Instructor terms of service

Instructor Rules and Requirements

Effective Dec, 2023

In utilizing the services of Skillvation Africa, including uploading courses, maintaining an account, or participating in their Referral Program, and in receiving payments for Instructor-related activities, you agree to abide by the Skillvation Africa Instructor Rules and Requirements. These are supplementary to the Skillvation Africa Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, and in cases of inconsistency, these Rules and Requirements will prevail. Undefined capitalized terms are as specified in the Terms of Service. The term “you” refers to an Instructor in this context. Skillvation Africa reserves the right to alter, suspend, or terminate any service or these Rules and Requirements at its discretion. Significant changes will be notified via email, the Instructor Dashboard, or on the Skillvation Africa Services, and your continued access to the Services after such changes implies agreement to the updated terms. Regular review of these Rules and Requirements is recommended for awareness of any changes that might affect you.

Instructor Content
Rules for Instructors
Instructor Payments
Deleting a Instructor Account

I. Instructor Content

As between you and Skillvation Africa and to the extent permitted by applicable law, you retain ownership over and are responsible for any and all video, audio, text, photos, pictures, graphics, comments, and all other content, data, or information that you upload, store, transmit, submit, exchange, or make available to or via the Services (“Your Content“) except where the content is created on behalf of Skillvation Africa, as a “work-made-for-hire,” at which point the content is owned by Skillvation Africa and is not Your Content. You agree that Your Content remains your sole responsibility. Your Content includes any content you have previously uploaded, stored, transmitted, submitted, exchanged, or made available to or via the Skillvation Africa platform.

A. Instructor Content Requirements and Representations

You will not upload, store, distribute, send, transmit, display, perform, make available, or otherwise communicate to the public any content (including any of Your Content) that you do not hold the necessary rights to. In particular, any unauthorized use of copyright protected works within Your Content may constitute an infringement of third party rights and is strictly prohibited. Any such infringements may result, among other things, in removal of your Content from the Service, termination of your access to the Service, and coverage by you of any resulting claims or damages.

You represent and warrant to Skillvation Africa as follows:

Your Content is original work to you, or you have obtained all rights, licenses, consents, and permissions necessary in order for Your Content to be used as part of the Service, including the right to upload, reproduce, store, transmit, distribute, share, publicly display, publicly perform, make available (including for watching offline), and otherwise communicate to the public Your Content on the Service.
Your Content and its availability on the Service does not and will not infringe or violate the rights of any third party, including any intellectual property rights, performers’ rights, rights of privacy or publicity, or any confidentiality-related restrictions.
You have obtained all necessary consents, permissions, and/or releases from anyone appearing in Your Content in order to include their name, voice, performance, or likeness in Your Content or to otherwise make available Your Content on the Service. You confirm that you will retain all original releases and maintain complete and accurate release records and shall share any such documents with Skillvation Africa upon request.
Your Content does not and will not create any liability on the part of Skillvation Africa, its subsidiaries, affiliates, successors, and assigns, and their respective employees, agents, directors, officers, and/or shareholders.
Your content complies with our Community Guidelinesand Teaching Policies.

Notwithstanding the fact that Skillvation Africa has no legal obligation to monitor the content on the Service, Skillvation Africa reserves the right to block, remove, or delete any content at any time, and to limit or restrict access to any content, for any reason and without liability, including if we have reason to believe that such content does or might infringe the rights of any third party, has been uploaded or posted in violation of these Rules and Requirements, our Terms of Service, or applicable law, or is otherwise unacceptable to Skillvation Africa, in its sole discretion. Skillvation Africa reserves the right to remove Your Content, suspend or terminate your access to the Service, and/or pursue all legal remedies if we believe that any of Your Content infringes another person’s rights or violates any law, rule, or regulation.

B. Skillvation Africa Trademarks

While you act in the capacity of a Instructor, and subject to the requirements below, you may use our trademarks (e.g. the Skillvation Africa name or any of the Skillvation Africa trademarks, logos, domain names, and other distinctive brand features) solely as we authorize you to do so and solely in compliance with the following.

You must:

use only copies of our trademarks that we specifically make available to you, as detailed in any guidelines we may publish;
use our trademarks only in the creation or promotion of a class or other content that you upload to our Service and that is created for the benefit of Students; and
immediately comply if we request that you make any changes or discontinue use.

You must not:

use our trademarks in a misleading or disparaging way;
use our trademarks in a way that implies that we endorse, sponsor, or approve of Your Content or services; or
use our trademarks in a way that violates applicable law or in connection with an obscene, indecent, offensive, or unlawful topic or material.

