Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UCSC

• Welcome to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UCSC

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UCSC is a community of men and women from diverse educational, occupational, and geographic backgrounds who are devoted to the pursuit of learning. The members enjoy spirited discussion, reading, and exploring new interests. Money raised from our activities fund scholarships for re-entry students at UCSC.

We have over 40 peer-led interest groups focusing on the arts, literature, film, science, community programs, horticulture, and social science. As well, we offer several short courses every year designed for mature adults. We are associated with UCSC as a 'Friends Group' and are part of a network of 125 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (OLLIs) across the country.

UCSC Lifelong Learners was founded in 1984 by Margaret Byrnes, Jim Faris, Barnie Farneroff, Silvia Miller, and Mary Ann Raedler. In 2010, we became an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and changed our name to Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Our history:  OLLI History

We have about 650 members. We enjoy a special relationship with UCSC as a University Friends Group and have our home with UCSC University Relations, which reports to the Chancellor. Our members will give approximately $43,000 in scholarships through STARs this academic year to deserving re-entry students.

Membership: Our membership year is July through June. We ask for an annual donation (which may be waived in case of hardship) for membership. Because our organization is run by volunteers, we are able to keep donation requests low and at the same time provide scholarships for re-entry students through our Silvia Miller Scholarship fund. Acknowledgements for your tax-deductible donation are issued by UCSC University Relations. Instructions for updating your contact information is available on the OLLI website (http://olli.ucsc.edu/). 

General Meeting: We meet once a month (usually the third Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon) from September through May (no meeting in December). The meetings are held in the College Nine and John R. Lewis College Multipurpose Room where we conduct business and socialize, except in September, hear an expert speaker. The September meeting is largely about interest groups. We have special events at times, including the end of year party in June. Usually, the University holds a holiday party in December for Friends Groups.

Interest Groups: Our volunteer-run Interest Groups are many and varied. Groups are formed around a common interest or set of activities and are led by volunteer members. Interest Groups must be Board approved and cannot be used to solicit funds or proselytize. A listing of existing groups, along with contact information, may be found on our website at  Interest Groups. Some groups are not open to new members, but most of these maintain a waiting list.

Courses: Courses are offered during the year. A Course differs from an Interest Group in three ways. A Course is of limited duration (typically four to eight sessions), while an Interest Group is ongoing. Courses are led by an expert, while Interest Groups are led by OLLI members. We ask a $20 donation for each Course taken, unlike the Interest Group Program, where participation is included in the yearly membership donation. Suggested membership donation is $60/year/person. Scheduled courses, with times and location, are on the website at  Courses.

Communications: Our website,  http://olli.ucsc.edu, is an excellent source of information about our organization. From our website’s home page you can register for membership as well as sign up for OLLI courses, change your contact information, or find help for OLLI-related problems or questions. September through May, we distribute by USPS mail a printed newsletter. Members may optout of receiving the printed newsletter and receive by email a link to a PDF version instead. On alternate months during the academic year we send an email newsletter to members who have given us their email addresses. 
All newsletters are online and can be accessed by clicking here.

Osher Foundation: We hold an endowment from the Bernard J. Osher Foundation. The earnings from the endowment provide support for our programs, but cannot be used for scholarships for UCSC students.


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To correct contact information email, dennis@valsys.com. To Join or Renew membership click here then follow instructions for logging in or obtaining an account to enable you to log in to the membership system, which is hosted by the University. Once logged in, a member can register for courses, renew membership, or update contact information. Find further contacts to get other types of help or information on the home page.