Academy Handbook

2. About the Academy for Lifelong Learning

3. About the Board of Directors

3.1 Membership of the Board
3.2 Board Organization, Responsibilities, Reporting and Recruitment
3.3 Officers of the Board

4. About Committees of the Board

4.1 Committee Membership, Running a Committee, Reporting Activities
4.2 Standing Committees of the Board
4.2.1 Communications Committee
4.2.2 Curriculum Committee
4.2.3 Membership Committee
4.2.4 Special Events Committee
4.2.5 Talks Committee
4.3 Ad Hoc Committees of the Board
4.3.1 Long Range Planning
4.3.2 Nominating Committee

5. Calendar of Events in the Academy Year

5.1 General
5.2 Academy Schedule
5.3 Work Plan by Month

6. Policies

6.1 Fragrance Free Policy Statement
6.2 Guest Speakers
6.3 Third Age Network
6.4 Harassment Procedure
6.5 Waiving Facilitator Fees
6.6 Privacy Policy

Appendix

Expense Form
Letterhead - Black and White
Letterhead - Colour

1. About This Handbook

This handbook is a storehouse of information about how things are normally done as well as a collection of decisions made by the Board designed to help volunteers manage the yearly cycle of the Academy. It is the "institutional memory" of the Academy.

The handbook comes in six parts: after this introductory section, the second is a brief description of the organization of the Academy; the third deals with the Board of Directors and is of particular interest to members of the Board; the fourth describes the Committees and their mandates and is of particular interest to Committee members or those contemplating to join a Committee. There are hyperlinks to the detailed procedures for the Committees that are password protected, because they contain personal information. The fifth section is a calendar of the sequence of events in the Academy year which will give every volunteer an idea of when their Committee will be called upon and, as well, an idea of when other Committees are in action. The sixth lists the policies that have been adopted by the Board but are not part of the by-laws.

2. About the Academy for Lifelong Learning

The Academy for Lifelong Learning has an exceptional organization. It has no office. There is no paid staff. Yet the Academy every year puts on a cycle of events open to all members. 'Staff' are volunteer members who serve as Chairs or Vice Chairs of Committees charged with running portions of the Academy's annual program, or who serve as Officers of the Board. They decide the Academy's policies.

To allow the work of running the Academy to be shared among the members generally, everybody is limited to a two-year stint on the Board (except for the President who sits for a third year on the Board as Past President, but without a vote). Two years allow a volunteer to 'shadow' in the first year his or her predecessor who is then in the second year of his or her term: thus, for example, the Assistant Treasurer observes and assists in the work of the Treasurer.

Although the Academy has an exceptional personnel policy, the forms of governance it uses are entirely conventional. The Academy is incorporated and observes the provincial legislation for nonprofit societies; there are by-laws that specify how the Board shall work and the responsibilities of the officers. The Board has established Committees that execute the policies set by the Board. The Board consists of all Chairs and Vice Chairs of Committees and the Officers and Assistant Officers. Decisions are made by majority vote and are recorded in Committee and Board minutes.

3. About the Board of Directors

Board members are expected to be familiar with the established policies of the Academy – see section 6. The Secretary maintains a register of established policies and will add new policies as they are decided.

3.1 Membership of the Board (see Organization Chart)

3.2 Board Organization, Responsibilities, Reporting and Recruitment

Board Organization and Responsibilities: The Board of Directors is responsible for establishing the Academy’s strategies, policies and procedures, and ensuring their communication and compliance. It meets once a month, usually at Knox College.

It consists of up to sixteen elected voting members made up of the Officers (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, Secretary and Assistant Secretary), the Committee Chairs and their Vice Chairs, and the Past President who is non-voting. The term of office is two years with members usually serving as Assistants in their first year and as Officers or Committee Chairs in their second year. The Board may from time to time appoint persons as non-voting members of the Board, upon such terms and conditions as the Board may direct.

