OLLI at UNC Asheville Anniversary Booklet

Grow through life &

Celebratin g 25 years of program excellence

10 years in our own Reuter Center September 2013

Our OLLI mission

Leaders’ greetings............................................................................................................................ 3-5

Our mission is to provide opportunities to thrive in life’s second half through programs in lifelong learning, leadership, community service, and research.

Lead thoughtfully............................................................................................................................6-8

Our leadership Brand strategically................................................................................................................................9

Branding OLLI

Our core values have informed the development of our programs since 1988.

Sense of community We are a community of adults who share fellowship in an atmosphere that is respectful, stimulating, creative, fulfilling, and fun.

Lifelong learning We are an enthusiastic group of learners and teachers.

Innovation We strive to be at the leading edge and model best practices nationally in learning, life transitions, and civic engagement programs for older adults.

Collaboration Our members and staff, as well as the University of North Carolina Asheville and the network of Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes, collaborate to maintain and enhance mutual operations and long-term sustainability.

Retire creatively.............................................................................................................................10-11

Our OLLI Story Build solidly......................................................................................................................................12-13

A Place to Call Home fundraising campaign The Reuter Center........................................................................................................................14-16

Our home for all seasons Discover happily..................................................................................................................................17

Leadership Asheville Seniors Learn joyfully...................................................................................................................................18-19

College for Seniors Transition gracefully..........................................................................................................................20

Life Transitions Engage openly.................................................................................................................................... 21

Civic Engagement Research purposefully.............................................................................................................22-23

Continuous improvement We seek continuous improvement in our communications, organization, operations, programming, and facilities.

This commemorative booklet was created by the OLLI Marketing Committee: Chair Kirk Borland, Bill Cosgrove, Carol Gillen, Julie Gros, John Hammond, Judy LaMée, David Langdon, Ken Macfarlane, Henry Morrow, Barry Mundt, Dick Murray, Steve Schleifer, Lynn Sellers. With gratitude to all who have contributed so greatly.

Leaders’ greetings

Catherine Frank, Ph.D.

Anne Ponder, Ph.D.

Executive Director Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UNC Asheville

Chancellor UNC Asheville

“The primary goal of our programs must be to create the rare opportunity for people to gather together to think big thoughts and dream big dreams.” This observation of Kali Lightfoot, OLLI National Resource Center director, resonates for me as I look back on the first 25 years of our program and look forward to what the next 25 will bring. We want to preserve the kinds of learning in community that we do well, at the same time that we want to think big about how we will meet the evolving needs of retirees.

In the late 1980’s, UNC Asheville was fortunate to have been led by a chancellor who had the foresight and vision to dream big. Then Chancellor Dave Brown and his wife Lin gathered together a group of wise community elders to dream about what would make Asheville a great destination for retirees. Together they conceived of The North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement (NCCCR). The center and its numerous intellectually engaging programs not only changed the nature of graceful aging in Asheville but it has now become a national model, transforming our very concept of retirement. The work of those early dreamers has helped to make UNC Asheville a national leader in creative retirement, and in the process, made Asheville one of the country’s preeminent retirement destinations.

Our organization has been thriving for 25 years because we have been willing to dream big and to turn dreams into reality. Our founders thought beyond the traditional model of lifelong learning and created programs that had a statewide, national, and international impact. They believed that there was new ground to be broken in programming for older adults, and they developed a unique understanding of possibility of the retirement years and our “longevity bonus.” They believed they had to take responsibility for the sustainability of our programs and that they could raise the money for a building.

They were imaginative and persistent in making sure that dreams became reality. We are grateful for their efforts and inspired by their achievements.

Our challenge is to look back on our success at the same time we look ahead to embrace an image of retirement that continues to evolve. Here’s to the next 25 years of making big dreams come true.

Now 25 years later, the center has evolved -- now operating under the name of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNC Asheville -- and regularly draws exceptional people to Western North Carolina from all over the country and the world.

As a public university, UNC Asheville serves all of North Carolina. One of the many ways we fulfill our public responsibility is by harnessing the extraordinary talent, wisdom and experience of those who choose to relocate to Asheville to be both teachers and learners, and to play many different roles in the campus community.

It is our great good fortune, here at UNC Asheville, to have such a thriving, vital program and we celebrate the original planners who, 25 years ago, contributed their energy and talents to make it happen.

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Leaders’ greetings, continued

Jim Lenburg, Ph.D.

Mary G. F. Bitterman, Ph.D

Steering Council Chair OLLI at UNC Asheville

President The Bernard Osher Foundation

When I retired after teaching undergraduates for more than thirty years, I thought I would never teach again.

Seven years now after retirement, I am teaching again and having more fun than ever.

On behalf of the trustees and staff of The Bernard Osher Foundation, I extend hearty congratulations to everyone involved with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNC Asheville on 25 years of outstanding service to the community.

After nagging from several friends who had been teaching at OLLI for years, I decided to offer a course on US/China relations. What an amazing experience ensued! Class members were well read and enthusiastic. Some of them actually knew more about the topic than I did. The questions they asked and the discussions that took place were truly remarkable. I found that there was life after teaching undergraduates when I began teaching people of my own generation.

