What is the Ritter Academy?

The Ritter Academy is an online research and learning platform committed to enabling business, technology and legal professionals to build trust in digital information. The Academy employs disciplined instructional design, question-driven learning, and visual-based exploration to uniquely deliver on-demand answers to your questions about how to create and govern digital information as evidence. The Academy was founded by Jeffrey Ritter, and features RitterMaps™, powerful visual tools that transform how teams work together to investigate, evaluate, and build trusted IT systems and digital assets. Those tools are also invaluable to developing adverse inquiries into whether digital records can be trusted as evidence of the truth.

What is a Ritter Academy Course?

A Ritter Academy Course is an interactive multimedia e-learning course available online through the Academy website. Each Course is a focused learning experience, designed with defined objectives, structured lessons, and benefits. Each Course provides in-depth analysis of a specific topic navigating law, technology and prevailing management practices regarding the use and regulation of digital information.

Each Course consists of multiple lessons. A complete Course varies in length, usually between 30-90 minutes; all Courses are professionally produced and recorded to be available on-demand. Live Courses, allowing direct interaction with the faculty, are also offered at scheduled times to enrolled subscribers.

What does it mean for a Course to be designed, with structured lessons?

Unfortunately, the professional markets (executives, IT managers, lawyers, litigation support professionals) are accustomed to potpourri collections of online professional education that consist of slides, an expert (without teaching experience, often contributing war stories), and bundles of materials reproduced from the Internet or someone’s filing cabinet. Those are not the ingredients for effective online professional learning.

The Academy has designed an initial complete curriculum, to be published during 2011-2012, for which each Course has defined objectives, content and outcomes that advance the professional needs of subscribers. Each Course is developed with all of the best practices for effective e-learning; you can learn more about those practices at About Us.

Each Ritter Academy Course requires up to 200 hours of professional development, involving a subject matter expert, a course producer, an editor, professional voice talent, video director, and an administrator for the Learning Management System through which the Academy is delivered.

Each Course features:

• Lessons, titled by the questions they answer, that allow a subscriber to move across the Course.
• Interactive self-learning, allowing the subscriber to engage with and explore the content at their own pace.
• Periodic review quizzes to enable the subscriber to confirm their understanding of the material. (To meet professional education standards, Courses will also be offered beginning later in 2011 with structured, graded testing).
• Multiple functional downloadable materials, at no additional cost, consisting of RitterMaps™, checklists, and other practice tools that can be used immediately in a professional’s work.
• An Inventory of Legal and IT Sources, listing the laws, regulations, standards, case decisions and best practice publications that informed the content and structure of each Course.

Access to the Academy, use of the RitterMaps™ and other downloaded materials is subject to the Rules of the Academy.

What are the Rules of the Academy?

Each subscriber, when enrolling to the Academy, and each purchaser, when purchasing products from the Ritter Academy Store, must agree to the Rules of the Academy. The Rules of the Academy describe the Terms of Use, including the licenses that are granted to subscribers and purchasers for their personal use of the RitterMaps™ and other downloadable products in connection with their job responsibilities. If you wish to review the Rules of the Ritter Academy, click here.

What are RitterMaps™?

Each RitterMap™ organizes and structures complex legal and technical information relating to the Course topic into visual maps that enable subscribers and others to navigate the complexity, structure and relationships among different rules, technologies, best practices and other knowledge components.

RitterMaps™ delivered with a Course are targeted to the content of each Course. More complete RitterMaps™ are available for purchase in the Ritter Academy Store. RitterMaps™ delivered with a Course are delivered as electronic PDF files. PDF files require the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can download the free Acrobat Reader product here.

For a more complete understanding of the content and value of our RitterMaps™, please visit The Power of Maps.

Will I receive hard copies of the materials displayed during the Course before or after the event?

Subscribers may download specific RitterMaps™ and materials as part of every Course. Subject to the Rules of the Academy, subscribers may print physical copies of any downloadable RitterMaps™ or materials. However, pursuant to the Rules of the Academy, no other materials included in any Ritter Academy Course, including slide presentations, map displays, video or audio content, may be duplicated, captured or otherwise used for any reproduction, redistribution, republication, rebroadcast, or any other use.

ENROLLING IN THE RITTER ACADEMY

Step One: Visit the Ritter Academy website. Public visitors may view the descriptions and details for each Course currently available, as well as view the Introduction—the first lesson describing the objectives, lessons and benefits of the Course.

New subscribers may click on the “Enroll Now” button at any time, create a new account, and complete the purchase of their subscription (or, if available, Learning Bundles). Subscribers with promotion codes, including those granted by an Association, must use those at the time of purchasing their subscription. Subscribers must provide suitable registration information and agree to the Rules of the Academy Subscribers must register in order to have access to the complete Ritter Academy Catalog.

You will be forwarded to a secure Ritter Academy payments site (operated by Citibank/FirstData) that will allow you to enter your credit card information and complete payment. Wait for the computer screen to indicate that your registration was successful. You will receive an electronic mail containing your invoice for the transaction and your log-in password.

