The Ask OLLI blog is a resource for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
administrators to facilitate discussion on a variety of topics related to the creation and management of OLLI institutes nationwide.
Entries to the blog are called "posts" and can only be submitted by blog editors. Please contact Anne Cardale at the OLLI National Resource Center if you have an article suggestion for the AskOLLI editors.
Each post has a "comment" section where blog subscribers can submit their own remarks and
responses to the post. A subscriber must be logged in to comment on a post. A login link is available at the bottom of the right-hand
column, as well as at the end of each posting page.
Although the Ask OLLI blog is publicly viewable, commenting is closed to non-subscribers. For more information on Ask OLLI, or if you wish to create a subscriber account please contact Anne Cardale.
Posted on November 12th, 2009 by Anne Cardale, OLLI National Resource Center
Sarah Schutt, OLLI at UW-Madison Asks OLLI:
If your institution has a retired fac/staff group, does any OLLI out there have a formal relationship with their institution’s retired fac/staff group? What is the nature of that relationship?
Does your OLLI provide any special services or adminstrative functions on behalf of the campus to support that retired fac/staff group, such as Web site, marketing? If yes, what administrative, political, etc. concerns have you faced in doing so?
Does your OLLI cooperate with a retired fac/staff body in a formal, programmatic (rather than individual basis) way to solicit volunteers, teachers, discussion leaders, etc.?
Posted in Membership, Community, Marketing | No Comments »
Posted on September 24th, 2009 by Anne Cardale, OLLI National Resource Center
Patricia Berlowe, OLLI at Yavapai College Asks OLLI:
Yavapai College’s Prescott Campus OLLI is looking into the possibility of setting up a ride-sharing program to assist non-mobile OLLI members to attend classes. Please let us know if you have set up such a system, are considering one, have tried one and closed it down, and if you would be willing to share your learnings. Also, please advise if you have identified any software that could support a matching process.
Posted in Travel, Management, Membership, Community | 1 Comment »
Posted on August 26th, 2009 by Anne Cardale, OLLI National Resource Center
Jacqueline Gratz, OLLI at Towson University Asks OLLI:
Do your OLLI students receive official student ID cards from your university that can be used for reduced entrance fees at various events, both within and outside the university. If so, what is the procedure whereby they procure the cards?
Do you offer evening courses? If so, how many, which evenings, and what time? Are they well attended? Have they been as successful as your daytime courses?
Posted in Membership, Community | 1 Comment »
Posted on February 25th, 2009 by Julia Ridge, OLLI National Resource Center
Billie Lombardo, OLLI at University of North Florida, asks OLLI:
Are there OLLIs that would be willing to share the following data?
1. The average renewal rate of membership
2. Percentage of participants taking courses per session/year.
Posted in Management, Membership | 4 Comments »
Posted on January 21st, 2009 by Julia Ridge, OLLI National Resource Center
Joan Pettigrew, OLLI at Clemson University, asks OLLI:
1. Does your OLLI track member retention?
2. How do you define member retention?
3. What methods do you use to track/analyze member retention?
4. What do your member retention statistics look like (members cycle by semester/year?)?
Posted in Membership | 1 Comment »
Posted on November 11th, 2008 by Julia Ridge, OLLI National Resource Center
Dee Aquilar, OLLI at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, asks OLLI:
Are there OLLIs that have a scholarship fund for memberships? What are the qualifying criteria (i.e. income etc.) for funds and what are the application procedures?
Posted in Membership | 5 Comments »
Posted on September 24th, 2008 by Julia Ridge, OLLI National Resource Center
Patricia Berlowe, OLLI at Yavapai College, asks OLLI:
For OLLIs who are beyond 800 members (we have 1,000, but at 3 sites).
Does the increase in membership change the dynamics around socialization
and identifying leadership among the membership?
Posted in Management, Membership | 1 Comment »
Posted on September 9th, 2008 by Julia Ridge, OLLI National Resource Center
Lucy S. Woodhouse, OLLI at Furman University, has 4 questions for AskOLLI:
1.Do other OLLIs register members on first come first served basis or lottery? 2.Is there a priority for new members, board/committee members? 3. Do you charge a membership fee per class or flat fee which includes a number of classes per term/year? 4. What money supplements registration and class fees?
Posted in Management, Membership | 5 Comments »
Posted on August 19th, 2008 by Julia Ridge, OLLI National Resource Center
Vivian Abler, from OLLI at CalPoly asks:
How does your OLLI assess the needs of its membership, i.e. location of courses, kinds of courses offered, what kinds of events to propose, travel issues and cost related to course offerings? If you have done assessment, How has the collected data helped shape program. What format was effective?
Posted in Management, Membership | 2 Comments »
Posted on August 14th, 2008 by Julia Ridge, OLLI National Resource Center
Judi Bobenage, OLLI at University of Pittsburgh, asks:
We are organizing a speakers bureau from among the membership and want to know what other OLLIs, who have organized one, do.
Posted in Membership | 3 Comments »