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CRPIC patrons, students, and visitors must agree to adhere to the Internet
policies below. CRPIC students must also be familiar with the Enrollment and
Course Policies found in the CRPIC Classes section of this website and the
course catalog, and available at the front desk.
Table of Contents
CRPIC is a privately funded organization. CRPIC does not receive city, state or
federal funds to cover operating costs. For this reason we charge fees for
printing, scanning, copying, faxing, computer courses, workshops, and private
tutoring.
Public Access/Education Program Use
The Center has the right to observe actions of its customers and visitors when
using the facility’s equipment, and monitor where those said customers and
visitors go while on the Internet. Any database account, email messages, and/or
files stored by said customers and visitors on the facility’s desktop or hard
drive will be considered property of CRPIC, and these may be viewed by employees
of CRPIC without permission of the creator.
Children under the age of 15 must be accompanied by an adult and supervised
while they are in the Center. Any customer or visitor, if asked, will be
required to show CRPIC staff a picture ID to verify his/her age.
Class Enrollment
Students may enroll for CRPIC courses up to 7 business days prior to the start
date of the course. Late enrollments will be accepted at the discretion of the
administration, provided the minimum number of students has been achieved to
ensure the course will run, and space is still available in the class.
Students may enroll by mail, fax, online, or in person. Students must fill out
the enrollment form and pay for courses in full when enrolling. CRPIC accepts
cash, checks, money orders, or credit cards. Upon receipt of the enrollment form
and payment, students will be mailed or emailed an executed copy of the
enrollment agreement and the suggested textbook purchasing information. There is
a $25 fee for returned checks due to insufficient funds or declined credit
cards.
Payment
CRPIC accepts cash, VISA, MasterCard, American Express, checks, and money orders
for fees and tuition.
Cancellations
CRPIC has the right to cancel any workshop, course, or educational program if a
minimum number of seats are not filled. CRPIC will notify students by phone
and/or mail if a course has been cancelled due to low enrollment or other
administrative reason. In the event of cancellation due to inclement weather,
CRPIC will use reasonable efforts to reschedule the cancelled course.
Notifications of cancellations due to weather are by phone and students are
advised that CRPIC follows the Waltham Public School closings.
Refunds
CRPIC is a nonprofit organization that sustains itself through fees generated by
the classes and programs offered at our site. These fees allow us to provide
free access to anyone to computers with high speed Internet access, free email
accounts, free one-on-one tutoring, and affordable computer classes for the
community. Each seat in CRPIC class represents an opportunity for a client to
receive training and education at a cost below market rates. Instructor costs
are incurred for each class or program at the time a class reaches full
enrollment status.
Enrollment may be cancelled up to 7 business days prior to a course start date
to receive a full refund. All enrollment and other fees will be refunded if
there is insufficient enrollment to run the course or other unforeseen
circumstances. Refunds are not issued to students who withdraw fewer than 7
business days from the start date of a course, are “no-shows”, or who drop out
after the first class. Students requesting refunds for medical reasons must
submit a written note from their physician or health care agency to CRPIC with
10 business days of the course start date. In no case will a student who was
dropped from a class for disciplinary reasons, poor attendance, or lack of
academic effort be considered for a refund or credit toward a future class.
Parking
Parking is available in the Embassy Parking Lot, a Waltham Municipal Parking
Lot, for a minimal fee. Under no circumstances are customers, visitors, or
students permitted to park in the lots for the residents and visitors of the
Francis Cabot Lowell Mill Building or the Charles River Museum of Industry. Both
entities reserve the right to tow illegally parked cars.
User Registration
All new visitors are required to fill out a User Registration Form located at
the front desk. All information collected on this form is for contact and
statistical purposes only. No personally identifiable information will be sold
or given to a third part for any reason, without your prior written consent,
unless where required by law or in cooperation with law enforcement officials.
Sign-In
All customers are required to sign in and sign out when using the Public Access
Lab. Customers are required to use their full name and write legibly. By signing
in, you agree to the Internet Center Policies facility set by CRPIC.
