u3a - Interest Groups Online Member Code of Conduct

Guidance for IGO Group Members

General

IGO groups are run by members for members. The people who run groups are volunteers who freely give their time, skills, knowledge and enthusiasm for the benefit of other IGO members and should be supported and encouraged by members, IGO Trust Volunteers and Third Age Trust staff.

IGO encourages self-help learning and members help to decide their own learning direction which is not directed towards qualifications.

A very wide range of subjects is available to members, including games, languages, physical activities, conversation and crafts.

Some groups are intended to be forums for discussion about a wide range of issues including political and religious topics. However, members should refrain from promoting particular religions or political beliefs and should always be prepared to listen to the opinions of others.

IGO groups are open to all members from any background. IGO groups are offered at many different ability levels and Members are advised to try out groups to find out if they will be suitable for them.

Most of our groups meet on Zoom. A few groups use other platforms – WhatsApp, Facebook, email.

Beacon is a software package which is used to manage IGO. It is used by members and Group Leaders to manage groups in line with GDPR. Detailed help about how members use it can be found at the Beacon Members Portal.

When you become a member of a group, the Group Leader will let you know how to join the groups’ activities.

Group Membership

The maximum number of members in a group, is usually limited by:

The practicality of enabling all members to contribute to the discussion.
The organisation & administration required to run a larger group
Prior knowledge requirements (e.g. language learners - beginners and advanced).

Members apply to join groups using Beacon. Membership is managed by the Group Leader using Beacon.

A member who misses three consecutive group meetings may be asked by the Group Leader if they wish to continue their membership. If they do not reply, or continue to miss a further three meetings, the Group Leader may remove them from the group.

There may be occasional situations where members attend meetings over a sustained period (three or more meetings), but without being visible and without speaking. In this case, Group Leaders should contact the member to ask if they require any additional support to be able to participate e.g. training on using Zoom or receiving information further in advance. If they do not respond, there is no clear reason, and they continue to attend for another three meetings without participating the Group Leader may then remove the member from the group.

Members who do not renew their IGO membership are allowed a month’s grace period and should then be removed from groups to which they belong. If they re-join IGO, they can apply to join the group again but may have to go on a waiting list if the group is full.

Code of Conduct

General rules

Members are expected:

to treat each other with dignity and respect at all times.

to avoid any discriminatory or offensive behaviour.

not to request payment for any of the activities offered by IGO.

to always act in the best interests of Interest Groups Online and the u3a movement, strive to uphold its reputation and never do anything which could bring Interest Groups Online, or a u3a into disrepute or expose it to undue risk.

to use Interest Groups Online’s resources responsibly and in line with the ethos of Interest Groups Online and the u3a movement.

to know and follow the principles of the u3a Movement at every opportunity.

To treat any sensitive information shared within groups with confidence.

Not to promote goods or services within meetings. Lists of resources or services may be mentioned in passing if they will be helpful to other members.

Zoom Etiquette

In addition to these rules, when you are in a Zoom meeting, you should:

Label your screen with your name and surname, or your first name and membership number if you don't want to use your surname. This enables the Group Leader to know who is attending.

Have your camera on if possible. It is reasonable for Group Leaders to request their members to have their cameras on during meetings. However, there are many reasons why members may not be able to turn on their cameras on for example: problems with technology, internet connection quality, member joining the meeting by phone, or personal problems. Group Leaders and other members therefore should be understanding about this.

Contribute to the discussion where this is an important part of the group’s activity. Members may have difficulty speaking during meetings due to lack of confidence, language difficulties, vocal issues, background noise etc. Group Leaders and other members therefore should be understanding about this.

Mute when someone else is talking

Do not interrupt or talk over other people

Make sure you are in a quiet area where there is no background noise, and no-one can interrupt or join in

Dress appropriately

Look out for "Chat" messages

Do not Zoom when driving

Setting up a New Group

A member who would like to run a new group should fill out a new group form. A Beacon page and a webpage will be set up for the group and it will be publicised on the u3a website and in the IGO News Extra. It may also be publicised in the u3a Friends newsletter or Third Age Matters magazine.

If there is a topic you are interested in, but do not want to run a group yourself, the IGO Team can set up a potential group. Members can join the group using Beacon. Once sufficient members have shown an interest, the IGO Team will set up an inaugural meeting to discuss how the group will run and who will take on which role. 

When Things Go Wrong

We know that conflict or inappropriate behaviour is possible in IGO meetings, especially in discussion-based groups.

Where possible, a problem that arises should be resolved within the meeting itself.

If a member is causing unnecessary disruption or sharing discriminatory views, Group Leaders are advised to interrupt the member speaking and give a verbal warning. If the member continues and the zoom functionality allows, Leaders may be able to mute these members and allow the conversation to continue and move on.

Depending on the Zoom setup, Group Leaders have the capability to remove a member from that group meeting.

Occasionally a group member might become unhappy about the behaviour, attitude or language of another member. Members are advised to try to resolve this during meetings. If this is not possible, they should contact the Group Leader for help.

If the problem cannot be resolved in the meeting, or if an IGO member has concerns around anything that happens at a meeting or anywhere in IGO, please contact the u3a office via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on 020 8466 6139.

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