2024–2025 OLLI Northwestern
POLICIES AND INFORMATION
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Choice and Flexibility. Remember, every study group will have a limited number of seats in order to maintain the high quality, discussion-based learning model that Northwestern OLLI is known for. As a result, not everyone may get into their first choice. However, members are often pleasantly surprised and pleased by their second, third, or even fourth choice study group which expands their interests and their friendships. In the spirit of lifelong learning, we encourage members to keep an open mind when registering. There are many outstanding study groups from which to choose!

MEMBERSHIP PURCHASE AND REGISTRATION
Participation in the OLLI program is based on membership. Membership allows you to join a given number of study groups in each term (varies by membership level). Membership also gives you access to lectures, workshops, enrichment opportunities, and other benefits through Northwestern.

REGISTRATION
You MUST be officially registered through the OLLI office for all study groups and bonus groups you attend.
Registration for study groups is on a first come, first served basis. If a study group is full, members will be placed on a waiting list and will be notified only if a space becomes available. Should space become available, members will be added to a study group in the order in which they have been wait listed. We encourage you to register for an open study group in case the waitlisted group does not become available. OLLI accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover. Unless otherwise noted, you must be a current member of OLLI to register for OLLI events. Trial memberships are available only to new members and may be purchased only one time.

REGISTRATION ADD/DROP
Please make your selections carefully. Changes to study group selections may ONLY be made by the OLLI office. Changes are subject to study group availability. Changes may only be made up to the end of the second week of the fall or spring term or the first week of winter or summer term. If your plans have changed and you can no longer participate in a study group or bonus group you must notify the OLLI office.

REFUND POLICIES
UNUSED MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS: Refunds are NOT issued for unused membership benefits. If you are unsure of your plans for the year, we recommend that you purchase a half-year membership.
EVENTS: Refunds are NOT issued for academic enrichment or social events, including but not limited to prepaid meals, theater tickets, and prepaid tours.
Extraordinary Circumstances: Issuance of refunds for extraordinary circumstances are at the discretion of the OLLI Director.
Method: Qualifying refunds must be issued in the exact form as payment was made (i.e. to the same credit card that was used to pay for the transaction). Allow 6 weeks for processing.  
New Members Only: If you participate in OLLI at Northwestern University for the first time and find that this program is not a good match for you, you may be eligible for a full or partial refund under the following circumstances:
If you started in the fall or spring term and you notify the OLLI Director in writing within two weeks of the start of the term.
If you started in the winter or summer term and you notify the OLLI Director in writing within one week of the start of the term.

ATTENDANCE POLICIES & EXPECTATIONS
OLLI Membership is based on the expectation that you will register for, attend, and actively participate in study groups.
Members who are unable to attend the first two weeks of the fall or spring term are required to notify the study group coordinator of their absence, and (if possible) provide an expected date of return to the study group. Members who fail to notify their study group coordinator of their absence may be dropped from the study group at the end of week two.
Members who are unable to attend the first week of the winter or summer term are required to notify the study group coordinator of their absence, and (if possible) provide an expected date of return to the study group. Members who fail to notify their study group coordinator of their absence may be dropped from the study group at the end of week one.
Members who sign up for a study group and fail to attend at least half the scheduled sessions may be refused registration/membership in the future.
If you require special accommodations, please contact the OLLI office prior to registration.
RSVP carefully to events and workshops, understanding that while there may be no cost to you, there is a cost to the program.
OLLI prohibits video recording of any study group by members or coordinators.

HEALTH & SAFETY REQUIREMENTS AND INFORMATION
Safeguarding the health and safety of our members and staff remains top priority. Northwestern OLLI continues to listen to the science and follow CDC guidelines, state mandates, and Northwestern policies related to all COVID-19 safety protocols. If these guidelines, mandates, or policies change, Northwestern OLLI will adjust accordingly.