Step Two: Use the Sign-In button and enter your password. You can then navigate all of the current Catalog. Select a Course and the “View Now” button will allow you to access the entire content of that Course.

How do I know if my registration was successful?

After submitting your information, your screen will indicate that you have successfully registered for the event. Two e-mail confirmations will be sent to you immediately after your registration. This “Ritter Academy Course – Enrollment Approved” notification will contain event details including a Web address, event password, and event telephone number.

Ritter Academy is not responsible for undelivered notifications. If you do not receive a “Ritter Academy Course - Enrollment Approved” confirmation by e-mail within two hours of registration, notify Ritter Academy immediately at support@ritteracademy.com.

If I live outside of the United States, will I still be able to enroll in the Ritter Academy?

Yes. We welcome subscribers from around the world.

How do I access the Ritter Academy?

Ritter Academy subscribers access each Course through a secure, firewall friendly, and password protected portal, operated by one of the world’s leading Internet providers, Amazon. We selected this hosting provider to assure the highest quality of availability to subscribers at any location in the world.

How much does it cost to enroll in the Ritter Academy?

Beginning in May, 2011, an individual subscriber may purchase an enrollment in the Ritter Academy for $489. This price entitles the subscriber to access for one year to all of our Courses, including new Courses (to be published approximately once every two weeks), live Courses featuring learning experiences led by Jeffrey Ritter and other experts, and the right to download available Downloads for each Course.

The Academy’s Association program offers special pricing to association members—an annual all-access subscription will cost $389 and, if included, a Core Learning Bundle (approximately 8 hours of training bundled to meet the specific interests or needs of an association) can be purchased at $289. Those enrolling for the Core Learning Bundle may upgrade their enrollment at any time for $100. The Association program is available only to current members in good standing of participating Associations. The Ritter Academy contributes 10% of its revenues from a participating association’s members back to the association.

Enrolled subscribers also receive a 5% discount on all purchases through the Ritter Academy store.

Each Ritter Academy subscription is intended for, and is to be used by, one individual. While each subscriber may access any Course at any time (up to three times in each annual subscription), Ritter Academy reserves the right to limit access, or to cancel an enrollment, if Ritter Academy believes the privilege of unlimited access is being abused (generally, more than two viewings of a course within any six month period).

What forms of payment are accepted for Ritter Academy Courses?

Ritter Academy enrollment subscriptions must be completed online through the Academy secure transaction site using a VISA, MasterCard, Discovery or American Express credit card. Cash, purchase orders, wire transfers, or checks will not be accepted as payment for individual enrollment in the Ritter Academy or the purchase of any other Ritter Academy products or services. Group enrollment payments may be made by check with the advance approval of Ritter Academy.

What is a site?

A site consists of one computer with an Internet connection and one userid/password for the Ritter Academy. Subscribers may access the Ritter Academy from any location, but only one site at a time will be permitted to do so. Ritter Academy Courses are intended for individual subscribers; organizations wishing to order multiple access rights may do so through our Group Purchase Program (see Group Purchases below). All Ritter Academy passwords and access codes are issued specifically to an individual subscriber and cannot be shared with other persons or outside parties.

Does Ritter Academy provide proof-of-purchase receipts?

Each paid subscriber will receive two automated e-mails that provide transaction information. These e-mails are your proof-of-purchase receipts. Please retain these e-mail receipts for your records.

What if I do not receive my e-mail notification from Ritter Academy?

If you do not receive a Ritter Academy confirmation e-mail within 2 hours of registration, please contact Ritter Academy Customer Support directly at support@ritteracademy.com.

Can a Ritter Academy subscriber resell access to the Ritter Academy?

No. Ritter Academy subscribers are not permitted to charge an attendance fee for viewing a Ritter Academy Course, nor permit multiple attendees to view a Ritter Academy Course, either simultaneously or through re-use of any issued userid/password. Ritter Academy subscribers wishing to purchase licenses permitting group access to the content of the Ritter Academy may do so by subscribing to Group Purchases.

Can an organization team, department, law firm or consulting group purchase group access privileges for Ritter Academy Courses?

Ritter Academy will enter into group purchasing arrangements that allow larger audiences to concurrently view a Ritter Academy Course; however, each individual participant must be registered separately to receive access. If you are interested in arranging group purchasing, please contact sales@ritteracademy.com.

How do I access Ritter Academy Courses as an enrolled subscriber?

Once you have enrolled as a subscriber and received your sign-in password, you are prepared to access Ritter Academy Courses. Even without your sign-in password, you can always review the public catalog of Courses, and use our search feature to identify the Courses that answer your questions about e-discovery.

When you are ready to access the Ritter Academy Courses, use the Sign-In button and enter your password. You can then navigate the entire current Catalog. Select a Course and the “View Now” button will allow you to access the entire content of that Course.

