INSIDE OLLI
|
The new location of our OLLI program -
Photo by Kathy Bruin
Photo by Kathy Bruin
The State of OLLI
|
|
|
Editor’s Note: Kathy Bruin was appointed as Director of the OLLI program in the Spring of 2019. Here is an interview with Kathy where she discusses the State of our program. The interview was conducted by Mike Lambert, a member of the OLLI community since 2015.
Mike: Hello Kathy. Have you noticed how time flies these days? It seems like just a few months ago when you and I first met in an OLLI Shakespeare film class run by Nicholas Jones. I was on a rejuvenated OLLI Council of Members at that time, and you had just been appointed as Director, here at OLLI. Was that last year?
Kathy: I remember that day so clearly! It was April 2019! I was making a point to greet every class when I started and I remember you stood up and came to the front of the room, took the microphone and told everyone that the OLLI Council would support me! Thank you!
Mike: Wow! Time certainly does fly! Let’s talk about some of the changes that have taken place since you joined us. I remember that we had about 600 dues paying members then, and the OLLI operating budget had been in a noticeable deficit condition for several years. Have those conditions changed?
Kathy: Since our membership dates are rolling and memberships expire every day, I use the last day of the fiscal year to capture the membership number to report to the Osher Foundation in my annual report. On June 30, 2019 we had 621 members. On June 30, 2022 we had 816 members. I just ran the report and we have 821 as of October 23, so that’s a gain of 200 members in the last two years, an increase of 32%.
Kathy: I remember that day so clearly! It was April 2019! I was making a point to greet every class when I started and I remember you stood up and came to the front of the room, took the microphone and told everyone that the OLLI Council would support me! Thank you!
Mike: Wow! Time certainly does fly! Let’s talk about some of the changes that have taken place since you joined us. I remember that we had about 600 dues paying members then, and the OLLI operating budget had been in a noticeable deficit condition for several years. Have those conditions changed?
Kathy: Since our membership dates are rolling and memberships expire every day, I use the last day of the fiscal year to capture the membership number to report to the Osher Foundation in my annual report. On June 30, 2019 we had 621 members. On June 30, 2022 we had 816 members. I just ran the report and we have 821 as of October 23, so that’s a gain of 200 members in the last two years, an increase of 32%.
1
Mike: I recall that we were running 4 sessions a year in 2019; a spring, a summer, a fall and a winter session. Each of the sessions had 8 to10 courses, of 6 weeks length. How many sessions and courses are you running now?
Kathy: It was 2018 that had 4 sessions and it was an experiment that perhaps didn’t do what was expected. Prior to that, and since then, we have had 5 full sessions per year. Our scheduling year now has five 6-week sessions with 12-14 classes each and six Mini Course sessions in between the sessions with 6 or 7 courses that meet once or sometimes a few times. The list of all sessions can always be found on our OLLI web site at www.OLLI.sfsu.edu. The list of session dates is shown on our website under the Courses tab.
Many OLLI programs at other schools run fewer sessions than we do, but I think with so much local competition it’s good that we have a steady presence.
Mike: When did you start running the one session mini courses? And why?
Kathy: I think my predecessor had begun the Mini Courses and I took it over and perhaps codified them. We now offer about 40 Mini Courses per year. Because one doesn’t have to be an OLLI member to take a Mini Course, they are a great way to try us out before joining or committing to a longer course. Mini Courses also help us meet revenue goals so we can have a larger staff, pay instructors more, and pay for increased rent. Additionally, Mini Courses are a nice addition for members who prefer to choose shorter classes.
Mike: When COVID hit us in 2020, I thought our OLLI program would crash and burn. I did not think that very many senior citizens, like me, would be willing to give up the in-person classes and attend online courses. Yet here we are two and a half years later, and our OLLI is still going strong. How did you make that happen?
Kathy: I was really in a panic when we canceled our Spring 2020 session which was to start March 23, 2020, right as everything was shutting down. We pivoted immediately though, and I reached out to the Spring instructors to see who would be willing to try teaching via Zoom. We offered several drop in “how to” sessions for members and instructors to get the hang of it.
We did very well during the pandemic, probably because our members couldn’t do all the many things they usually do--travel, volunteer, attend cultural events, see their grandchildren etc. Zoom has been a real gift to all of us and, even though life is a little more normal now, Zoom will remain with us going forward as we begin to offer more in-person classes.
Kathy: It was 2018 that had 4 sessions and it was an experiment that perhaps didn’t do what was expected. Prior to that, and since then, we have had 5 full sessions per year. Our scheduling year now has five 6-week sessions with 12-14 classes each and six Mini Course sessions in between the sessions with 6 or 7 courses that meet once or sometimes a few times. The list of all sessions can always be found on our OLLI web site at www.OLLI.sfsu.edu. The list of session dates is shown on our website under the Courses tab.
