Programs & Activities

OLLI-UM offers multiple avenues by which members can explore new ideas, enhance creativity, and engage their minds.

Included below are brief descriptions of the categories of events OLLI offers followed by information on scholarships, event cancellation, other policies, and a list of OLLI venues. Click on the links for more information about a topic.

• For a complete list of OLLI events, you can view the online Course Catalog.
• A PDF version of the print Catalog is available online.
• To register and pay for events online using a credit card, click on the "Register Online" menu at the left of the page. The online method is preferred for the 2021-22 program year.
• To register by filling out a "paper form", click the "Register for Events by Mail" menu item at the left to download the form as a PDF. Then print it, fill it out, and send it to OLLI by U.S. Mail.
• If you haven't yet paid your annual OLLI membership fee (September to August), you can do that at the same time that you register for an event.

Lectures

Enjoy lectures almost every week, year-round, from the comfort and safety of your home. Academic and professional experts speak on a wide range of cutting-edge social and political issues, science and technology, music, and the arts. Ask questions of the speakers via Zoom. Our teleconference lectures include the weekly lectures of the Thursday Morning Lecture Series (five series on different themes throughout the year with six individual lectures per series), the monthly Distinguished Lecture Series, and the Urgent and Critical Lecture Series. Read on for details!

Distinguished Lecture Series (DLS)

The OLLI Distinguished Lecture Series consists of ten lectures held on once per month on Tuesday mornings from September through June. The speakers are well-informed experts from town and gown who share their specialized knowledge in an engaging manner. Each lecture is just the beginning; a stimulating question-and-answer period follows most sessions.

• When: Second Tuesday of each month from 10:00 to 11:30 am
• Where: All lectures are presented online via Zoom webinar
• Fee: $10 for a single lecture daypass
• Fee: $30 for a 5 lecture package, September-January
• Fee: $55 for a 10 lecture package, September-June

• The Democratization of Venture Capital is Good for Michigan Tuesday, January 11, 2022 (Last lecture of Session 1)
• What Has the Pandemic Taught Us About the American System of Health Insurance, Tuesday, February 8th 
• Christianity and Antisemitism, Tuesday, March 8th
• Public Opinion on Climate Change: An In-Depth Look ,Tuesday, April 12
• Immigration, Redistribution, and Right-Wing Populi in Europe ,Tuesday, May 10
• Making Sense of Afghanistan History and Place in World Politics, Tuesday, June 14

Thursday Morning Lecture Series (TMLS)

There are five Thursday Morning Lecture Series each year. Each series offers six lectures on a unifying theme and a variety of speakers covering specific aspects of the theme. Learning continues in an active question-and-answer period following each lecture.

• When: Thursday mornings from 10:00 to 11:30 am
• Where: All lectures are presented online via Zoom webinar
• Fee: $10 for a single lecture daypass
• Fee: $35 for a 6-week series
• Fee: $140 for the all Thursday Morning Lecture Series Package
• Fee: $180 for all 43 Tuesday, Thursday, and Summer Lectures

Themes for Fall 2021 term

• Canada and the United States - "Unidentical Twins" (9/23-10/28)
• Our Changing Economics Landscape: Wealth Redistribution, Innovations, and Sustainability (11/4-12/16)

Themes for Winter/Spring 2022 term

• Global Waters Exploration: Flora and Fauna (1/13/22-2/17/22)
• Music in Detroit and Michigan (2/24-4/7)
• Native Americans of the Great Lakes Region: Past and Present

Lunch Bunch Discussions

Lunch Bunch sessions in the OLLI Commons offer a chance for discussion following each of the lectures in the Thursday Morning Lecture Series (including the Summer Lecture Series). These discussion sessions are free, but registration is required. Each discussion and reflection session will be led by a member of the sub-committee that created the lecture series.

