The Jacksonville Joe Berg Seminars
A Community Partner with the University of North Florida
and its Center for Science and the Public
GUIDELINES FOR PARTICIPATION
JACKSONVILLE JOE BERG HUMANITIES AND SCIENCE SEMINARS
- Scholarly PrioritiesSatisfactory scholastic standing must be maintained. Satisfactory scholastic standing is considered to be maintenance of a grade point average of 3.0 on academic subjects. Scholarship may be reviewed at the end of each grading period.
- Punctuality and courteous conduct at the meetings are expected. The back door is shut and locked at 6:55. It is not safe to remain at the door unsupervised as there are others who loiter can loiter on the riverfront who are not with our group; if you’re late, you must leave—it’s not personal, we simply can’t hear the bell ring inside the conference room. Participants must check in no later than 6:55 pm. The guest speakers are donating their time to prepare a presentation and MOSH donates the facility. Scholars will be prompt to ensure an efficient and effective seminar and treat the speaker with respect because of their command of the topics they are discussing.
Students must show respect to speakers and MOSH. Electronic devices (phones) are powered off and under chairs; food and drink remain outside. Scholars listen attentively to the lecture, leave homework under chairs, and take an active part in discussion. Talking should be on topic. Students should dress respectfully. If required to dress up, such as for a visit to the symphony or theater, they will be forewarned. Expressing appreciation to the speaker is always appropriate. The director has the discretion to permanently dismiss a student from the privilege of Joe Berg if a student fails to show respect to speakers.
- Arrival and Pick Up:Students will be terminated from program if they OR their parents drop off and/or pick up in places other than the approved location; it is a safety and liability issue and will not be tolerated. The organization and protocol for seminars is for students to check in between 6:45 and 6:55 pm. The seminar will follow with time for discussion or questions and answers. Adjournment is at approximately 8:30 pm. The seminars will normally be held biweekly at the Museum of Science and History. Fieldtrip locations will be pre-announced but room changes at MOSH can occur the night of a seminar.
Students may be dropped off and picked up ONLY in parking lot on the east side of MOSH. (See enclosed map.) Students parking for seminars at MOSH must park in the same lot on the east side of the building. They will enter the Museum through the back door adjacent to that parking lot. (NOT in Rivercity parking lot, on street in front of MOSH, or round-about by Friendship fountain—see first statement). Students who drive need to allow time for trains and parking. However, students MAY NOT socialize in parking lot prior to 6:30 or after seminars; it is a safety and liability issue, will not be tolerated and can result in termination from program.
- Attendance Requirements: Students must have regular attendance to graduate. Regular attendance is attending 75% of seminars. There are six (6) seminars in the spring of the sophomore year and in the fall of the senior year. Juniors attend twelve (12) seminars, from September through April. A sophomore or senior may miss two (2) of the six seminars and a junior may miss three (3) of the twelve. These absences are for emergencies and are all that are allowed. There is no differentiation between excused and unexcused absences. The reality is that emergencies (car crashes, family deaths, and illness) happen to everyone. All Joe Berg students take multiple APs, advanced courses, IB coursework, dual enrollment, and extracurricular activities. The DIFFERENCE between students who complain and those who plan ahead to identify conflicts, is that the latter banked bonuses (see further) and didn’t abuse absences.
In setting up the seminar calendar, holidays and exam schedules of the Duval County Public Schools and the three major private schools are avoided. It is nearly impossible to avoid all of the holidays and exams of the private schools.Careful advance planning is needed by students and parents of all seminar members to make sure that the minimum attendance requirement will be met.
1.BONUS SEMINARS (a.k.a. Make Up) Occasionally, there may be a Bonus Seminar scheduled at a time other than the normal seminar night. Attending such a Bonus Seminar can replace an absence at a regular seminar. There will be no individual make-ups. The Joe Berg program operates on a very limited budget and the staff cannot handle individual student attendance problems. Please do not request it. Joe Berg members may attend other seminars—but this does not count as a bonus unless specifically noted.
2.STUDENT CONTACT INFOStudents are responsible for notifying us of updates or if you stop receiving emails; email issues can jeopardize your attendance which is YOUR responsibility and can result in termination from the program. Email your contact information updates to and using the protocol described in section number 4 of the Joe Berg Information document sent with these guidelines. We have no way of knowing that you are not receiving emails—you MUST check your spam filters in settings and tell us in person, giving us your correct email. Friend Facebook @joebergseminarsjax or followTwitter #joebergseminars to receive email notifications.
3.MOSH VOLUNTEERAll students must complete 3-4 volunteer hours at MOSH between the end of the sophomore year and BEFORE the beginning of their Senior year. The shifts are usually 3 to 4 hours long and on weekends. Choices of dates will be made available. It’s better to not procrastinate with this requirement. The Museum of Science and History does not charge the Joe Berg program for the use of their central location. The Joe Berg students themselves pay back the Museum and the community through their assistance at MOSH events.
4.GRADUATIONJoe Berg seniors will receive an electronic description of the Joe Berg Seminars to send to colleges. Upon graduation, they receive a certificate which their counselors can scan and electronically send to confirm program completion. If applying early, seniors may request the electronic description to include with application.
/The Jacksonville Joe Berg Seminars
A Community Partner with the University of North Florida
and its Center for Science and the Public
Guidelines Acceptance Form
Please complete and bring this page to your first Joe Berg Seminarin addition to emailing the aforementioned information to both e-mail addresses.
Science Tuesday, Jan 20thHumanities Thursday, Jan 29th
I have read and do accept the GUIDELINES FOR PARTICIPATION in the Jacksonville Joe Berg Seminars.
Student Name (please print)
Student Signature Date
Parent Signature Date
Your Seminar Series Your School
If you participate in an Accelerated program, what is the program? (IB, AP, AICE, Dual Enrollment, etc)?
______(If so, you especially may want to bank Bonus seminars in advance to needing them).
What do you want to learn more about but doesn’t seem to be covered in school or talked about in media??
What is a hands-on thing you would really like to explore at Joe Berg in a way none of your peers could?