I also thought that I would never again involve myself in administration affairs, going to meetings or dealing with strategic plans, activities that wore me down during my academic career. Today I find myself chair of the OLLI Steering Committee, attending weekly meetings and implementing a strategic plan, and I enjoy every minute of it.

The commitment of OLLI at UNC Asheville to lifelong learning, to creative retirement planning, to community service and “to thriving in life’s second half” is truly worthwhile, and I am excited to be a part of it.

It is particularly delightful to know that for 25 years OLLI has provided these services and for 10 years has been able to do so in the beautiful Reuter Center. Happy Anniversary!

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The pioneering efforts and vision of the individuals who launched the initiative in 1988 established a standard of excellence and model of active member involvement that have become hallmarks not only of UNC Asheville’s exceptional program but of hundreds of thriving lifelong learning ventures across the country.

We recognize that your success therefore represents the remarkable collective accomplishment of your wonderful community of intellectually vigorous members who give generously of their time and their talent. Together you have created a program that is vibrant and dynamic, yet also affordable and inclusive.

We also salute Chancellor Ponder and the leadership of UNC Asheville for their steadfast support of the program and for embracing the notion that—at its best—education is a lifelong pursuit that has the power to elevate, delight, and keep us connected to each other and to a larger world.

We are pleased to support your good work and warmly welcome you to the national Osher Lifelong Learning Institute network. We look forward to your continuing contributions to the field of lifelong learning and trust that you will benefit from lively exchanges of information and ideas with your Osher Institute colleagues on 117 campuses from Maine to Hawaii and Alaska.

Ron Manheimer, Ph.D. Founding Director North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement Over the years, I have heard many testimonials to the role UNC Asheville’s lifelong learning program (NCCCR, now OLLI) has played in people’s lives. The open, welcoming and supportive atmosphere communicates the long time motto “discover the possibilities.” Like UNC Asheville, OLLI is “seriously creative” in helping people renew a sense of meaning and purpose in their lives.

One woman told me, “It saved our marriage.” Her husband, struggling with a retirement transition, lacked an outlet for his talents and knowledge. Then he discovered the College for Seniors. Eventually, the two wound up co-teaching several courses. Another woman said her participation had enhanced her confidence and self-esteem. She decided to divorce after a long, unhappy marriage.

One man fell into a depression, even while still working in his profession part time. He found renewed motivation and joy in organizing a highly popular special interest group.

Other individuals have lived in Asheville most of their adult lives, but never stepped foot on the campus until they were invited to join a computer literacy or a community leadership course offered at the Reuter Center. “I’m finally going to college,” one man said.

“This is a great place. I love rubbing elbows with the undergrads,” said another.

Always innovative, never satisfied with past accomplishments or recognition, OLLI at UNC Asheville will remain the crucible of personal rejuvenation and social contribution in Asheville and beyond.

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Lead thoughtfully

Staff members Ann Cadle, Catherine Frank, Jessika Carney, Laurel Jernigan, Anne Mock, Susan Poole, and Leanna Preston

Bill Roskind photo

OLLI Staff Catherine Frank Executive Director

Ann Cadle Business Manager

Jessika Carney Administrative Support Laurel Jernigan Program Director, Leadership Asheville Seniors, Paths and CREW and Volunteer Coordinator

Anne Mock Program Assistant,

College for Seniors

Susan Poole Program Director,

College for Seniors

Leanna Preston Facilities Director 6

Front row: Kathy Rouse, Judy LaMée, Kathleen Mainardi, Cindy Berryman-Fink, Kirk Borland Row 2: Ken Macfarlane, Gail Sobel, Barry Mundt, Susan Poole Row 3: Catherine Frank, Chuck Rosenblum, Steve Schleifer, Matt Mengel, Catherine Jordan Row 4: Jim Lenburg Not pictured: Larry Haas, Charlotte Moore Henry Morrow photo

OLLI Steering Council 2013-2014 Chair Jim Lenburg Chair-elect Judy LaMée Secretary Matt Mengel

Past Chair Cindy Berryman-Fink OLLI Executive Director Catherine Frank

CFS Director Susan Poole

CFS Chairs Charlotte Moore, Gail Sobel

Civic Engagement Chuck Rosenblum Facilities Barry Mundt Finance Larry Haas

Life Transitions Ken Macfarlane Marketing Kirk Borland Membership Kathy Rouse, Kathleen Mainardi Nominating Judy LaMée Planning Catherine Jordan Research Steve Schleifer 7

Lead thoughtfully,

continued

UNC Asheville Administration

Anne Ponder Chancellor Jane K. Fernandes Provost & Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Elizabeth “Buffy� Bagwell Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Janet Cone Senior Administrator for

University Enterprises & Athletics Director

Bill Haggard Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

John G. Pierce Vice Chancellor for Finance & Campus Operations

Christine Riley Chief of Staff

Board of Trustees 2013-2014

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King Prather

Doug Orr, Ph.D.

