 OLLI provides
opportunities for mature adults to
explore intellectual and cultural
subjects as well as share their
experiences and talents. Members seek to
enrich their lives through continued
learning. OLLI offers daytime academic
courses, special events and cultural
activities in a warm and welcoming
atmosphere. The courses are not offered
for college credit or toward degree
programs. Classes are offered at
Tallwood Annex on the George Mason main
campus, at Lake Anne in Reston,
Virginia, and at George Mason's Loudoun
County site in Sterling, Virginia.
Joining OLLI.You
can become a member by filling in the
registration form included with the
catalog for each term and returning the
form with your check for the applicable
annual fee. Scholarships are available
to those in need. To obtain a course
catalog with the registration form,
contact the office
by phone 703-503-3384 or
email;
you will be put on the mailing list for
the next term. On this Web site you can
view OLLI's most recent catalog
and the long-term schedule of
non-class events. Catalogs
are mailed about three weeks before the
registration deadline for the term.
Try Us Out.
If you would like to try us out, you may
visit one or more classes that are not
oversubscribed during one consecutive
two-week period while we are in session;
check with the OLLI office to find out
whether the class you want to visit has
space available. Or try us out at
our special "introductory
rate" of only $150 for
one term only and take unlimited
courses and activities at any of
the three OLLI locations! After
trying us out, you can continue
your membership for the next three
terms for just $250. Call or email
us to sign up.
Mission. The
mission of OLLI is to offer to its
members learning opportunities in a
stimulating environment in which older
adults can:
- share their talents,
experiences and skills;
- explore new interests;
- discover and develop
latent abilities;
- engage in intellectual
and cultural pursuits; and
- socialize with others of
similar interests.
Guiding
principles. To accomplish its
mission, OLLI is guided by the following
principles. OLLI--
- provides non-credit,
non-degree-granting programs, as
well as special, cultural and social
events;
- is governed by its
members and functions as an
intellectual cooperative in which
members volunteer in administration
and as planners, instructors,
organizational officers and
committee members;
- serves as an important
resource and forum for the
discussion of current issues and
concerns of its members and the
community; and
- is an affirmative
action, equal opportunity,
non-profit institution.
What we offer.
Providing opportunities for members to
make new friends is a major part of the
OLLI concept. We do this by offering:
- Daytime classes,
lectures, and special events led by
qualified OLLI members and
well-known teachers from George
Mason University, government,
foreign embassies, and private
industry
- Social activities,
including luncheons, open house
parties and
picnics
- Volunteer opportunities
(see the volunteer
page or the Member
Handbook for more details),
such as:
- Developing course
ideas
- Teaching or moderating
classes
- Serving as class
liaisons
- Coordinating special
events
- Arranging social
events
- Assisting the office
staff
- Working on print
publications and the OLLI Web site
- Maintaining computers
- Raising funds
- Maintaining the social
room and the social room annex
- Gathering statistics
Other benefits.
Because
OLLI is an official "affiliate," its
members are entitled to activities and
resources either free or at a
significant discount. In order to take
advantage of these, you must complete
an Application for GMU ID
Card (available on DocStore
for download) and return it to Beth
Baroody, our
administrator/registrar in the
OLLI office. Beth will process the
application with the University and
obtain a "G number" for you. Once you
have the "G number," you can decide
which resources you'd like to use. For
some of them, you will need to take
the additional step of getting a GMU
photo ID card -- in the Hub building
(formerly Student Union II) on the
main campus or at the Loudoun GMU
building. Please contact the OLLI
office if you have
questions.
Here
is a complete listing of the
University privileges--
- Aquatic and Fitness
Center and Recreation and Athletic
Complex (RAC)
- Participants offered
annual memberships at the same
rate as employees of the
University (currently $250).
- OLLI members receive a
parking pass with their
membership. This offer does not
extend to faculty, staff,
administration or other
affiliates.
- Freedom
Aquatic & Fitness Center,
Prince William campus (Manassas, VA)
- 15% discount off of
regular annual membership rates.
- GMU email address
(username@gmu.edu)
- See the Tallwood
office to obtain a gmu.edu email
account.
- With the username and
password associated with your
gmu.edu mail account, you may
connect to the Mason intranet to
send and receive email and to
access all Mason Web pages.
- You are also eligible
for 20 MB of disk space to create
a personal
web site.
- Book Store
- Same privileges as
Faculty/Staff.
- Faculty and staff
receive a 10% discount on most
merchandise.
- Exclusions include
magazines, newspapers and
convenience items or as
designated.
- Dining Services
- Same discount as
offered Faculty/Staff.
- Johnson Center Cinema
- Same discount as
offered Faculty/Staff ($1 fee for
movies).
- Library
- Take out 10 books at
one time.
- Books may be withdrawn
for a three-week period with one
renewal.
- Request books from
other University campuses.
- Use of Arlington Law
Library is excluded.
- Access to hundreds of
online databases via the GMU
library Web site (requires GMU
email address).
- Current OLLI
instructors and speakers may also
borrow audiovisual materials
(videos, DVDs) from the Johnson
Center Media library for one week.
- Apple Federal Credit
Union
- Entitled to join as a
member of the Credit Union.
- Same benefits as all
Apple Credit Union members.
- Patriot Center
- Same discount as
offered Faculty/Staff cardholders.
- Discounts vary per
event and require Mason ID card.
- Center
for the Arts (performing arts)
- Discounts vary and are
not available for all events.
Requires Mason ID card.
- CUE Bus
- CUE Bus rides for free
with show of Mason ID.
- Chevy Chase Bank
- Check-cashing
privileges at Chevy Chase Bank
campus locations (Mason ID
required).
OLLI's history.
Three remarkable women were involved in
the early years of OLLI (originally LRI
– the Learning in Retirement Institute):
our founder and first president, the
late Kathryn
Brooks; founding member and second
president, the late Shirley Fox; and
founding member and third president, the
late Lilyan
Spero. Shirley Fox prepared a
fascinating informal
history (pdf)
of LRI's first few years.
Our flagship site, Tallwood, was
provided for our use by the University
in 1994, and included an historic
building called Tallwood House, which
stood until 2006 (when it was demolished
– see video);
the story
of Tallwood House (pdf) was
published several years ago by Historic
Fairfax City, Inc.
We look forward to welcoming you as a
new member!
Updated: February 9, 2012
Copyright
© 2012 Osher Lifelong Learning
Institute at George Mason University.
Materials in this publication subject
to OLLI-Mason copyright may be
reproduced for noncommercial
educational purposes as long as credit
is given to OLLI-Mason.
Osher Lifelong Learning
Institute at George Mason University,
4210
Roberts Rd., Fairfax, VA 22032-1028
Phone: (703) 503-3384; Email: olli@gmu.edu;
Fax: (703) 503-2832
Original site design and construction
by OLLI-Mason member Rod Zumbro. |