You can view each Course from start to finish, or start, stop and bookmark your location and return to a Course at your convenience. Each enrolled subscriber may only view a Course three times during each annual subscription period.

What should I do if a Ritter Academy Course does not start?

For signed-in subscribers, a Course will begin after the “View Now” button is clicked. Some Courses are larger files than others and may require a longer buffer time before the presentation begins. Please be patient while your system buffers.

If you are unable to view the presentation please do the following.

• Verify you have the equipment and applications required to view the Course. See Technical Information below.
• Verify with your technical department that you are not experiencing Internet browser failures or a firewall blockage based on the flash file formatting used, or other restrictions that may be established.

If you have completed the above recommendations and are still unable to connect to the archived Ritter Academy Course, please contact Ritter Academy Customer Support at support@ritteracademy.com.

What is Ritter Academy’s policy regarding customer satisfaction?

The Ritter Academy strives to provide the highest level in course design, content quality and service. That is why we offer a 100% Guarantee to all new individual subscribers.

Once you have become a subscriber, you have 30 days in which to complete up to three Courses, whichever comes first. If you are not satisfied for any reason, contact us via e-mail at support@ritteracademy.com and we will suspend your enrollment and refund your subscription.

What is the Ritter Academy’s policy regarding violations of the Rules of the Academy?

Violations of the Rules of the Academy or the Terms of Use for the Ritter Academy website by enrolled subscribers that are documented by our records will be the basis for immediate termination of enrollment, in addition to all other legal remedies that the Academy may elect to pursue. In the event enrollment is terminated by the Academy for any reason, no refunds or pro-rating of subscriptions will occur.

The Ritter Academy reserves the right to also suspend or terminate access and use of the Academy at any time, for any reason or no reason. When that occurs, without documentation of violation of the Rules of the Academy, we will pro-rate and return the un-used portion of a paid subscription. Payment of that amount represents the exclusive remedy of any enrollment subscriber.

What computer equipment do I need to access and use the Ritter Academy?

Each Ritter Academy Course is a multi-media presentation. To view a Course, you will need a computer with a browser, an Internet connection, and computer speakers. To review the browser settings and system requirements, visit System Requirements for Accessing the Ritter Academy below.

You will also need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access and download the materials available with each Course. A free PDF reader is available from Adobe at www.adobe.com/acrobat.

What are the system requirements for accessing the Ritter Academy?

Ritter Academy Courses are built around, and delivered using, [describe flash file format]. The Courses are generally quite substantial in size. If you are not able to view the introductory lessons for our Courses here, your computer system is not suitable for accessing the Ritter Academy and we strongly discourage you from enrolling until you are able to upgrade or have access to a suitable system.

Therefore, we recommend the following systems requirements:

System Requirements

To view our Courses, you will need the following installed on your computer: Flash Player 6.0.79 or later (http://www.adobe.com/go/getflash) (Flash Player 7 or later recommended), and one of the following browsers:

• Windows: Internet Explorer 6 and later, Firefox 1.x and later, Safari 3 and later, Google Chrome, Opera 9.5 and later
• Macintosh: Safari 3 and later, Firefox 1.x and later, Google Chrome
• Linux: Firefox 1.x and later. You will also need a functionng headeset or speakers.

Who can I speak to about technical concerns or problems such as firewall, Web, or audio?

The Ritter Academy is designed for maximum accessibility using commercially available technologies. While we cannot guide each subscriber on how to use their computer or system, you may submit questions on firewalls, Internet access or other issues to support@ritteracademy.com and we will endeavor to respond to your questions within one business day.

Can I earn professional development credits by completing courses or lessons in the Ritter Academy?

The Ritter Academy is designed to deliver on-demand learning to answer the questions professionals have regarding the use of digital information and electronic discovery. As such, while our Courses are developed to meet a broad range of professional accreditation rules, we are proceeding to secure accreditation, based on the needs of our subscribers.

The Academy will be developing and submitting applications to have suitable continuing education or professional development credits available for Ritter Academy Courses through normal qualification processes. Each profession and each geographic jurisdiction often have different criteria for awarding credits (for example, limited online training to live sessions) and not all Ritter Academy Courses will meet the different criteria.

The Ritter Academy has been recognized by ISC(2), the leading education provider for information security, as an "approved CPE Submitter". This means information security professionals can submit their participation as a subscriber to the ISC(2) to meet their certification requirements for continuing professional education.

Each Ritter Academy Course description will identify any credits that have been previously approved (CLE, CPE, CRM, CISSP, etc.) for issuance to subscribers.

How can I receive certification maintenance credit for attendance?

After completing a Ritter Academy Course, the Academy will maintain records of your activity. You may request an electronic report of your completion of a Course, and may submit that documentation to your accreditation body or association.

The Ritter Academy is an open environment. Through your ability to rate our courses, and contribute to our blog, your comments and feedback are encouraged and welcomed. If you wish, you may also submit your comments to support@ritteracademy.com.