Lecture Series Packages

There are six lecture series packages:

• Distinguished Lecture Series Package, September–June
• 10 lectures for $55, save $45, available only in the fall
• Distinguished Lecture Series Session 1, September–January
• 5 lectures for $30, save $20, available only in the fall
• Distinguished Lecture Series Session 2, February–June
• 5 lectures for $30, save $20, available in fall and winter/spring
• Thursday Morning Lecture Series Package
• 33 lectures for $140, save $65, available only in the fall
• Includes all 5 Thursday Morning Lecture Series (30 lectures)
• Includes Summer Lecture Series (3 lectures)

• All Lecture Series Package
• 43 lectures for $180, save $125, available only in the fall
• Includes Distinguished Lecture Series (10 lectures)
• Includes all 5 Thursday Morning Lecture Series (30 lectures)
• Includes Summer Lecture Series (3 lectures)
• All Lecture Series Package plus The Futurescape of Medicine
• 48 lectures for $225, available only in the fall
• Includes Distinguished Lecture Series (10 lectures)
• Includes all 5 Thursday Morning Lecture Series (30 lectures)
• Includes Summer Lecture Series (3 lectures)
• Includes The Futurescape of Medicine Series (5 lectures)

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

In 2019, OLLI-UM adopted a strategic plan that mandated the creation of our own Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee in order to ensure that DEI values would be infused throughout our program at every level. The committee drafted a mission statement which is detailed below. Our goal was to lay out a roadmap for the program and ourselves, so that we would be accountable in realizing our objectives.

Study Groups: Small group learning

From “Caravans, Cultures, and Chinggis Khan Along the Silk Route” to “Computerized Investing: Asset Allocation and Mutual Funds” and everything in between, OLLI Study Groups offer something for everyone. For a small-group learning experience in which participants can discuss issues, share knowledge, and grow in unexpected ways, OLLI Study Groups can’t be beat! More than 60 high-quality courses are offered each term (Fall and Winter/Spring/Summer), and may last anywhere from one to 10 weeks or more.

Cost: $10 to $95 per event.

Shared Interest Groups (SIGs)

A Shared Interest Group (SIG) brings people together who have a common interest that they wish to pursue indefinitely within a structure of meetings and activities designed primarily by the members of the group. A SIG will strive to develop a sense of community and friendship among its members even as it endeavors to enhance members’ skills, education, and experiences.

A SIG is different from a traditional Study Group

• A SIG does not have a formal class syllabus.
• Members of a SIG determine the content and discussion of a SIG. A designated facilitator arranges meetings, takes attendance, and initiates the discussion among the SIG members on how the group will operate.
• Persons within a SIG are assured of ongoing membership in it until they decide not to participate.
• SIGs vary in how often they meet.
• A SIG does not have a formal ending date.
• A SIG may be formed by OLLI members because of a particular ongoing interest that is not offered in a study group.
• A SIG may also be formed to socialize and learn together in a group that meets regularly.

Start a SIG

If you ever wanted to start a long-term group activity, submit a proposal for a Shared Interest Group through OLLI. Applications accepted at any time. Contact the OLLI office for details.

Ongoing SIGs

OLLI currently has three active SIGs that are full and three SIGs with space available. 

• Literary Short Fiction, Full †
• The Future of Healthcare in the U.S., Limited spaces available
• Mystery Book Club, Full †
• A Study of Ethics, Full
• Needlework Artists, Limited spaces available
• Artificial Intelligence - 360, new SIG open for enrollment!

† You may register to add your name to the wait list of a full SIG and the OLLI Office will contact you if a spot opens.

Want to get involved with Special Interest Groups (SIGs)?
Please contact OLLI Assistant Director Julie Brown by e-mail to julieba@med.umich.edu

Afternoons with OLLI: Informal learning at friendly gatherings

“Afternoons with OLLI” is the new name for what was called "Evenings with OLLI" in previous years, but one of the Winter/Spring meetings is in the evening. Afternoons with OLLI provides informal learning in a congenial group setting. Local personalities present programs in the late afternoon or early evening to encourage attendance by pre-retirees as well as retirees.

Afternoons with OLLI offers a wide variety of programming to enjoy as we explore Ann Arbor, southeast Michigan, and our wonderful Great Lakes state. Programs feature local personalities, engaging stories about our community and state, and delve into current issues.

• When: Wednesdays, 6:00-7:30pm, January 19 and 3:00-4:30pm March 16
• Where: Online via Zoom.
• Fees: $10 per event or $35 for a package of four events. Free to new members during their first year!
• Membership: This is one OLLI activity that you do not need to be a member to attend.
• Registration: To register without being a member or to register for free in your first year, please mail in an event registration form to the office.

