Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Delaware in Lewes
Council Minutes
Frederick Thomas Building
June 30, 2014

In attendance were council members Donna Beecher, Jack Boettger, Bob Comeau (chair emeritus), Mary Folan, Bo French, Lynn Kroesen, Sabatino Maglione, Rob Morgan; Bill Sharkey (chair), Carol West; librarian archivist Ruth Barnett; committee chairs Bernie Fiegel and Joan Sciorra; program coordinator Anna Moshier; administrative assistant Renée Moy; Bill Ashmore, instructional support for Bethany; Ed Chamberlain, instructional support for Lewes; University representative Linda Osoinach; and OLLI-Dover program coordinator Tim Plimpton.

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

The minutes of the May 19th meeting were approved as amended.

Staff:

Anna displayed on a screen the administrative website and the new online course survey form.

Anna reported that she had visited Iowa State’s Osher program and was impressed by their annual report.  Bill had reviewed a copy of it and thought it was a good idea for us to consider adopting.

Anna would like a volunteer from the Council to identify all of the volunteer opportunities so that registrants who say they are interested in volunteering can know how they can help.  She would like to present the information online so that the volunteers may be better informed.

We will add a web link to Land’s End for Osher-branded clothes.  We will not receive royalties; this is to build the brand.

There will be a ribbon-cutting on July 16th at noon, hosted by the Ocean View Chamber of Commerce, for our newly leased facility in Ocean View to accommodate our growing presence in Bethany.  Council members and Bethany instructors are all invited to visit.

We need some equipment in Ocean View and Lewes.  For Ocean View, Anna asked for $399 for a new ELMO; four tables at $100 each, and a coffee pot and supplies.  There is already a refrigerator there.  For Lewes, she asked for $200 for two more tables for another art room; $250 for a router, $40 for an Ethernet switch; $270 for a display monitor and $25 for a bracket, amounting to $1,585 plus shipping and installation, and a little more for the coffee pot and supplies.  Bob moved that the Council approve up to $2,000 for the listed equipment; the motion was seconded and passed on a voice vote without dissent.

This fall the art teacher in Bethany is asking her students for studio fee to help defray her lease cost.   We have been offered a sublease of a studio, though it would only serve 15-20 members in one course.  For the spring semester, Anna asked the Council to consider whether we should enter into a sublease agreement for studio space or continue with the current studio fee arrangement.

The timeline for the spring semester is tentatively set up, but a question has been raised of whether to coordinate our schedule with Dover’s.   To coordinate with Dover we would hold our classes during the five weeks before and the five weeks after spring break.  Alternatively, we could continue to have our semester start in January; the School District says we can remain open during spring break.  There was a discussion of the value and logistics of coordinating the Dover and Lewes schedules.  It was pointed out that in our experience attendance drops after a mid-semester break, militating against building one in.

Committee reports (*indicates report on file)

Library (Ruth Barnett)
Ruth is requesting a laptop in the library so that we can keep our library records paper-free and card-free.  Ed offered that we have a spare laptop running Windows XP that will do exactly what we want, although we need a charger for it.  Ed suggested, though, that a desktop might be preferable since Ruth is not planning to take the library pc home with her. Ed will configure an excess classroom computer.  It is not yet set up so that Bethany and Dover can connect, but Ed can set it up for that connectivity. 

Long Range Planning (Bo French)
Bo raised the question of how we count members: by individuals, or by number of semester registrations.  The registration numbers for this year are:  full-year enrollment 301; fall only 237; spring only 175; summer 222; for a total of 935.  The other way of counting is that 690 different individuals have registered for one or more semesters.

Scholarship (Sabatino Maglione)
Sabatino is reviewing the files.  There have been few requests, all of which are for a partial scholarship.  Anna advises that we do not grant full scholarships; all students pay something.  Bill noted that after reviewing Jack’s financial statements he would like to review the role of the scholarship fund, since we are not spending much of the budgeted amount.

Financial * (Jack Boettger)
Jack referred the Council to the financial statements and his financial analysis.   We have a $31,770.81 surplus to defer to reserves, more than the $29,543 we had budgeted.  Next year we have only budgeted for a small surplus since salary costs are rising.   

Jack concluded that we are doing well.   Anna asked what to do with the $6,800 surplus in the activity fund.  Bob made a motion to transfer $5,800 of the surplus into the equipment fund and $1,000 into deferred funds; the motion was seconded and passed by a voice vote with no dissent.

Academic Affairs (Mary Folan)
Mary noted that Lee Mussoff has agreed to take over leadership of the Humanities, formerly headed by the late Jim DeCatur.  

Mary also reported that we are ending up with 75 classes for the fall semester.

Communications (Lynn Kroesen)
The deadline for the next Tides is July 14th.  Mary would appreciate any photos of activities.  

Travel:  (Joan Sciorra & Mary Folan)
Jon Newsom intends to lead another trip to the Library of Congress, this time for Pushkin.  There is a possible trip by Marina Borovok, the art teacher, to a museum in Washington.

Mary has talked to the University of Delaware; we will arrange a bus to all six performances by the Resident Ensemble Players at the University.  The first two performances will be Angels in America on October 5th and Macbeth on November 16th; the $90 price includes admission and transportation.  The Millionairess is on January 25th, while the last three have yet to be decided.  We will get tickets on the first floor, with two wheelchair seats.  The actors are all equity, and this price is very inexpensive for such quality.  Mary will have an article for Lynn.

Community Relations * (Donna Beecher)
In addition to her written report, Donna noted that we will participate in the 4th of July parade (actually in the morning of Saturday, July 5th) in Ocean View where she will hand out brochures.

The Southern Delaware Center for the Arts and Humanities has been reactivated in the wake of Midway Theaters terminating the film festival.  It will be reconstituted and will no longer be a membership organization.  We might be a potential renter of space they arrange rather than a co-owner.  

Donna moved that we approve $200 for an advertisement in Coastal Concerts’ catalogue.  The motion was seconded and approved on a voice vote without dissent as an advertising expense.

Social (Bernie Fiegel & Joan Sciorra)
The Lewes Bakery will be our vendor for the newcomer and faculty orientation on August 28th.  The fall luncheon will be on Wednesday, December 3rd.  The fall catalogue is still being tweaked.  He has reserved the pavilion at CHSP for the picnic on October 13th.

Old Business:  none

New Business:  
Bill asked that each committee chair look at the list of people who wrote on their registrations that they are willing to volunteer and to reach out to the volunteers if the chairs have a need for them.

Mention was made of the obituary for Jim DeCatur, which recommended gifts to OLLI in lieu of flowers.  Bill will thank Carol personally for her generosity.  Renée mentioned that the University will notify Carol when people make donations in memory of Jim.

Next Meeting:  The next meeting will be on August 18th at 10:00 a.m. in the Frederick Thomas Building.

The meeting was adjourned at 11:22 a.m.

Rob Morgan, Secretary