C. The Rights Instructors Grant to Skillvation Africa

By agreeing to these Rules and Requirements, and by submitting Your Content to Skillvation Africa, you grant to Skillvation Africa a worldwide, perpetual, fully sublicensable, non-exclusive right and license to use, reproduce, distribute, access, view, crop, resize, index, analyze, categorize, archive, copy, license, transmit, broadcast, publicly perform and publicly display, prepare derivative works incorporating, sell, advertise, and market any of Your Content in any form, medium, or technology, including any and all media now known or hereafter devised, for any lawful purpose, including the distribution of Your Content to Skillvation Africa customers and partners, to optimize the performance and operation of the Services, and/or to develop new features and products on or for the Service. You acknowledge and agree that the foregoing license rights are granted on a royalty-free basis.

You also grant Skillvation Africa a worldwide, perpetual, fully sublicensable, royalty-free, non-exclusive right to use your name, display name, image, likeness, and performance in connection with Your Content and other information, any features or functionality related to those materials or other information, as well as in connection with Skillvation Africa’s marketing and promotional activities and the sublicensing of Your Content in any and all media now known or hereafter devised without the payment of any compensation to you other than as described in the Instructor Payment and Instructor Referral sections below.

You authorize Skillvation Africa to sublicense these rights to Your Content to third parties, including to Students or other users or viewers directly and through third parties such as partners, resellers, distributors, affiliate sites, and deal sites, which may include the use of your name, display name, image, likeness, performance, and/or Your Content for marketing and promotional activities carried out by the third party. You also give permission to Skillvation Africa to add, modify, or remove information related to Your Content in order to manage and license Your Content. This includes the right to add captions or otherwise modify Your Content to ensure accessibility.

Skillvation Africa, in the exercise of its discretion, may refrain from any or all of the foregoing without any liability to you. Skillvation Africa may advertise and/or market Your Content in any and all media now known or hereafter devised, including on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Giphy, Vimeo, Reddit, and Twitch, as well as similar sites and/or applications now known or hereinafter developed.

For All Instructors:

Unless otherwise agreed, you have the right to remove all or any portion of Your Content from the Services and/or opt-out of the inclusion of Your Content in any sublicensing programs that Skillvation Africa enters into with third-party partners. To request such removal or opt-out, you must email Skillvation Africa at support@skillvationafrica.com. Your email must state your intention to remove Your Content and/or opt out and must specify the content that is related to your request, including a link to where it can be found on the Services. Except as otherwise agreed, Skillvation Africa will typically require at least 120 days to comply with your request and Your Content may remain on the Services and be included for sublicensing purposes in the interim. Notwithstanding any such request, Skillvation Africa’s right to use Your Content for marketing purposes shall survive termination or such removal, and any rights given to Students before the removal of Your Content will continue in accordance with the terms of those licenses (including any grants of lifetime access).

You will continue being paid, where applicable, until Your Content is removed, including during the period after you request removal or opt-out, but before we are able to effectuate that removal or opt-out, and we may continue distributing or marketing Your Content during this period.

II. Rules for Instructors

A. Applying to Teach

Absent permission from Skillvation Africa otherwise, all Instructors who have not previously published a class on the Service will be required to submit an application in order to have the ability to publish a class or classes on SkillvationAfrica.com. Approval of your application is not guaranteed. Skillvation Africa will determine, in its sole discretion, whether you are eligible to publish content to SkillvationAfrica.com, without liability to you. Any information you include in your application will be processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Additional terms may be shared with you as part of the application process. By completing and submitting an application, you agree to those terms.

B. Rules of Conduct

When you publish a class on the Service or otherwise make use of the Service for purposes related to teaching, advising, or mentoring, you agree that:

We set the price of a subscription to the Service, and that price is subject to change, including with respect to taxes, all at our sole discretion;
You will honor any enrollments through the Service or any related platforms at the price and time listed in the Service, and will not refuse enrollments or participation by any Student for any discriminatory or other illegal reason;
You will provide and maintain accurate account information;
Classes or other content posted are publicly available to be viewed and accessed by any Student, unless otherwise specifically designated by Skillvation Africa.
You grant us the right to place advertisements on Your Content at our sole discretion;
You are qualified to teach the classes or offer the content that you list with the Service and that you will at all times conduct yourself in a professional manner and in compliance with all applicable laws;
Your Students may have the ability to post a review about you or any class or other content you publish, we cannot control the contents of any such review, and will not be held responsible for any information or opinions that a user may include in any such review;
You may choose to remove material from your class or other content and will continue to own such content, but we will continue to have the right to use that content and to provide it to Students who have paid for or enrolled in your class; and
To the extent any content is created on behalf of Skillvation Africa as a work-made-for-hire (for example, when we film and/or edit the content), you grant us full ownership of that content. It is at our sole discretion to remove, add, or edit such content.