Highlights for Winter/Spring 2022

• Food Gatherers Community Kitchen: A Recipe for Success Without Any Recipes! Wednesday, January 19
• Detroit in Flux: Architecture & Urbanism in the Motor City, Wednesday, March 16

Out of Town Trips

OLLI Out of Town is back with virtual trips to sites around southeast Michigan and, sometimes, even farther afield.

OLLI has transitioned from in-person travel to virtual travel and is offering three dynamic programs to provide you with a kickoff into your weekend on one Tuesday afternoon and three Friday afternoons.

• Select Fridays, 3:00 – 4:30 pm
• $10-$15 per trip or $50 for a package of 4.
• All programs are presented online.

Trip Highlights for Winter/Spring 2022

• Art and Religion in the Cyclades, Tuesday, January 25th
• Art Across Cultures, Friday, February 11
• 150 Years of Detroit Music: A Virtual Tour, Friday, March 11
• Moccasins and Microphones: Modern Native Storytelling through Performance Poetry, Friday, May 13

Want to join the OLLI Out of Town Committee?
Please contact Chair Ruth Primas by e-mail to ruthp@umich.edu.

OLLI Reads!

OLLI Reads! is a shared experience where we read and discuss a common book. As OLLI members, we read a book at the same time, then come together for a presentation by the author, followed by a discussion.

There are two books on the schedule for Winter/Spring 2022:

• The Ground Breaking: An American City and Its Search for Justice by Dr. Scott Ellsworth, Friday, January 28 at 10 am. Fee: $10

• The Women of the Copper Country by Mary Doria Russell, Friday, March 18 at 10:00 am. FREE

Torn From the Headlines

Torn From the Headlines is on hiatus.

OLLI @ Home

OLLI @ Home is on hiatus.

Kickoffs, Open Houses, Fundraisers, and Tutorials

Save the Date! Big Hearted Stories: Journeys

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

7:00 p.m.

Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre and Michigan League

Ann Arbor

Visit the Big Hearts for Seniors website for information on the storyteller submission process and the 2022 event. Prospective storytellers can submit their story through February 25th. For updates leading up to the event, follow us on Facebook!

On May 27, 2021, Big Hearts for Seniors presented Big Hearted Stories: Generations. Four local storytellers engrossed the virtual audience with true-life stories around the theme of "generations." Special guests included emcee Vic Strecher, Ph.D., MPH, Professor of Health Behavior and Health Education in the U-M School of Public Health, and former University of Michigan Men’s Basketball Head Coach John Beilein. Over 500 households registered, and to date, the event has over 1,000 views. In addition, the event brought in a record number of 50 sponsors totaling $48,000 and 7 In-kind sponsrs. The Silent Auction also shattered records by raising $13,000 from 130 items donated by 85 businesses/individuals.   Overall, the event has raised over $40,000 to support Big Hearts for Seniors’ five Michigan Medicine community programs that serve older adults. View our 2021 event, Big Hearted Stories: Generations here. 

Big Hearts for Seniors Benefits:

Ann Arbor Meals on Wheels

Housing Bureau for Seniors

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Silver Club Memory Programs

Turner Senior Wellness Program

This category typically includes:

• Fall Kickoff event(s) held each September;
• OLLI's Virtual Winter Open House held each January;
  
• OLLI Annual Meeting and Election and Lecture, in May
• Big Hearted Stories: Generations, the Big Hearts for Seniors fund raising event
• Tutorials that provide an introduction to OLLI's programs and services.

View YouTube videos of these Big Hearted Stories events:

• May 2021: Big Hearted Stories: Generations
• July 2020: Big Hearted Stories — Experiences of Aging

OLLI Commons

The OLLI Commons is a free Zoom meeting space available for regularly scheduled informal gatherings that meet once a month, twice a month, or every week. You can create or join an ongoing group. While participation in OLLI Commons events is free, registration is required. The OLLI annual membership fee does not have to be paid to register for Commons events.

Check the Commons Calendar to see what’s occurring when.  Join every time the group meets or only when you want to be part of a conversation.

Scheduled Commons Events

• First Friday Happy Hour — Meets the first Friday of each month from 4:30 to 5:30 pm.
• The Schmoozery — Every Wednesday from 1:00 to 2:00 pm.
• The Lunch Bunch —   Every Thursday from noon to 1 pm (on weeks when there is a morning lecture).
• Coffee with Marta —Meets the first and third Tuesday of the month from 9:00 to 10:00 am.
• OLLI Book Beat — Meets the fourth Tuesday of the month from 4 to 5 pm.
• Poetry Reading with Ginny Bentz — Meets the third Friday of the month from 7:00 to 8:00 pm.