Vice Chair

Audrey Byrd Mosley

Secretary

Chair

Kennon Briggs

David Cogburn, M.D.

J.W. Davis

Sue McClinton

Piyush Patel

Ron Paulus, M.D.

Pat Smith

Virgil Smith

Cissie Stevens

Leigh Whittaker

Brand strategically

by Kirk Borland

W

hat does the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of North Carolina Asheville have in common with Amoco, Panasonic and Xerox? All are new identities adopted by older, well-established brands in order to better compete in a changing world.

The North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement (NCCCR), a pioneer in the challenge of redefining retirement beginning in 1988, joined the Osher family of lifelong learning centers to help insure its future financial health and to better align with peer institutions across the country. Thus in 2012, our new brand was born.

Just as we became the newest member of the Osher family, UNC Asheville re-branded itself to more clearly define its advantage in the educational marketplace. We took advantage of that timing to align with the university’s branding effort. It was left in our hands to re-define our brand through development of a new logo, new graphic elements, and a new brand theme.

Essential to this task was the determination that the freshly minted elements of our OLLI brand identity be consistent and faithful to the mission and core values that distinguished NCCCR and helped establish ours as an enduring organization.

We began in the Fall of 2012 by conducting interviews with some two dozen past and present leaders - people from Dave and Lin Brown who first conceived of the Center for Creative Retirement to Cindy Berryman-Fink and Jim Lenburg who are today helping to shape the future of our new brand. Those interviews not only affirmed our mission “to provide opportunities to thrive during life’s second half,” but also provided insights to inspire our new brand identity.

Our new logo had to meet several criteria: it had to incorporate the Osher logo, it had to express our defining affiliation with the university and it had to give us a “handle” that was easy to say. After all, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, by itself, is a mouthful. The elegant solution, OLLI at UNC Asheville, utilizes the color palette of our university, and clearly identifies who we are and what we represent.

In searching for a theme, we wanted to capture the love of learning so richly embodied at the Reuter Center but also the sense of community and devotion to serving that have historically been such a strong part of our values. We found inspiration in the words of Eric Butterworth, a 20th century Unitarian minister who urged, “Don’t go through life, grow through life.” And so was born our theme, depicted in a friendly, organic font style that offers an appealing contrast to the classic style of the logo itself.

Grow through life

And finally, we looked for a graphic element that would complement the “Grow through life” philosophy while offering an impressionistic visual that invites interpretation. The result is what we see as a leaf; others have described it as a mountain landscape or a path or even an eye.

We invite you to bring your own experiences to give richness and meaning to our new OLLI brand, as together we grow through life.

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Retire creatively

Our OLLI Story

by Judy LaMée

O

ver the past 25 years, hundreds of volunteers and many professional staff members have poured their passion, their intellect, their life experiences and their long-term commitment into making the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement, now the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UNC Asheville, the resounding success it is today. In this volunteer-rich peer-to-peer community of learners, thousands have discovered new ways to thrive in “life’s second half.”

Lin and Dave Brown

Under Dave Brown’s leadership, from 1985-1990, many innovations were launched at UNC Asheville. The school was designated as the state’s public liberal arts university. The Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges was founded; its headquarters remains on this campus today. Its Masters of Liberal Arts graduate program was launched during his chancellorship.

This insightful leader also proposed health and wellness as a focus for the campus, later realized in the establishment of the North Carolina Center for Health and Wellness and the construction of the Sherrill Center. Undergraduate research was pioneered here and spread far beyond.

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When Dave Brown came to the University of North Carolina Asheville in 1985 as its second chancellor, he sought ways to distinguish this university from others in the state university system and beyond. He succeeded brilliantly Luke Bukoski photo on many fronts. Of particular significance to our programs, Dave Brown’s vision prompted a team of faculty, community leaders, and administrators to develop the concept of a center for older learners, another crowning achievement of his tenure. This vibrant program for older adults became the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement, seeded in 1987 with $100,000 from the North Carolina General Assembly. Dave’s wife Lin, a gerontologist, quickly came on board, igniting the flame that became our College for Seniors. That program was launched in 1988, modestly, with four classes, one classroom, two offices, and a sometime conference room, all housed in the university’s Owen Hall. Built on the cornerstones of learning, leadership, service, and research, this creative approach to retirement proved to have broad appeal. Visionaries Dave and Lin quickly inspired others to join their efforts, and the program took off.

The talents of Ron Manheimer were soon enlisted as the first executive director for the creative retirement center. Ably assisting Ron was Denise Snodgrass. Tireless crusaders, the pair grew the program’s enrollment and scope, willing to experiment, eager to engage community leaders and others to build a unique program with positive impact, and in the process, changed both the perception and reality of retirement.

National recognition followed quickly. In 1991, a Parade magazine cover story featured Asheville seniors making a difference and turned its spotlight on the center. Six thousand Parade readers wrote letters, eager to explore retiring to Asheville! From this groundswell of interest, the Creative Retirement Exploration Weekend (CREW) was spawned, enrolling 137 participants in its very first year, all eager to see what the buzz was about.

