American University’s chapter of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute has been educating and connecting for 43 years, with a unique approach to learning shaped by its motto, “curiosity never retires,” according to Tony Long, executive director of OLLI at the University.
OLLI at AU offers accessible education for students 50 and over through lecture and discussion-based courses. The program provides an education to those who’ve already spent decades learning life lessons, but may want to focus on subjects apart from their career.
OLLI overcame accessibility challenges during the pandemic shutdown. Following this, OLLI saw a significant increase in enrollment numbers and worked to ensure access to education for predominantly retired learners in areas surrounding AU’s campus.
With a mission that aims to promote and facilitate lifelong learning, OLLI offers a wide array of classes ranging from medical ethics, opera, poetry, politics and language just in this fall semester alone. OLLI’s American University chapter functions primarily from the Spring Valley Building, often offering classes taught by professors from the School of International Service and School of Public Affairs.
The program hosts a Friday lecture series where professors from the University speak on topics relating to their respective fields. According to Diana Jamieson, a student at OLLI, a prime reason people are drawn to the program, aside from the intellectual stimulation it provides, is making connections with others. This is possible both inside the classroom through discussions and outside during events such as pizza dinners at a local restaurant.
“We think of ourselves as 50 percent academic, 50 percent community,” Long said.
With 125 registered OLLI programs affiliated with universities across the nation, OLLI caters to a population of predominantly retirees. The American University chapter boasts approximately 1,700 learners and 250 classes per year, according to Long. As a volunteer-run program, Long said it runs a lot like a small liberal arts college.
The program’s fall semester spans from Sept. 29 to Dec. 5, and all members are invited to teach as well as learn. Students at OLLI often have already had lengthy careers, making them experts of their respective fields. Study Group Leaders are those willing and able to utilize their unique knowledge by sharing it with others.
SGL David Flaxman has taught a 10-week course, currently section 505 on Mozart, through OLLI at AU for the last seven years.
“I will tell a composer’s life story and present his or her music within the context of their [life] story,” Flaxman said.
The course is taught in a hybrid format, filling the Spring Valley Building auditorium with 110 in-person learners and another 100 joining virtually.
“Many people use OLLI to fill the gaps that they wanted to always study but couldn’t because life took over,” Jamieson said.
Both academic and personal pursuits are encouraged in the program, no matter the subject.
“I’m a classical pianist, and know absolutely nothing about jazz, so I’m taking it now,” Lesley Rubinger, an OLLI student, said.
What is special to many students about the program is that it is motivated by a pure love of learning, and that there are no exams, papers or quizzes.
“You don’t have to prove anything academically to anyone, except yourself,” Jamieson said.
SGLs are fellow learners who often take part in classes themselves. Long said this approach fosters peer-led discussion learning for both instructors and students.
“It’s a real gift both ways,” Long said. “The instructors in front of the classroom are blown away by the depth of knowledge and experience that the other members of the room are able to contribute to the conversations.”
Long described one class discussion about former President Richard Nixon’s trip to China in 1972, where an instructor outlined the details of a key meeting. Following the explanation, a student raised their hand and said, “You’ve got it mostly right.” The instructor asked what they had missed and how the student knew; it turned out they had been in the room during the meeting.
OLLI at AU prides itself on accessibility, according to Long, primarily through its hybrid learning opportunities, which were implemented during the coronavirus pandemic. The program had to shut down due to COVID-19, but was quickly back up the following week via Zoom.
“We could not have foreseen that Zoom would be a part of our permanent future at that point, but Zoom is such a gift to us,” Long said.
Many OLLI chapters saw a drastic decrease in membership during the pandemic, while the University’s program saw a significant increase, with a large percentage of members who joined OLLI during the pandemic returning in person.
“The number of online courses is such that if people can’t physically get to this building, they can still be a part of the program,” Rubinger said.
OLLI gives retired adults the opportunity to learn and interact in a meaningful way.
“One of the things to promote long life and long mental health is, in fact, curiosity, and adults who remain curious and continue to pursue intellectual interests, typically do better longer than other people,” Flaxman said. “We are really an instrument for promoting the health of the community.”
This article was edited by Samantha Skolnick, Abigail Hatting and Walker Whalen. Copy editing done by Sabine Kanter-Huchting, Avery Grossman, Ariana Kavoossi, Audrey Smith and Ava Stuzin.Fact-checking done by Aidan Crowe.
