2014 Instructor Success Manual
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About NLP
Resources for Instructors
Policies and Procedures
Instructor of the Year Award
Top Ten Instructor Tips for Success!
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“Communicate with staff about your needs. The more you can anticipate up front and let staff
know about what you need, the smoother your day will go.” –Susan Wilkes
“Arrive early. The room will be set up, but you'll want time to get settled and confirm that all of
your a/v equipment is working well.” –Susan Wilkes
“Always have a back-up plan in case technology does not work, whether it’s videos or
PowerPoints. (This can actually be a lot of fun as it can be less formal and you can create
together with the participants.)” –Ann Deaton
“Leverage technology to bring in diverse voices. We have used Skype in both of our classes in
order to bring in speakers from other states—quickly and affordably. You could also use
technology to crowd source and or use YouTube Videos. (We watched the baby cheetah cam at
the request of a student during lunch).” – Jonathan Zur
“Make sure to remember to take attendance and quickly turn in grade sheets. It’s so much
easier for me to do directly after the class than remember to do it days later.” –Allison Conyers
Don’t forget that NLP instructors can attend NLP classes for free! Take a day for your own
professional development—sit in on a class to network, build your skills, or simply observe
another instructor’s teaching and facilitation style. There are many reasons to take a class and
even more options to choose from!
“Plan a high energy, interactive exercise for after lunch whenever possible.” –Ann Deaton
“Encourage students to fill out the post-course evaluation. They are more likely to provide the
feedback if they hear that their instructor values their input on the class.” –Susan Wilkes
Make sure that you turn in your invoice right after class. It’s easier to forget as time goes on and
it’ll help ensure that you’re paid on time! If a lot of time has passed and you still haven’t seen a
payment come in, don’t be afraid to follow up. All sorts of issues can occur between the time
that an invoice is submitted and the check is received.
“Engage online. Nonprofit Learning Point uses Facebook to promote classes and share what's
happening. Like the Facebook page, then share some enthusiasm about your upcoming class.
Check for NLP postings and ‘like’ them. Tag yourself and your students in the photos, maybe
even post one yourself!” –Susan Wilkes
“As a teacher, be accessible to your students. Give them a chance to add in during class. Offer to
meet with them after class. Building a rapport with your students makes the class more
enjoyable for you and the students. I always learn something from every class I teach.” –Amy
Nisenson
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Instructor Success Manual
About Nonprofit Learning Point:
We believe that there is no shortage of diverse talent in the nonprofit sector and that all levels of staff,
volunteers, and board members deserve to continuously grow and transform through meaningful
learning opportunities. We ensure quality programming through adherence to the guidelines of the
Nonprofit Academic Centers Council, support and guidance from Virginia Commonwealth University,
and by using curriculum grounded in the latest research. Further, the program assesses quality and
effectiveness through continuous evaluation and community needs assessment.
The Nonprofit Learning Point staff includes two full time staff, one part-time student worker, and one
lead-faculty member. We contract with eleven skilled leadership coaches who have experience working
for nonprofits. We also contract with over thirty faculty members with expertise in their fields,
experience in the nonprofit sector, and who continuously revise their curriculum based on the most
current best practices. Twelve talented professionals volunteer their time, through committee work,
providing critical guidance to the program and its curriculum. We are proud of the caliber of our staff,
instructors, and leadership.
For over 18 years, Nonprofit Learning Point has been the only program of its kind – providing creditbearing learning opportunities designed to respond to the specific needs of the nonprofit community.
We offer over 80 classes a year in all aspects of nonprofit management and leadership, annual
conferences on national trends in the nonprofit community, leadership development programming, and
individual executive leadership coaching.
NLP is a proud affiliate program of Virginia Commonwealth University and the Partnership for Nonprofit
Excellence, a nonprofit organization that enhances the quality of life in Greater Richmond by
strengthening nonprofits, promoting civic engagement, sharing information, and building community
knowledge.
Contact Information:
Laura Pilati
Programs and Operations Coordinator
nonprofit@vcu.edu
804-592-2600
www.nonprofitlearningpoint.org
www.facebook.com/nplearningpt
Rachel Douglas, MSW
Program Director
rskdouglas@vcu.edu
In the event of an emergency: 804-502-8465
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Professional Development Opportunities for Instructors:
Why should your students be the only ones who get to learn? We are pleased to offer you the
opportunity to pursue your own professional development at NLP at no cost. Instructors, especially new
instructors, are invited and encouraged to participate in classes. Contact Laura for recommendations
and arrangements.
NLP will also periodically offer free workshops and trainings designed for our instructors and their
specific teaching needs and challenges. These workshops will take place 2-3 times yearly.