Recruitment and Elections: In October, the Board activates a Nominating Committee, chaired by the Past President. This Committee meets to prepare a slate of nominees that is brought to the Board for approval. The current Chairs of the various Committees, with the help of the Volunteer Coordinator if required, are responsible for ensuring that a Vice Chair has been identified for their respective Committees. The Nominating Committee then sends an email to the membership in early May publicizing the slate of nominees and inviting additional nominations. The final slate, with biographies of the nominees, is sent to the members as part of the AGM package in late May. The Chair of the Nominating Committee presents the final slate of nominees for election to the Board at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in June.

Reporting: The Secretary is responsible for the minutes of the Board meetings, their circulation to Board members after the meetings, and the preparation of agendas, which should include reports from the officers and each Committee, as well as additional material as appropriate.

Each Committee appoints one of its members to keep minutes. A copy of these minutes is distributed to Committee members, including the President or Vice President, whichever has been attached to the Committee ex officio. A summary is presented at the monthly Board meetings by the respective Committee Chairs. At the AGM, the President, Treasurer, Past President and each Committee Chair submit their yearly reports to the membership.

3.3 Officers of the Board

President

oversees the affairs of the Academy
chairs Board meetings
chairs the Annual General Meeting
represents the Board at functions and meetings
negotiates contracts with Knox College and other organizations with which the Academy may be in a contractual relationship
is an ex-officio member of all Committees, and may attend, as an ex officio member, all meetings of 2 or 3 Committees, to be determined in consultation with the Vice President at the first Board meeting
instructs the Archivist about special searches

Vice President

assists the President and acts on his or her behalf when the President is unavailable
accepts any special tasks delegated by the President
may attend as an ex-officio member all meetings of 2 or 3 Committees to be determined in consultation with the President at the first Board meeting
undertakes an annual review, updating the Handbook with the assistance of the officers of the Board, the Committee Chairs and the website manager
acts as the Academy's representative to the Third Age Network

Past President (a non-voting member)

selects and chairs the Nominating Committee
prepares the slate of nominees for distribution with the AGM material
prepares and presents the slate of nominees for election at the AGM
advises the Board and executive as required
establishes and chairs the Long Range Planning Group

Treasurer

manages financial transactions
maintains the Academy's bank accounts and the Academy's books
prepares monthly financial statements for each Board meeting
manages the Academy's insurance
monitors and reports on the Bursary and SCS donations
provides year-end statements to the Accountant

(see Treasurer's Procedures)

Assistant Treasurer

assists the Treasurer and acts on his or her behalf when the Treasurer is unavailable
prepares a budget for the next financial year for approval by the Board

Secretary

attends Board meetings and takes minutes
in consultation with the President prepares agenda and minutes for the Board meetings
collects reports of Committee Chairs and Officers of the Board and emails the reports, together with the minutes and agenda, to all Board members in advance of each Board meeting
emails minutes that have been approved by the Board and other important documents to the Academy Website Coordinator and Academy Archivist
is responsible for incorporation paperwork related to by-law amendments and updates required by the Ministry of Governmental Services
maintains a register of established policies and will add new policies as they are decided
maintains an electronic folder of important agreements such as the Memorandum of Understanding with Knox College and the Letter of Understanding with the School of Continuing Studies
organizes the Annual General Meeting and emails required notices to all members of the Academy
prepares a folder of information for distribution to new members of the Board
produces and maintains the list of Board Members and Committee Members
The Secretary may be required from time to time to sign cheques or contracts

(see Secretary's Procedures)

Assistant Secretary

acts on the Secretary's behalf when the Secretary is not available
maintains an active liaison with the staff at Knox and Victoria Colleges
collects and responds to Academy mail and phone messages and distributes enquiries to the appropriate board members
produces and maintains the List of Important Dates in the Academy year
books space for meetings and Academy functions at Knox and Victoria Colleges
with the Archivist, puts away workshop files, clears bulletin boards and arranges for storage of audiovisual equipment

(see Assistant Secretary's Procedures)

Academy Archivist

collects official and ephemeral Academy documents and images in electronic format
organizes and stores electronic documents and images to make a coherent record of the Academy
helps the Assistant Secretary retrieve files and papers from the classrooms at end of the second term
reports to the Board and membership once a year

