On July 31, Pat Gannon, Director of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), introduced us to the history of OLLI and told us about the opportunities available through the local Osher establishment. OLLI was established by Bernard Osher, an entrepreneur and philanthropist. He started the Bernard Osher Foundation in 1977 and created of the first local OLLI chapter in Maine in 2001. The target audience was described initially as “seasoned adults”, but may be referred to as individuals “55 and better”. There are now some 124 OLLI establishments at institutes of higher learning in the United States. CSU's OLLI branch was established in 2006, under the umbrella of CSU/Continuing Education/CSU On-line.
Although the national Osher Institute provides considerable funds to start a local chapter, each local chapter must establish its own financial sources, typically as donations, fees and tuition, to continue offering its courses. Annual membership is $35, allowing access to a large suite of courses, each charged individually, designed to inform and challenge in a relaxed atmosphere. Each year consists of two terms, September through December and January through May. Most courses are six weeks long with two hours of classroom time each week. There are also “perks”, typically two-hour talks on specific topics. A sampling of the courses to be available in the coming session includes "Monet, Presenting an Impression", “Oil Painting for the Absolute Beginner”, “Putting your family in a Historical Context”, and “Modern Cosmology, News from Out There” (including discussion of black holes).
At CSU there are currently 964 members; 81% are fully retired, 91% are over age 60. There are some 64 instructors, many of whom are retired professors.
Register on line (www.osher.colostate.edu), in person (Drake Hall at 2545 Research Blvd. in Fort Collins, 80526), by phone (970-491-7753), or by mail. Registration for the next session starts August 9. The catalog is currently available on line and paper copies will be available at Drake Hall (and will be mailed to members) within the next week. Classes begin September 5 and the Fall term ends December 17.
There will be an open house at Drake Hall on August 29, 2:00 – 4:00 PM. Attendees will be able to find out more about OLLI as well as meet many of the instructors and find out more about the individual courses. Prospective attendees are asked to RSVP to olli@colostate.edu, so that an appropriate amount of refreshments will be available.