32BJ TRAINING FUND: RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR REMOTE AND IN-PERSON CLASSES
GENERAL
STUDENT CONDUCT
Students are expected to behave in a well disciplined and courteous manner while in attendance. The following will not be tolerated in our classes under any circumstances and may lead to disciplinary action (some might only apply to in-person classes):
- Inappropriate attire (shirts with offensive logos, etc.).
- Eating or drinking.
- Smoking or Vaping.
- Verbal or physical threats or physical contact with staff or other students.
- Sale, possession or use of alcohol or illegal substances.
- Stealing or defacing public or personal property.
- Cell phones with the ringer on (please put on vibrate when class begins. If you receive an urgent call, you must quietly leave the room or go off camera and mute yourself, and return when your call is completed).
- Digital/Video/Audio recording or use of any other electronic device.
- Children or Spouses (Only registered students may attend classes)
ADDENDUM for In-Person Classes during the current pandemic in effect until further notice:
- Social Distance. Physical distancing is mandatory. Whenever possible stay at least 6 feet from others in the classroom.
- Face Masks. Face masks are mandatory and should be worn at all times.
- Shared Objects. If it is necessary to share objects, such as tools, when in the classroom, those objects should not have wide circulation. For instance, it is best if one wrench is shared among three students rather than ten students. Whenever possible objects should be wiped with sanitizer or disinfectant between uses by different students.
- Hand Washing. Wash hands frequently. Hands should be washed after using shared objects. If it is not possible to wash hands, hand sanitizer can be used and will be readily available in every classroom.
- Health Questionnaire. Before entering the school, you will be asked to complete a health questionnaire either through a dedicated 32BJ phone app, or in-person when you arrive at school. All questions will relate to how you are feeling at the moment and whether or not you have recently had contact with someone known to have Covid-19. Completion is mandatory for admission to classes.
- Note all Building-Specific Signs and Regulations. Each location will have specific guidelines to insure safety. Please follow all building-related rules and regulations.
- If You Are Sick. Stay home! Work can be made up. Showing up to class when you are sick is not worth the risk. If you show up to class and are visibly ill, you will be sent home.
- If You Become Exposed. If after attending class, you find out that you have had exposure to someone known to have Covid-19 you must contact your instructor and the school administration immediately. You will not be able to return to class for 14 days. This action is necessary to protect the health of your classmates, instructors, and others in the building. It is not a punishment or a judgement. It is our responsibility to protect one another. Accommodations will be made so that you can keep up with the class and make up any work.
- Failure to Adhere to These Guidelines Puts Everyone at Risk
If you fail to follow these guidelines you will be asked to leave the classroom. Continuing lack of compliance will be considered a violation of the rules of the school and may revoke your privilege to take in-person classes.
HARASSMENT
Harassment consists of unwelcomed verbal, visual or physical contact that is based on an individual’s race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, disability or any other characteristic protected by law. It may include, but is not limited to, actions such as use of epithets, slurs, negative stereotyping, jokes, or threatening, intimidating or hostile acts that relate to sex, race, age, disability or other protected categories. Harassment may also include written or graphic material that denigrates or shows hostility toward an individual or group, whether that material is sent by email, placed on walls, bulletin boards, computer screens or elsewhere on the Fund premises, Zoom meetings or circulated in the workplace. Unwelcome conduct can constitute harassment if it:
- serves the purpose of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s performance or
- creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive learning environment.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Sexual harassment consists of unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, visual or physical conduct of a sexual nature. It can involve conduct by a person of either gender towards a person of the same or opposite gender.
The following is only a partial list of sexually harassing conduct:
- explicit sexual propositions
- offering benefits in exchange for sexual favors
- making threats or retaliating after a negative response to sexual advances
- sexual innuendo or sexually suggestive or sexually degrading comments about a person’s body, sex life, sexual prowess or sexual deficiencies
- sexually oriented jokes, derogatory comments, epithets, slurs or catcalls
- obscene language, letters notes, or invitations (including email, zoom chats, etc)
- physical contact such as touching or impeding movements conduct such as leering, making sexual gestures or displaying or distributing sexually suggestive materials objects or pictures, cartoons or posters (including by email, zoom chat, etc)
Unwelcome sexual conduct can constitute harassment if:
- it has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s performance;
- creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive learning environment;
- submission to the conduct is made, either explicitly or implicitly, a term or condition of an individual’s training; or
- submission to or rejection of the conduct by an individual is used as the basis for tangible actions taken toward him or her.
