Propose a Course

>The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of Pittsburgh is a member-based learning community comprised of adults age 50 and better who are seeking intellectually stimulating courses and opportunities to interact with like-minded adults.

General Information About OLLI Courses
Tips and Instructions for Preparing and Submitting a Course Proposal
How Are Proposals Reviewed?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spring 2027 Course Proposals are Closed

Check back soon for Summer 2027 Course Proposals

Summer 2027 Dates

  • Session 1: May 10 - June 14 (no classes May 31)
  • Session 2: June 28 - August 2 (no classes July 5)

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

General Information on OLLI courses

When are courses held? OLLI courses are held during fall, spring, and summer terms, with each term divided into two five-week sessions. In person courses typically meet for an hour and 50 minutes once a week for five weeks, with online courses meeting for 90 minutes weekly. Most courses are scheduled weekdays from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. , although on occasion courses may meet at other times, including evenings and Saturdays.

Who can submit a proposal? OLLI at Pitt routinely seeks out course proposals from both new and established OLLI instructors. Many of our instructors are graduate, doctoral, and post-doc students, professors, lecturers, adjunct instructors and others associated with the University of Pittsburgh or other educational institutions in the area. Additionally, we welcome instructors who have both teaching experience and special expertise and knowledge from the community at large. A committee of the membership reviews the proposals and recommends courses to be offered.

How are course proposals submitted? Interested instructors must use our online Course Proposal Form to submit their course proposal.

Is there any compensation?  Yes, OLLI at Pitt is able to pay instructors for their instructional time (sorry, we cannot pay for prep time). Typically, courses are 5 - 10 instructional hours (depending on course). Instructors are paid through the payroll system and are considered part-time, temporary employees of the University. Instructors who have an incorporated entity can be paid as contractors, if they wish. All OLLI at Pitt instructors must be onboarded and paid.

Who can I call for information? Feel free to contact the OLLI office at osher@pitt.edu or 412-624-7308 to discuss the course you wish to propose. 

SPRING 2027 DATES
 Session 1: January 25 - February 26, 2027
 Session 2: March 15 - April 16, 2027

Tips and Instructions for Preparing and Submitting a Course Proposal

Please carefully review the overview of the information below regarding what we request from you in our online Course Proposal Submission form.  We ask that all NEW proposals be submitted through this form, even if you have taught for OLLI at Pitt previously.  However, repeat courses (courses that have already been approved and taught in prior terms do NOT need to use this form. Contact the office at osher@pitt.edu).

Proposed Course Title. 

Please limit your course title in your proposal to no more than 60 characters with spaces.

Course Description. 

Your course description should be concise and clear about the topics and classroom activities so that students will know what to expect. We ask you to limit the length of this description to approximately 100 words that could be used in our course catalog. Students need to know what will be taught, the approach to the subject matter (lecture, interactive discussion, activities, films/readings, etc.), and out-of-class preparation (readings or video viewing).

Length of the course.

Typically OLLI courses are 5 classes that meet once a week for 5 weeks (one session); more infrequently they can be 10 (over both sessions) weeks long. Note that 10-week courses are usually language or exercise courses.Instructors with a lot of content to present may submit two proposals: Part 1 (5 weeks) and Part 2 (5 weeks). These types of proposals have a greater chance of approval than a 10-week course.

Course Outline:

You will type a few sentences for each week of the proposed course. It is helpful to the proposal evaluation committee to see details of what content will be covered during each week of your course. This information is especially relevant to instructors new to our program. NOTE that topic-only outlines of a few words have a slim chance of being approved.

Course topic.

Our program provides a list of different topic areas an we ask instructors to select the topic of their course (Art, History, Literature, etc.)

Identification of course type. 

Our program has three class types and you are asked to select one: 

  • Lecture – These courses are primarily oral presentations where information, history, theories, or ideas are presented by instructors with occasional contributions from participants through questions and answers. 

  • Discussion - These courses can be on academic, cultural, or enrichment topics where participants are welcome to talk and contribute to class dialogue through open class discussions.  

  • Active Learning - These courses require a high degree of participants' active involvement through class-time practice (language, painting, exercise, etc.).

Modality.

We ask instructors to choose between in-person, online, or hybrid (in person instruction with an online streaming component) teaching. To inquire about hybrid teaching, please contact the office at osher@pitt.edu as we can only accommodate a very few number of hybrid offerings each term.

Instructors are expected to have some degree of comfort with using technology. For in-person instructors, you should have your own laptop in which to plug into classroom tech and be able to show your slides, music, videos, etc. Online instructors should have a strong degree of confidence in using Zoom and the tools (screen sharing, muting, chat, etc.) that lead to satisfactory course delivery. If you do not possess skills with technology usage, teaching with OLLI at Pitt may not be right for you.

Other considerations.

Your resume or vitae is requested (you will upload it) and we ask you to submit a brief biography paragraph that can appear or be modified for use in our Course Catalog.

Note that if your professional resume or CV focuses on a different area of expertise than the course you are proposing, you may want to submit a revised version or address this issue in your bio.

You are asked to list any suggested text in your proposal.  Books may be suggested but not required. If you suggest a book for your proposed course, you must confirm in your proposal that the book is still in print or you will not be able to use it for this course. Total cost of books should not exceed $35.

We ask if you have taught the proposed course before; if so, when and where did you teach the course previously?

Financial interests – Instructors must disclose any financial interests they have in a product or service mentioned in the course. These factors may be considered as the course proposal is evaluated.

We also ask about University of Pittsburgh affliation and authorization to work lawfully in the United States. These questions are for payroll purposes, as OLLI at Pitt instructors are compensated for their teaching. Note: When a fully retired University employee returns to any active employment status (which would happen should they teach for OLLI at Pitt), an active employee record is reestablished. If individuals have recurring payments set up through Pitt Retirement Savings accounts, they may want to contact the Pitt Benefits office in advance so they understand the impact of reemployment.  

 

Proposal Review 

Our Curriculum Committee evaluates submitted course proposals in the weeks following the deadline.  Courses are scored and selected on the basis of the following:

  • Appropriateness of the course topic for the OLLI program;
  • Instructor qualifications specifically on the topic of the proposed course;
  • Teaching, presentation, or adult education experience;
  • For instructors with prior experience in OLLI, course evaluation reports of previous courses; and
  • Alignment with OLLI policies and known interests of OLLI members.

Once courses are approved, individuals proposing courses are informed as to whether or not their course proposal has been accepted. Even though your course may be accepted, it may not be possible to offer it during the term you initially requested. These details would be discussed with you. Finally, upon selection of a course, the details of dates and times are finalized with the instructor.

If you have any questions about the course proposal process, please contact our office at osher@pitt.edu and we will make sure the appropriate staff member gets in touch with you.


SUBMIT A PROPOSAL