New Course Proposal Procedure:
As the nonprofit management field evolves, opportunities occasionally open for new courses to be
added to the NLP curriculum. In the event that you recognize a missing piece, you may propose a
concept for a new course via the NLP New Course Proposal Form. Upon submission, the course proposal
will be reviewed by NLP staff and, if applicable, presented to the NLP Curriculum Committee for
consideration and approval. If approved, the course proposal will be transferred to a Course Overview
Form (with any edits) and integrated into existing curriculum by staff and the Curriculum Committee.
Finally, the approved course overview will be sent to the proposing instructor (or other identified
instructor, if applicable) for teaching consideration. NLP retains rights to the final course concept details
outlined on the Course Overview Form.
NACC Guidelines:
While creating your curriculum, please refer to the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council
(http://www.urban.csuohio.edu/nacc/) Guidelines for best practices. NLP follows the NACC Guidelines
in structuring our overall programming and curriculum.
Standards for Excellence
The Partnership for Nonprofit Excellence has become a replication partner for the Standards for
Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector®. As a replication partner, PNE
maintains special access to educational resource packets, which include information on the importance
of implementing specific standards, justification for the standards, best practices associated with the
issue, model procedures and sample policies for nonprofits. Structurally, they include a narrative memo
and attachments. The attachments include both original materials created by the Standards for
Excellence Institute (a national initiative dedicated to promoting the highest standards of ethics and
accountability in nonprofit governance, management, and operations), as well as documents that have
been obtained with permission from other sources.
The Standards for Excellence® educational resource packets were prepared by conducting an exhaustive
review of the literature on the particular topic, pulling the most useful information, creating original
materials (including model policies) where the available information is not sufficient, and packaging the
materials in an easy to use format. The cover memo for each packet provides a conceptual framework
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which is intended to help organizations make good use of the accompanying materials. Where
applicable, we will share these materials with you to ensure that your course content is in alignment
with these best practices. In addition, a member of PNE staff will share the educational resource packets
with students in a few select classes.
Pre-Semester Preparation/Instructional Plan:
We want to help you have the best possible teaching experience with NLP, every time that you teach. To
ensure that we are prepared to do so, NLP staff will send you a blank Instructional Plan Form to
complete electronically and send back once your class has been scheduled and before the quarter
officially begins. The Instructional Plan Form consists of several questions related to updating your
contact information, stating your classroom set-up preferences, and describing your instructional plan
for the class. Every one of your answers will be reviewed and used by NLP to make your job easier!
Handouts:
To conserve money and staff time for the program, NLP does not automatically print handouts for
students. One week before class, students will be sent a confirmation email with a link to our website—
where class materials are posted--and will be responsible for downloading and/or printing said
materials. Students can opt to pay $10 for NLP staff to print a copy of the handouts.
Consequently, we ask that you please send us your materials two weeks in advance of class and no later
than one week prior to class. If you should need extra time to prepare your materials, we respectfully
request that you provide copies for your students in class.
Payment and Invoicing
Effective January 2014, instructor payments will follow a $100/hour pay rate, wherein:
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Half-day classes will earn $350 for instruction
One-day classes will earn $750 for instruction
Two-day classes will earn $1500 for instruction
Also effective January 2014, all outgoing payments will be processed by the Partnership for Nonprofit
Excellence. As a result, there will no longer be any processing fees taken out by eVA. However, invoices
will be required before any check can be cut. Please include the following details when submitting your
invoice:
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Your name/business’s name (person/business to whom a check should be made out)
Mailing address
Phone number
Invoice number
Invoice date
Name and date of the class taught
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If first time invoicing the PNE, include your W-9
Arriving to Class
Help us get your class started on-time! We kindly request that you arrive between 8:30 and 8:45am to
provide us with sufficient time to set up the room to your preferences and troubleshoot any technology
issues.
Room Configuration Options and Available Amenities:
In most cases, classes will take place in the meeting center down the hall from our administrative office
at the Boulders. We are fortunate to have a variety of options for room set-up in this location as well as
the opportunity to offer convenient amenities. You will be asked for these preferences in your
instruction plan. Table configurations most commonly requested by our instructors include:
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Pods: two tables pushed together to create a square, each accommodating up to 8 (great for
small group work and discussion!)
U: tables arranged in a large “U” shape accommodating up to 16 in the classroom
Chevron: tables arranged in rows with outer columns at an angle to imitate a chevron or
auditorium-style shape
Rows: tables arranged in straight rows, all front-facing
NLP strives to provide the most commonly requested classroom and technology amenities at no charge.
