Learning Policies

SEIU 775 Benefits Group is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice for all people. We stand in solidarity with our Black and brown communities in the fight against systemic racism, the violence perpetuating it and leadership condoning it. Black lives matter. You have the right to a safe environment. We will not tolerate any behavior that compromises this right. SEIU 775 Benefits Group stands with our brothers and sisters who are people of color. We will not tolerate any behavior that demonstrates racism or racial oppression, including discrimination and hate speech. Anyone who violates this will be removed from the classroom. It is our collective duty to fight against racism. If you see any behavior that is racist, please speak up and notify your instructor immediately.

Get Ready 

• Use My Benefits to register for training before the first day of class. The earlier you sign up, the more class options you will have. Contact the Member Resource Center (MRC) or your agency employer if you need help with scheduling.
• Know where your classes are located. 
• Make a plan for how you will get to and from class.
• Bring a government-issued picture identification to sign in for class. This can be a state ID card, a driver’s license or a passport.
• Bring a notepad, pens and supplies. You will receive learning materials on the first day of class.
• Be prepared to use an electronic device, such as a computer, tablet or a smartphone. If you do not have an electronic device, you may borrow one from SEIU 775 Benefits Group.
• Contact the MRC if you need language support, accommodations for disabilities or other support services.

Expectations:

Participation

• Attend the entire session so that you receive credit.
• Treat instructors, support staff and other learners with respect at all times.
• Respect classroom facilities and pick up after yourself. Wipe up messes and throw away your trash.
• Listen attentively and avoid unnecessary disruptions.
• Complete all individual and team assignments. Activities involving 2 or more people will be done in teams.
• Complete all online assessments and practice skills.
• Wait your turn and listen when others are talking. 

On-Time Arrival and Other Attendance Requirements

• Sign in and out of each class so you can receive credit. You may need to sign in and out of a class more than once per day.
• Arrive on time and return on time from breaks and lunches. If you arrive more than 10 minutes late to your class, you will not be allowed in the classroom, and you will not receive credit for the class.
• Notify the MRC or your agency employer as soon as possible if you are unable to attend class. The MRC or your agency employer can help you reschedule any classes you miss.
• Do not bring visitors, clients, children or pets in the classroom (except service animals registered with the U.S. Animal Registry — ADA Request Form is required in advance). Only registered learners, registered interpreters, approved community interpreters and staff are allowed in the classroom.

Personal Phones

• Silence your cell phone during class. 
• Do not make phone calls or text during class.
• Use scheduled breaks or lunch time for phone calls and other personal matters.

Dress Code

Please wear: 

• Clothes that are appropriate and comfortable for the skills you will perform in the class.
• Flat, non-skid, closed-toe shoes with socks (recommended).

General Safety

These things are prohibited: 

• Violence.
• Harassment. 
• Discrimination on the basis of:
  • Race. 
  • Age. 
  • Color. 
  • Ethnicity. 
  • Gender. 
  • Sexual orientation. 
  • Gender identity. 
  • Gender expression. 
  • Religion. 
  • National origin. 
  • Immigration status. 
  • Disabilities and abilities. 
  • Political affiliation. 
  • Veteran status. 
  • Socioeconomic background.

Please do not bring these things into the classroom:

• Weapons. 
• Alcohol. 
• Drugs.

Please use designated areas for smoking, including vapor cigarettes and chewing tobacco. Using these items is not allowed in the facility or within 25 feet of its entrances. 

Any behavior that compromises safety and security will not be tolerated. SEIU 775 Benefits Group reserves the right to remove disruptive participants. Please notify your instructor if you feel unsafe in the classroom.

During infectious-disease outbreaks, such as COVID-19, follow additional safety measures. Please:

• Do not come to class if you are sick or you might be sick. If you have any of the common symptoms of COVID-19, please notify your employer and the MRC to reschedule your class. 
• Tell your instructor if your client or anyone you have been in close contact with is sick with COVID-19 or any other communicable illness or infection.
• Tell your instructor if you have any symptoms. You will be sent home and asked to reschedule with the MRC. 
• Stay at least 6 feet away from every person in class at all times.
• Wear face coverings, such as masks, at all times in the classroom. You may need to wear other personal protective equipment, such as gloves, goggles or face shields for some activities.
• Participate in required health screenings, including temperature checks.
• Follow any other SEIU 775 Benefits Group safety requirements and state and local laws or regulations.

When to Stay Home from Class 

Please do not come to class if you are sick or have flu-like symptoms. Do not come to class if you have been in close contact with someone who has flu-like symptoms or has been diagnosed with a serious infectious disease.

Get Ready 

• Plan ahead.
• Set up a study area where you will not be distracted. 
• Tell others in your household that you need quiet time while you are attending class.
• Make sure your equipment and internet connection will work for class. 
• Have a government-issued picture identification available when you log in for class. The identification can be a state ID card, a driver’s license or a passport.
• Do not adjust the microphone when you log in. It will be automatically muted. You can unmute yourself when asking or answering questions, but remember to mute yourself when you are not talking to the class.
• Turn on your camera so the moderator can clearly see your face, and keep your camera on for the whole class. To protect the privacy of others, make sure you are the only person in camera view (no family, friends, clients or children under the age of 17 should be on camera).
• Contact the MRC if you need language support, accommodations for disabilities or other support.
• Do not share your personal account login information.

