Course Program FAQ
How do live courses work?
Each live course offered by the Foundation for Intentional Community (FIC) is a 5-week course taking place fully online. Live courses run on a calendar schedule throughout the year, and you can enroll directly into the course dates that work best with your schedule. We typically recommend devoting 3 hours a week to the course material to get the most from your experience.
After registering for a course, you will receive a welcome email (please check your inbox and spam folder for an email from events@ic,org) with instructions on how to access the private learning area for your course(s). Each week new learning materials will be uploaded to the space, including videos, handouts and homework assignments. You’ll be able to watch previously recorded sessions and stay on track with your weekly assignments. You will also be able to connect with the instructor and other students via a discussion forum.
Each week of the course will feature a 2-hour live session, hosted on Zoom, with the course instructor so you can learn in a dynamic setting and get your questions answered directly.
Does my timezone matter for live courses?
Each week’s class will include a 2-hour live session with the course instructor and other students in your cohort. As much as possible, we try to schedule these sessions to make it possible for the largest number of students to attend live. Given the geographical distribution of students, it may be possible that a session time does not work with your timezone or personal schedule. However, we do make all the session recordings available within 24 hours after the class ends so you view at your convenience.
What if I miss a live class?
No worries! All classes will be recorded and available under the “Class Materials” section of the student learning area within 24 hours after each class ends. Please click on the class title to view the recording of that class, along with any class slides, handouts and homework assignments.
Can I take multiple courses at the same time?
You may take multiple courses at the same time. However, we strongly advise that you only do so if you are able to commit to a minimum of 3hrs/week per course to ensure the most valuable learning experience. If that does not feel feasible, we recommend taking the courses separately and exploring future dates on our course calendar.
What will I have access to during and after my course?
The full course experience for our five-week live courses is available during the course dates marked on the course you enrolled in. We know many learners either don’t have the time they would have liked to complete the course or would just like to continue to view—and be inspired by—the course materials. With this in mind, we leave the course materials available for 3 weeks after the course close. After this time, you will no longer be able to access the course content. This is to honor the intellectual property agreement we have with instructors.
We strongly encourage all learners to download any handouts and assignments before their course access expires. These tools serve as a permanent resource to remind you of what you’ve learned and help you take that back to your team or community.
How do I access my course? What are the technical requirements?
Shortly after registering for a course, you will be prompted to log-in to learn.ic.org using your FIC username and password. Once logged-in you will be able to access the private learning space for your course(s), as well as the forum discussion group. If you forget your username or password, please contact us at events@ic.org.
All of the classes will be hosted on Zoom. Please ensure you have access to Zoom from your computer or mobile device before the start of a session. Here’s a helpful video if it is your first time joining a meeting on Zoom. As always, please contact us if you have any tech troubles.
How do I enroll as a group? Does FIC offer group discounts?
We encourage groups, teams, or communities to enroll in courses. Simply have each person in your group register for the same course start date. Once registered, you’ll have an opportunity to share the names of your group members in our pre-course survey. Whenever possible, we’ll try to group your members together for in class activities.
If you are wanting to pay for multiple registrations with one card, please purchase gift cards for the enrollees here. Then they can register themselves for the same course start date using their gift card.
FIC does not offer any group discounts at this time. Our classes and courses draw from our extensive experience in community building and provide learners with the opportunity to learn at an affordable price.
Please consider joining as a Community Member at the Thrive level for 30% off courses for up to 5 members. You can also sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of our homepage to receive updates of discount opportunities as they arise in the future.
Do you offer grants or scholarships?
Yes! If the price of the courses poses a barrier to enrollment, we do have a scholarship application you can fill out here. We review applications on a first-come-first-serve rolling basis, so it’s best to apply in advance for the course you are interested in.
Do you offer refunds?
Course participants are eligible for a refund prior to the start date of the course. As soon as the course has begun, FIC will not issue a refund. However, we can offer credit towards another course. Please contact us if you are in need of a refund.
How can I contact you?
Our support staff is here to answer questions about our learning experience, platform, payments, enrollment, technical hiccups, or anything else on your mind!
Reach us anytime at events@ic.org.