You also agree that you will not:

Submit any content to the Service that violates, plagiarizes, misappropriates, or infringes the rights of third parties, including, without limitation, copyright, trademark rights, rights of privacy or publicity, confidential information, or any other third party material, or material that is subject to other third party rights, unless you have permission from the rightful rights holder in such material;
Submit any content that is abusive, libelous, defamatory, pornographic, obscene, that promotes or incites violence, terrorism, illegal acts, or hatred on the grounds of race, ethnicity, cultural identity, religious belief, disability, gender, identity, or sexual orientation, or is otherwise objectionable in Skillvation Africa’s reasonable determination;
Post or transmit any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, junk mail, spam, or any other form of solicitation through the Services or to any user;
Use the Service for business other than providing teaching or related services to Students;
Use any data or other information you receive about Students for any purpose other than providing your services to those Students on the Service;
Solicit additional personal data (beyond that described above) from Students or store Students’ personal data outside the Service; or
Employ any techniques or make use of any services designed to misrepresent the popularity of Your Content on the Service, or to misrepresent your activity on the Service, including by the use of bots, botnets, scripts, apps, plugins, extensions, or other automated means to register accounts, log in, add followers to your account, play content, follow or unfollow other users, send messages, post comments, or otherwise to act on your behalf, particularly where such activity occurs in a multiple or repetitive fashion.

Skillvation Africa reserves the right, but is under no obligation, to delete any class or other content at any time and for any reason.

III. Instructor Payments

When you host a class or classes on the Service you may be eligible to receive revenue payments each month. The amount of payment you receive from royalty payments is based on a total payout amount that will vary, and that Skillvation Africa will determine periodically (the “Skillvation Africa Instructor Fund” or “Fund”). Details on how the Fund is determined, and on how we pay Instructors more generally, can be found here. The current total payout amount can be found here.

In order for you to earn payment from the Fund during a month (“Instructor Fund Payments”), you must meet the following conditions:

You must comply with these Rules and Requirements and the Governing Documents; and
You must accrue a minimum of 1000 Kenya Shillings paid by Students on the Service across all of your published classes on the Service in such month.

If during a given month, you haven’t reached the 1000 Kenya Shillings minimum, you will not earn and you will not receive any Instructor Fund Payment for that month. If you cancel your account prior to your accrued earnings reaching the 1000 Kenya Shilling minimum for that month, you will forfeit payment for all sales for that month. More information on how we calculate Instructor Fund Payments in particular can be found here.

Skillvation Africa will pay out the Instructor Fund Payments for a particular month on or around the th of the month following the time in which it is accrued. For new Instructors, Instructor Fund Payments begin the month following the month in which a Instructor publishes their first class on the Service (provided the conditions above are met).

C. Payment for additional programs

Skillvation Africa offers now and/or may in the future offer several additional opportunities in which you may be eligible to participate. These opportunities may be able to help increase your revenue potential on Skillvation Africa. These opportunities include: engaging with Students on the platform; hosting, teaching, or participating in Skillvation Africa-affiliated live classes or events where tickets are sold; participating in Skillvation Africa-sponsored contests or giveaways; assisting other Skillvation Africa Instructors in various capacities; or via sublicensing or distribution opportunities. These additional opportunities, or other opportunities that may be developed in the future, may be limited to certain Instructors or groups of Instructors at Skillvation Africa’s sole discretion, and as a result, the earning opportunities for Instructors on the platform may differ from Instructor to Instructor.

D. How Payments Work

Skillvation Africa makes all Instructor Fund Payments and other payments (together, “Skillvation Africa Instructor Payments”) in Kenya Shillings (KES) regardless of the currency with which the applicable transaction was made. Skillvation Africa is not responsible for any foreign currency conversion fees, wiring fees, or any other processing fees. For us to pay you, you must be registered with a bank account or Paystack, our payment processor, be in good standing, and must keep us informed of the correct email associated with your account. You must also provide any identifying information or tax documentation necessary for payment of amounts due, and you agree that we have the right to withhold applicable taxes from your payments. If you do not register fully with Paystack and do not provide us with the necessary bank account information and documentation, you will not earn any Skillvation Africa Instructor Payments until you meet those requirements. Any Skillvation Africa Instructor Payment you might have earned before meeting those requirements will be forfeited. We reserve the right to withhold payments or impose other penalties if we do not receive proper identifying information or tax documentation from you. You understand and agree that you are ultimately responsible for any taxes on your income.