(see Archivist's Procedures)

4. About Committees of the Board

4.1 The following procedures apply to all Standing Committees

Committee Membership

The committee members are selected from the members at large, the number depending on the tasks and responsibilities involved. Additional members, especially newer members, may be asked to join at any time, or may be enlisted for specific activities.
The Vice Chair is selected in the previous year from the Committee members and will attend all Board meetings with the Chair. The Vice Chair will also act as Chair in the absence of the Chair.
The term is normally for two years. Some members may be asked to serve a second term to provide continuity, or to serve as Vice Chair and Chair, but it is recommended that one-third to one half of committee members be changed each year and that no one stay longer than three (at the most 4) years. This will ensure the involvement of more Academy members and bring in new ideas, which are important for continued growth. Occasionally, the Board, in collaboration with the relevant Committee Chair, may appoint one or more members to a Committee as non-voting consultants.
Committee Chairs should canvass their members to find a Vice Chair for the following year. If no one is prepared to take the position, the Chairs should work with the Volunteer Coordinator to find someone else. The Past President will be in touch with Committee Chairs on a regular basis and names should be submitted by mid March.

Running a Committee

Consult timelines provided by previous Chairs and the monthly timelines of tasks in the Academy Work Plan by Month (see Section 5).
At the first meeting, outline the responsibilities of the Committee and allot tasks to each member. Develop an overall schedule and plan for the year by consulting timelines provided by previous Chairs, the Annual Schedule prepared by the Secretary and monthly task list in the Academy Work Plan.
Schedule meetings as needed and book rooms, if required, through the Assistant Secretary.
Ensure that the Chair and the Vice Chair prepare budget estimates for the next year. These figures are to be given to the Assistant Treasurer who prepares the budget for the coming year.
Promote Committee's activities by providing written pieces and information on request for internal (newsletter/web page) and external (where appropriate) communication, working in consultation with the Communications Committee
Check Academy mailboxes for any mail related to your Committee's activities.

Reporting Committee Activities

Keep a record of the year's activities, including dates, tasks, plans, minutes, budgets, expenses and revenues, as well as comments and suggestions for future planning. Consider placing these items in your Committee's Procedures Section of the Academy handbook.
Transfer this record at the end of the year to the next Chair. Send electronic copies of the agendas and minutes of the meetings and out-dated material to the Archivist.
Send the Agendas of meetings and minutes of meetings to the Committee members, including the ex officio President or Vice President attached to your Committee.
Report to the Board each month about current activities and materials for publication, such as questionnaires, forms, flyers, brochures, reports or notices.
Present a yearly report at the Annual General Meeting.

4.2 Standing Committees of the Board

4.2.1 Communications Committee

Composition: The Communications Committee consists of a Chair, Vice Chair, Past Chair, and other Academy members chosen by the Chair.

Terms of Reference: The aim of the Committee is to keep Academy members informed about Academy events (internal communications) and to provide information about the Academy to others (external communication) - formerly the responsibility of the Outreach Committee. The Communications Committee handles the design, editing and printing of all materials that are generally distributed (e.g. Brochures, notices of social events, summer newsletter) and maintains the website and News Page.

Internal Communications: Consists of information members will need to fully take part in the affairs of the Academy, including

Producing the newsletter (currently 3 times a year)
Maintaining the website
Distributing email notifications ('Fossograms')
Producing the Academy Calendar, in conjunction with the Curriculum Committee
Designing and editing any Special Events flyers, invitations, etc, in conjunction with the appropriate Committees (e.g. Talks, Walks, Forums)
Maintaining the News Page
Maintaining the Knox bulletin Boards

External Communications: Maintaining a public profile within the academic and community sectors, including promoting the Spring Talks by designing, editing and producing brochures, press releases, etc. in conjunction with the Talks Committee.

