Terms & Conditions

1. Purpose and The Academic Exchange

The Sophia Forum operates an online academic exchange designed to connect serious readers with accomplished university professors, doctoral scholars, and independent researchers. Our platform hosts intimate, live video seminars centered on great works of literature, philosophy, history, science, and the humanities.

By creating an account, reserving a seat, enrolling in a seminar, or submitting an application to teach, you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions and our companion Privacy Policy.

2. Eligibility & Accounts

You must be at least 18 years of age (or the age of legal majority in your jurisdiction) to create an account and purchase seminar enrollments. You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during authentication and to maintain the security of your account credentials. You are responsible for all activities that occur under your account.

3. Enrollment, Tuition & Payment Processing

Each seminar specifies its format, meeting dates, maximum cohort capacity, and tuition in United States Dollars (USD). Certain introductory or community reading groups may be offered free of charge ($0).

All paid transactions are processed securely through our payment partner, Stripe, Inc. By providing a credit card or other payment method, you authorize The Sophia Forum (via Stripe) to charge the specified tuition fee at the time of reservation. The Sophia Forum does not store or process raw payment card credentials on its servers.

A seat is confirmed once payment authorization succeeds or when a free enrollment is reserved. Cohort capacities are strictly enforced to preserve the seminar quality.

4. Withdrawal, Cancellation & 100% Full Refund Policy

We believe in complete transparency and peace of mind when committing to serious study:

• Before the first session: You may withdraw from any enrolled seminar at any time prior to the scheduled start time of the first session for an immediate, automatic 100% full refund. Refunds are credited directly back to your original payment card via Stripe.
• After the first session begins: Once a seminar series commences, tuition is non-refundable. Because seminar cohorts are small and seats are strictly limited, late withdrawals deprive other readers of the opportunity to participate and impact the professor's scheduled honorarium.
• Cancellations by Instructor or Platform: In the rare event that a seminar is cancelled due to instructor emergency or insufficient enrollment, all registered participants will receive an immediate 100% full refund and prompt notification via email.

Withdrawals can be processed with one click directly from your Learner Dashboard or enrollment confirmation page.

5. Academic Decorum & Seminar Room Conduct

The Sophia Forum is dedicated to the ancient tradition of the symposium: lively, respectful, and dialectical conversation among intellectual peers. By participating in a seminar, you agree to:

• Treat fellow readers and instructors with scholarly respect, civility, and intellectual generosity.
• Prepare the assigned readings in advance to contribute meaningfully to group inquiries.
• Keep cameras on when possible and participate actively in the live dialogue.
• No unauthorized recording: To ensure uninhibited, honest philosophical exchange, recording audio or video of seminar sessions without the express written permission of the instructor and all participants is strictly prohibited.

Disruptive conduct, harassment, discrimination, or abusive behavior will result in immediate expulsion from the seminar series without refund and revocation of platform membership.

6. Syllabi, Readings & Intellectual Property

Instructors retain all intellectual property rights in their original course syllabi, lecture notes, discussion questions, and personal teaching materials. Enrolled readers receive a limited, personal, non-commercial license to use these materials solely for the purpose of participating in the seminar.

Participants are responsible for acquiring their own copies of assigned books and primary texts, unless open-access or public-domain translations are explicitly provided in the prospectus.

7. Faculty Appointments & Honoraria

Instructors on The Sophia Forum are vetted through a formal academic review of credentials and scholarship. Approved scholars set their own curricula, schedules, and tuition.

The Sophia Forum retains a fixed 20% platform fee from tuition receipts to support platform infrastructure, payment security, technical hosting, and community stewardship. The remaining 80% of tuition receipts is distributed directly to the scholar via Stripe Connect Express. Faculty members are independent educators and are responsible for their own tax obligations.

8. Disclaimers & Limitation of Liability

Seminars on The Sophia Forum represent independent educational enrichment and open inquiry. Participation does not confer academic credit, degrees, or formal certification from any accredited college or university.

The platform is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. In no event will The Sophia Forum be liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from technical interruptions or video conferencing service outages.

9. Contact & Governance

If you have questions regarding these terms, your enrollment, or academic policies, please write to our secretariat:

The Sophia Forum
Email: support@thesophiaforum.com