Questions for staff
Our professional staff is available to provide informal assistance and answer
questions that arise during your stay at CRPIC. However, if you seek in-depth
reviews or lessons, we encourage you to sign up for our free one on one
tutoring, our private tutoring, or any one of the workshops, classes, or
educational programs that we offer. Our staff cannot provide lengthy assistance.
CRPIC staff, volunteers, independent contractors and interns will not answer
technical questions or give computer advice in person or over the phone
regarding a patron’s personal home computer. CRPIC is not a computer repair
center; it is a community training and access center. CRPIC will not be held
liable for any claims of damage as a result to any advice obtained while
performing research at CRPIC.
Restroom Usage
Our Restrooms are locked and for patrons only. Keys to the restrooms are
available at the front desk.
One-on-One Tutoring
CRPIC offers free One-on-One tutoring session per year per patron. Appointments
for this can be taken over the phone or made at the front desk.
Private Tutoring
CRPIC offers Private tutoring for a fee. Reservations must be done in person or
on the phone. Payment is due at the time of registration. Registration forms are
available at the front desk. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express,
checks, and money orders.
Private Tutoring Cancellation
Patron's wishing to cancel a private tutoring appointment must call CRPIC at
least 24 hours prior to the date your appointment is scheduled. Failure to do so
results in full payment of the fee.
Photography Policy
Photographs will be used to document and provide information on CRPIC and its
program to funding sources and future participants. A Photo Release form must be
signed in order for us to photograph you. Names will be withheld.
Scholarship Information
It is the policy of the Charles River Public Internet Center (CRPIC) to provide
services to all that need them regardless of their ability to pay. While CRPIC
sets fees at affordable rates to the majority of residents in our service area,
scholarships are sometimes available to those who cannot afford the fees.
Scholarships are based on each applicant's ability to pay and available funds.
Any resident of CRPIC service area may apply. Please call CRPIC prior to
applying to determine if funds are available.
Scholarships will be granted based on the need demonstrated by household income
and/or extenuating circumstances. Applicants are required to pay some portion of
the program fee for which they are requesting assistance. This contribution
demonstrates both a desire and a commitment to participate. Applications are
available at the front desk of CRPIC or can be mailed upon request. Verification
of income and expenses must accompany applications or the application will not
be processed. Please submit a copy of your most recent 1040 Federal tax return,
if requested.
If you are exempt from paying taxes, send verification of income received from
federal, state or local agencies. Please attach a copy of your rent or mortgage
agreement, utility bills, and other receipts or cancelled checks as needed to
complete the form.
Applications will be reviewed for eligibility by the management staff of CRPIC
and kept confidential. This is an application only
and not an offer of scholarship. You will be
notified within one week as to the status of your application. Financial
assistance is made possible by grants awarded by foundations and companies and
individual donors.
Printing & Downloading
The Center provides paper and a networked printer, and charges $.10 cents per
page for printing (black & white), $1.00 per page for color. You may save files
on your own flash drive or the Public Drive (P Drive), but may not load software
or save anything to the hard drive. The Center sells flash drives for $5.00. Any
files or documents left on the desktop or public drive are deleted and cleaned
every night.
Compliance
The Center reserves the right to take appropriate action to insure compliance
with these policies.
Policies Subject to Revision
The Center's policies are subject to change without user notice.
Adaptive Technology
All customers are required to sign in when using the Public Access Lab. By
signing in, you agree to the Policy on Public Use of the Internet & CRPIC
facility set by CRPIC.
Privacy
By authorizing use of the Center's equipment, the Center does not relinquish
control over materials or files contained exclusively on the equipment. Users
should expect only limited privacy in the contents of personal files on the
Center's public drive. The Center's public drive is open to public use.
All contents of this drive are the property of CRPIC. CRPIC reserves the right
to review and remove any and all contents as deemed necessary. Routine
maintenance and monitoring of the Center's equipment may lead to a discovery
that a user has violated this policy, another Center policy, or the law. An
individual investigation or search will be conducted if Center personnel have a
reasonable suspicion that the search will uncover a violation of law or Center
policy.
The Center will cooperate fully with local, state and federal authorities in any
investigation concerning or related to any illegal activities and activities not
in compliance with Center policies. No personally identifiable information will
be sold or given to a third part for any reason, without your prior written
consent, unless where required by law or in cooperation with law enforcement
officials.
Liability
Use of the Center's equipment and Internet access is at the user's own risk. The
equipment is provided on an "as is, as available" basis. The Center will not be
responsible for any damage users may suffer, including, but not limited to,
loss, damage or unavailability of data stored on Center flash drives, tapes,
hard drives or servers, or for delays or changes in or interruptions of service
or miss-deliveries or non-deliveries of information or materials, regardless of
the cause. The Center is not responsible for the accuracy or quality of any
advice or information obtained through or stored on the Center equipment. The
Center will not be responsible for financial obligations arising through
unauthorized use of the Center's equipment or the Internet.
Quality of Information
The Internet is a series of communication linkages leading to a highly diverse
array of information content. CRPIC is not responsible for content of the
Internet and patrons use it at their own risk. In an effort to assist its users,
the Internet Center published a "Guide to Websites" that contains a number of
useful sites for the general population, teens and children to help guide them
to quality sources of information. This Guide can be borrowed from the Front
Desk during your stay at the Center. The Center also employs knowledgeable staff
to assist the public in using the Internet in a safe, effective and efficient
manner.
Filtering of Information
The Center, as a privately funded non-profit organization, has the right to
filter any material that can be found on the Internet. While most information is
freely accessible, the Center does not allow obscene, abusive, profane, lewd,
vulgar, rude, inflammatory, threatening, disrespectful, or sexually explicit or
pornographic material to be viewed.
Access by Minors
Children 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult and supervised during
their visit. Parents or legal guardians must assume responsibility for deciding
which Internet resources are appropriate for their own children. Parents or
legal guardians should guide their children in use of the Internet and inform
them about materials they should not use. While the Internet Center affirms and
acknowledges the rights and responsibilities of parents and guardians to monitor
and determine their children's access to Internet materials and resources, the
Center has taken certain measures designed to assist in the safe and effective
use of these resources by all minors.
The following guidelines should be employed to insure the safety and security of
minors when using the Internet's vast communication mediums:
• Never give out identifying information such as home address, school name, or
telephone number.
• Let parents or guardians decide whether personal information such as age,
marital status, or financial information should be revealed.
• Never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone via the computer without
parents' or guardians' approval. • Never respond to messages that are
suggestive, obscene, threatening, or make one uncomfortable.
• Have parents or guardians report an incident to the National Center for
Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 if one becomes aware of the
transmission of child pornography.
• Remember that people online may not be who they say they are.
• Remember that everything one reads may not be true.
To address the issue of unauthorized access, including so-called "hacking," and
other unlawful activities by minors online, minors and all other Internet Center
users are hereby advised that use of the Center's computers for hacking or any
other unlawful activity is strictly prohibited.
Rules Governing Use
The use of the Center's equipment and its access to the Internet is a privilege,
not a right. Depending on the nature and degree of the violation and the number
of previous violations, unacceptable use of the Center's equipment or the
Internet may result in one or more of the following consequences: suspension or
cancellation of use of access privileges, payments for damages and/or repairs,
civil or criminal liability under other applicable laws.
The Center reserves the right to limit the amount of time an individual user can
devote to a single session. The public must comply with all applicable federal,
state and local laws, including laws governing the transmission and
dissemination of information while accessing the Internet.
Users may not:
• Use CRPIC for personal business ventures such as private tutoring, "for
credit" or commercial business ventures.
• Use the network to make unauthorized entry into other computational,
informational or communication services or resources.
