Recruiting & Retaining Faculty in OLLIs:
Most Challenging & Important Developmental Task
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Network
Annual Conference 2011
National Resource Center of OLLIs
Sharon Sokoloff, Ph.D., M.S.G. - Director
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute @ Brandeis University
‘Courses’ are the
♥ of our programs.
….must keep our eye on the ball
Lack of a Common Language & Diverse Models
The terms or names lifelong learning institutes call their
courses and leaders vary from one program to another. The
professional backgrounds, expertise in a topic and teaching
experience vary as well.
• Three terms, e.g., Faculty, Study Group Leaders, Peer Leaders
and others terms may all describe the same concept
• A ‘course’ may meet for 1 or 2 sessions or 10 to 12 sessions
• Which model is the ‘best’? How do we measure ‘best’? As a
field, we have much to learn in this area – over time.
• Lacking a common language requires we define the terms we use
when we talk and work together in order to understand one
another
Brandeis OLLI: 3 Models
1.
2.
3.
‘Peer-led’ study groups in our Core Program:
≈ 40 to 46 study groups in each of 2 10-week
semesters; 3 days/week -- ♥ of the program
Rapaporte Seminars led by Brandeis faculty
Lifelong Learning Instructorship – advanced
Brandeis doctoral students lead seminars
Peer-led Study Groups are the focus of the next part
of this presentation – as they are the model in our
Core Program, i.e., 2 10-week semesters.
 Former professors teaching their subject
 Attorney leading course on Supreme Court or M.D. on
Medical Ethics
 Passion: Engineer developing a course on Louis D.
Brandeis or Iliad-Odyssey-Aneid
 All leaders complete a standardized course proposal
including a syllabus, reading material, course objectives
Curriculum Committee
Study Group Support Committee
Recruiting and Retaining Peer Course Leaders is done by two
complementary committees: CC and SGSC. A liaison from CC sits
on SGSC meetings and vice versa – collaboration.

Monthly
meetings of ‘The Core’ including CC Chair, SGSC Chair,
Director and Assistant Director. 30,000 mile view
RECRUITING
Effective Curriculum Committee and Chair are
vital
Establish goals to guide CC’s work, #, type…
Use different methods to reach out
Talk with your membership for ideas, then follow-up
Be proactive and persevering
Work parallel paths, short and long term (the pipeline)
It takes years and must be on-going
If you’re not moving forward – you are moving back
RECRUITING (continued)
▪



Keep antennae up – Intentional conversations to recruit
Mentor/identify mentor for potential leaders, if needed
Ask course leaders for suggestions for future leaders
Make it personal, supportive and fun – CC liaison
Offer “How to become a course leader?” courses
 Ask: “Do you have a topic you think about, would like to
invest in, to learn more about and challenge yourself ?”
 ‘Play’, e.g., learning objectives, 1 – 10, reading material
 Liaison’s role – be proactive, available
 Suggest experienced course leaders with related expertise or
methods to mentor as well

RETAINING
 The better a course leader is, the more class members
engage/learn/thrive, the higher the “happiness quotient” –
course leaders that are fulfilled this way stay
 Being appreciated gives course leaders meaning, purpose, joy;
feeds the will to live (not documented, anecdotes Marc, Leon)
 Support course leaders who need it. Study Group Support
Committee (SGSC) – complement to CC – one of most important
developments to improve curriculum and leaders
 Each course leader has a SGSC liaison; Identify potential
problems as early as possible and intervene, ideally 1st session
 Highly recommend considering this/a similar model
RETAINING (Continued)
 Value course leaders – each program expresses appreciation
in their own way; OLLI at Brandeis – half fee/1st choice
 Invite course leaders to do extra activities, e.g.:
Open House “mini-courses”; it says “you’re good!”
Speak at Study Group Leader orientation – an honor
 Remind course leaders:
How much they learn by leading (Cognitive vitality)
They are role models for younger people in their lives AND
this is a legacy
Ask: Why do you continue to lead courses; “…the most
rewarding professional experience of my life”
NOT RETAINING
Achieving best possible curriculum requires CC and SGSC to
determine when a course leader doesn’t give members a positive
experience; When and how to intervene and/or if/when it is time to
let go of a course leader is hard and necessary
Evaluation/feedback forms (twice/semester), observations and
members’ talking with us – “not good” – ON ALERT/TAKE
ACTION
Give course leader another opportunity and input about how to
improve; Leaders who are open and work to improve, continue
leading and often succeed. Many leaders who begin as an “iffy”
leader become outstanding leaders (some of the best) over time.
When a leader is not open to input after a 2nd chance (or a 3rd), it
is not fair to members to retain the leader. Much discussion
among CC, SGSC and staff about this – painful for all
Rapaporte Seminars: Brandeis Faculty





Rap Sem are a favorite OLLI program, outside of the core 2 10-week
semesters. There is a separate fee for these seminars.
5 mornings/in one week/3 hours each day (15 hours). Take place in
early Jan and early June – quiet campus.
Taught by Brandeis faculty who are paid (well) – a strong incentive.
RECRUIT: Director consulting with Vice Provost identifies faculty
who are dynamic, excellent teachers and teach topics in most demand,
e.g., history/government, arts. Of the 20 faculty who have led 26
seminars (as of this coming summer) most have become are marketing
team with their colleagues. They love these seminars and support our
outreach to other faculty. OLLI members hear faculty in various
programs on campus and recommend them.
RETAIN: It’s not our aim to retain these faculty although there are
exceptions, e.g., Prof Flesch has done 6 Shakespeare plays and this
summer will do Hitchcock – it is a love fest! The same formula –
happy faculty and happy members lead to an interest on the part of
faculty to continue for another seminar.
Advanced Brandeis Doctoral Student Seminar





The Model: 6 sessions, each 1½ hours over 3 or 6 weeks. These
seminars are also outside the core 2 10-week semesters; separate fee
for these seminars. These students are all in the dissertation phase.
A new program, began this year – highly successful –
Also paid – a strong incentive.
RECRUIT: Director works with graduate school staff. “Put out
Request for Proposal” and a team of three (Vice Provost, Director
and Dean or Assistant Dean review and select top candidates.)
Director meets with candidates. Rigorous process. These students
are also highly enthusiastic about these programs (love teaching our
members) and recommend their friends apply for next program.
RETAIN: Success sells! Gil’s program on Mozart had the most
consistently high evaluation scores than this director has ever seen.
Of 20 students – 19 of 20 scored Gil “10” on a scale of “1 to 10”.
One person scored 9.876. Gil’s repeating this seminar in
May/June.