Webinar Training Expectations:

Participation

• Attend the entire session in order to receive credit. 
• Turn on your camera, participate in chat or group discussions, and answer questions when called upon. You may lose credit if you do not follow participation expectations.
• Alert the instructor/moderator in a private chat if you need to turn off your camera. Please continue to actively participate in class through the chat feature.   
• Respond when the moderator requests information for checking in and checking out.
• Remain alert and focused. Students who are visibly falling asleep, driving or walking outside will be dismissed and asked to contact the MRC to reschedule.
• Keep discussions on topic. If you speak on a topic unrelated to the lesson and you continue after you have been asked to stop, you will need to leave class and contact the MRC to reschedule.
• Treat instructors, support staff, and other learners with respect at all times.
• Wait your turn and listen when others are talking.
• Expect to spend the same amount of time on virtual courses as in-person courses. Virtual courses require as much participation as courses you take in person. 

On-Time Arrival and Other Attendance Requirements

• Log in on time and return on time from breaks and lunches. If you arrive more than 10 minutes late for your class, you will not be allowed in the virtual classroom, and you will not receive credit for the class.
• Identify yourself before and after class so you can receive credit. The moderator will take attendance before class begins and at the end of class. 
• Notify the MRC or your agency employer as soon as possible if you are unable to attend class. The MRC or your agency employer can help you reschedule any classes you may have missed.

Personal Phones

• Silence your cell phone during class. 
• Do not make phone calls or text during class.
• Use scheduled breaks or lunch time for personal phone calls or other personal matters.

Getting Ready 

• Set up a study area where you will not be distracted. 
• Tell others in your household you need quiet time while you are completing the course.
• Make sure your equipment and internet connection will work for the course. 
• Plan to spend the recommended amount of time to complete the course. 
• Contact the MRC if you need language support, accommodations for disabilities or other learner support services.

Online Training Expectations

Participation

• You can do self-paced online courses anytime, from anywhere. Online courses are not timed, and you can take as much time as you need to complete the course. Take your time and do not rush. 
• Avoiding multitasking will help you focus on the course.
• Finish the course in one sitting, if possible. If you must pause a course and return later, try to choose a natural stopping point (such as at the end of a module).
• Online courses may require completion of a proctored exam. “Proctored” means the exam is run and watched by someone who will evaluate your performance, verify your identity and provide real-time feedback on your learning. 

What Is Academic Misconduct?
Academic misconduct is any action or attempted action that may give you or someone else an unfair advantage or may give someone else an unfair disadvantage. Academic misconduct is strictly prohibited. 

Examples of Academic Misconduct:

Cheating

• Using fraud or dishonesty in an academic assignment. 
• Using (or trying to use) prohibited materials. 
• Helping others use prohibited materials. 
• Providing false or misleading information. 

Examples: 

• Letting someone else do an assignment or take a test for you. 
• Copying or trying to copy someone else’s work. 
• Sharing exam questions or answers. 
• Posting a proctored exam online.

Plagiarism and Theft of Intellectual Property

Using intellectual material produced by someone else without acknowledging its source.

Examples: 

• Copying someone else’s work and using it as your own. 
• Using someone else’s work in your homework or exams. 
• Stealing another person’s assignment or notes. 
• Getting a copy of an exam or assignment before its approved release by the instructor.

Alteration of Training Documents

Changing training materials, assignments and exams.

Examples: 

• Putting your name on another person’s exam or assignment. 
• Forging an instructor’s signature.

Theft or Property Damage

Stealing or intentionally damaging the property of SEIU 775 Benefits Group or other learners.

Examples: 

• Removing supplies from the classroom. 
• Stealing or damaging another learner’s property. 
• Stealing or damaging SEIU 775 Benefits Group computers, tablets, phones or other hardware.

Failing to return devices borrowed from SEIU 775 Benefits Group is theft and may result in loss of credit and other discipline.

Technology Violations

Misusing electronic communication and technology resources.

Examples: 

• Sending spam. 
• Hacking shared school software licenses, or other violations of SEIU 775 Benefits Group’s user agreement for borrowed technology resources.

Complicity

Being involved with others in academic misconduct.

Examples: 

• Letting another learner use your work to cheat. 
• Not reporting another learner’s academic misconduct when you know about it.

Classroom Disturbances

Disrupting courses and distracting other learners.

Examples: 

• Arriving more than 10 minutes late to class. 
• Leaving while class is in session or before class has been dismissed. 
• Having personal or side conversations during class time. 
• Not following the instructor’s instructions.

Violence, Harassment and Discrimination

Direct or indirect violence, harassment or discrimination based on: 

• Race. 
• Age. 
• Color. 
• Ethnicity. 
• Gender. 
• Sexual orientation. 
• Gender identity. 
• Gender expression. 
• Religion. 
• National origin. 
• Immigration status. 
• Disabilities and abilities. 
• Political affiliation. 
• Veteran status.
• Socioeconomic background.

Examples: 

• Physical and non-physical intimidation or bullying. 
• Using racist slang, phrases or nicknames. 
• Sharing inappropriate images or videos.
• Making negative comments about someone’s religious beliefs or sexual orientation. 

Violations and Suspected Violations

If you have a good-faith reason to believe a learner has violated this policy, you may report this to the instructor. 

You will be notified if you are found to have violated this policy. Depending on the nature of the violation, you may be invited to a meeting outside of class time to discuss allegations against you before a decision is reached. 

To report a violation or suspected violation: 

• Notify your instructor. 
• File an incident report online.
• Contact the MRC.

Appeals

You can submit an appeal if you have been wrongly accused of violating this Academic Code of Conduct. Contact the MRC to submit an appeal. 

Disciplinary Sanctions 

If you are found to have violated this Academic Code of Conduct may be:

• Removed from class without credit.
• Asked to:
  • Resubmit an assignment.
  • Retake a test, assessment or course.

SEIU 775 Benefits Group may tell your employer of the violation. If the academic misconduct is both willful and extreme, you may lose credit for the course in which it occurred.