Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Delaware in Lewes
Council Minutes
April 22, 2013

In attendance were council members Bob Comeau, Donna Beecher, Mary Folan, Jack Boettger, John Coleman, Bo French, Lynn Kroesen, Frank Meredith; members-elect Rob Morgan and Carol West; librarian/archivist Ruth Barnett, committee chairs Bernard Fiegel and Joan Sciorra; program director Anna Moshier; University representatives Jim Broomall, Linda Osoinach and Carrie Townsend; and Dover program director Amy Weissenfluh.

Bob Comeau called the meeting to order at 10:00am.  The agenda and the March 18, 2013, minutes were approved.

Invited guest: Nancy Feichtl described two projects she is researching that may be of interest to our members:

1.	Senior Driving Cooperative.  This is a nationwide program, but does not now exist in Delaware.  Membership generally costs $100 per year and this fee allows the cooperative to provide bonding and insurance.  Members can provide rides and bank that time as a credit for later needs.  When one is unable to drive, those banked hours can be used for rides.  A nonmember can purchase rides at the rate of $10 per ride.  Nancy is exploring the possibility of a pilot program in the Rehoboth-Lewes-Milton area.

2.	Ride-share Program. In this program, a local website is created, on which people could offer or request rides.  No money would be exchanged.

Program Director: Anna Moshier is planning a council tour of our portion of the Fred Thomas Building on May 17, when school will not be in session.  Anna will also need someone to coordinate the packers and movers for the move from our present site.  Boxes are needed and the packing can begin as soon as the lease is signed.  Campus CE is being used for the June registration, and is working well so far.  The June catalogue was mailed the week of April 17. 

Committee Reports:

Library (Ruth Barnett): There are more than 50 new accessions.

Financial (Jack Boettger):* The report was reviewed.

Academic Affairs (John Coleman): There will be 36 course offerings for the June session.  The evaluation sheets from the spring semester indicate a high level of satisfaction from participants.  He also suggested a review and possible reworking of the evaluation sheet.

Communications (Lynn Kroesen):  The Tides will be emailed prior to the New York trip.  Lynn requested that she be alerted to any individual awards presented to Osher members so that they can be publicized.

Travel (Joan Sciorra): The count for the New York trip is 131.  The trip to the Hagley Museum will go on May 1 with 25 members.  The trip to the National Gallery of Art will take place on May 14 with 46 members.

Social (Bernie Fiegel):* A successful meet and greet at Irish Eyes completed the spring semester.

Community Relations (Frank Meredith): Catalogues will be placed in the libraries this week and we will have an announcement on the screen in the Lewes Library.  The CHEER Center in Georgetown has requested that we set up a booth at its health fair on May 24. 

Old Business:  Bob Comeau reported that the proponent of a local public radio station continues to pursue Osher involvement through rebroadcast of its lectures.  The council agreed that this is incompatible with our interactive learning approach, and we would not support it.

New Business:  Jim Broomall and Linda Osoinach urged the combining of the Lewes, Dover and Bethany campuses under one program beginning in the Spring 2014 semester, with members being able to sign up for courses in all three locations.  Linda suggested that the new technology makes it possible to run all three programs under one and this would be more efficient and reduce the duplication of administrative efforts. The Dover campus holds classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with 130 students currently participating, and is experiencing an annual net loss of nearly $6000. The University of Delaware would absorb any financial deficit in Dover for the next three years, and the Dover program would be closed if it failed to break even by 2016.  The session calendars for all campuses would have to match.  Council members expressed strong reservations about deciding on such a change until our own relocation has been fully established, and noted that we needed more information about Dover’s lease arrangements, finances and governance, and further study of possible organizational arrangements.

The next meeting will be held on May 17 in conjunction with a council walk-through of the Fred Thomas Building.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:03 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Mary Folan, Secretary