Our new membership database – Member Wizard

For years now, members have been using links on our website to place requests for class enrolments, pay their fees and to find out what they are enrolled in. Those requests often had to wait for an office volunteer to see and respond to them within our computer membership system, leading to some delays and frustration.

We are now updating our existing system to a more modern database supported by U3A Network Victoria. This system is provided by a company called Member Wizard. We plan to move to the new system in March 2025.

As a member of Nillumbik U3A, your initial introduction to Member Wizard is likely to be through this website, which will contain a new series of links to join, enrol or pay fees. You may not even realise it is different except that the forms to complete when you click on those links will look a little different.

The timetable will look a little different and will be more interactive. While looking through the class timetable, you can sort classes to reduce the number of items you have to scroll down to find a class that you really want to enrol in. For example, if you have joined us because you want to learn Spanish, select the LANGUAGES category and look at those classes that just relate to learning a new language. Watercolour painting – choose ART and find the right art class for you. Only have time on Tuesdays – you can choose that filter and only look at the options on a Tuesday.

A new feature in Member Wizard is something called the Member Portal. The portal will enable you to view and update all the information that we hold about you. You can update your contact details, change your enrolments, pay any fees when it suits you and get immediate confirmation that you are in a class.

The security features mean you can only see your own information. No ordinary member can access another member’s information. You can’t change your best friend’s phone number or find out where someone in your class lives. If you need to pass on a message on behalf of someone else you can contact the tutor via the portal or email the office in the usual way.

If you are a tutor, your portal will include some extra features that will enable you to see your class information – including contact details for members enrolled in your class and their emergency contact person. You could mark the roll on the computer if that’s your preference or print the attendance list whenever it suits you. Tutors can use the portal to email their whole class without cutting and pasting email addresses. Class members can use their portal to let the tutor know when they can’t make it to a class.

If you don’t want to use the portal yourself, the office volunteers will still be available, answering your emails, and happy to assist with all your membership and enrolment needs just as they always have.

Finally, you can even use the portal to volunteer to come in and help us! Volunteering offers will be entered into member’s information and you can see what you may have volunteered to do before and change those offers as your circumstances change.