Class and Classroom FAQs

Here are the top questions that recur regarding taking and teaching classes. These are also documented in the New Member 411 section of the wiki and the “So You Want to Teach” page of the wiki.

PARTICIPANT QUESTIONS:

  1. Q. Where can I find the schedule for classes?
    A. Classes and events are listed on the Events Calendar.

  2. Q. Why doesn’t a class appear on the Events Calendar when the instructor says they’ve submitted it?
    A. Classes and events do not appear on the Calendar until the review period has expired. When an Instructor submits a class that has an Honorarium it remains in a Review Queue for 72 hours. If no auditor rejects it, it gets automatically approved after 72 hours. If Non-honorarium - 48 hours. This is how classes that don’t support DMS’ educational mission are weeded out.

  3. Q. I registered for a class, and then I inadvertently pressed the red CANCEL button. Now it won’t let me re-register. What can I do?
    A. Sorry, but there isn’t anything you can do. Once you have cancelled your registration there is no way to re-register. You will have to wait for another session of that class.

  4. Q. I can’t make it to a class for which I am registered. What should I do?
    A. Two things:
    (1) Go to the calendar as soon as possible and cancel. This will free up your space for another participant, and it is disrespectful to the instructor to just “no show”. If you cancel within the cancellation deadline (varies by class - selected by the instructor), you will receive a refund for any pre-paid fee.
    (2) If you are cancelling from a filled class within a couple days of that event, please go to the Talk Forum and post that there is an opening in the specific class.

INSTRUCTOR QUESTIONS:

  1. Q. What classroom should I use for my class?
    A. The Rooms Guide page of the wiki details the size and capacity of the four general-usage rooms.

  2. Q. I submitted a class (as instructor). How do I know whether it was accepted or not?
    A. This is a two-part answer.
    (a) Calendar system. If the Event Calendar has electronically accepted your submittal, then you can find it immediately from the Calendar System, My Account / Hosting Events (upper RH corner of SUBMIT EVENT). Once the Calendar has electronically accepted your submittal, it goes into a review queue for auditors.
    (b) Auditors. Classes are assumed to be valid unless explicitly disapproved. No class is explicitly approved so you will not get an approval notice. If your class is explicitly disapproved you will be notified of that.

  3. Q. Do I have to submit an IRS form W-9?
    A. Only if you are applying for honorarium. If you are not requesting honorarium, or if you are designating the entire honorarium to go to a committee, then no W-9 is required.

  4. Q. How and when will I receive my honorarium?
    A. You will typically receive an honorarium check via US Mail within two weeks, assuming you have a W-9 on file and you met all the official honorarium requirements. Checks are the only payment mechanism we support.

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I created this as a wiki page: Class FAQs.

It is linked from the So You Want to Teach page. I have asked @LisaSelk to link that “So You Want to Teach” page to the front page of the wiki since there is already a relevant title (so once she is able to do that we should be able to easily find this material).

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