1. GENERAL INFORMATION
Seminars on Science is an on-line, interactive series of courses operated by the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in connection with its Website located at http://learn.amnh.org (the AMNH. Seminars on Science Website), and is dedicated to education in the subject matter presented while fostering communication and community among learners in the course. To this end, it is critical that all learners enrolled in Seminars on Science be sensitive to the rights of others.

2. ACCEPTANCE
Each learner must accept and agree to comply with these Terms of Use. IF THESE TERMS OF USE ARE UNACCEPTABLE TO YOU, NOTIFY YOUR INSTRUCTOR. AMNH may modify these terms and conditions from time to time, and such modifications will be effective upon notice posted to the AMNH seminars on Science Website.

3. PERMITTED USE
Your right to use and receive the Seminars on Science course is personal to you and is not transferable. You are responsible for all postings contributed from your e-mail address by any person. You may not distribute any course material or learner material posted to Seminars on Science for any purpose other than within the conduct of this course.

The contents of Seminars on Science courses are copyrighted under United States copyright laws. You may download any of the postings from the course for which you are registered for your own personal, non-commercial use in pursuing study, provided that you agree to abide by any copyright notice or other restriction contained in any individual posting and include any author attribution, copyright or trademark notice or restriction in any materials that you download. You may also use one copy of the CD-Rom of learning resources for each course for your personal use in taking the course. Commercial use, copying, or distribution of the course content, course materials, learner submissions, or instructor submissions are prohibited.

4. LEARNER SUBMISSIONS
Learners are expected to contribute to online discussions. The instructional team for the course will make a determination of the adequacy of participation on the basis of the assessment rubric viewable within the course. If participation is judged to be inadequate and if several requests to increase participation are taken with no or minimal response, we reserve the right to remove the learner from the course. Seminars on Science instructors will show reasonable tolerance to accommodate brief interruptions in student participation due to religious observances, personal commitments and special situations.

Seminars on Science will protect the identity of learners' submissions but reserves the right to present the submissions in internal reports, published papers, conference presentations and other formats, and you agree to grant AMNH the non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free right to reproduce, modify, edit, publish, sub-license, make derivative works from and distribute such material in any form or media, including posting such material on the AMNH Website.

5. ON-LINE CONDUCT
Learners are expected to observe the highest code of conduct. All work must be original and created solely by the learner expressly for the course. The source for extracts from the work of others must be clearly identified.

Course access and discussion forum postings may only be made by a registered learner. Any misrepresentation of identity or plagiarism of submitted work is expressly prohibited and may result in expulsion from the course without refund.

Learners are expected to observe broad principles of mutual respect in postings. In particular, learners must refrain from expressions of racial, gender or cultural bigotry and from intimidating or harassing behavior. Serious infractions of such behavior may result in expulsion from the course without refund.

Although we encourage thoughtful criticism, you may not post any material that defames any person, invades their privacy, infringes their right of publicity, infringes their trademark or other rights, or which is otherwise unlawful.

Further no solicitation is permitted within the communication forum of the course. Learners agree not to submit advertising or promotions for business products or services, or solicitations for political contributions or other campaign activities, for charitable contributions, or for any other purpose or event. Violation may result in expulsion from the course without refund.

AMNH distributes learner postings automatically to all learners registered for the course. Certain content from Seminars on Science is compiled into a single weekly message. AMNH is not responsible for screening, monitoring or verifying the content of learner's submissions. AMNH reserves the right, but does not have the obligation, to monitor, edit and delete any material posted within the course communication by learners.

6. ENROLLMENT and REGISTRATION
Course Offering Date Changes and Cancellation
Seminars on Science will make every effort to adhere to its published schedule. However, in the event of insufficient enrollments, we reserve the right to change the start date of each course and/or cancel a course anytime prior to the originally published start date. If such changes do not allow participation by a previously registered learner, the program will issue a full refund to that learner.

Duplication of Credit
At the beginning of each course, Seminars on Science forwards a list of those learners who have opted to take our courses for credit. Each instance of a course can only be taken for credit from one accrediting institution. Multiple submissions for graduate credit are prohibited.

