The Clean Energy Leadership Institute’s Attendance and Participation Policy

For Virtual Fellows in the National PT/MT, National CT, National ET1, and National ET2 Cohorts

At the Clean Energy Leadership Institute, we recognize the significance of active engagement and collaboration in fostering a vibrant learning community. Our attendance policy underscores the importance of regular virtual attendance to maximize the value of your fellowship journey.

The Fall 2024 Virtual Fellowships will be delivered over zoom to serve fellows across all time zones, organized in four cohorts: National PT/MT, National CT, National ET1 and National ET2. The fellowship is designed for all-virtual participation. Cohort participants meet once a week, virtually, for two hours in the evenings to receive topical lectures from experts in the field and engage in discussions with their peers. Weekly sessions are held online every Wednesday from 6:00 - 8:00 pm PT/CT/ET, reflecting the local time zone of each cohort. These 2-hour-long sessions will consist of a mixture of lectures with expert practitioners, panel discussions with leaders in the field, hands-on activities, and small group discussions to build community and connection among fellows. Optional Tuesday sessions (on varied Tuesdays, not weekly) will also be delivered virtually. These optional sessions will host guest speakers and preview the topic treated in the accompanying Wednesday session, where applicable.

[For your awareness only: In 2024, CELI is piloting four, predominantly in-person, subgroups of these four cohorts. The in-person subset of the cohort is called a “cluster.” Clusters are comprised of approximately 20 of 55 cohort participants who have committed to weekly in-person attendance throughout the four months, with sessions taking place in CELI’s four traditional cities / metro-areas: Bay Area, Chicago, New York City, and Washington, DC. CELI clusters will cover the same curriculum, presenters, and activities (and with all the same requirements) as the virtual cohorts.]

Please note that the fellowship is structured such that virtual fellows are not given the option to drop-in to the in-person sessions due to space and other constraints.

We believe that attending all scheduled sessions, workshops, and events is crucial for your personal and professional development. Active participation allows you to interact with industry experts, other fellows, and alumni, creating opportunities for networking, mentorship, and knowledge sharing.

We encourage you to fully immerse yourself in the fellowship experience. Engage in discussions, ask questions, and contribute your unique perspectives to enrich the collective learning of our community. By actively participating, you not only enhance your own understanding but also contribute to the growth and diversity of ideas within the Clean Energy Leadership Institute.

We understand that circumstances may occasionally prevent you from attending certain sessions. In such cases, we request that you notify us in advance. Excused absences will be treated separately for weekday and weekend sessions. 

By adhering to our attendance policy, you demonstrate your commitment to your personal growth, the development of your cohort, and the shared goal of advancing clean energy leadership.

Fellows will be allowed one excused absence from a mandatory session with advance notice to their Fellowship Associate. Missing more than one mandatory session will trigger an automatic withdrawal from the Fellowship, barring extenuating circumstances.

Mandatory sessions: 

  1. Orientation: Saturday, August 3, 2024

  2. (National ET cohort only) Energy Justice Workshop and Intro to Capstones: Saturday, September 7, 2024

  3. (National ET cohort only) Adaptive Leadership Training: Sunday, September 8, 2024

  4. (National PT/MT and National CT cohort only) Energy Justice Workshop and Intro to Capstones: Saturday, September 14, 2024

  5. (National PT/MT and National CT cohort only) Adaptive Leadership Training: Sunday, September 15, 2024

  6. Capstone Night 1 - Business Pitches: Tuesday, December 3, 2024

  7. Capstone Night 2 - TED-style Talks: Wednesday, December 4, 2024

  8. Maximum of Three Weekly Session Absences Before Removal From Program

Excused absences for weekdays:

There are 15 weekday sessions. Please email your Fellowship Coordinator and Fellowship Associate in advance of a planned absence, or as soon as possible in the event of a medical or family emergency, or some other extenuating circumstance. If you miss a session, you may be able to view a recording, but it will still count as an absence. Please note that it is up to the speakers to decide whether or not they will be recorded. CELI allows up to 3 excused absences during the weekday sessions. The fourth absence will trigger automatic withdrawal from the program. If this happens, you will conduct an offboarding session with a CELI staff member and be removed from the program. 

Excused absences for weekends:

Mandatory attendance is expected on Saturday, August 3, and ONE weekend in September (depending on your cohort schedule), either September 7 & 8 (National ET1 and National ET2 cohorts only), or September 14 & 15 (National PT/MT and National CT only). There is also an optional Saturday session on October 26 that all fellows, across all cohorts, are highly encouraged to attend. Please email your Fellowship Coordinator and Fellowship Associate in advance of a planned absence, or as soon as possible in the event of a medical or family emergency, or some other extenuating circumstance. 

Unexcused absences:

Barring exceptional circumstances, fellows will be dismissed from the program after the 2nd unexcused absence. 

Participation:

You will be expected to participate for the full two hours. Early log-offs will be tracked and will result in an “unexcused absence” unless there is prior communication with your Fellowship Associate/Coordinator regarding a need to log-off early.

Surveys:

There will be six mandatory surveys throughout the fellowship: one in the beginning, one after every module (four total), and a final survey.

Log-in:

Please make sure to log-on about 5 min prior to the start of the session. Late logins (>5 mins after session starts) will count as unexcused absences, unless there is prior communication with your Fellowship Associate or Fellowship Coordinator regarding a need to log-in late.

On-camera and video:

Cameras should be turned on at all times, even during the lecture. If you need to leave to use the restroom or eat, you may turn off the camera for a short period of time, but we expect the camera to be turned on for the majority of the session. If your computer or equipment does not allow you to be on camera, CELI will attempt to provide additional equipment and technology support so that each fellow can participate fully.

Proprietary Curriculum:

Please understand that you are not allowed to share the CELI curriculum, speaker slides, or session recordings with any outside parties. Recordings and slides are only for your individual consumption during the fellowship. You will have access to these materials until January 31, 2025.

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