Ron Manheimer

Denise Snodgrass

The programs we celebrate here have received broad media exposure through CBS Sunday Morning, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Parade magazine, and other national publications.

As the programs expanded over the center’s first 15 years, growing pains were inevitable. As they scheduled a growing number of classes into existing university classrooms, area churches and other community facilities, leaders recognized the need for a dedicated building, sited on the university campus, and focused entirely on creative retirement programming opportunities.

Enter Alice Green and her late husband Art, who led the highly successful fundraising campaign “A Place to Call Home.” That place would become the Reuter Center. Read all about it in Dick Murray’s story, which follows.

Staff and members alike celebrate the fact of having our own dedicated facility, fostering our strong sense of community. Keeping the Reuter Center facility updated and its technology current enhances the learning experience for student participants and instructors alike.

Ron Manheimer served as the center’s executive director from its founding until he retired in 2009. Cissie Stevens, well respected in the community and on the UNC Asheville campus, assumed the helm as interim director. In 2010 Catherine Frank became executive director after directing Duke University’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

Building on the programs’ past strengths and successes, Catherine’s thrust has been to ensure our programs are replicable and sustainable, as well as to nurture ties to the UNC Asheville campus, its Board of Trustees and the Planning Council.

Enrollment has remained robust, even during the economic downturn that had such a dramatic impact on this area and the nation. Programming has expanded in the areas of civic engagement and life transitions.

Cissie Stevens

“When invitations went out for a luncheon May 14, 1987, announcing plans for the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, 100 people responded they were coming. About 300 guests actually showed up for the event, held at the Grove Park Inn. They included state and local elected officials, nationally renowned gerontologists, leading business people, top UNC administrators, and a large contingent of Asheville residents whose age might qualify them to partake in this new venture.”

- Ron Manheimer, NCCCR Founding Director

In 2011-12, Catherine led the effort to join 116 other vibrant programs in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute network. That association occasioned our name change to Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UNC Asheville. With an Osher endowment grant of $2 million, expected to generate $80,000 – $100,000 annually over time, OLLI at UNC Asheville will be able to maintain and expand its high quality programming at affordable prices. Joining the Osher Foundation also establishes OLLI at UNC Asheville as part of the national dialogue on learning, programming, and leading for older adults. Through this association, we have the opportunity to share best practices with peer OLLI organizations. We look forward to a long, mutually beneficial association across this acclaimed network.

The best just keeps getting better at OLLI at UNC Asheville.

Catherine Frank

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Build solidly

by Dick Murray

“A

Place to Call Home,” the fund-raising campaign to build the Reuter Center, is an inspiring story of sacrifice, generosity, and humor. Determined volunteers raised $4.3 million to provide a magnificent venue for the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement. The Reuter Center has surpassed all the aspirations of its early supporters.

Alice Green

“The committee became so close, we felt just like family.”

Founding executive director Ron Manheimer recognized the need for the campaign, as College for Seniors classes were spread all over the UNC Asheville campus and beyond.

As the university grew, finding space became a mounting challenge. Originally Ron envisioned a pre-fab building costing around $350,000. As momentum grew, the concept expanded. The place to call home would not be a pre-fab building, but a customdesigned facility, appropriate for classrooms and a multitude of other programs.

Ron called on members Alice and Art Green to help raise money for the new home. Alice and Art were hesitant to accept the fund-raising chairmanship, as they had no experience in asking people for money. In fact, Alice is frank to say, “If you owed me $10, I would be reluctant to ask for it.” As a compromise, the Greens offered to review the membership roster and help Ron pick a qualified couple. After an agonizing weekend considering who might lead the effort, they realized a perfect fit didn’t exist. By Monday morning, they concluded they didn’t want to risk “wrecking two marriages.” Instead, the Greens concluded that their dedication to the Center for Creative Retirement was so strong, they had no choice but to accept the role.

The campaign spanned five years. Alice and Art were joined by Dorothy Murphree and Beth Lazer in leading the effort. UNC Asheville chancellors Patsy Reed and Jim Mullen, whose administrations spanned the campaign years, gave enthusiastic support.

Talents of the development department’s Assistant Vice Chancellor Alex Comfort with the assistance of Julie Heinitsh brought years of fund-raising experience. They helped organize the campaign, trained volunteers in the art of making requests to private donors and foundations, and encouraged the committee during difficult times. Alex noted Chancellor Mullen’s lone stipulation. “I’ll do everything I can to help with the campaign, except bob for apples.”

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A Place to Call Home fundraising committee, L-R Jack Aycock, Dave Stewart, Cissie Stevens, Alex Comfort, Alice Green, Nancy Reynolds, Art Green, Howard Spanogle, Mary Margaret Fell

The result was a grand adventure. Fund-raising parties were hosted at members’ homes. Phone-a-thons were conducted. Every major business in the area was solicited by the committee. In one effort, people donated to have their name placed on a brick in the walkway to the entrance. As the building was going up, parties were held at the site. One memorable party was at Halloween. And no, Chancellor Mullen did not have to bob for apples. According to Alice, “The committee became so close, we felt just like family.”