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY MULTIMEDIA AGREEMENT
For good and valuable consideration, as a current or former member of Northwestern Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, you grant Northwestern University (the “University”) and its agents and assigns the right to record your appearance and participation on digital recordings, videotape, audiotape, film, photograph or any other medium and to use, publish, reproduce, modify, distribute, and publicly exhibit without limitation for promotional and marketing materials to be used by the University, television networks, and on websites, including but not limited to the University’s website, iTunes, iTunesU, and the University’s page on YouTube, such recordings, in whole or in part, without restrictions or limitation for any purpose that the University in its sole discretion deems appropriate. You further consent to the University’s use of your name, likeness, voice, and identifying information in connection with such recordings. You release the University, its successors and assigns, its agents, and all persons for whom it is acting from any liability by virtue of any blurring, distortion, alteration, optical illusion, or use in composite form, whether intentional or otherwise, that may occur or be produced in the recording process, or any misspellings or inaccuracies, and you waive any right that you may have to inspect, approve, own, or control the finished recordings. You agree that neither you nor your heirs shall be entitled to any compensation for the use of your name, photograph, likeness, or other image of yourself.

Standards of Conduct 

All OLLI members are expected to behave in a manner conducive to a successful and enjoyable learning experience. Sometimes, relatively harmless things can disrupt the study group dynamic; for example, some students unintentionally dominate discussions. Students must think about their role in study groups as individual students but also as an integral part of a group experience. Some disruptions are of a more serious nature and cannot be tolerated. These policies extend to student interaction with administrative staff.

As members of the Northwestern community, OLLI members are expected to behave with each other with civility, kindness, and respect, recognizing that disagreement and informed debate are valued in an academic community. Demeaning, disrespectful, offensive, intimidating, threatening, violent, or otherwise hurtful or unsafe behaviors will not be tolerated. Such behavior could result in dismissal from the program at the sole discretion of the Director.

OLLI MEMBER / STUDENT CONDUCT RULES AND PROCESSES
Adapted from SPS Rules and Regulations of Student Conduct. All students are subject to applicable Northwestern University-enacted policies and standards.

Students admitted into the Northwestern University Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Program (OLLI), offered through the School of Professional Studies (SPS), are SPS students taking non-credit courses in peer-led, discussion format.
OLLI students are subject to the following student conduct policies, rules and processes from the time of a student’s registration for OLLI courses throughout participation in the OLLI community. These policies extend to student interaction with each other and with Northwestern staff and faculty, in and outside of the classroom.

Community Expectations: All OLLI students, as members of the Northwestern and SPS community, are expected to conduct themselves maturely and exemplify behavior consistent with Northwestern community standards. Northwestern students are expected to not only excel in the classroom but to engage in socially responsible behavior and to model exceptional conduct, character, and citizenship in class and beyond. All members of the Northwestern community are expected to engage with each other with respect and consideration. All students are expected to be respectful of OLLI and SPS staff time and resources.
Classroom Expectations: All course participants are expected to behave in a manner conducive to a successful and enjoyable learning experience. Sometimes, relatively harmless things can affect the classroom dynamic; for example, some students are so eager to participate that they unintentionally dominate class. Students must think about their role in class as an individual student but also as an integral part of a group experience. Some disruptions are of a more serious nature and cannot be tolerated.
Prohibited Conduct: All OLLI students are subject to applicable University-enacted policies and standards including but not limited to those in the Northwestern University Student Handbook. Any violation of these policies or assisting or encouraging others in the violation of these policies, may lead to student conduct action, including sanctions.
Prohibited and restricted conduct includes, but is not limited to:

• Endangering self or others, including but not limited to the physical, psychological/emotional well-being of any person
• Interfering with the learning of others, including but not limited to in-person behavior, online behavior or use of University resources or systems to interfere with the work of another student, a faculty member, or a University staff member, or that otherwise interferes with normal operation of University systems or processes
• Acts of fraud, misrepresentation, or dishonesty including misuse of University documents or knowingly furnishing false information to the University
• Acts of sexual misconduct, discrimination and/or harassment
• Failure to comply to the reasonable request or instruction of a university staff memberor emergency personnel acting in an official capacity

Scope of Conduct: OLLI students are subject to SPS Conduct Policies and applicable University-enacted policies found in The Northwestern Student Handbook. Conduct processes are adapted to the parameters dictated by offering peer-led non-credit programing. Northwestern and SPS reserve the right to review
and resolve reports of alleged misconduct occurring from the time of a student’s OLLI course registration throughout their time being a member of the OLLI community.
Student Conduct Process: All alleged violations of conduct by OLLI students will be reviewed by the program director to determine next steps. Options include, but are not limited to:

• close the case due to insufficient information
• resolution of case by OLLI director
• refer case to Northwestern University’s Office of Community Standards, Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance, and/or other appropriate University office or unit. Per Northwestern’s reporting obligations, all allegations of sexual misconduct (including sexual assault, sexual exploitation, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, and sexual harassment), discrimination based on a protected category, and harassment based on a protected category are referred to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance.

The director will consider whether interim action is appropriate when notice of an alleged violation is received.
Notification: When a conduct violation allegation is determined to move forward, the OLLI student involved (respondent) is notified via correspondence by OLLI leadership. Notification will typically include a brief description of the alleged misconduct, including the time, date and place the incident allegedly occurred, and a list of any University policies allegedly violated. The notification letter will include a request for a written response to the allegations within a reasonable amount of time, not to exceed two weeks of receipt.
Standard of Evidence: Northwestern University Office of Student Conduct and SPS use the preponderance of the evidence standard in reviews. This means that the conduct administrator(s), determine more likely than not what occurred.
Participation: The University expects students to participate promptly and fully in all aspects of the student conduct process. If a student elects not to participate in any part of the process, the case may proceed without the respondent’s participation. Respondents may be held accountable for any outcomes issued, even if they fail to participate.
Determination of Responsibility, Notification and Sanctions: Outcomes determined by SPS will be communicated in writing in a reasonable timeframe following student written response receipt, or following the deadline provided for response. The Outcome Notification letter will be added to the student academic record. Using preponderance of the evidence standard, OLLI leadership will determine whether the respondent is responsible for the alleged policy violation and, if so, will issue appropriate sanctions, from warning to program dismissal at sole discretion of program director.
SPS reserves the right to take appropriate action for violations of this policy or other applicable University policies, up to and including dismissal of an OLLI student from the program.

Reports of alleged bias or hate-related incidents can be reported to the Bias Incident Response Team. Information on filing reports can be found on the web page:
https://www.northwestern.edu/inclusion/respectnu/incident-report.html

The Northwestern University Student Handbook can be viewed at: 
sps.northwestern.edu/student-handbook

Northwestern's Policy on Discrimination and Harassment 

Northwestern University does not discriminate or permit discrimination by any member of its community against any individual on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, parental status, marital status, age, disability, citizenship status, veteran status, genetic information, reproductive health decision making, or any other classification protected by law in matters of admissions, employment, housing, or services or in the educational programs or activities it operates. Harassment, whether verbal, physical, or visual, that is based on any of these characteristics is a form of discrimination. Further prohibited by law is discrimination against any employee and/or job applicant who chooses to inquire about, discuss, or disclose their own compensation or the compensation of another employee or applicant. 

Northwestern University complies with federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination based on the protected categories listed above, including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX requires educational institutions, such as Northwestern, to prohibit discrimination based on sex (including sexual harassment) in the University’s educational programs and activities, including in matters of employment and admissions. In addition, Northwestern provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants, students, and employees with disabilities and to individuals who are pregnant.

Any alleged violations of this policy or questions with respect to nondiscrimination or reasonable accommodations should be directed to Northwestern’s Office of Equity, 1800 Sherman Avenue, Suite 4-500, Evanston, Illinois 60208, 847-467-6165, equity@northwestern.edu.

Questions specific to sex discrimination (including sexual misconduct and sexual harassment) should be directed to Northwestern’s Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equity, 1800 Sherman Avenue, Suite 4-500, Evanston, Illinois 60208, 847-467-6165, TitleIXCoordinator@northwestern.edu.

A person may also file a complaint with the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights regarding an alleged violation of Title IX by visiting www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintintro.html or calling 800-421-3481. Inquiries about the application of Title IX to Northwestern may be referred to Northwestern’s Title IX Coordinator, the United States Department of Education’s Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, or both.

Avoiding Microaggressions. To reduce the possibility of unintended harm to fellow OLLI members and to help OLLI be fully inclusive, we encourage all members to educate themselves on microaggressions and be mindful of this information as they engage in OLLI classrooms. Microaggression education can be found under Tips and Tools within the MyOLLINU website.