University Retirees Volunteer Center

OLLI Course Instruction

Winter 2027

UMN's  College of Continuing & Professional Studies, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) https://ccaps.umn.edu/olli is well-known for providing "beyond-career" learning opportunities with their year-round curriculum of high-quality noncredit courses and intellectually stimulating social, cultural, and volunteer course instruction opportunities. This opportunity puts you in the driver's seat where you can both create and present a course based on your personal expertise and skill sets.  

Description of organization activity requiring volunteers: 

Propose a course topic and, if it is accepted, be the course instructor. A wide range of course topics will be considered.  Courses may be designed for either in-person or online learning.

Dates, times, and locations:

• Winter semester; January 19 – March 5, 2027
• Total number of weekly sessions may be from 1 to 7, over the length of the semester.
• Class length is typically 90 minutes.
• Class schedule options: 10-11:30am; 12:30-2pm; or 2:30-4pm.
• OLLI has many locations for In-person instruction, but Zoom is also offered for online teaching

Volunteer eligibility and training requirements: An academic background or experience in the topic proposed, or a demonstrated special interest or skill, provides eligibility.

For teaching online courses, OLLI will provide instruction, best practices, and hands-on training in the use of Zoom.

What to wear: Casual professional

 Parking/Transportation: All in-person locations have accessible parking. 

 Information required to register: Online registration of proposals requires:

• Volunteer's contact information
• In-person instruction, online, or either
• Course category * (See below)
• Course title
• Course description not to exceed 600 characters
• Recommended/required readings
• Instructor bio (not to exceed 200 characters)
• Course format (lecture, lecture with discussion, workshop/hands-on, other)
• Number of sessions
• Preferred day and time of instruction.

Course Categories:  

Art & Design (literary, performing, visual, multimedia)

Humanities & Social Sciences

Technology & Natural Sciences

Interdisciplinary (cross-category content)

Site-specific (in-person)

Other

For reference, you may view/download the archived Course Guides here: OLLI Course Guide Archive

Volunteer compensation: None

Deadline for volunteer application: Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Click the Sign Up Button below to receive the link to register

Or, contact the University Retirees Volunteer Center

by email at URVC@UMN.EDU