Cissie Stevens remembered one approach was to ask people to donate stock, since the market was booming at the time. It worked. Cissie also introduced volunteers to many of Asheville’s established donors. Alice recalls how many members stretched to donate to the campaign. In the end there were over 1,000 donors from 650 households. Many gave $3,000, a genuine sacrifice to some. Once donors learned that those giving $5,000 or more would be recognized on the wall at the entrance of the building, some dug even deeper. The Greens realized they needed to make a major contribution as leaders of the effort. To do so, they would have to dig into their savings, which would affect their son’s inheritance. When they shared with him their intentions, he agreed wholeheartedly.

Early in the campaign, it was suggested that the Janirve Foundation, a charitable organization established by former General Motors executive Irving J. Reuter, be approached for a grant of the “stretch” sum of $500,000. The presentation was encouraging, especially given the immediate rapport established between Dorothy Murphree and Janirve Chairman M. Ray Poston. Both came from Mississippi, and Dorothy’s Southern charm seemed quite convincing to Mr. Poston. Then the waiting began. When Alice and Art returned from a trip, there were four urgent phone messages from Dorothy. “We received a grant from Janirve,” said Dorothy. “They are going to give us $250,000 (pause) and a $1 million matching grant.” Alice says she and Dorothy both became hysterical. In fact, Janirve later agreed to another $500,000, bringing their total to $1,750,000. From that point on, the success of the campaign was never in doubt. Until the excavators hit rock.

Jack Ingersoll

Now the Reuter Center could be furnished.

Three and a half million dollars had been raised for the building. The increased cost of excavation, however, left the committee with no funds for furnishings. A new campaign was needed, but committee members felt they could not go back again to those they had already solicited. They decided Jack Ingersoll would be perfect to run the second effort. Jack was invited to coffee with Alice, Dorothy and Beth Lazer.

Jack knew he was going to be asked to do something; he just didn’t know what. As he entered the coffee shop, all three women were kneeling and bowing to him. Jack quickly realized that whatever they wanted him to do, “no” was not an option. With the assistance of the UNC Asheville advancement office, Rick Ricordati and many of the original volunteers, Jack led the second effort, called “A Place to Sit Down.” More than $300,000 was raised. Now the Reuter Center could be furnished.

Through generosity, determination and sacrifice, center members built “A Place to Call Home.” By the dedication of the Reuter Center, on September 13, 2003, donations totaled $4.3 million. Our home has thrived well beyond its supporters’ dreams. In 2010, the Janirve Foundation was so impressed with the breadth and quality of the center’s programs, they contributed another $1 million for an endowment to ensure the future of the Reuter Center. While we will always be indebted to the generosity of the Janirve Foundation, our past and future rest in the hands of our members. It’s in good hands, indeed.

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The Reuter Center

by David Langdon

T

he Reuter Center opened its doors in the summer of 2003, with classrooms of various sizes and configurations, multimedia capability and, in some cases, movable walls for more flexible space. With such a fine, dedicated building designed to accommodate a variety of activities, we are fortunate to be able to offer a broad range of programs to our members.

Program offerings have expanded greatly over the last 10 years. By having all our programs under one roof, the spirit of community has blossomed. The following list is representative of the diverse opportunities OLLI members enjoy today.

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Kirk Borland photo

Reuter Center Singers - This lively in-house choral group studies and performs classical, popular and show tunes in concert several times a year. Open rehearsals are Monday nights at Reuter Center and performances are held in different area venues as an OLLI community outreach.

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our home for all seasons Special Events - Each session OLLI offers special events and presentations. Among the special programs are Advance Care Planning, Asheville Community Theatre’s Autumn Players Readers Theatre, Astronomy Club, Blue Ridge Orchestra, Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society, and f/32 Photography.

Fabulous Friday and Workshops - On Fridays during many sessions, OLLI presents Fabulous Friday events. Members enjoy presentations about subjects ranging from art to archaeology to health and music. One- and two-day workshops offer hands-on experience with gardening, painting, photography, basketry and more.

Story continues on next page

The Art Bazaar draws enthusiasts from many different media.

Romantic Music class members gather round as Professor Michael Ruiz provides lively musical interpretations.

Asheville Symphony Conductor Daniel Meyer chats with guest Michael Morel photo cellist Joshua Roman at Symphony Talk.

Afternoon bridge players from one of our many Special Interest Groups (SIGs) enjoy the atrium ambiance.

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The Reuter Center,

continued

Special Interest Groups (SIGs) – Once the Reuter Center opened, members wanted to use it for many different purposes. Special Interest Groups sprang up as one more way members could connect and develop friendships based on their shared interests.

SIGs sometimes arose as outgrowths from CFS classes. Others are completely unrelated. Denise Snodgrass recalls the first SIG was probably Mah Jongg, which continues to this day. More than 20 SIGs currently meet, including Apple computers, backgammon, bridge (three groups), singles, men’s wisdom (six groups), Reuter Center Bowlers and many more.

Author Marc Freedman engages a full house on his specialty, the new stage beyond mid-life.

