Ask OLLI

Sarah Benton, OLLI at Penn State Asks OLLI:

If you partner with your Alumni Association, can you tell me all the ways in which you partner?  Do you offer an OLLI/Alumni co-membership?  If some of your OLLIs didn’t graduate from your host university, will your Alumni Association recognize them as alums and allow them to join the Alumni Association because they are OLLI students?

Sharon Sokoloff, OLLI at Brandeis University Asks OLLI:
If your OLLI has classes and/or otherwise meets in more than one space/place/building - what are the types of spaces you use in your community, e.g., churches, temples, senior centers, other?  Please share all the venues you use, if there is a cost, and how it has worked for you program.  Thanks.

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.

Pat Zimmerman, OLLI at the University of Nevada, Reno Asks OLLI:

We are interested in producing an annual report and want to know if other OLLI’s have an annual report? If you have annual reports would you be be willing to share them with us either on line or through snail mail?

Anne Wallace, OLLI at American University, asks OLLI:

1. What kind of evaluation or feedback does your OLLI ask for after a class is finished? Do you use a form?
2. How does your OLLI inform a study group leader they are done teaching? Do you offer up free classes/”gold watch?”
You may respond directly to Anne Wallace @awallace@american.edu.

Sarah Benton, OLLI at Penn State, asks OLLI:

Does your OLLI follow a formula for how many new courses versus repeats you offer per term?  Also, does anyone have a documented curriculum planning process that you would share with me?

Kathy Sangster, OLLI at University of Texas Austin, asks OLLI:

We are interested in Olli programs experience with developing community engagement/service opportunities for members.

Fred Bassett, OLLI at University of Cincinnati, asks OLLI:

Because many of our moderators have similar preferences regarding when and where they teach, on certain days and times, the University of Cincinnati’s OLLI program has more courses and moderators wanting to teach them than time slots available.  Have you ever had this problem, and if so, how do you address it?  What criteria do you use to assign course time slots?

Sarah Benton, OLLI at Penn State, asks OLLI:

How much annually does your organization spend on marketing your OLLI (print, radio, television, trade shows, etc.),not counting printing and mailing catalogs?  What percentage of your total budget goes to these marketing strategies?

Terry Aaronson, OLLI at Florida State University, asks OLLI:

For OLLI’s offering classes at  retirement communities whose participants only takes classes and
do not take part in any other activities, how do you set membership fees?