Many OLLI programs at other schools run fewer sessions than we do, but I think with so much local competition it’s good that we have a steady presence.
Mike: When did you start running the one session mini courses? And why?
Kathy: I think my predecessor had begun the Mini Courses and I took it over and perhaps codified them. We now offer about 40 Mini Courses per year. Because one doesn’t have to be an OLLI member to take a Mini Course, they are a great way to try us out before joining or committing to a longer course. Mini Courses also help us meet revenue goals so we can have a larger staff, pay instructors more, and pay for increased rent. Additionally, Mini Courses are a nice addition for members who prefer to choose shorter classes.
Mike: When COVID hit us in 2020, I thought our OLLI program would crash and burn. I did not think that very many senior citizens, like me, would be willing to give up the in-person classes and attend online courses. Yet here we are two and a half years later, and our OLLI is still going strong. How did you make that happen?
Kathy: I was really in a panic when we canceled our Spring 2020 session which was to start March 23, 2020, right as everything was shutting down. We pivoted immediately though, and I reached out to the Spring instructors to see who would be willing to try teaching via Zoom. We offered several drop in “how to” sessions for members and instructors to get the hang of it.
We did very well during the pandemic, probably because our members couldn’t do all the many things they usually do--travel, volunteer, attend cultural events, see their grandchildren etc. Zoom has been a real gift to all of us and, even though life is a little more normal now, Zoom will remain with us going forward as we begin to offer more in-person classes.
2
Mike: The OLLI Director has been publishing a weekly newsletter to Members, sent on Fridays via email, for several years. I know you still do that, and the weekly newsletters seem to have more newsy content in them now. And more graphics and photographs. How does that happen?
Kathy: One of the first things I was told when I started was “you send a weekly newsletter by email.” So yes, I have been sending it every week since then. We transitioned over to Mailchimp to create and send it and that platform allows for more design features. I can also see who opened it! My assistant Nick Nguyen only works 10 hours a week but one of his main tasks is to put a lot of the newsletter together. His efforts are a huge help--in fact I asked him if, even when he moves on from SF State, will he still help with the newsletter! After he is done updating it for the week I proof it, move things around and write the Director’s Greeting. The last newsletter I sent had a 74% open rate which is very high, and it’s usually about 62%. Even though we have a website and a registration site, I think OLLI members rely on the weekly newsletter to see what is happening. I know it’s long but the consistency of it is very effective for the Program.
Mike: I saw in a recent Friday OLLI newsletter an invitation for OLLI Members to join the OLLI Council. What help do you get from that volunteer Council?
Kathy: I meet with the Council once a month for 2 hours, and, for now, these meetings are on Zoom. There are currently 15 Council members and everyone on the Council cares deeply about OLLI and offers guidance and input regarding much of what we do. For instance, when we recently raised prices of the membership and the classes, we discussed how much to raise and when. Many people on the Council have been at OLLI longer than I have, so they offer important legacy knowledge to me. Everyone who heads a committee sits on the Council, so they are truly part of the leadership of the organization. Additionally, we hope that everyone who sits on the Council will participate on a committee and will donate to OLLI every year.
Mike: What Committees are operating now?
Kathy: We have 4 active committees. The Curriculum Committee assesses proposals that come in and approves or rejects them and meets with potential instructors. The Course Development Committee actively approaches new potential instructors and seeks classes in specific subject matter. We also have a Membership Committee and a Communications Committee. Our fundraising is done within the Communications Committee.
Kathy: One of the first things I was told when I started was “you send a weekly newsletter by email.” So yes, I have been sending it every week since then. We transitioned over to Mailchimp to create and send it and that platform allows for more design features. I can also see who opened it! My assistant Nick Nguyen only works 10 hours a week but one of his main tasks is to put a lot of the newsletter together. His efforts are a huge help--in fact I asked him if, even when he moves on from SF State, will he still help with the newsletter! After he is done updating it for the week I proof it, move things around and write the Director’s Greeting. The last newsletter I sent had a 74% open rate which is very high, and it’s usually about 62%. Even though we have a website and a registration site, I think OLLI members rely on the weekly newsletter to see what is happening. I know it’s long but the consistency of it is very effective for the Program.
Mike: I saw in a recent Friday OLLI newsletter an invitation for OLLI Members to join the OLLI Council. What help do you get from that volunteer Council?
Kathy: I meet with the Council once a month for 2 hours, and, for now, these meetings are on Zoom. There are currently 15 Council members and everyone on the Council cares deeply about OLLI and offers guidance and input regarding much of what we do. For instance, when we recently raised prices of the membership and the classes, we discussed how much to raise and when. Many people on the Council have been at OLLI longer than I have, so they offer important legacy knowledge to me. Everyone who heads a committee sits on the Council, so they are truly part of the leadership of the organization. Additionally, we hope that everyone who sits on the Council will participate on a committee and will donate to OLLI every year.