Budding guitarists stroll in the atrium lobby with instructor Owen Middleton. Bill Roskind photo

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The OLLI member’s life is enriched significantly by the wealth of opportunities available at our magnificent Reuter Center.

The Reuter Center Singers take the audience back in time to celebrate the do-wop sounds of the ‘50s. Alexander J. Pappas photo

Discover happily Leadership Asheville Seniors

by Michelle Rogers, LAS Director 2009-2011 with Kirk Borland

F

or 27 years, Leadership Asheville Seniors (LAS), OLLI’s civic engagement program, has brought participants together to learn about our community’s most pressing issues and ways they may address those issues through volunteerism, activism, voting, and other involvement.

LAS became the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement’s (NCCCR’s) first program in 1986, before NCCCR even had a director.

UNC Asheville already supported two successful community leadership programs—Leadership Asheville and Leadership Hendersonville. LAS became a program for older adults modeled on Leadership Asheville.

Leadership Asheville Seniors adopted the restoration of Labyrinth Asheville, a meditative park sponsored by RiverLink, as a service project.

Dave Brown, then UNC Asheville Chancellor, and Ron Manheimer, founding NCCCR director, secured grant funding for the Creative Senior Leadership Program. Together with program director Denise Snodgrass, they started numerous programs across North Carolina, boosting the statewide and national reputation of NCCCR, LAS and Asheville as models for communities to engage the wisdom and expertise of older adults for the benefit of people of all ages.

Initially managed by the University Relations department, LAS soon became an exclusive NCCCR program. Denise Snodgrass directed the program until she retired in 2009. LAS graduates actively planned and implemented the program, following the center’s model.

“LAS could flourish with the creativity and energy of the older adults themselves,” Denise recalls. She remembers conducting two retrospective surveys of LAS graduates. “Both studies showed that more than half the participants credited the program for changing the type of volunteering they pursued and increasing the quality and quantity of that volunteering.”

She adds, “In each class’s participant evaluations, however, graduates consistently said the relationships they formed with their classmates and the knowledge they gained about the community were most important to them.”

Today, a group of LAS graduates gathers in late spring to plan the upcoming fall program.

During the nine-week program, participants focus on topics such as education, government, environment, social services, law and justice, and more. Participants hear presentations by community leaders, including city and county officials, school superintendents, and others who share perspectives on how things work in our community and what is needed from the community to address critical issues. The class participates in a service project early in the program, and friendships are forged in that spirit of becoming the informed, engaged citizens program its founders envisioned decades ago.

“I thought the nine weeks spent at the Leadership Asheville Seniors meetings were informative, meaningful, challenging and, most important, enjoyable. There’s no better way to learn all about Asheville-- its wonders, its problems, its inner workings-and how you can take advantage of what it offers as well as how you can contribute to its future.”

-Len Ennis

Laurel Jernigan became LAS Director in 2012. Over the span of 27 LAS seasons, 751 participants have completed Leadership Asheville Seniors.

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Learn joyfully College for Seniors

by John Hammond

I

Bert Lockwood Henry Morrow photo

n 1990, when Bert Lockwood began teaching military history at the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement College for Seniors, his was one of about forty courses being offered over three terms (Fall, Winter and Spring). According to Susan Poole, OLLI’s College for Seniors director since 2008, “There are currently more than 300 different courses offered annually over four terms (a Summer term has been added) with more than 1,700 learners enrolled.”

In 1988, during one of the first terms for which records are available, 24 classes were offered. Those numbers have inched steadily upward.

Susan estimated that approximately 4,000 courses, taught by as many as 1,000 different instructors, have been offered since classes began here. We must be doing something right!

Students enjoy art class.

One of the major reasons for the overarching success of the College for Seniors is the overall enthusiasm among teachers and learners alike to exchange knowledge in an open and friendly environment. Bert Lockwood, who continues to teach here after 23 years, describes it as a “collaborative learning experience, much different from what I experienced when teaching undergraduate and graduate honors courses” at a host of colleges and universities. We couldn’t agree more.

College for Seniors celebrates

by Charlotte Moore

its volunteers

Delivering more than 300 courses in a year requires dedication, commitment, and an enormous number of volunteers, who give generously and selflessly of their time and talents. During 2012-2013, this is what College for Seniors looked like by the numbers:

Staff

College for Seniors Committee

18

6.5 salaried personnel 11 volunteers, 2 staff members

Instructors 301

Appalachian Studies

7 volunteers

Class representatives

132 volunteers

Curriculum Committee

Faculty Development

Registration

Additional events

Total OLLI, College for Seniors staff, instructors 690.5 ! and volunteers Summer 2012-Spring 2013

12 topic groups / 56 volunteers 10 volunteers 160 volunteers 5 volunteers

Cissie Stevens reflects on the

College for Seniors

by Cissie Stevens, UNC Asheville Trustee with Carol Gillen

I

n 1989, when I was working in UNC Asheville’s Owen Hall as Director of Alumni Relations, I walked past the College for Seniors’ (CFS) classroom every day. I was struck by how much fun everyone was having.

