1. The Quest for Faculty— Many Roads to Success

2. Michelle Sierpina, PhD OLLI at UTMB, Galveston, TX OLLI National Conference Eaglewood Resort, Itasca, Illinois April 14, 2011

3. Initial Recruitment Searching for expertise in the community, on the campus, and beyond Interesting topics appear in local paper Social events and civic meetings provide opportunities for recruitment Standardized recruitment fact sheet Staff encourage learners to assist in recruitment…

4. Recruitment Fact Sheet Fall semester begin Labor Day, concludes December 15 Classes meet 8 consecutive weeks on any weekday 10 AM to noon or 1:30 to 3:30 PM Create a course you will love teaching and one that will intrigue and inspire learners Select a weekday that you have time available from 10 to noon or 1:30 to 3:30 PM to share your expertise Phone the OLLI office 763.5604 or send an email so we can reserve your preferred dates. Develop a unique, appealing course title Write a 75 to 90 word course description Now to inspire you…review these course listings from recent semesters…

5. OLLI Learners Recruit Faculty Learners nominate experts and speakers from community presentations Evaluation forms suggest topics and experienced instructors Learners can sometimes persuade when OLLI staff cannot Learners often become instructors

6. OLLI Staff Recruits Instructors Staff invite colleagues within university and in community organizations to teach Colleagues approach OLLI staff with ideas for courses (nominating an instructor) Staff members assist potential instructors in ways to adapt their expertise and life experience to OLLI format

7. Setting Standards Clear written guidelines Personal conversations prior to course design and promotion Basic expectations—start on time, end on time, little or no homework, no tests Encourage interactive teaching style Assist instructors with course descriptions and syllabus development

8. Staff Support Photocopy handouts Provide notebooks for learners Assist with classroom set-up Provide and set up A/V equipment Store supplies in classrooms during course duration Contact learners prior to class start and for any schedule changes

9. Summer School “Auditions” Free summer school sessions serve as opportunities for instructors to get acquainted with OLLI Learners can preview an instructor’s style and expertise for no tuition fee—a free “test drive” Written evaluations document learner assessment of instructors

10. Evaluation and Feedback Every learner evaluates every course with a written form at the final class (those who are absent receive evaluation form in the mail) Instructors receive tabulated results of evaluations including written comments Most instructors meet with director during semester and after course concludes

11. Standard Evaluation Form How would you evaluate the overall value of the course? Poor Fair Good Very Good Excellent How would you evaluate the effectiveness of the instructor? Poor Fair Good Very Good Excellent How would you evaluate the information and skills provided by the subject matter of the course? Poor Fair Good Very Good Excellent What was most effective about the course? What was least effective or most disappointing about the course? Please list other courses or activities that you wish OLLI to offer plus recommended instructors, if any. ___

12. Follow-up, Feedback, and Appreciation Assessment of instructor satisfaction from first class meeting Feedback (oral/email) from learners as course progresses Interaction, frequent communication Instructors receive thank you notes with final evaluation summaries

13. A Fork in the Road… to pay or not to pay? Why we pay an honorarium: Demonstrates appreciation for top-quality experts Sometimes heightens accountability Tuition income covers instructor cost Some instructors return the honorarium Some depend upon some extra retirement income Some say payment legitimizes their work

14. Instructors Say… Why I Teach in OLLI OLLI learners want to learn and have an interest in the topics I teach We feel appreciated OLLI staff support and encouragement makes it easy to succeed in the classroom Program has a good reputation Learners and OLLI staff create a pleasant environment

15. Questions or Resources For questions, suggestions, or copies of any OLLI at UTMB resources (eval forms, recruitment forms, etc.) Contact: Michelle Sierpina, PhD 409.763.5604 msierpin@utmb.edu