Mike: What Committees are operating now?
Kathy: We have 4 active committees. The Curriculum Committee assesses proposals that come in and approves or rejects them and meets with potential instructors. The Course Development Committee actively approaches new potential instructors and seeks classes in specific subject matter. We also have a Membership Committee and a Communications Committee. Our fundraising is done within the Communications Committee.
3
Mike: I notice that you have several Assistant Program Directors on your staff. What role do they play for us? How do you find those people?
Kathy: We have 3 part-time staff working for OLLI and they help with customer service and supporting the classes, whether on Zoom or in person, as well as supporting the instructors. Lena Chiu works about 15 hours a week and has been with OLLI since January 2020. She responded to a notice I had posted in the Bernal Heights Parent List. Nick Nguyen works for OLLI 10 hours a week, Thursdays, and Fridays, and puts much of the weekly member newsletter together in addition to managing a few classes. Nick also works at the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies on the SFSU campus, and I worked with him there before coming to OLLI. Sam Stollerman works about 20 hours a week and helps support the in-person classes. He also helps build the catalogs and keeps track of incoming proposals.
Mike: In summary, Kathy, what is the state of our OLLI program in this fall of 2022?
Kathy: Our OLLI continues doing well. Membership, revenues, fundraising are all up, and enrollment is steady. Our staff size is larger than pre-pandemic. We have more interest groups than before the pandemic. In addition to offering classes in-person as well as on Zoom (and sometimes at the same time in a hybrid format), we have been offering more in-person gatherings to foster community. We started neighborhood gatherings in 2022, have led outings to musical theater, the Adventure Group started up again, 25 people went to Ashland, Oregon in October, a trip that had to be skipped in 2020 and 2021. Also, I joined 9 OLLI members for a trip to London in September. Our literary journal, Vistas & Byways, where this interview will be shared, launched its Issue 14 with a party in-person for the first time since 2019, as well as showing it on Zoom.
Mike: I agree with you, Kathy! Our OLLI program is strong and growing. Let’s keep on Going! And Learning!
Kathy: More than anything, I hope that OLLI at SF State is a warm and inviting organization with something that appeals to everyone, whether it’s taking classes, participating in interest groups, joining a social gathering or a trip, or inventing something new for us to do!
Kathy: We have 3 part-time staff working for OLLI and they help with customer service and supporting the classes, whether on Zoom or in person, as well as supporting the instructors. Lena Chiu works about 15 hours a week and has been with OLLI since January 2020. She responded to a notice I had posted in the Bernal Heights Parent List. Nick Nguyen works for OLLI 10 hours a week, Thursdays, and Fridays, and puts much of the weekly member newsletter together in addition to managing a few classes. Nick also works at the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies on the SFSU campus, and I worked with him there before coming to OLLI. Sam Stollerman works about 20 hours a week and helps support the in-person classes. He also helps build the catalogs and keeps track of incoming proposals.
Mike: In summary, Kathy, what is the state of our OLLI program in this fall of 2022?
Kathy: Our OLLI continues doing well. Membership, revenues, fundraising are all up, and enrollment is steady. Our staff size is larger than pre-pandemic. We have more interest groups than before the pandemic. In addition to offering classes in-person as well as on Zoom (and sometimes at the same time in a hybrid format), we have been offering more in-person gatherings to foster community. We started neighborhood gatherings in 2022, have led outings to musical theater, the Adventure Group started up again, 25 people went to Ashland, Oregon in October, a trip that had to be skipped in 2020 and 2021. Also, I joined 9 OLLI members for a trip to London in September. Our literary journal, Vistas & Byways, where this interview will be shared, launched its Issue 14 with a party in-person for the first time since 2019, as well as showing it on Zoom.
Mike: I agree with you, Kathy! Our OLLI program is strong and growing. Let’s keep on Going! And Learning!
Kathy: More than anything, I hope that OLLI at SF State is a warm and inviting organization with something that appeals to everyone, whether it’s taking classes, participating in interest groups, joining a social gathering or a trip, or inventing something new for us to do!
4
|
Mike Lambert is a long-time resident of San Francisco and led the effort to start Vistas & Byways in the fall of 2015. In an earlier life, he worked in the telecommunications industry for 35 years and taught at San Francisco State University’s College of Business for 15 years. He refutes the adage about old dogs and new tricks. He took up creative writing as a hobby at age 75. He recently self-published two novels and a collection of his short stories. His main fictional character is Jessica Jones, a single working girl in contemporary San Francisco. See his Author page at Amazon under the name of M. L. Lambert for more details.
Vertical Divider
Vertical Divider
|
|
