Course proposals for spring OLLI term are due by Friday, Dec. 15

Community adults who would like to pass on knowledge and skills to others for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Southern Oregon University’s spring term are invited to submit course proposals by Friday, Dec. 15, OLLI has announced.

The spring term runs April 1 to June 7, 2024. The OLLI Curriculum Committee is available to assist with formulating a proposal, and to offer training for first-time instructors. OLLI instructors are volunteers, but receive a discount on an OLLI membership.

OLLI at SOU members currently number more than 1,450 adults, and are typically aged 50 and older.

Offered courses, both online and in-person, include arts, history, language, culture, nature, personal development, recreation, science & technology, and social sciences. The courses consist of between two to 10 weekly class sessions, ranging in length from one to two hours. Classes can start and stop at any time during the term.

OLLI instructors do not need to be OLLI members, hold specific degrees in the topic they wish to teach, or have prior teaching experience. Instruction can occur in a physical classroom on OLLI’s Ashland or Medford campuses or via Zoom.

Many OLLI instructors enjoy the experience so much that they repeat a previously taught course and develop new ones. Says OLLI instructor Peggy Evans, who has offered courses while working as well as more frequently after retirement, “I love teaching for OLLI. I have a reason to pursue research on a topic of my choosing and I appreciate the opportunity to share what I’ve learned with interested adults. It’s terrific that there are no grades to worry over, no papers to read, and no exams to create and grade!”

An alternative to teaching on a particular subject is to facilitate class sessions featuring invited presenters to cover various facets of a topic from different perspectives or to lead a discussion of books or films.

While OLLI instructors volunteer to teach for no compensation, other than in the form of discounts on OLLI membership, the contribution of their time keeps OLLI membership fees affordable. OLLI members can take as many courses as they can schedule from among 85-100 course offerings in each of fall, winter, and spring terms for a single annual fee of $150. Member fees are discounted or waived for those with limited means.

Information about the OLLI teaching experiences can be found at sou.edu/olli or by calling 541-552-6048. To see examples of OLLI course offerings, visit the “Catalog” link and for more information on becoming an OLLI faculty member, visit the “Teaching at OLLI” link.

Source: Osher Lifelong Learning Institute news release. Email Ashland.news at [email protected].