We have the following equipment available by your request:
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Imbedded projector and A/V system and high-quality, anti-glare projection screen
PC laptop
Flipchart pads (with sticky strip) and easel with permanent markers
Dry erase board with erasable markers
“Clicker”: remote device for scrolling through slides with timer and laser pointer features
Attendance Policy and Procedures:
At the beginning of each class, you will be provided with an attendance roster. Though classes taking
place in 2014 and beyond will not award academic credit, it is of the utmost importance that attendance
be recorded accurately to fairly award students with hours completed. Hours recorded incorrectly can
adversely impact students’ completion of certificates and other credentialing requirements.
Consequently, we ask that you officially record attendance at least twice each day, once at the
beginning of class and once immediately following lunch. If a student is absent or misses class time for
any reason in excess of a half-hour during a half-day class or an hour during a one- or two-day class,
please note the time missed in the “notes” column of your roster.
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If a student sends another person to class in their place without notifying the office, please notify NLP
staff and provide the replacement student’s name and contact information so that we can ensure that
the appropriate student receives credit for his/her attendance.
Please remind students that they are to display behavior that is considerate of other persons, regardless
of demographic or beliefs. Failure to display the aforementioned positive behavior should be addressed
by the instructor with the student. Please report any incidents to NLP.
***NLP classes no longer award academic credit and do not follow a grading scale as of 2014***
Hours and lunch breaks:
Unless otherwise arranged, half-day classes will take place from 9:00am to 12:30pm and one- and twoday classes will take place from 9:00am to 4:30pm. One- and two-day classes have a half-hour for lunch.
Any other breaks should be given only at your discretion and with consideration of the time you need to
cover curriculum. Please note that NLP does not provide refreshments. Participants are encouraged to
bring their food and beverages for breaks and lunch as we have kitchen availability, including a
refrigerator and microwave.
In case of emergency:
If the fire alarm sounds, please grab your class roster and escort your class out the front door of the
building into the parking lot. Do not lock any doors behind you. Someone from the Partnership for
Nonprofit Excellence will let you know when it is safe to return to the classroom.
Inclement weather:
Nonprofit Learning Point follows the inclement weather and closure policy of the Partnership for
Nonprofit Excellence. If a closure or delay should occur, information will be posted on the NLP website
and social media platforms. In these situations, we urge all instructors and students to consider their
own circumstances and safety first. We will not be able to issue refunds if the students decide that they
are unable to attend a class due to inclement weather or illness, etc. You are not expected to make up
time with students who cannot attend under these circumstances.
End-of-Class Reflection Activity:
Ever curious about what your students have taken away from a class? So are we! To replace the
opportunity to reflect, which was previously required via homework assignments, and give students
working towards the 120-hour certificate a leg-up on their final portfolio, NLP will begin issuing a final
Reflection Activity sheet at the end of each class, beginning 2014. The Reflection Activity sheet consists
of three open-ended questions designed to help students personally reflect on the information and
experience that they just received and prepare to implement this information into their daily work. This
Reflection Activity is not required of students, though the sheet will be distributed to all classes and we
ask that you allow students approximately ten minutes at the end of class to participate in the activity if
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desired. The Reflection Activity can be used in addition to any optional assignment that you provide your
students and should not be confused with the post-course evaluation (see below).
***NLP classes no longer require homework assignments and do not follow a grading scale as of
2014***
Evaluations:
Electronic post-course evaluations will be emailed to students at 8:00am on the day following your class.
The post-course evaluation is designed to collect students’ confidential feedback on the instructor’s
subject area knowledge and teaching skills, the overall classroom experience, the fulfillment of learning
objectives, and the student’s experience with NLP. NLP will provide instructors with a summary of their
evaluations once classes have concluded for the quarter. Please encourage your students to take the
brief survey. It will help you to continuously improve the class and helps the program improve as well.
Instructor of the Year Award:
At each year’s end, we will ask students to submit nominations for our Instructor of the Year Award. We
use the student voice as the greatest contributor, as well as the following criteria:
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Performs above and beyond the requirements of an instructor
a. Helps students actively network
b. Exercises and content are relevant to participants’ agencies
c. Comprehensive and meaningful syllabus on file with NLP office
d. Submits rosters to NLP office in a timely and appropriate manner
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Demonstrates excellent communication and presentation skills
a. Endorsements and testimonials from past and present participants
b. Employs innovative techniques
c. Uses a variety of techniques to effectively address students’ different learning styles and
needs
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Encourages pride in the Nonprofit Learning Point program
a. Encourages participants to pursue certificates
b. Encourages participants to enroll in other courses that meet the participants’ personal
and professional needs
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Commitment to personal and professional development
a. Continually engages in experiences to improve his or her practice and to gain new skills
and knowledge.
b. Shares this new learning with participants
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Is respectful, fair, and equitable
a. Provides a learning environment that meets the needs of all students, regardless of
difference.
b. Recognizes and explicitly addresses the full array of values, cultures, and experiences
represented in our diverse classrooms through curriculum, instruction, and other
interactions with students.
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