Cissie Stevens

I joined in that fun the next year as College for Seniors director. We had only two terms then – Fall and Spring – and one classroom! We changed out classroom desks for tables, we carpeted the floor, and we even served cookies and muffins every day. Our fall term offered nine courses to around 100 people. Enrollment grew. We added more courses.

Then we had to find more space. We added two more terms, Winter and Summer, to increase our course offerings and to reach a wider audience.

Our biggest challenge was promoting a diverse membership and creating a sense of community. We had no central place for our members to meet and learn together.

Committed staff members worked with conscientious volunteers. Class reps were essential in managing day-to-day communications and handling emergencies. We would never have succeeded without their dedication.

When I retired in 2002, we were holding classes in many places, including First Baptist Church, Quaker Meeting House, Carmichael Hall, and the Dance Studio. We met in the Hospice Building on the Highland Hospital property, Deerfield Retirement Community, and the Kellogg Center in Hendersonville. College for Seniors was like a lemonade stand in the desert: if people could find us, they would come. It felt a little crazy trying to service all those locations, especially at the beginning and end of each term when equipment and supplies had to be distributed.

When the Reuter Center facility was proposed, we were thrilled. Without the recognition of this need from our members, and the support from the university, there would be no OLLI at UNC Asheville today. In 2003, the Reuter Center dream became a reality. University chancellors Dave Brown, Sam Schuman, Jim Mullen, Patsy Reed and Anne Ponder all played strong supporting roles over the years.

I became a university trustee in 2007. However, during my first term, Chancellor Anne Ponder asked me to resign from that position in 2009 to become Interim Director of NCCCR. Executive Director Ron Manheimer and Assistant Director Denise Snodgrass were retiring; someone was needed who had a history with the program and its membership.

Back I went. My main responsibility was to recruit a search committee to hire a new Executive Director. We completed that task in 2010 when we welcomed Catherine Frank to that post. In 2011, I returned to the university’s Board of Trustees.

This program has grown enormously, offering many more choices and an astounding curriculum, and joining the OLLI network. I am grateful I got to play a part in building this fabulous organization.

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Transition gracefully “The CREW weekend helped us to crystallize all of our concerns, anxieties and enthusiasm for retirement. At the end of the weekend, we knew what issues were important to both of us and which issues we needed to discuss further. CREW gave us the tools to have meaningful and heartfelt discussions about retirement.”

- Kathleen Mainardi

“I came into the Paths course dreading retirement and loss of my identity, and left with the realization that there was a life after work. Three and a half retirement books later, long planning discussions with my wife and bucket lists have me asking my boss to let me retire before my contract expires later in the year.”

- Michael Baron, M.D.

“It was not the news I wanted to hear. My cancer cannot be cured and I have between two and five years remaining. For me it is a gift of time and I’m not wasting a second of it. I wrote a bucket list of thirty-five items and there are only two remaining. I want to invite you to join me in completing one of them.”

- Nick Jordan

Life Transitions

by David Langdon

Creative Retirement Exploration Weekend (CREW) The first Life Transition program at OLLI arose from the tremendous response to a Parade magazine article about our senior volunteers in 1991. Six thousand readers wrote in, eager to learn more. This two-day interactive educational program was designed to give participants an understanding of retirement lifestyle choices and help them make informed decisions about whether, where and how to relocate. Now the program offers an optional third day for participants specifically interested in the Asheville area, including small group tours. Presentations and facilitator-directed discussions help participants discuss and discover the personal and social aspects of their life transition, including relationships, identity, starting over in a new location and remaining productive.

CREW is offered at the end of May each year with an average of 75 participants. Over the past 10 years, more than 800 participants can attest to successful retirement decisions they made as a result of this unique workshop.

Paths to Creative Retirement Paths was developed in 2002 to expand on the existing CREW program with emphasis on the needs of people approaching retirement. This three-day interactive educational workshop focuses on the non-financial aspects of life’s second half. Decision-making exercises and facilitator-led discussions reveal stimulating opportunities to help participants transform anxieties into a reassuring learning process.

OLLI’s Paths Workshop is offered twice a year in April and September. Over the past 11 years, more than 750 participants have completed the program. Many are current OLLI members.

Exploring Continuing Care Retirement Communities Exploring Continuing Care Retirement Communities is a new addition to the OLLI Life Transitions portfolio. A continuing care retirement community (CCRC) is a housing option for older adults seeking a continuum of independent housing, assisted living, and skilled nursing care within a single campus setting. Participants in the workshop are encouraged to gather relevant information and ask questions together to determine the benefits and costs of this housing option.

The Gift of Time Workshop Nick Jordan decided he wanted to get his legal, financial, and personal affairs in order to make his life transition as easy as possible for his family. The workshop he developed for OLLI concentrates on pulling together the professionals needed to address these issues.

“Every professional I talked with said their greatest challenge was the high number of patients and clients who could not or would not face end of life planning for themselves or a loved one,” he said. Legal, medical and spiritual experts participate in five informal sessions providing direction and a supportive environment for those seeking to tackle complex end of life issues.