• Transmit or receive obscene, abusive, profane, lewd, vulgar, rude,
inflammatory, threatening, disrespectful, or sexually explicit language.
• Access, review, upload, download, store, print, post, or distribute materials
that use language or images that are obscene.
• Distribute unsolicited advertising.
• Access, review, upload, download, store, print, post, or distribute materials
that use language or images that advocate violence or discrimination toward
other people (hate literature) or that may constitute harassment or
discrimination. Knowingly or recklessly post false or defamatory information
about a person or organization, or to harass another person, or to engage in
personal attacks, including prejudicial or discriminatory attacks.
• Engage in any illegal act or violate any local, state or federal statute or
law. Invade the privacy of others.
• Vandalize, damage or disable the property of another person or organization,
will not make deliberate attempts to degrade or disrupt equipment, software or
system performance by spreading computer viruses or by any other means, will not
tamper with, modify or change the Center's software, hardware or wiring or take
any action to violate the Center's security, and will not use the Center's
equipment in such a way as to disrupt the use of the equipment by other users.
• Use the Internet for any illegal activity, including violation of copyright or
other rights of third parties, usage licensing agreements, or otherwise to use
another person's property without the person's prior approval or proper
citation, including the downloading or exchanging of pirated software or copying
software to or from any of the Center's computers.
• Obscenity and child pornography are illegal according to Federal and state
statutes.
According to the Supreme Court of the United States of America, obscenity must
be determined using a three-part test.
To be obscene:
o (1) the average person, applying contemporary community standards, must find
that the work, taken as a whole, appeals to prurient interests;
o (2) the work must depict or describe, in a patently offensive way, sexual
conduct as specified in the applicable statutes; and
o (3) the work, taken as a whole, must lack serious literary, artistic,
political, or scientific value.
Child pornography may be determined using a slightly less rigorous test. To be
child pornography, the work must involve depictions of sexual conduct specified
in the applicable statutes and use images of children below a specified age.
Materials "harmful to minors" include descriptions or representations of nudity,
sexual conduct, or sexual excitement that appeal to the prurient, shameful, or
morbid interest of minors; are patently offensive to prevailing standards in the
adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable material for minors;
and lack serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors.
Public Users' Security
Users should be aware that the Internet is not a secure medium and that third
parties may be able to obtain information regarding users' activities. However,
CRPIC will not release information on the use of specific Internet resources by
members of the public except as required by law or necessary for the proper
operation of the Center.
Sexual and Other Unlawful Harassment Policy
CRPIC is committed to providing an educational and training environment that is
free of discrimination and unlawful harassment. Actions, words, jokes, or
comments based on an individual’s sex, race, ethnicity, age, religion, actual or
perceived sexual orientation or any other legally protected characteristic will
not be tolerated. Unwelcome sexual advances or requests for sexual favors have
no place in our educational and training environment.
Staff members, public users, clients and volunteers are prohibited from stating
or implying that an individual’s submission to or rejection of such conduct will
in any way affect his or her access to training or educational services and
programs. All users, staff, and volunteers are prohibited from engaging in other
sexual harassing conduct that may create an offensive educational and training
environment, whether it is in the form of physical or verbal harassment.
This conduct includes, but is not limited to, repeated offensive or unwelcome
touching, sexual flirtations or advancements, verbal abuse of a sexual nature,
graphic verbal commentaries about a person’s body, sexually degrading words used
to describe a person, the display of sexually suggestive objects or pictures,
and other offensive verbal or visual conduct or gestures. Such conduct can
unreasonably interfere with CRPIC operations, the organization’s performance and
create an intimidating, hostile and offensive educational and training
environment. It will not be tolerated.
Employees, users, volunteers or clients suspecting the existence of – or
experiencing – sexual or other harassment should immediately contact the
management at CRPIC. CRPIC will promptly investigate any reported incidents and,
if they are substantiated, will take all necessary and appropriate action, up to
and including discharge or banning the offender from CRPIC organization and
facility.
