History/Staff/Policies/Privacy

Our Mission

To provide affordable lifetime learning opportunities to empower individuals to make the community a better place through education.

History

The Jointure has been providing adult community enrichment opportunities for over 80 years. It began as a small community initiative in Bound Brook, New Jersey. Over the years, The Jointure expanded and partnered with other area school districts in Somerset County. Today The Jointure represents a true "joint venture" in learning. Adult education classes are available from the northern part of the county in Basking Ridge to the southern part of the county in Hillsborough and many locations in between. In addition, our partnering efforts have expanded to include a variety of non-school course locations. We look forward to continuing to bring quality educational experiences to the communities of Somerset County.

 

Central Office Staff

Yumiko Mishima - Executive Director
Dianne Lewis - Director of Operations
Georgieana S. Snyder - Director, Community Education
Jeanine Stellpflug - Manager, Child Enrichment
Joanne Hala - Literacy Services Coordinator
Doris Stevens - Basic Skills/GED Coordinator

 

Board of Trustees

 

Dr. Joseph McGarry - President

Mr. Gerald Smit - Vice President

Mr. Christopher Monroe - Treasurer

Mr. Rahul Mahna - Secretary

Dr. Rosina Dixon

Dr. Raul Villa

Mr. Stuart Wallack

Mr. Ernest Shuba

Ms. Yumiko Mishima - Executive Director

OUR TERMS

THE JOINTURE'S MISSION

To provide affordable lifetime learning opportunities to empower individuals to make the community a better place through education.  

ELIGIBILITY

Everyone is welcome. Adult classes are for ages 18 and over, unless permission of the Jointure is obtained prior to registration.

REGISTER EARLY

Avoid disappointment. All classes will be filled on a first-come basis. Your check, VISA, or MASTERCARD reserves your place in class. Late registration, after the class start date, may be accepted on an individual basis with full payment of tuition.

FEES

Entire fee must be paid at time of registration. A $30 bank fee will be charged for any check returned. The customary $5.00 registration fee is waived for online registrations: WWW.JOINTURE.ORG. The $5 registration fee is also waived after the third registration, per person, per household. This fee is nonrefundable. 

CLASS REFUND POLICY (DOES NOT APPLY TO TRIPS)

To withdraw from a class, written notice must be submitted to the office at least ten days prior to the class starting date. This may be done via letter or email to etn@jointure.org. There will be a $10 cancellation fee for any class cancelled by the registrant. If a class is cancelled by the Jointure, refunds will be issued in the same form in which payment was made, check or credit card.  Material fees and registration fees are not refundable.

TRANSFERS

If your class has been cancelled and you wish to transfer to another class, please notify the Jointure office as soon as possible.

A REGISTRATION CONFIRMATION WILL BE SENT to registrants who supply an e-mail address. Rooms assignments are available and posted first week of class. If a class is cancelled, we will notify you via information provided at time of registration. Please be sure to include both daytime and evening phone numbers, as well as an e-mail address. The Jointure assumes no responsibility for contacting students who do not list phone numbers or addresses at time of registration. 

TRIP POLICY

All times and itineraries are approximate: dependent on transportation, traffic and other circumstances beyond our control.  Most venues prohibit outside food and drink, as well as backpacks and large packages, and some have security checks, at which questionable items may be confiscated.  The Jointure is not responsible for the actions and policies of other organizations.  All children must be supervised at all times on trips.  No unaccompanied minors allowed.

The Jointure generally pays for tickets and reservations in advance of a trip.  If a trip must be cancelled, in some circumstances we may be able to refund the unused part of your fee. Venue tickets may be made available to you in case of a cancellation.

TRIP REFUND POLICY

Refunds are only issued if the Jointure is able to fill the space on a given trip. This requires advance notice; no withdrawals on day of trip will be honored. 

STATEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION

The Jointure affirms its commitment to the most fundamental principles of equal access to educational opportunities and does not discriminate against any participant on the basis of race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, marital or domestic partnership status, or disability. We will make reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities, within the limitations of our facilities and resources, with sufficient advanced notice of need in writing. Service and guide dogs are always welcome.

PROGRAM CHANGES

The Jointure reserves the right to make any changes in course offerings, scheduling, instructors, and/or locations. We will make every effort to reschedule cancelled classes.

DISCLAIMER

The Jointure does not endorse or recommend any specific product, organization, or viewpoint connected with course offerings, nor do we guarantee results or outcomes from any course. The Jointure is nonsectarian, however we do feature offerings which may contain spiritual or religious themes, based on community interest. Please use your own judgment on appropriateness. When in doubt, ask before registering as we do not issue refunds. Each participant, or participant’s guardian for a minor child, is financially responsible for any expenses incurred which are not covered by the course fee, including damages and medical bills.

EMERGENCY CLOSINGS

In the case of inclement weather or a public emergency, announcements will also be posted on the home page of our website and on our answering system in our administrative offices. If the location of a class is a public school and that school is closed, class will be cancelled.

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY

As an employer, the Jointure does not discriminate in any job related activity, including recruitment, interviewing, hiring, discharging, promoting and conditions of employment, on the basis of the categories protected under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, including, but not limited to, race, creed, color, national origin, nationality, age, gender, marital status, sexual orientation and disability.

THE JOINTURE'S PRINCIPLES OF PRIVACY

We are committed to protecting your personal privacy. Our Principles of Privacy summarize and clarify that commitment: how we safeguard your privacy, how we treat personal information, and what choices you have.

1. We do not give out your telephone number, credit card information or screen names, unless you authorize us to do so. And we give you the opportunity to correct your personal contact information at any time.

2. We may use information about the kinds of products you buy from The Jointure to make other marketing offers to you, unless you tell us not to. We do not give out this purchase data to others.

3. We use secure technology, privacy protecti on controls and restrictions on employee access in order to safeguard your personal information.

4. We will keep you informed, clearly and prominently, about what we do with your personal information, and we will advise you if we change our policy.