Information that you supply to Paystack is not stored by us or within our control, and is subject to Paystack’s own privacy policies and terms and conditions. Skillvation Africa is not responsible for fees, if any, charged by Paystack. Skillvation Africa disclaims all liability with regard to Paystack.

You have 30 days from the time at which a payment was or should have been made to report any discrepancies. After 30 days, you have waived your right to raise a dispute concerning that payment.

You agree that Skillvation Africa’s sole responsibility is to process payments and pay Instructors pursuant to the current payout model. Skillvation Africa is not party to any transaction between any Student and/or Instructor and cannot be held responsible for any issues arising from any such transaction.

Skillvation Africa reserves the right to withhold or cancel payments to you if we deem, in our sole judgment and absolute discretion, that you engaged in behavior that violated any part of these Rules and Requirements, our Terms of Service, our Class Quality Guidelines, or any other Governing Document.

If Skillvation Africa makes an overpayment of royalties or other compensation to you for any reason, Skillvation Africa shall have the right to deduct the amount of such overpayment from your accrued Skillvation Africa Instructor Payments or to demand the immediate repayment of such overpaid royalties or other sums. Skillvation Africa may also recoup sums provided to you in connection with refunds or chargebacks by deducting applicable sums credited to your account.

Skillvation Africa may provide you with a link to a class that you have published to the Service that permits others to view your class via that link without being a Skillvation Africa member (a “Free Access Link”). Any Free Access Link provided to you is for personal use only. Free Access Links cannot be used for commercial purposes, including in exchange for payment or as a benefit for Students or others who have paid you outside of Skillvation Africa.

IV. Deleting a Instructor Account

To delete your Instructor account you will need to contact us on support@skillvationafrica.com. We’ll use commercially reasonable efforts to make any remaining scheduled payments that are owed to you before deleting your account. You understand that if students have previously enrolled in Your Content, your name and that content may remain accessible to those students after your account is deleted. If you need further help or encounter difficulty deleting your account, you can contact us via our support@skillvationafrica.com.

If you would like Your Content removed from any Skillvation Africa-related sublicensing arr

Course Content and Topic Limitations

Overview

Skillvation Africa offers courses in a broad array of subjects, particularly in fields such as AI, data management, creative arts, wellness, entrepreneurship, and more. There is ample scope for unique skill sharing and personal expression within these areas.

We strive for consistency across all Skillvation Africa courses. If you find a course that seems to contravene our guidelines, please report it to us. Note that this list is not exhaustive and is subject to change. Instructors teaching prohibited topics may face account-related sanctions, including deactivation.

Language Specifications

Skillvation Africa will accept courses in English and French. These languages cater to the majority of our African audience and align with the languages available on the Skillvation Africa site.

Prohibited Topics

Certain topics are not allowed on Skillvation Africa, including:
Courses promoting passive income strategies, quick follower gains, or guaranteed financial outcomes.

Content focusing on intimate relationships, parenting, personality analysis, or dating.
Courses about teaching on other educational platforms or creating courses for Skillvation Africa.
Instruction on reselling products or services, such as drop-shipping.
Content about ethical hacking, IT Security, or weapons and arms.
Medical-related courses, including alternative medicine and first aid.
Courses on standardized testing, hard sciences, or traditional engineering fields.
Content heavily focused on religion, spirituality, or political topics.
Fitness and exercise content beyond meditation and gentle movement.
Pet care, beauty regimes, and advice requiring professional certification.
Courses featuring dangerous activities, hazardous materials, or gaming.

Many categories remain open for all Skillvation Africa instructors. For more information, refer to the provided categories list or contact support@skillvationafrica.com for specific queries.

Course Quality Standards for Skillvation Africa

Skillvation Africa, as an inclusive learning platform, mandates that all courses adhere to the standards outlined below:

Topics Allowed for Instruction

Courses on Skillvation Africa span a diverse range of subjects, with a focus on areas such as artificial intelligence, data analysis and management, creative arts, design, health and wellness, entrepreneurial skills, lifestyle enhancement, and project management. We encourage the dissemination of unique skills and perspectives within these domains. For further clarity, please consult our Prohibited Course Topics guide.