To register for an OLLI Commons event, sign-in using your email address and password, then click on one of the links above or visit the Commons section of the online Course Catalog. You must register for each OLLI Commons event you want to attend. The Zoom links you'll need to join the Commons meetings are sent out via email to those who have registered in advance of the meeting and are listed in the Event Details for the event available from the online Course Catalog and on your Payment History page if you are signed in and registered for the event. See  more info here. 

Policies

Speakers

OLLI reserves the right to substitute speakers. The views expressed are those of the speaker(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Michigan.

First Lecture is Free

You may attend your first OLLI lecture for free and without becoming an OLLI member. After that, membership is required in order to attend lectures. The annual membership fee is $25/year and covers the period from September through August. Once you are a member, you can drop in to any lecture for $10.

Study Group $10 Discount Coupon

Never taken an OLLI-UM study group before? Enjoy $10 off your first study group registration.

Afternoons with OLLI Events are Free in a Member's First Year

All new members are welcome at all Afternoons with OLLI events as our guest in their first year as a member.

Dropping OLLI Lectures, Study Groups, and Other Events

Contact the OLLI Office to drop OLLI lectures, study groups, and other events. If the event is dropped before the first meeting for single session events and before the second meeting for multiple session events, you can be given a credit or refund for the event’s fee. Call the OLLI Office to use your credits as payment toward other OLLI events. If the event is dropped after the second meeting, no credit will be given, but it is still important to drop so that we’ll know who is attending and to possibly open up space for someone on a waiting list.

Credits and Refunds

Contact the OLLI Office to find out what your credit balance is and to use your available credits as payment toward other OLLI events. Credits do not expire, but you need to explicitly ask to use them. Unfortunately, at this time, you cannot use your credits online.

OLLI will issue credits, or grant a refund upon request, for study groups that are cancelled.

The OLLI annual membership fee is not refundable.

There are two ways you can access your credit:

1. Online — Please send us an email at olli.credit@umich.edu requesting a refund when you submit your online registration. Unfortunately we are unable to process credits during your online registration, but we can issue a refund from the office when you send us an email.
2. Paper Registration — When you send in your paper registration form, please make a note that you are using a credit, and subtract the credit amount from the total due.

The OLLI office tries to process refunds as quickly as possible, but it may take several weeks to receive your credit/refund. Refunds are given online for online payments, and by check for cash or check payments. If you have any questions please direct them to olli.credit@umich.edu.

Waiting Lists

When an event is full, members who would like to attend are placed on a waiting list. If space for the event opens up, the OLLI Office will contact the individuals on the waiting list by e-mail or phone in first come first served order to see if they still wish to register.

Event Request/Registration Procedure for Study Groups and Shared Interest Groups (SIGs)

OLLI has created a more equitable registration process. The process applies only to Study Groups and Shared Interested Groups (SIGs). Registration for other OLLI programs continues on a first-come-first-served basis.

Here is what you need to know for Study Groups and Shared Interested Groups (SIGs) registration:

An initial equal opportunity registration registration period will run from mid-August to early September for Fall term and from mid-December to early January for Winter/Spring term. You can register at any time during these periods and receive equal consideration for classes that become oversubscribed.

All oversubscribed programs will be subject to a lottery to give everyone an equal chance to get in. Early registration does not increase your chances.

Everyone who applies for programs that become subject to the lottery will be notified of the outcome by e-mail a few days after the lottery is conducted.

Members who are not selected will be given refunds, placed on a wait list and invited to join if space becomes available. Our goal is to issue the refunds during the week after the lottery.

Registration for classes that are not full will still be possible on a first-come-first-served basis after January 12th.

As before, you can register on-line or by mail. There will be no in-person registration for the 2020-21 program year. Online registration is the preferred method this term since the OLLI staff's ability to process mailed registrations is more limited due to COVID-19.

All payments must be made at the time of registration.

Gift Certificates

OLLI members may purchase gift certificates and give them to others to cover the fees for OLLI lectures, study groups, and other events. Contact the OLLI Office for details.

Scholarships

Severe Weather Class Cancellation

One of the positives of being online only is that lectures and classes will continue online in any weather. 

Lecture Videos