Introduction

The Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Programs and the Dean of Extended Learning Services are pleased to invite all interested parties to submit course proposals for teaching Osher Lifelong Learning Institute courses.

Purpose

The mission of the UCSB Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) is to bring the campus closer to the Santa Barbara community by offering an affordable, financially self-sustaining, and expansive portfolio of courses and programs, personal enrichment opportunities, and cultural activities for students aged 50 and older. Distinguished UCSB faculty and emeriti faculty, as well as expert scholars drawn from the local Santa Barbara community, will teach the courses. OLLI courses will be noncredit, with no tests and no grades, although they may require outside reading or other assignments. The overall goal is to provide lifelong learners with experiences emphasizing the pure joy of intellectual enrichment and learning.

The aim of the OLLI courses is to engage life-long learners in intellectual discourse. The OLLI curriculum will include both small group seminars and larger enrollment lecture courses. Instructors are encouraged to leave their OLLI students with questions requiring further investigation so that the members may meet after the course is completed in study groups to continue their own self-directed exploration of the topic.  

Who May Apply?

The OLLI at UCSB will accept new course proposals from UCSB faculty, lecturers, emeriti, teaching assistants and campus staff. Additionally, we will also review and consider course proposals from people with specific topic expertise who may not be directly affiliated with the University. All course proposals are internally reviewed and approved before becoming a part of the OLLI curriculum. Courses taught by campus faculty are over and above the normal teaching load. Instructors will receive a salary stipend for their participation, in accord with hiring principles and policies established for UC Extended Learning Services. The submission of a course proposal is not a guarantee that a course will be offered.

Details about teaching compensation and instructional supplies and expenses are discussed in detail in the "What Kind of Financial Support is Available" section below.

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What Types of Courses Qualify?

Topics: Faculty, staff and graduate students from every college and every department on the UCSB campus are encouraged to teach OLLI courses. Additionally, we encourage community members with unique knowledge, skills or past teaching experience to apply as well. Courses may be based on current events or research topics plus other topics that are of professional or personal interest. Whatever the topic, the coursework and discussion level should be appropriate for sophisticated learners aged 50 and older.

Reading and coursework:  OLLI courses are non-credit classes. Participants may be encouraged to actively engage in small group discussions. One or two books might be suggested, or a reader compiled to enhance students’ learning opportunities or provide sufficient background material for the course.

On-campus & Off-campus Trips: OLLI courses may include on-campus or off-campus field trips with prior approval of the OLLI Program Manager. Outings to museums, field research sites, plays, lectures, concerts, and other sites are all welcome additions to OLLI courses. The funds supplied to cover course costs may be used to pay for course materials, audio-visual needs or off-campus trips, at a cost not to exceed $150. Proposed field trips will be reviewed for cost. If necessary, class size can be adjusted to help defray the costs of field trips and/or other class related activities or additional course materials fees might be levied on the students.

Teaching Hours Required: Courses are typically designed to meet for a total of ten hours. Usually, a course will meet two hours per week for five weeks. However, other schedules and formats will be considered pending review and approval by UCSB Extended Learning Services.

Classrooms: Most OLLI courses will meet at off-campus sites although some courses can be planned for campus locations with approval from UCSB Extended Learning Services. Offering OLLI courses at off-campus sites is desirable because the campus infrastructure is likely to present significant barriers to OLLI participants due to bike path crossings and other safety issues, parking regulations, and the difficulty of securing appropriate classroom space during the busy academic year. Off-campus sites may include classrooms in the UCSB Extension Storke Center and other community venues in the greater Santa Barbara area, as available.

What Kind of Financial Support is Available?

Funding for OLLI course instructors who are from the UCSB faculty at the rank of professor, assistant professor, lecturer or professor emeritus will be calculated at $100 per instruction hour to a maximum of $1000 per course. UCSB Staff, graduate students and community experts shall receive compensation of $75 per instruction hour to a maximum of $750 per course. A maximum of $150 is available per course to cover the costs of instructional supplies and expenses.

Teaching compensation: Course instructors will be paid through the University of California payroll system. UCSB OLLI teaching compensation is subject to taxes and other withholding. 

Instructional supplies and expenses allocation:   A maximum of $150 per course can be used to pay for any costs associated with the course: photocopied material conforming to educational fair-use restrictions, transparencies, handouts, a rented video to be shown in class, transportation for a field trip, museum admission, etc. The $150 allocation for supplies and expenses will be held in a UCSB Extended Learning Services account and released by the OLLI Program Manager, working in conjunction with the instructor.

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How to Apply

Application:   The UCSB OLLI Core Course Proposal form may be found at:
www.extension.ucsb.edu/olli/proposals/form.doc.

Proposal Submission Process: Please submit completed UCSB OLLI Course Proposal forms, by e-mail, fax, or via intercampus mail/U.S. mail to:

UCSB OLLI– Mail Code 1110
UCSB Extended Learning Services
6950 Hollister Avenue, Ste. 200
Goleta, CA 93117-5824
E-mail: ucsbolli@els.ucsb.edu
fax: (805) 893-8427

 Proposal Submission Schedule:   Proposals are accepted on an on-going basis. Courses may be proposed for the current academic year or future years. Courses are taught within UCSB’s quarter system.

Confirmation: You will receive confirmation of proposal submission within 5 business days. Please contact the UCSB OLLI Program Manager at (805) 893-4805 or ucsbolli@els.ucsb.edu if you do not receive a confirmation email.  

Criteria for Reviewing Proposals

Review Process: The Dean of Extended Learning Services, the Associate Dean of Extended Learning Services, and the UCSB OLLI Program Manager will review all UCSB OLLI Course Proposals.

      Criteria for Selection:  

            Core courses will be selected based on:

1. Educational value and student enrichment potential
2. Predicted interest among OLLI students and expected enrollment levels
3. Uniqueness of subject matter (OLLI course topics should be different than topics covered in courses offered through UCSB Extension, SBCC Adult Education, and other local providers of educational programs for lifelong learners. Courses designed to provide deeper insight are preferred instead of “how-to” type courses. However, any and all course proposals will be considered.)

Further Information & Award Notification

Further Information: For detailed information regarding UCSB OLLI, course proposals, scheduling issues, or other considerations, please contact the UCSB OLLI Program Manager at (805) 893-4805 or ucsbolli@els.ucsb.edu.   

Notification of Proposal Approval:   Applicants will be notified in writing of OLLI course approval within one month of proposal submission. Please note that proposal approval is not a guarantee of teaching stipend. Scheduling issues or low enrollment levels may delay, or prevent an approved OLLI course from running. Stipend payments are made only if an approved course is taught in the OLLI program.

Additional Contact Information:
Jack Presnal, OLLI Program Manager, jpresnal@els.ucsb.edu, 893-4805
Nancy Mondok, Associate Dean of Academic Programs, Extension, nmondok@els.ucsb.edu, 893-4874
Loy Lytle, Dean Extended Learning Services, llytle@els.ucsb.edu, 893-2944

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