Students who violate these rules are subject to discipline, up to and including suspension from classes.
EMERGENCY SCHOOL CLOSINGS
In the event of weather emergency, state or city declared business closure, or other hazardous condition, students are advised to call the 32BJ Training Fund regarding the possible cancellation of In-Person classes. A notification will also be placed on our website at www.training.32bjfunds.com.
PERSONAL PROPERTY
The 32BJ Training Fund cannot be held responsible for the loss or theft of personal property. Please do not leave personal property unattended.
PROPER IDENTIFICATION FOR ADMITTANCE INTO BUILDING
(only applies to 25 West 18th St New York NY 10011 check with your Site Manager for other locations)
Upon entering the Local 32BJ building, all students are required to show their UNION CARD. If you do not have an updated UNION CARD, please complete a new card request (yellow card) with Member Services on the 5th floor, M-F 9am-6pm.
ATTENDANCE & COMPLETION POLICY
Students are expected to attend all classes and to be on time. All attendance is recorded. Notifying the school or your instructor of an absence does not excuse the absence.
- To satisfactorily complete an industry/Green Buildings course, you must maintain a grade of at least 70%. Academic courses are graded on a pass/fail basis.
- To satisfactorily complete any course, you must maintain an attendance rate of 80%.
- Students with attendance rate of 70-79% can be given an “Incomplete” for the course and be assigned make-up work throughout the trimester to meet the attendance requirement. Up to two (2) absences can be made up depending on the course. Ask your instructor about make-up work.
- Students with an attendance rate below 70% cannot be assigned make-up work to meet the attendance requirement for completion and will be given an “Incomplete” (academic/ESL/computer classes) or a “Fail” (Industry/Security classes).
- Exception: Students with less than 80% attendance who pass a city or state licensing exam or a Certificate of Fitness exam can be given credit for meeting the attendance requirement for a course or seminar.
- Exception: Some courses may require 100% attendance or may have a higher grade score for completion. Students in these classes will be informed of this by their instructor.
- Students who are late more than (1) hour or leave class more than 1 hour before the end will be marked absent.
TEXTBOOKS/TRAINING MATERIALS
Students are provided with textbooks/training materials at no cost when enrolled in a course. Textbooks are distributed the second week of the course. If a textbook is lost or destroyed and a replacement is needed the student must pay for the replacement. If you are taking a Remote Learning Course, your textbook may come in the form of a PDF or other electronically-delivered document or be mailed to your home.
GIFT POLICY
The Training Fund has a policy of NO GIFTS – No employee of the Fund (administrator, instructor, or staff member) can accept any gift or personal payment from any Local 32BJ member, or other participant, or member’s family on behalf of the member.
32BJ TRAINING FUND PLEDGE OF PROFESSIONALISM
We at the Training Fund strive to create a positive and professional learning environment for all of our students. Students who feel that they have constructive criticism to offer; have been treated improperly; experienced or witnessed unprofessionalism while at the school and/or during remote learning should feel free to contact us at any time. All conversations will remain confidential.
Email us at training@32bjfunds.com with the subject “Student Complaint”.
Best Practices and Guidelines for Remote Learning
- Set up your equipment and be prepared to join the class on time.
- Under no circumstances should you be participating while driving or engaging in any other distracting or dangerous activity.
- Please keep your video on during the entire session.
- Always mute yourself when you are not talking and unmute yourself when you are called on. Become comfortable with Zoom controls, as this will improve your remote classroom experience.
- During breaks, always turn off your camera and mute your audio, by clicking on the buttons here:
- Find a quiet place with few distractions. (see button above for how to mute yourself if you have no option but to participate in a location with background noise).
- Regardless of whether or not you think you are muted or your video is off, please assume that you can be heard and seen at all times, and act accordingly.
- Be aware of what appears in your camera shot. Keep in mind that people aren’t just seeing you, they’re also seeing whatever the camera is pointed at behind you. Make sure anything that can be seen is appropriate for a shared classroom environment.
- Don’t eat. Eat before or after the class or during the break.
- Use chat appropriately if it is enabled. Only post comments related to the class.
- It is not permitted to record another student on Zoom.
- Do not share your class meeting ID or URL link.
- Be respectful in your actions and words.