the Treasurer.

c) Only the Committee Chairs shall complete the Budget Request Form in collaboration with the Director and the Treasurer.

d) The collected forms shall be submitted by the Treasurer for review by the Finance Committee and approval by the Council.

VIII. INCLEMENT WEATHER

1. Inclement weather is defined as: rain, hail, snow, high winds, extreme high or low temperatures, by virtue of which it is not reasonable or safe to travel or walk to class.

2. In the event of inclement weather, the WISE Director shall:

a) Determine if the Worcester Public Schools and Assumption University are closed.

b) The WISE Director shall confer with the WISE Office Manager.

c) The two shall determine if the WISE classes should be cancelled.

3. The Wise Membership is sent an email and /or text message informing the membership of the decision.

4. A telephone recording regarding the decision is placed in the WISE Office telephone.

 

IX. MEMBERSHIP.

a) Definitions.

Term	Definition	Comments
Academic Terms	Spring Semester: January through May.
	Fall Semester: September through December.
Full Year Membership	Fall and Spring Semesters: A, B, C and D sessions.	Voting members.
Half Year Membership	Fall Semester: A and B sessions.	Non-voting members.
	Spring Semester: C and D sessions.
Summer Participants	June and July	This is an administrative classification. Summer Participants are not WISE members.
Instructors	Concurrent with the sessions that the Instructors are teaching.	The Instructors’ Membership is primarily an administrative classification. Instructors cannot register for WISE courses unless they belong to another membership category.

 

b) Types of Membership.

Membership Types	Start Date	End Date	Comments
Full Year	July 1	May 31
Fall Semester	July 1	December 31
Spring Semester	December 1	May 31	Registration starts during the first week of December. Note that the Spring Membership starts a few days before registration starts.
Summer Participants	May 1	July 31	Summer Participants are not WISE members.
Instructors	Start of Session	End of Session	Concurrent with the Sessions that the Instructors are teaching.
Honorary			See below

 

c). Honorary Membership.

1. Honorary Membership is granted for:

a) Recognition of exceptional service to WISE or the community.

b) The promotion of special causes such as diversity.

c) Teaching 20 courses or more (Summer Courses excluded), over the previous 10 years at WISE.

2. Honorary Membership is:

a) Granted upon recommendation by the Council.

b) Renewable every two years at the commencement of each academic year.

c) Contingent upon maintaining active membership.

3. Honorary Membership is considered ‘active’ if the member is:

a) Participating in taking courses.

b) Engaged in teaching activities in WISE.

c) Participating as a volunteer in WISE.

4. An Honorary member who becomes’ inactive’ will become a Member Emeritus.

5. The total number of Honorary Members is limited to fifteen per each academic year.

6. The list of Honorary Members shall be reviewed every two years.

7. Honorary membership entitles members the full privileges of membership.

8. Although not required, Honorary Membership does not preclude the member from paying dues, or making donations to WISE.

 

X. NOMINATIONS.

1. In addition to the Chair, the Committee shall comprise of:

a) A former WISE President or Secretary of the Council.

b) One At-Large Council Member.

c) One representative of the WISE membership.

2. In accordance with other WISE committees, members serve a two-year term with an option to renew for an additional two years.

3. The Committee Chair, on behalf of the Committee, nominates (one or more) of the following positions for approval at the Council, and election by a majority of members at the Annual Meeting of WISE:

a) President

b) Vice President

c) Treasurer

d) Secretary

e) At-Large members (up to eight)

4. These nominations should be submitted to the Council no later than April 1 of each year.

5. When openings occur for positions within the purview of the Committee, the nominating process is suggested to be as follows:

a) An email is sent to the membership calling for nominations and personal interest.

b) The nominations, with their brief resumes, are received.

c) The nominees are interviewed by the Chair of the Nominating Committee.

d) The finalists are interviewed by the Chair of the Nominating Committee and its members.

e) The final nominees are approved by the Council.

 

XI. SPECIAL EVENTS.

1. The Special Events Committee Charter and Membership are outlined in the Committees section.

2. These Special Events are for WISE members only, unless otherwise stated.

3. The events include:

a) Brown Bag lectures

b) Excursions

c) The Annual Meeting

d) The Holiday Lunch

e) The Spring Dinner

4. The speakers for the Special Events may be asked to participate in WISE events on Campus or by Zoom.

5. All these events are self-funded by members’ donations, except the speakers’ fees.

6. The Chair of the Special Events Committee, in collaboration with the Director, shall prepare the Annual Budget and submit it to the Treasurer.

7. The Director and the Office Manager are exempt from paying the fees for each trip, including the transportation fees, for those events that require their presence as determined by WISE.

8. The WISE Director and Manager, the Assumption University President, the Vice President of Institutional Advancement, the Vice President for Student Success, the Director of Professional Studies, the Executive Director of Communications, their guests and other selected individuals shall be invited guests of WISE at the Annual Meeting and the Holiday Lunch, and shall be exempt from paying fees.

 

XII. APPROVAL.

WISE POLICIES
Approved by the WISE Council
Approved	December 16, 2020
Supersedes
	March 11, 2020
	June 2017
	October 2016
	February 2014
	November 2012