Maintaining appropriate membership levels by monitoring numbers, and recruiting new members as required. This work will be accomplished in cooperation with the Membership Committee, which will be asked to supply the membership data in order to help the Outreach Committee decide and plan future recruitment
Undertake public relations (PR) projects that reach out to organizations beyond the Academy, and maintain liaison with such organizations, including maintaining lists for groups such as retired teachers' organizations at both the university and school levels, the Toronto Public Library, local media and ethnic groups

Reporting: A summary of activities is presented to the monthly Board meeting by the Committee Chair.

(see Communications Committee Procedures)

4.2.2 Curriculum Committee

Historical Background
The Curriculum Committee was formed in 1991 as the Program Committee, one of the first four original committees. In the first year, the Academy offered nine workshops in two eight-week semesters. In later years this changed to twelve-week semesters. The Facilitators' Forum was started in 2011 and, in this same year, the Calendar was made available online. The Technology Sub-Committee was created in 2014.

Composition: The Curriculum Committee will consist of a Chair, Vice Chair, and other Academy members chosen by the Chair.

Terms of Reference:
The responsibilities of this Committee are:

Recruiting members to facilitate workshops (See Role of Facilitators)
Soliciting and assessing workshop proposals, based on the Academy's principles of self-directed peer learning
In collaboration with facilitators, developing a program and schedule of workshops
Producing workshop descriptions, schedule and other information for the annual Calendar
Conducting workshop and facilitator feedback surveys
Organizing (including invitations and refreshments) the Facilitators' Forum
Delivering Audiovisual and other training sessions for members throughout the year, as need dictates

The following criteria are used by the Curriculum Committee to select new workshops that will be recommended to the Board:

The workshop proposal:

provides an opportunity for self-directed peer learning through presentations and discussion.
provides the content and intellectual challenge suitable for the experience and maturity of ALL members.
encourages active participation and interaction among members.
has a suitable facilitator available who has been a member of the ALL for at least one term.
is likely to attract at least eight participants.

Reporting: A summary of activities is presented to the monthly Board meeting by the Committee Chair.

(see Curriculum Committee Procedures)

4.2.3 Membership Committee

Historical Background
The Membership Committee was initially called the Registration Committee and was one of the four original committees of the Academy in 1991. In the first year, there were 108 members. In 2016/17, there were 401 members plus two life members. The position of Volunteer Co-ordinator was added in 2007. In 2009, the Committee introduced randomized selection for over-subscribed workshops. Originally, the Committee used Excel to monitor members on file. This was switched to Filemaker, a relational database program in 1995 and in 2008 Datatrium was introduced to host the Filemaker database so that more people could access it for data input. In 2015, registration became fully automated, including payment of fees.

Composition: The Membership Committee consists of a Chair, Assistant Chair, Manager of the Academy's Database, Volunteer Coordinator, and other Academy members chosen by the Chair.

Terms of reference: The role of the Membership Committee consists of 5 key areas:

1. Registration Services
The new Calendar is made available online in April and online registration opens at the same time. An internet address is required for everyone who registers.

All registration data are entered into the database as they are received until the date for randomization. On that date, applications for oversubscribed workshops are randomized to determine admission to the workshop and to create waitlists. After randomization, registrations are processed and added to the waitlists on a first-come, first served basis. Three places in each workshop are held for new members until July 1st, after which time they are assigned to those waitlisted in priority order. The following are the activities performed by the Membership Committee to enable registration in the Academy:

Processing registration forms and fees (database entry April-Sept)
Running the randomization process for over-subscribed workshops, with Board members and affected facilitators invited to attend (late April / early May)
Contacting by telephone all members who are waitlisted (early May)
Confirming status in workshops and waitlists by e-mail
Tracking waitlists for over-subscribed workshops and assisting members in selecting alternatives (June on till the end of registration in January)
Advising Facilitators of workshop of their enrollment and confirming maximum numbers they will accept in their workshop (April-September)
Preparing class lists and attendance sheets for workshops (Preliminary, June. Final September.) This includes preparing files of attendance sheets and folders in the classrooms.

2. New Member Orientation

Once registration is underway, our Volunteer Coordinator contacts all new members to welcome them to the Academy.
Each September the Membership Committee works with the Talks Committee to welcome New Members to the Academy at the first Forum of the year.
The Committee also receives calls from potential new members throughout the year and facilitates their registration by directing them to the website if they wish to register or adding them to our Potential Members mailing list if they do not.