Minimum Content Duration

Courses must provide a minimum of 5 minutes of video instruction. They should be uploaded in full, encompassing an introduction, an overview, interactive quizzes, necessary assignments, and a series of in-depth lessons to be deemed complete.

Introduction Video Requirements

The introduction video acts as your course’s first impression, similar to a movie trailer. It’s the primary engagement point for students and the only content accessible to non-subscribers. This video should:
– Be the initial lesson of your course.
– Independently explain the course’s purpose.
– Outline the learning outcomes and expectations.
– Share your qualifications and experience relevant to the course topic.

Incorporation of a Course Quiz

Skillvation Africa values learning through practical application. Every course should feature an interactive project component, including:

– A brief quiz at the end of each lesson or the course.

Organized Course Structure

A well-structured course, based on a detailed lesson plan or outline, is crucial for effective teaching. This includes:

– Clearly titled video lessons that accurately reflect their content.

– Single uploads for each class or video segment to avoid redundancy.

Quality Standards for Audio and Video

High-quality audio and video are vital for an engaging learning experience. Ensure that:

– Audio is clear, understandable, and free from distracting noises.

– Audio and video are in sync and play through both channels.

– Video is high-definition (1080p) and professionally shot with stable camera work, adequate lighting, and proper framing.

– A 16:9 (horizontal) format is used for videos and slides.

– Screencasts, images, and text are clear and legible.

– Voiceovers or narration are natural, avoiding synthetic voice usage.*

*For exceptions, contact support@SkillvationAfrica.com.

Diversity in Visual Presentation

Teachers should employ various visual methods, like slides, on-screen text, or illustrative imagery, to reinforce key points or explain complex concepts. Additional specifications include:

– Professionally lit talking head shots with appropriate backdrops.

– Well-designed, engaging slides.

– Minimal use of fillers or prolonged pauses

Restrictions on Self-Promotion

While Skillvation Africa encourages personal brand growth, course content should focus primarily on education. Self-promotion (e.g., discussing your brand, encouraging social media following, logo sharing) should be confined to the introduction and conclusion videos. References to previous Skillvation Africa courses are permissible if they contribute to the learning experience.

Fostering Genuine Education

Skillvation Africa is committed to authentic and inspired learning. As such:

– Courses should go beyond simple demonstrations, adding substantial educational value.

– We do not endorse courses that guarantee specific outcomes, monetary gains, or rapid audience growth.

Delivering Unique Educational Content

We value creativity and individual perspectives in teaching. Therefore:

– Lessons should include your personal expertise, practical tips, and theoretical knowledge.

– Avoid heavy reliance on external sources not authored by you.

– Courses should be tailored specifically for Skillvation Africa, not for other platforms.

Meeting Course Performance Criteria

Courses on Skillvation Africa are expected to meet certain engagement benchmarks, with potential removal for:

Availability exceeding one year (365 days);
An average rating below 2.5, absence of reviews, or lack of recent positive feedback;
Less than 50 new subscribers per month over the past year;
Less than 100 minutes of total viewership in the last three months.

Course ratings are calculated by averaging review scores. Skillvation Africa reserves the right to make exceptions to these rules based on specific student or programmatic requirements.

Revenue Calculation and Distribution for Instructors

Determining Your Earnings:

As an instructor, your earnings are derived from the courses you offer, calculated as follows:

– A new student’s course purchase via your course entitles you to a 60% share of the course fee.

Important Considerations:

– Course fees may differ.

– To accommodate diverse students, courses are priced up to a maximum of six hundred Kenyan Shillings (KES). It’s recommended to price courses between 199 and 599 KES for higher sales volumes.

– Refunds are not available except for payment technicalities.

– Your earnings are computed from the net fees received from students (excluding taxes).

– Payment Schedule – Payments are processed on the 7th of each month following the earnings period. If the 7th falls on a weekend, payment is made on the next weekday.

Calculation Method:

Skillvation Africa calculates this payment by aggregating payments received in that month, not including taxes paid by the student.

Then, we subtract any other necessary deductions processed on those Payments.

Student payments less taxes paid – any other necessary deductions = Net Student Payments

Your current earnings for each month will be equal to 60% of your Net Student Payments for that month.

60% of Net Student Payments = Your Monthly Earnings

Example Scenarios

To better understand the payment process, consider these scenarios:

Scenario 1: A student enrolls in your course in the first half of a month, say April 9th.

– The student is charged 500KES (before taxes). Your earnings will be 60% of this fee, i.e., 300KES.

– The payment will be processed around May 7th, or the next weekday if the 7th is a weekend.

Note: These are illustrative examples; actual student fees may vary.