No employee, user or volunteer will suffer retaliation or intimidation as a
result of coming forward in good faith with a charge of sexual harassment.
Following is CRPIC's Official Policy on Harassment:
I. PURPOSE To Establish a Policy Concerning Harassment.
II. SCOPE This policy applies to all employees, volunteers, interns and users
III. POLICY The fundamental policy of CRPIC is that the organization is for the
conduct of CRPIC’s mission and related business. Our goal is to provide an
educational and training environment free from tensions involving matters, which
do not relate to CRPIC’s mission and business. In particular, an atmosphere of
tension created by non-work, non-educational or non-training related conduct,
including ethnic, racial, sexual or religious remarks, animosity, threats,
sexual advances or requests for sexual favors, or other such inappropriate
conduct does not belong in CRPIC.
Harassment of employees, applicants, volunteers, interns, or users by other
employees, applicants, volunteers, interns, or user is prohibited. Harassment
includes, without limitation, verbal harassment (e.g., epithets, innuendo,
slurs, threats, derogatory statements, etc.), physical harassment (e.g.,
assault, physical interference with normal work or activities, etc.), visual
harassment (e.g., body language, cartoons, posters, drawings, etc.), or any
other forms of harassment.
Sexual harassment includes unwelcome advances of a sexual nature, requests for
sexual favors, sexually motivated physical contact and other verbal, visual or
physical conduct when submission to such conduct is either explicitly or
implicitly made a term or condition of employment or access to educational and
training programs, or is used as the basis for employment or advancement
decisions, or when such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably
interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating,
hostile or offensive work or educational and training environment. An employee,
volunteer, intern or user cannot be forced to submit to such conduct as a basis
for any employment decision, or decision related to educational or training
programs and services.
CRPIC will do its best to keep itself free of any conduct, which creates an
intimidating, hostile, or offensive work and educational environment for our
employees, volunteers, interns and users.
IV. COMPLIANCE CRPIC’s officers, managers, supervisors, team leaders, volunteers
and users are obligated to report to the Director any activities of their peers,
staff, or volunteers that might violate this policy. All employees, volunteers,
users and interns are strongly encouraged to report to their manager or a staff
member any instances of ethnic, racial, religious or sexual harassment which
they become aware of, or similarly any abusive verbal or physical conduct which
interferes with any individual’s work performance, educational or training
experience or which creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work or
educational environment.
If an employee, volunteer, intern or user feels uncomfortable bringing the
matter to their manager or a staff member, they should speak directly with the
Director who will ensure that the appropriate level of confidentiality is
maintained to the extent possible. Any charges of harassment will be immediately
and thoroughly investigated and a report will be made to the individual
concerned concerning the results of the investigation and subsequent actions by
CRPIC.
The Director is responsible for directing or conducting an independent
investigation, including obtaining statements from the complainant and any
witnesses. The Director will make a report with respect to the results of the
investigation along with proposed remedial actions and/or disciplinary action.
If CRPIC determines that harassment has occurred, appropriate relief for the
employee, volunteer, intern or user bringing the complaint and appropriate
disciplinary action against the harasser, up to and including immediate
discharge, ban of access to CRPIC programs, services and facilities will follow.
A non-employee who subjects an employee to harassment in the workplace will be
informed of CRPIC’s policy and appropriate action will be taken. In all cases
the Company will make follow-up inquiries to ensure that the harassment has not
resumed.
CRPIC understands that these matters can be extremely sensitive, and so far as
possible, will keep all employee, volunteer, intern and user complaints and all
related communications, such as interviews and witness statements in strict
confidence. CRPIC will not tolerate retaliation against any employee, volunteer,
intern or user who complains of harassment or who provides information in
connection with any such complaint. Violation of any portion of this policy
shall subject an employee, volunteer, intern or user to disciplinary action,
which action may include immediate termination and banning of access to CRPIC’s
services, programs, and facility.
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