3. Monitoring Membership Numbers
The Committee provides registration data to assist the Board and Outreach Committee to make decisions regarding recruitment and other needs.
Members who have not renewed their membership are encouraged to become Associate Members. Follow-up surveys on lapsed members are conducted periodically.

4. Volunteer Coordination

The Volunteer Coordinator works to let members know what opportunities there are for them to help run the Academy.
The Volunteer Coordinator uses the database to identify people who might be interested in helping with specific tasks and recruits members to sit on Committees and to carry out the varied tasks necessary to run an organization with no paid staff.
The Volunteer Coordinator also works with the Board's Nominating Committee to help with nominations to the Board and in recruiting new Vice Chairs for Committees.

5. Database Management
One of the ongoing tasks of the Membership Committee is to manage the Academy's database overseen by the Manager Database. Some tasks included are:

Keeping members’ data current – i.e. address changes etc.
Adding potential members who have email addresses throughout the year
Creating labels for required mailings
Creating name badges as requested for events
Preparing class lists for workshops
Training new committee members to work with the database

Reporting: The Membership Committee reports to the Board on membership data and procedures.

(see Membership Committee Procedures)

4.2.4 Special Events Committee

Composition: Chair, Vice Chair, Past Chair, and other Academy members chosen by the Chair.

Terms of Reference: The purpose of this Committee is to provide a dynamic and varied social program to complement and enhance the Academy's academic activities and to strengthen a feeling of collegiality across the Academy

Responsibility:
The committee plans and implements the social events ; organizes the venue, catering arrangements, registration and entertainment; proposes budget requirements; provides publicity information for event flyers, invitations, posters, name tags and provides these to the Communication Committee who will prepare the materials; produce the Spring and Summer Walks schedule and manage the walks.

The Special Events Committee is responsible for planning the following events:

July – Walk and Picnic Toronto Islands
December – Holiday Luncheon
March – Spring Luncheon
April - Facilitators / Volunteers Luncheon
June – Annual General Meeting
Spring / Summer walks planned and posted to website
Ad Hoc Committees – Direct Report to Special Events Committee
Electronic Archives Committee - Established 2014
Stores the Academy's archival documents in the Cloud

Reporting: The Committee reports to the Board through the Chair who presents a summary of the Committee's activities at each Board meeting. The Chair and the Vice Chair are members of the Board of the Academy.

(see Special Events Committee Procedures)

4.2.5 Talks Committee

Composition: The Talks Committee consists of a Chair, Vice Chair, Past Chair and other Academy members chosen by the Chair.

Terms of Reference: The aim of the Academy Talks Committee is to develop and present a program of speakers for six lectures in April and May that appeal to members and guests and that raises the Academy's public profile. As well, the Committee is responsible for the Wednesday Forums during the academic year.

This Committee's responsibilities include:

Enlisting speakers and developing a schedule for the six Spring Talks lectures
Organizing the Wednesday forums by re-confirming the five fall forums organized by the previous year's Talks Committee, and establishing five forums in the winter term and five in the fall term of the next Academy year
Securing venues for the Spring Talks and the ten Wednesday Forums
Provide lists of the five Fall and the five Winter Forums to the Communications Committee and to the web site editor
Providing the program for the Spring Talks brochure to the Communications Committee and organizing all publicity materials i.e. content, design, printing and distribution
Recruiting introducers and responders
Organizing A/V equipment and technical assistance
Planning, coordinating and advertising the Wednesday Forums and the Spring Talks
Staffing the Spring Talks reception and information
Arranging for the Forums and Spring Talks speakers' honoraria and letter of thanks

Reporting: A summary of current activities is forwarded to the Board Secretary for distribution to Board members prior to each Board meeting. This summary is reported to the Board at Board meetings by the Chair or designate.

