These Terms of Use (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the websites, course catalog, learning environments, events, and related services provided by Opened Culture, LLC (“Opened Culture,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), including the Opened Learning Alliance (“OLA”) (collectively, the “Services”).
By accessing or using the Services, creating an account, or registering for a course or event, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use the Services. Your use of the Services is also subject to our Privacy Statement and Refund & Cancellation Policy.
Opened Culture is a professional learning collaboratory that supports educators, designers, and leaders in advancing inclusive, innovative digital learning. The Opened Learning Alliance is our professional learning arm, offering courses, workshops, and related learning experiences. These Terms apply to all visitors, learners, and other individuals who access or use the Services, including the Opened Culture website, the OLA course catalog and registration flows, online learning environments (such as D2L Brightspace), and virtual events hosted through platforms such as Zoom.
The Services are intended for adult learners and professional audiences. By using the Services, you represent that you are at least 18 years old (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction) and have the authority to enter into these Terms. If you create an account, you agree to provide accurate information, keep your credentials secure, and notify us promptly of any unauthorized use.
When you register for a course, workshop, or event, you agree to provide accurate registration and payment information. You authorize us or our third-party payment processor (Stripe) to charge your payment method for applicable fees. Pricing is subject to change, but we will honor the pricing displayed at the time your registration is confirmed. Refunds, cancellations, deferrals, and transfers are governed by our Refund & Cancellation Policy.
Subject to your compliance with these Terms and any applicable payment obligations, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, and revocable license to access and use the Services and course materials for your own personal, professional development and non-commercial use. Unless a specific resource is clearly labeled with an open license (such as Creative Commons), you may not reproduce, redistribute, or publicly display course content beyond what is reasonably necessary for your own learning; use course content to build a competing product or service; or train or fine-tune machine learning or AI models using our content, except where expressly permitted. Access periods vary by course and will be indicated at registration.
We foster learning spaces grounded in care, respect, and collaboration. You agree to participate respectfully, use inclusive language and behaviors, respect the confidentiality of peers and partners, and comply with all applicable laws. You agree not to use the Services for any unlawful purpose, upload harmful or harassing content, impersonate others, attempt unauthorized access, or introduce malware. To protect the reliability and security of our forms and communications, we may use automated spam detection and abuse-prevention tools. We reserve the right to take action, including suspension or termination of access, if these expectations are violated.
You may create, upload, or share content while using the Services (such as discussion posts, reflections, and assignments). You retain ownership of your original work. By submitting content through the Services, you grant Opened Culture a limited, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, display, and reproduce your content within the relevant course or platform; use your content to operate, support, and improve the Services; and create aggregated or de-identified analytics and evaluation insights. We will not publicly attribute your content to you without your explicit permission.
The Services and their contents are owned by or licensed to Opened Culture and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, or create derivative works from course content; distribute materials outside your own professional development use; or use Opened Culture or OLA names, logos, or marks without our prior written permission. Some materials may be released under open licenses where clearly indicated.
Our Services may integrate with third-party platforms (such as D2L Brightspace, Zoom, and Stripe) and may invite you to use AI tools as part of learning activities. Your use of third-party services is governed by their own terms. When using AI tools in course activities, you are responsible for complying with those tools’ terms, should avoid sharing confidential or personal information in AI prompts, and are expected to critically engage with AI-generated outputs rather than presenting them as your own unexamined work.
The Services are provided for professional learning and informational purposes. We do not guarantee specific outcomes from course completion, and the Services are provided “as is” and “as available” without warranties of any kind, to the fullest extent permitted by law.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Opened Culture will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the Services. Our total aggregate liability will not exceed the greater of the amount you paid for the specific offering giving rise to the claim during the preceding twelve months, or one hundred U.S. dollars (USD $100).
We may suspend or terminate your access if you breach these Terms, create a harmful environment for others, or if required by law or operational necessity. You may stop using the Services at any time.
We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the Services after updated Terms become effective constitutes your acceptance of the changes.
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Arizona, USA, without regard to conflict of laws principles, except where a different governing law is required by applicable consumer protection law. We encourage informal resolution of disputes first. If informal resolution is not possible, disputes may be brought in the state or federal courts located in Arizona.
If you have questions about these Terms of Use or the services, you may contact us through our online form:
If you are located in a region with specific data protection rights (such as the EEA, UK, Switzerland, or certain U.S. states including California), you may also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection or consumer protection authority. We would, however, appreciate the chance to address your concerns first.