Member Education Policy

Approved by the Board of Directors on January 4, 2010

Approved by the General Membership on January 21, 2010

This Policy replaces the Member Education Policy approved by the general membership on April 30, 1984

Preamble

All Co-op members are entitled to take CHF, CHFT, or other courses of benefit to the Co-op, subject to availability of funds. 

Article 1:            Information About Courses

1.1 Information about CHFT courses will be delivered to the members by staff:

  • In the Windmill Weekly (print and email editions)
  • In committee mail slots or email boxes
  • Bulletin boards.

1.2  Members are encouraged to place information in the Windmill Weekly about other courses of interest.

Article 2:            Applying for Courses

2.1  The member should fill out a Member Education Application Form, which will be made available both in paper format and in a text-based electronic file, and submit this form to the office.

2.2  The application form will ask for:

  • course details, including cost
  • projected expenses
  • member's reasons for wanting to take the course
  • explanation of how the course will be beneficial to the Co-op
  • other courses the member has taken within the past two years at the Co-op's expense

 2.3  Members do not need to complete a Member Education Application Form for:

  • courses brought into the Co-op by a committee or the board
  • courses at the annual CHF Canada conference, if the member is authorized by the board to attend the conference

Article 3:           Approval of Applications

3.1  The board appoints annually a Member Education Co-ordinator.  Applications are reviewed by the General Manager and the Member Education Co-ordinator.

3.2  Criteria for approval may include:

  • whether the cost and any necessary expenses for the course are reasonable
  • whether the member has reported (see Article 4) on previous courses taken at the Co-op's expense
  • how many courses the member has taken in the current financial year
  • whether funds are available

 3.3  Upon approval of the application, the office will arrange for the member's course registration.

3.4  A member who wishes to take more than two courses in a financial year must have board approval in addition to approval by the General Manager and the Member Education Co-ordinator.

Article 4:           Reporting on Courses

4.1  As soon as possible after completion of any course taken at the Co-op's expense, the member is required to submit a brief written report describing and assessing the course.  If members are unable physically to write their report, an oral, Braille or ASL report will be transcribed by the co-op.  This report may be submitted to the Board of Directors, the committee the course was intended to benefit (if the member was sent to the course through a specific committee), or the Windmill Weekly newsletter.  The member's report may also be uploaded onto the co-op's website.  The purpose of this report is to enable other co-op members to evaluate the course and , where appropriate, to share the knowledge gained with the Co-op.

4.2  The Member Education Co-ordinator is responsible for ensuring that the reports are delivered, distributed, or posted, and filed in the office.