OLLI Committees


Advisory Council Campus Chairs

The campus chairs facilitate and coordinate the work of committees operating on their respective campuses, may appoint committees to fulfill campus-specific plans and goals, and identify and communicate recommended actions to the Advisory Council. The campus chairs alternate each year in serving as presiding chair of the Advisory Council. To contact the OLLI Advisory Council campus chairs, email olli@northwestern.edu.

 

Study Group Committee
The Study Group Committee chairs and vice chairs organize and lead committees on their respective campuses to oversee the curriculum and assure appropriate quality, diversity, and number of study groups. These committees solicit proposals, offer assistance to members in preparing proposals, review all proposals submitted, and recommend appropriate action. The SGC chairs work with the Coordinator Development Committee chairs to conduct programs to stimulate new curriculum ideas and strengthen study group design and implementation. To contact the Study Group Committee on either campus, email olli@northwestern.edu.

 

Coordinator Development Committee
The Coordinator Development Committee chairs and vice chairs organize and lead committees on their respective campuses to recruit members to serve as study group coordinators, provide training for new coordinators, and provide all coordinators with tools, support, assistance and skills enhancement. The CDC chairs work with the Study Group Committee chairs to conduct programs to stimulate new curriculum ideas and strengthen study group design and implementation. To contact the Coordinator Development Committee on either campus, email olli@northwestern.edu.

 

Academic Enrichment Committee

The Academic Enrichment Committee chairs and vice chairs organize and lead committees on their respective campuses to establish and implement programs that provide extracurricular cultural, intellectual, and creative activities. To contact the Academic Enrichment Committee, email olli@northwestern.edu.

 

Membership Enrichment Committee

The Membership Enrichment Committee chairs and vice chairs organize and lead committees on their respective campuses to foster and strengthen the OLLI community through membership enrichment and extracurricular social activities, including activities related to welcoming new members to OLLI and orienting them to the peer learning and classroom discussion process. To contact the Membership Enrichment Committee on either campus, email olli@northwestern.edu.

 

Development Committee

The Development Committee chairs and vice chairs lead the efforts of the Member Fund with the purpose of raising funds to strengthen and enhance the OLLI program. To learn more about the Member Fund and how donations to OLLI are used to enhance the program, click here.

 

Community Enrichment Committee (CEC)

The Community Enrichment Committee chairs and vice-chairs work with all existing committees to ensure OLLI maintains a welcoming and enriching environment for current and prospective members through event planning and programming, study group subjects, guest speakers, and community outreach and support. They lead the effort to make OLLI an inclusive organization. To contact the Community Enrichment Committee on either campus, email olli@northwestern.edu.

 

Technology Committee

The Technology Committee organizes and implements technology training for members and coordinators, providing them with the tools, support, and assistance they need to navigate through OLLI’s registration system (Augusoft) and learning management system (MyOLLINU).

 

Ad-Hoc Committees

Ad-hoc committees are comprised of OLLI volunteers and play a vital role in advising and supporting OLLI's director. The Hearing Committee is a current ad-hoc committee, which works with Northwestern faculty to identify hearing issues that OLLI members experience in the classroom.


 

Advisory Council

The OLLI Advisory Council advises the director with respect to establishing policies, practices and guidelines for the program, and coordinates the plans and activities of OLLI. The current council is composed of 20 members, 10 from Chicago and 10 from Evanston, who each serve as chairs or vice chairs of committees on their respective campuses: Campus chair, Campus vice chair, Past Campus chair, Study Group Committee chair and vice chair, Coordinator Development Committee chair and vice chair, Academic Enrichment Committee chair and vice chair, Membership Enrichment Committee chair and vice chair, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion chair and vice chair, and Development Committee chair and vice chair. Council members are elected for a two-year term, and vice-chairs succeed to chair in their second year.

View Committees

View Organizational Rules


 

 

2026–2027 Advisory Council Members

CAMPUS NAME POSITION

Chicago

Joe Hinkel

Chicago Campus Chair Emeritus

Evanston

Janet Jablon

Evanston Campus Chair Emeritus

Chicago

Steve Greska

Diane Dunne

Chicago Campus Chair

Chicago Campus Vice Chair

Evanston

Jeffery Semel

Harold Primack

Evanston Campus Chair

Evanston Campus Vice Chair

Evanston

Chicago

Cheryl Esken

Debra Rosenberg

Academic Enrichment, Chair

Academic Enrichment, Vice Chair

Evanston

Chicago

John Doherty

Dorothy Balabanos

Coordinator Development, Chair

Coordinator Development, Vice Chair

Chicago

Evanston

Judy Myers

Karyn Esken

Development, Chair

Development, Vice Chair

Chicago

Kevin McCann

Dory Rand

Community Enrichment, Chair

Community Enrichment, Vice Chair

Evanston

Dora McElroy

David Strouse

Community Enrichment, Chairs

Community Enrichment, Vice Chair

Chicago

Barbara Leff

Margaret Marty

Membership Enrichment, Chair

Membership Enrichment, Vice Chair

Evanston

Lisa Oberman

Paula Gray

Membership Enrichment, Chair

Membership Enrichment, Vice Chair

Chicago

Martha Bills

Tom Williamson

Study Group, Chair

Study Group, Vice Chair

Evanston

Mary Hummel

Phil Steptoe

Study Group, Chair

Study Group, Vice Chair

Chicago

Evanston

Pat Stankard

Tom Cotter

Technology Committee, Chair

Technology Committee, Vice Chair




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