(see Talks Committee Procedures)

4.3 Ad Hoc Committees of the Board

4.3.1 Long Range Planning Committee

Composition: The Long Range Planning Group consists of the Past President, acting as Chair, and four other members of the Academy, each appointed by the Chair for a maximum 2-year term. The President is an ex-officio member. Group members should collectively offer:

a knowledge of the Academy, its mission, values and members
backgrounds in strategic planning, adult education, university administration and familiarity with present technology
the ability to assess relevant research, such as demographic trends and financial concerns that could have a potential impact on the Academy

Terms of Reference

to advise the board by providing information on and analysis of current and potential future challenges and to research any items the Board identifies
to monitor and report to the Board regarding the Academy's internal (fulfillment of goals and objectives) and external (e.g. potential membership sources, university connections or competing complementary lifelong learning organizations, research findings on aging and learning, relevant technology issues, etc.) environment identifying issues, risks, opportunities that might impact on the Academy

Reporting: The Committee Chair will report to the Board as necessary. Copies of the report will be distributed to all Board members at least two weeks prior to the presentation.

(See Long Range Planning Reports)

4.3.2 Nominating Committee

Composition: This committee is chaired by the Past President and includes the Vice President (i.e. the incoming President), the Volunteer Coordinator and two other Academy members.

Terms of Reference: The aim of this committee is to solicit, recruit and present a slate of volunteers for all Board positions for election at the AGM. This committee's responsibilities include:

Soliciting candidates by requesting suggestions and recommendations for the positions to be filled
Working with each committee chair to recruit a vice chair (preferably from the committee) who will serve on the Board for two years
Requesting further nominations from the membership in the March newsletter and processing any submissions
Consulting with each possible nominee to inform them of the responsibilities and term of office and ensuring they are willing to serve if elected

Reporting:

Presenting an initial slate of nominees to the Board for approval.
Preparing the approved slate for distribution to members as part of the AGM material
Presenting the slate at the AGM for final approval by the membership

5. Calendar of Events in the Academy Year

5.1 General

Annual General Meeting: The AGM takes place in early June. The out-going President chairs the meeting and provides an overview of the work of the Board over the past year. The Committee Chairs in turn summarize the work of their respective standing Committees. The Treasurer presents the Auditor's Report including the status of the bursaries and moves appointment of auditors for the next year. The Past President, Chair of the Nominating Committee, presents the slate of Board nominees and moves that they be elected. Immediately after the AGM the outgoing President convenes the newly elected Board, after which the newly elected President takes the chair.

Board Meetings: The Academy's Board meets once a month.

Committee Meetings: Dates for meetings of the Standing Committees are at the call of the Committee Chair (but see the monthly work plan below). The Chair of each Committee calls the first meeting shortly after the AGM; at this meeting the Committee's plan of work for the year is laid out and specific tasks are given to the members.

E-Mailings and Website Postings: Coordinated by the Communications Committee, there are several e-mailings to members during the year regarding Special Events, Walks, Talks, and Forums (see below); these events are also posted on the website. In April, the Calendar of Workshops for the following academic year is posted on the website, with registration information. In May, follow-up mailings and e-mailings are carried out by the Membership Committee to ensure that the new Calendar has reached all members, potential members and organizations in the Academy data base. In late May, the Secretary prepares a special e-mailing to all members in preparation for the AGM. In June the Membership Committee sends an e-mail to members who have enrolled in workshops to let them know in which of their desired workshops they have a place. The Membership Committee calls members who are not in the workshops they had chosen; they can either be put on a waiting list or choose another workshop. For further mailing information, see the Membership Committee Procedures Folder

Proofreading: Every item that is sent out from the Academy is to be proofread by at least two independent readers one of whom is in a position to verify facts such as dates, phone numbers, titles, etc.

Workshop Dates: The Fall Term usually begins two weeks after Labour Day and ends twelve weeks later. The Winter Term usually begins on a Monday two weeks after New Year and ends twelve weeks later.

Special Events: The Academy runs a number of social events for members such as a lunch after the AGM; Spring and Summer walks; a Potluck Picnic and a Fall Walk in October; a Holiday Lunch in December; a Spring event in March; and a Lunch for Volunteers in April.