Course Audit Policy
Seminars on Science does not allow a learner to audit the course. Auditing is defined as someone who can gain access to all course materials and discussions but does not engage in the discussion.

Disclosure Of Learner Records
Seminars on Science collects the following learner information: personal identification information submitted on the course registration form (including payment information), assessments by the instructor of individual and overall course grade, all coursework and course-related communications, including discussion forum postings. This information is used solely to maintain accurate records and for internal study by Seminars on Science. Names and email addresses of learners selecting graduate credit will be communicated to the appropriate higher education institution.

No personal information that could be associated with a learner will be shared with any third party, except an institution of higher education from which the learner is obtaining course credit. Deliberate misrepresentations of learner information may result in course expulsion without refund.

Record of learner registrations and assessment of individual learner performance may be kept by Seminars on Science for up to seven years.

Payment Terms
Payment is required to complete the registration process and assure a potential participant's actual course enrollment. Seminars on Science will ordinarily send payment confirmation in a timely manner. It is the responsibility of the potential learner to assure that payment is received by Seminars on Science.

Refund Policy
2 weeks prior to course start = 100%
2 weeks - course start = 75%
Course start - end of first week=50%
2nd week and on = 0%

7. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.
NEITHER AMNH, THE LEARNER'S UNIVERSITY, NOR ANY OTHER PARTY INVOLVED IN OPERATION OF THE COURSE WARRANT THAT THE COURSE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR FREE.

IN NO EVENT SHALL AMNH, THE LEARNER'S UNIVERSITY, NOR ANY OTHER PARTY INVOLVED IN OPERATION OF THE COURSE BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE SEMINARS ON SCIENCE.

8. INDEMNIFICATION
You agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless AMNH, the learner's university from and against all claims and expenses (including attorneys' fees) arising out of any posting to AMNH by you or anyone using your e-mail account or any breach by you of the terms of this agreement.

9. RIGHT TO TERMINATE
AMNH reserves the right to terminate your participation in Seminars on Science at any time in the event that it considers, in its sole discretion, any conduct by you to be in violation of the terms of this agreement or otherwise in violation of the spirit of Seminars on Science.

10. GRIEVANCES
Grievances and complaints, either occurring during a class or beyond, including grade disputes, should normally be directed toward the one or more members of the instructional team. Grievances and complaints that are not resolved to the satisfaction of the participant in this manner, or if the situation directly involves a member of the instructional team, then the participant should contact the AMNH Curriculum Manager. If the Curriculum Manager cannot resolve the situation, then the Project Manager and, finally, the Project Director, will attempt to do so.

11. DISPUTE RESOLUTION
If not so resolved through the grievance process above, then the following shall apply:

If a dispute arises out of or relates to this Agreement, or the breach thereof, the parties agree first to try in good faith to resolve the dispute through discussion and negotiation within 30 days after notice given by either party of a request for negotiation. If not so resolved, the parties agree to submit the dispute to mediation administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Commercial Financial Disputes Mediation Rules, before resorting to arbitration.

Thereafter, any unresolved controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement, or breach thereof, shall be resolved by arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association in New York, NY in accordance with its expedited Commercial Arbitration Rules, and judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrator(s) may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof pursuant to applicable law.

The arbitrator(s) shall not have the power to order specific performance of any obligation or duty of any party to this Agreement or to issue injunctions in connection therewith or otherwise. Nothing herein shall limit the right of any party to this Agreement (1) to seek judicial equitable relief or other equitable relief available to it under applicable statutory and/or case law including injunctive relief; or (2) to exercise any self-help rights or any other rights or remedies available to it by contract or otherwise by law. The institution and maintenance of an action for judicial relief or pursuit of provisional or ancillary rights or remedies or exercise of self-help remedies, all as provided herein, shall not constitute a waiver of the right or obligation of either party to submit a dispute to negotiation, mediation and arbitration, including disputes that may arise from the exercise of such rights.

12. MISCELLANEOUS.
This agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties with respect to such subject matter of this agreement. No waiver by either party of any breach or default hereunder shall be deemed to be a waiver of any preceding or subsequent breach or default. This agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to its conflict of laws rules.

AMNH is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution.