TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Trillium Academics
Effective Date: May 22, 2026
Version 1.0
PLEASE READ THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CAREFULLY. By checking the acceptance box on the Service Provider’s website, clicking “I agree” (or any similar mechanism), creating an account, booking an appointment, making a Pay-It-Forward Contribution, or otherwise accessing or using the Services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be legally bound by these Terms and Conditions and by the Service Provider’s Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, you must not access or use the Services.
1. Definitions
In these Terms and Conditions, the following words have the following meanings:
“Active Client” means a Client who, at the relevant time, has (i) a scheduled future appointment, (ii) an ongoing or recurring service arrangement, or (iii) used the Services within a recent period, as reasonably determined by the Service Provider.
“Approved Institutions Page” means the page maintained by the Service Provider on its website that lists post-secondary institutions which have been confirmed, to the Service Provider’s knowledge, as permitting or not prohibiting the use of the Services by their affiliated personnel, as updated from time to time at the Service Provider’s sole discretion.
“Canadian Teaching Assistants” means individuals affiliated with a Canadian post-secondary institution who are engaged, typically under an employment or similar arrangement, to assist faculty members with teaching-related duties (referred to herein as “TAs”), including but not limited to graduate students.
“Client” means any individual who accesses or uses the Services, including TAs and individuals in similar academic or professional roles.
“Pay-It-Forward Contribution” means a voluntary monetary contribution made to the Service Provider by a Client or third party that is intended, in whole or in part, to offset the cost of Services for other individuals, as further described in Section 8.
“Service Provider” means Trillium Academics, a sole proprietorship offering online support to Canadian Teaching Assistants.
“Services” means the online support provided by the Service Provider, including but not limited to coaching and educational guidance on time management, presentation skills, advice for dealing with students, and feedback strategies, delivered via written documents and virtual appointments.
2. Nature of Services
The Services are designed to offer support and guidance to Clients in their academic and professional roles, aiming to assist Clients in developing skills and strategies relevant to their responsibilities. The Service Provider provides virtual support and resources to TAs in post-secondary institutions, offering recommendations based on the professional and academic experience, research, and opinion of its personnel.
The Service Provider provides professional support through coaching and education techniques and is not officially affiliated with any academic institution. The Service Provider acknowledges that experiences are not universal and that each Client’s circumstances may differ.
The Services are provided for the purposes of professional development and professional support only. The Services do not constitute, and are not a substitute for, counselling, financial advising, mental health support, legal advice, or any other form of regulated professional advice or service.
3. No Guarantee of Results
• The Service Provider makes no representations, warranties, or guarantees, express or implied, regarding the outcomes or results that may be achieved by the Client through the use of the Services. While the Services are intended to be helpful, the Service Provider cannot and does not guarantee specific results, improvements, or the attainment of any particular objective.
• Without limiting the foregoing, the Service Provider makes no guarantee with respect to the Client’s academic standing, grades, teaching evaluations, employment status, career advancement, certification, professional reputation, or any other outcome related to the Client’s academic, professional, or personal life.
• By accessing the Services, the Client accepts responsibility for conducting the Client’s own due diligence and for making the Client’s own decisions after exercising the Client’s own professional and personal judgment, and agrees that the Service Provider and its affiliated service providers are not responsible for any claim to damages arising from access to or use of the Services.
4. Client Representations and Responsibilities
By accessing or using the Services, the Client represents, warrants, and agrees to the Service Provider that:
• the Client has reviewed the Approved Institutions Page and any applicable policies, collective agreements, employment contracts, codes of conduct, or other rules of any academic institution, employer, union, or other entity with which the Client is affiliated (each, an “Institution”);
• the Client’s use of the Services is permitted by, and is not prohibited under, the rules and policies of any such Institution, and the Client has obtained any consent or approval required from such Institution before accessing the Services;
• it is the sole duty of the Client to verify that the Client is permitted to use the Services in the manner the Client intends, and the Approved Institutions Page is provided for convenience only and does not constitute legal advice or a representation by the Service Provider that any particular use is permitted;
• the Client will exercise the Client’s own professional judgment when applying any information, advice, or strategies obtained through the Services and will evaluate the applicability and suitability of the Services to the Client’s individual circumstances and requirements of any applicable Institutions;
• the Client will provide accurate, current, and complete information to the Service Provider, will maintain a valid e-mail address and other contact information, and will promptly notify the Service Provider of any changes; and
• the Client will not engage in conduct toward the Service Provider or its personnel that is abusive, threatening, harassing, discriminatory, or otherwise inappropriate.
The Service Provider is not responsible for any non-compliance, disciplinary action, loss of employment, loss of academic standing, contractual breach, or other consequence arising from the Client’s use of the Services in violation of any Institutional rule, policy, contract, or collective agreement.
5. Indemnification
The Client shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Service Provider and its proprietor, personnel, contractors, and affiliated service providers (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties”) from and against any and all claims, demands, actions, proceedings, losses, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees on a full indemnity basis) arising out of or in connection with: (a) the Client’s breach of any representation, warranty, or obligation under these Terms and Conditions; (b) the Client’s use of the Services in violation of any Institutional rule, policy, contract, or collective agreement; or (c) any claim brought by an Institution or third party arising from or related to the Client’s use of the Services.
6. Appointments
Virtual appointments are 45-minute sessions provided over video call through Google Meet. Asynchronous appointments are provided through written documents created in response to a submitted inquiry. For internal accounting purposes, asynchronous appointments are recorded as taking 45 minutes to complete and virtual appointments are recorded as taking 60 minutes to complete, in each case inclusive of preparation and administrative time.
7. Fees and Payment
Fees for the Services are payable as agreed in writing prior to the commencement of the Services. All fees are exclusive of applicable taxes, which will be added at the rate in effect at the time of payment.
8. Pay-It-Forward Contributions
• The Service Provider may, at its sole discretion, accept Pay-It-Forward Contributions intended to offset the cost of Services for other individuals who may face financial barriers. Pay-It-Forward Contributions are entirely voluntary.
• By making a Pay-It-Forward Contribution, the contributor acknowledges and agrees that: (i) no product, service, refund, credit, or other consideration will be received in exchange for the Contribution; (ii) the Contribution is not a charitable donation and cannot be claimed as such for tax or any other purpose; (iii) the Service Provider is not a registered charity and does not issue charitable donation receipts; and (iv) the Contribution is non-refundable.
• No trust or fiduciary relationship. The contributor expressly acknowledges and agrees that Pay-It-Forward Contributions become the unrestricted property of the Service Provider upon receipt and that no trust, fiduciary duty, agency, partnership, joint venture, or similar relationship is created between the contributor and the Service Provider or any beneficiary of the Services. The allocation percentages described below are descriptive of the Service Provider’s general operating intent and do not create any binding contractual obligation owed to any contributor or third party.
• Any Pay-It-Forward Contributions received will be subject to applicable taxes at the time of receipt prior to being applied to the operations of the Service Provider. Tax rates are set by governmental authorities, are not controlled by the Service Provider, and are subject to change without notice.
• Subject to the foregoing, the Service Provider generally intends to apply remaining Pay-It-Forward Contributions as follows: 30% toward asynchronous appointments at the rate then listed on the “Asynchronous Support” page; 30% toward virtual appointments at the rate then listed on the “Virtual Appointments” page; and 40% toward administrative costs, operational expenses, compensation, or other lawful business purposes of the Service Provider.
• The Service Provider may establish limits on the total number of appointment hours available within any given period. As of May 20, 2026, the Service Provider expects to provide up to 1,400 hours of appointments in a 365-day period. Where Pay-It-Forward Contributions in a given cycle exceed the available appointment capacity for that cycle, the excess may be carried forward to a subsequent cycle or, at the Service Provider’s discretion, applied to administrative costs, operational expenses, compensation, or other lawful business purposes.
Payment cycles are defined as follows:
• Annual — 12 months, up to 1,400 hours of appointments;
• Quarterly — 3 months, up to 350 hours of appointments;
• Monthly — 28–31 days, up to 117 hours of appointments;
• Weekly — 7 days, up to 27 hours of appointments; and
• Daily / One-Time — 1 day, up to 4 hours of appointments.
• Cessation of operations. In the event that the Service Provider ceases to operate, voluntarily or otherwise, any remaining Pay-It-Forward Contributions may, at the sole discretion of the proprietor, be applied to wind-up costs, donated to a charitable or educational organization, or otherwise applied to a lawful purpose, and no refund or further obligation shall be owed to any contributor.
9. Cancellation Policy
• If a Client is unable to attend or needs to cancel a scheduled appointment, the Client must provide at least 2 hours’ notice prior to the scheduled start time. Cancellations made with less than 2 hours’ notice will result in a 50% refund of the amount charged. Failure to provide any notice prior to the start time will result in no refund.
• For appointments booked using the Pay-It-Forward option: cancellations made at least 2 hours before the scheduled start time will result in the full amount being credited back to the Pay-It-Forward fund; cancellations made less than 2 hours before the scheduled start time will result in 50% of the amount being credited back to the Pay-It-Forward fund; and if no notice is provided prior to the start time, no credit will be issued to the Pay-It-Forward fund and the appointment slot will be deemed used.
• The Service Provider reserves the right to cancel or reschedule appointments at any time and will make reasonable efforts to notify the Client using the contact information provided by the Client. Where the Service Provider cancels an appointment prior to the scheduled start time, a full refund will be issued if payment has already been made.
10. Termination
The Service Provider reserves the right to suspend or terminate a Client’s access to the Services at any time, without notice, where the Client breaches these Terms and Conditions or engages in conduct that is abusive, unlawful, harassing, or otherwise inappropriate. The Service Provider may also discontinue providing the Services at its sole discretion. Any outstanding rights or obligations, including payment obligations, indemnities, and limitations of liability, shall survive termination of these Terms and Conditions.
11. Privacy
The Service Provider collects, uses, and discloses personal information only as necessary to provide the Services, in compliance with applicable privacy legislation, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (Canada). By using the Services, the Client consents to such collection, use, and disclosure. The Service Provider will not share Client information with any third party except as required by law or with the Client’s express consent. Further details are set out in the Service Provider’s Privacy Policy, available on its website, which is incorporated by reference into these Terms and Conditions.
12. Limitation of Liability
• To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Service Provider’s liability is expressly excluded except in cases of gross negligence or wilful misconduct.
• In no event shall the Service Provider be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, punitive, or consequential damages, including without limitation lost profits, lost revenues, lost opportunities, loss of academic standing, loss of employment, or loss of reputation, arising from or in connection with the Services, whether based in contract, tort (including negligence), statute, or otherwise, even if the Service Provider has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
• Without limiting the foregoing, the Service Provider’s total aggregate liability to the Client for any and all claims arising out of or related to these Terms and Conditions or the Services shall not exceed the amount actually paid by the Client to the Service Provider for the specific Service giving rise to the claim.
13. Force Majeure
The Service Provider shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performing the Services where such failure or delay results from causes beyond its reasonable control, including without limitation acts of God, natural disasters, pandemics, epidemics, governmental orders, labour disputes, internet or telecommunications failures, or the unavailability, failure, or disruption of third-party platforms (including Google Meet) used to deliver the Services.
14. Amendments
The Service Provider reserves the right to amend or update these Terms and Conditions at any time. The current version of these Terms and Conditions, together with the Effective Date, will be posted on the Service Provider’s website. Non-material amendments will be effective upon posting of the revised Terms and Conditions to the Service Provider’s website. Material amendments will be communicated to Active Clients by e-mail to the address on file and by prominent notice on the Service Provider’s website, and Active Clients may be required to re-accept the revised Terms and Conditions before continuing to use the Services. The Client’s continued use of the Services following the Effective Date of any amendment constitutes the Client’s acceptance of the revised Terms and Conditions. All Clients should review these Terms and Conditions periodically.
15. Dispute Resolution
In the event of any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms and Conditions or the Services, the parties shall first attempt in good faith to resolve the matter through informal negotiation within thirty (30) days of written notice of the dispute. If the dispute is not resolved through negotiation, the parties agree to attempt mediation in Ontario before commencing litigation. Nothing in this Section prevents either party from seeking urgent injunctive relief.
16. General Provisions
• Governing law and forum. These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein. The parties attorn to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Province of Ontario for all matters arising out of or related to these Terms and Conditions, subject to Section 15.
• Entire agreement. These Terms and Conditions, together with the Privacy Policy and the Approved Institutions Page, constitute the entire agreement between the Client and the Service Provider with respect to the Services and supersede all prior or contemporaneous agreements, communications, and understandings, whether written or oral.
• Severability. If any provision of these Terms and Conditions is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, that provision shall be severed and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect as if the severed provision had never been contained herein.
• No waiver. No waiver by the Service Provider of any breach of these Terms and Conditions shall constitute a waiver of any other or subsequent breach.
• Assignment. The Client may not assign these Terms and Conditions or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the Service Provider. The Service Provider may assign these Terms and Conditions without consent.
• Independent contractors. Nothing in these Terms and Conditions creates any partnership, joint venture, agency, employment, or fiduciary relationship between the parties.
17. Electronic Acceptance
By checking the box indicating acceptance of these Terms and Conditions, by clicking “I agree” (or any similar mechanism made available by the Service Provider), or by otherwise accessing or using the Services, the Client expressly agrees that:
• the Client has read, understood, and agrees to be legally bound by these Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy;
• the Client’s electronic acceptance has the same legal force and effect as a handwritten signature and constitutes the Client’s signature for the purposes of the Electronic Commerce Act, 2000 (Ontario) and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (Canada);
• the Client is at least the age of majority in the Client’s province or territory of residence and has the legal capacity to enter into these Terms and Conditions;
• the Client consents to receive these Terms and Conditions, the Privacy Policy, transactional communications, and any required notices in electronic form, and acknowledges that the Client may print or save a copy of these Terms and Conditions for the Client’s records; and
• these Terms and Conditions are entered into in the English language, which the Client confirms is a language the Client understands.
BY CHECKING THE “I AGREE” BOX, YOU CONFIRM THAT YOU HAVE READ
THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, UNDERSTAND THEM, AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THEM.