Engage openly Civic Engagement

by Chuck Rosenblum, Civic Engagement Chair with Julie Gros

I

n March 2012, 13 OLLI members met to revive the Civic Engagement Committee. The committee discussed a number of community issues where we felt we could make a difference. We wrote a mission statement. We talked about Leadership Asheville Seniors (LAS) and our knowledge of the social and economic needs facing Asheville and Western North Carolina. An article in the Asheville Citizen-Times citing some startling statistics raised our genuine concern and fueled our desire to do something about local hunger.

OLLI lends a helping hand at MANNA Food Bank

This year’s focus is our “Call to Action: Fighting Hunger.” Our goal is twofold: first, to raise awareness through symposia about the alarming, yet largely invisible hunger that exists among individuals, families, and children; secondly, to enlist volunteers to join us as we get our hands dirty, fighting hunger here in Asheville.

During the year, we’ll be presenting topics on malnutrition, childhood obesity, and their effects on student performance in our schools. We’ll be hearing about food deserts, community gardens, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly called food stamps, and local groups supporting healthy food and sustainable agriculture. And we’ll be working in conjunction with the Asheville Buncombe Food Policy Council, represented by Councilman Gordon Smith.

OLLI engages with Hall Fletcher students at their farmers’ market

What will come of our “Call to Action”? Our hope is to cause something to happen, to create a sustainable approach to addressing hunger, food waste, and childhood obesity, through the hands-on activities of our members and the possibility of changing public policy!

OLLI finds ways to help fight hunger

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Research purposefully

by Steve Schleifer, Ph.D.

What matters most to our members?

How do we know?

W

hen I joined OLLI (then NCCCR) early in 2007, many considered it the gold standard among lifelong learning institutes. However, the organization was facing some challenges, due to the growing financial downturn, and the impending arrival of the baby boomers. This suggested we couldn’t rest on our laurels but would need to plan carefully to be prepared for both challenges. Since better information leads to better decisions, I believed we needed research to learn more about the characteristics, attitudes, and needs of OLLI’s current and future members.

There was no structured research program at the time. Rather, “anecdotal evidence” was often cited, based on observation and/or members’ comments, but with little hard data to quantify whether this represented the views of the broader membership. I believed such quantification was both obtainable and essential as we planned for the future, and I set out to expand the research function.

We now use Survey Monkey software, which allows us to conduct all our research online. When we moved from paper to online College for Seniors course evaluations, we significantly improved response quality and frequency. On average, 83% of evaluations are completed each term.

After two years of steadily increasing research activity and recognition of its value, the Research Committee was established in 2009. The committee’s charter was to support OLLI’s overall mission of thriving in life’s second half by providing quantitative information to enhance its overall planning activities and those of all standing committees, and later to support its newly articulated core value of continuous improvement.

A broad and growing program of research has been carried out since 2007, including member research – current, new, and former; evaluative research, for both OLLI’s members-only programs and our public programs, such as CREW, Paths, lectures, and workshops.

We also learn members’ demographics (including employment status), preferred course subjects, participation in OLLI’s and UNC Asheville’s activities and events, and even their use of social media (Facebook usage has increased from 27% in 2009 to 46% in 2012.)

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Members’ satisfaction index

Our publications

Very satisfied +satisfied with overall OLLI experience

91%

88% 82%

81%

% 8823%

% % 37% 8288

% 7% 43% 838% 87% 4533%

2% 59% 52% 535%

% 32% 4355%

Research conducted and published by the North Carolina Center for Creative % 5965 % % 80% 0% 685% 50% 5698% Retirement includes: A Map to the End of Time: Wayfarings with Friends and Philosophers. Manheimer, Ronald, NY: Norton, 1999.

Older Adult Education: A Guide to Research, Programs, and Policies.

Manheimer, Ronald J., Diane MoskowMcKenzie and Denise Snodgrass.

Greenwood Publishing, 1995.

2010

2011

2012

We’ve learned most of our members moved to Asheville from somewhere else. More % % And % 889% 1% 81% 1% 8here.

8189 818% than half of them knew something about OLLI before they 8moved OLLI was among their reasons, or the reason, for relocating here!

2010

82%

83%

Relocated to the Asheville area from somewhere else

87%

43%

2012

2011

53%

52%

Aware of OLLI before relocating to the Asheville area

59%

68%

91%

Older Americans Almanac: A Reference Work on Seniors in the United States.

Manheimer, Ronald J. (ed.). Washington, DC: Gale Research Inc., 1994.

Identifying Critical Pathways in Organizing Educational Programs for Older Adults: Final Report. Manheimer, Ronald J., Diane Moskow-McKenzie, Denise L. Snodgrass, William H. Haas, Harry R. Moody. Submitted to the AARP Andrus Foundation, March 1993.

50%

OLLI the/among the reasons for relocating to the Asheville area

OLLI’s research has played an increasingly important role in our day-to-day operations and planning. We expect this to continue - and expand into other areas - in the future.

Are we still considered the gold standard? Many folks think so, including me. Now we have data to support that.

81%

88%

91%

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www.olliasheville.com

828.251.6140

olli@unca.edu