Spring and summer walks: Academy walks take place in the fall, spring and summer. The Special Events Committee organizes members to lead regular walks lasting about two hours at a moderate pace and slower walks lasting less than two hours at a more leisurely pace, both inside the GTA. The start and terminus must be within reach of the TTC; at the end point a reasonable meal should be near at hand. The program of walks is posted on the website.

Talks: The Academy puts on six lectures that are open to the public in April and May. A special flyer listing the Talks is prepared and posted on the Academy website. As well, speakers are arranged for Wednesday Forums in the fall and winter terms for members.

5.2 Academy Schedule – (see Important Dates in the Academy Year)

5.3 Work Plan by Month – (see Calendar)

The aim of the Academy is to make administration as easy as possible for our volunteers. One means of doing this is to have one committee in charge of all aspects of an event. There is one exception to this rule: the university staff prefers to deal with one person. Accordingly the Assistant Secretary makes contact with Knox and Victoria staff; the Special Events committee makes all catering arrangements except for the Facilitators' Forum that is arranged by the Curriculum Committee.

It is both courteous and necessary to allow ample time for others to complete their tasks; for example, the content of flyers or e-mails to go out in an Academy mailing must be sent to the Communications Committee, which is responsible for the format of all Academy printed matter, in good time. Those who write pieces for the newsletter should respect the deadlines set by the Communications committee.

The calendar shows month by month the tasks the Board and Committees must complete to put on the Academy's academic and social programs. The work plan begins with the first meeting of the new Board in June and ends with the June Annual General Meeting.

Committee chairs must bear in mind that for every action in the calendar it is important to establish what each committee member is expected to do. The Committee's minutes should show clearly what has been settled and the responsible individuals.

6. Policies

6.1 Fragrance Free Policy Statement

WHEREAS the Academy for Lifelong Learning ("The Academy") presents workshops and other activities in space rented from Knox College and other locations;
AND WHEREAS Knox College has no present policy concerning the wearing of perfumes or other fragrances by persons within its building;
BE IT RESOLVED that all persons participating in programs organized and presented by the Academy within Knox College and elsewhere are requested to refrain from wearing perfumes or other fragrances;
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the policy be regularly publicized within the Academy through its workshop facilitators, its newsletters and by any other reasonable means.

(Passed by the Board September 25, 2013)

6.2 Guest Speakers

Fees paid to guest speakers at a workshop will be the sole responsibility of workshop members. Members are reminded that workshops should be directed by the principle of self-directed peer learning and that if a guest speaker is invited to address a workshop, in most cases, a letter of thanks will suffice as recognition of his or her assistance.

(Passed by the Board September 25, 2013)

6.3 Third Age Network

The Academy's representative to the Third Age Network will be the Vice President.

6.4 Harassment Procedure

Should a member feel that they have been harassed or bullied by another member, beyond the point of good-natured disagreement, they are invited to express their concerns in writing, in confidence, to the President or Vice-President of the Academy and request an opportunity to discuss the matter. The goal of this procedure is to prevent the spread of hard feelings and to restore mutual respect as quickly as possible. If the situation cannot be resolved in this manner, the President or the Vice-President may take additional steps as required.

(Passed by the Board March 11, 2015)

6.5 Waiving Facilitator Fees

The Academy recognizes the significant contribution of facilitators and their planning and research involved by waiving one fee for each workshop.

Specifically:

Sole Facilitators – full fee waived - pay 0
Co-facilitators – half fee waived - pay 1/2 the fee
Co-facilitators of two workshops – 2 half fees waived - pay 0
Three facilitators – a third of fee waived - pay 2/3 of fee

Any fee a facilitator may wish to pay will be received gratefully.

In the unfortunate situation of a workshop being cancelled, half of the waived fee is to be paid. This recognizes the time and effort invested in preparation.

(Passed by the Board August 12, 2015)

6.6 Privacy Policy

The Privacy Policy was approved by the Board in 2017.

Appendix

Expense Claim Form
Letterhead - Black and White
Letterhead - Colour