Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Delaware in Lewes
Council Minutes
Fred Thomas Building
26 August 2013

In attendance were council members Donna Beecher, Jack Boettger, Bob Comeau (chair), Mary Folan, Lynn Kroesen, Frank Meredith, Rob Morgan and Carol West; librarian and archivist Ruth Barnett; committee chairs Bernie Fiegel and Joan Sciorra; program coordinator Anna Moshier; communications assistant Carrie Townsend; University representatives Jim Broomall and Linda Osoinach; and OLLI-Dover visitor Amy Weissenfluh.

Bob Comeau called the meeting to order at 10:05 a.m.

The agenda for the meeting and the minutes of the meeting on June 24, 2013 were approved without amendment.

Staff:  Anna Moshier reported that well over 400 students have signed up for the fall semester in Lewes, and 80 in Dover.

An offer has been extended to an applicant for the position in Bethany, contingent on a background check, and she hopes to complete the process by the end of the week.  Bob added that a group from the Council had interviewed the top three candidates and were confident the one they chose could do a good job.

The landscaping at the Fred Thomas Building is being improved.   Work will not be finished before classes start but it will look nicer.

University:  Linda Osoinach reported that she and Anna went to an excellent Osher southeast regional conference at the U. of Georgia.  In particular, she spoke about U.Ga sponsorship of special interest groups and passed out its list of 24 such groups.  A group’s champion who collects five signatures of would-be members can start such a group under U. Ga.’s oversight.  Anna pointed out that groups would need to be scheduled and organized, and suggested that group members be required to register with Osher.  Bob noted that a group’s request to use space at the Fred Thomas Building that is not dedicated to OLLI-Lewes would require permission from the School Board, and having just been granted fee-waived use of the multi-purpose room for our scheduled programs he is reluctant to make further requests ad hoc;  such requests should be packaged for submission together with our next request for the all-purpose room.

Linda also reported that she had spoken to the OLLI-Wilmington instructors’ luncheon about the statewide initiative. She had mentioned that whereas Wilmington’s summer program is in July and Lewes holds a program in June, perhaps our June session would be of interest to Wilmington residents with summer homes in Sussex.  The Wilmington newsletter editor approached her afterward and asked for an article on the June sessions, and Carrie will prepare one.

Carrie noted that the Dover-Lewes social lunch was great from Dover’s point of view, and her sentiment was enthusiastically shared by many attendees from Lewes.   

Carrie will work Tuesdays in Lewes, Thursdays in Dover, while classes are in session.

Jim Broomall has suggested to the Dover council that it survey its members for an assessment of their needs for classes in Lewes; Jim noted that he has no vested interest in a merger of the programs.

Committee reports (*indicates report on file)

Financial * (Jack Boettger) Expenses have been about as expected.  There was very little activity in the last month, since there is no income to recognize until classes start in September.  Anna suggested that because of our increased rent it might be a good idea to review our reserves to make sure that our commitments to Renee Moy and the School District are covered.

Academic Affairs * (Donna Beecher) Three scholarship requests have been granted and there may be more requests.

The AA committee recommended that, to implement the initiative to recruit classroom assistants, instructors be asked at the faculty orientation if they would like an assistant, perhaps on a simple form, and then the committee could go through the roster of each instructor asking for an assistant to identify candidates.  Bob suggested that the form also ask what kind of assistance the instructor would like, since that would influence the kind of candidate the committee would seek.  Anna offered to modify the course proposal form to ask for this information.   Donna noted that the computer committee is recruiting classroom assistants, even from outside Osher, to help individual students during class.

The instructors’ handbook needs editing in time for the orientation.  It is available on-line, although instructors can also request a printed copy.  Bob observed that the University’s copyright policy to which the handbook links is formidably long and complex.   Anna noted that in the past our instructors’ requests for permission to use copyrighted materials have been granted liberally by copyright holders.

Donna and Carol have been enjoying working with Carrie, and have told department heads to send their comments on the handbook to Carrie to centralize them; Carrie and Lynn were working well on ideas for internal communications.  Donna hopes department heads will feel responsible for their faculties and will especially reach out to newcomers.
As to the special interest groups discussed earlier, Donna observed that they are sometimes more social than academic, and she would like to work with Bernie Fiegel on them.

Communication (Lynn Kroesen) The next newsletter will come out after the picnic, which is scheduled for October 9.  The news release that Carrie put out for the summer session got good play, appearing in the Cape Gazette, the Coast Press, and the Wave in Bethany.  There was also an article in Lewes Life that was well done and well timed.  Carrie said it should be appearing in the Rehoboth edition too.

Travel (Joan Sciorra) We have prices for the hotel and coach and will be working on the New York City trip scheduled for April 29 to May 2, 2014.  We hope for enough participants for three buses.  On the last day they might go to Brooklyn, with a choice of the museum or the botanical gardens.  She will send out an e-blast announcing the trip sign-up. 

Sandy Moore is interested in organizing a trip to Brandywine for the museum and the Wyeth house and studio.

OLLI-Dover is planning a trip to the Newseum in D.C. in October; if there are empty places they will be offered to Lewes.

Social 	(Bernie Fiegel) Anna said that she was thinking about sending invitations for the October 9 picnic to Dover members too, and Bernie agreed.

Community Relations * (Frank Meredith) Library displays have been updated with Carrie; when he distributed catalogues to libraries he erected some.  He also posted a couple of signs in his church and suggested that we all do likewise in our churches.  Carrie suggested that we try for placements of Osher notices in church newsletters.

Carrie also suggested that we have Osher business cards that we can hand out when occasion arises to publicize our classes.

Frank reminded the council that Coast Day is coming up on October 6, and he would have a sign-up sheet at the September meeting for the OLLI-Lewes table.

Archives and Library  (Ruth Barnett) There are now over 1,000 items in the library.  Ruth made two requests:  for help in finding labels that will stick to the shelves; and if anyone sees news about Osher to put a copy in her folder for the archives.

Next meeting:  Monday, September 23rd at 3:30 p.m. at the Fred Thomas Building.  In the future we might consider brownbag lunch meetings, especially if committee members distribute written reports ahead of time to minimize the need for lengthy discussion.

Meeting adjourned at 11:07 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Rob Morgan, Secretary