Director's Note
What We Learned from Your Feedback and Input…
A few months ago, we invited our lifelong learners to share their feedback about OLLI at WMU by completing a membership survey. More than 170 members (35%) completed the survey. Here’s some of what we learned:
- 58% of OLLI members learned about OLLI through word of mouth; family and friends are the primary way that they come to know about OLLI.
- Most members are drawn to OLLI for the joy of in-person classes, a desire to stay mentally active, and opportunities to connect with others.
- OLLI member satisfaction is high, with close to 90% of members somewhat or very satisfied.
- OLLI members are busy people—over half of our members say they’re too busy with travel or other responsibilities to participate in our lifelong learning community more often.
- History, literature, and nature are all subjects with high levels of interest.
- Members are most excited about our key annual events— such as Taste of OLLI and January Thaw—but less so about fitness classes.
Want to learn what else our members had to say? Click here to see the entire report.
Again, thank each and every one of you for sharing your thoughts about OLLI at WMU! Our goal is to make the lifelong learning experience the best it can be, and we appreciate your support and participation.
Together in lifelong learning,
Toni Woolfork-Barnes, Ed.D.
Director, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at WMU
Curriculum
Get Hands-On With History During This Free Tour!
Calling all history lovers—get ready to put your archeology gloves on! There is still time to join the “Can You Dig It? Tour of the WMU Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Dig Site,” with instructor Dr. John Geisler on Saturday, August 2 from 10 a.m. to noon. This one-of-a-kind educational experience will take place at the Fort St. Joseph Archaeology Project Field in Niles, Michigan. Click here to quickly access a Google Maps link for directions to the site.
Fall Course Registration
We are excited about the 70+ courses we have to offer you this semester—and we hope you are, too! Fall course registration starts Wednesday, August 13, at 10 a.m. Keep an eye out for our new course catalog, which will be sent by mail and published digitally in the coming weeks! Below are refresher instructions for how to register online for membership and courses...
Online Registration Step-by-Step:
- After browsing the catalog, click the button that says, “Click Here to Register” at the top of the page.
- Sign-in to your membership account by entering your username and password.
- If you are an OLLI member or previous registrant, you already have a username. If you do not know what it is, or need help creating a new account, email the OLLI office at @email.
- Remember, members enjoy the lowest course fees and other benefits. Make sure to Add a Membership to your cart if you have not yet renewed or purchased your annual membership.
- Under the Courses tab, click on the link for the appropriate starting month for the course you are interested in taking.
- Browse for your desired course and click the “Add to Cart” button.
- When you have finished selecting all of your courses, click the Cart button to check out.
- Check out to complete your transaction—now you're ready for class!
- For virtual courses, online access links will be sent to you prior to your course start date. For on-campus classes, parking passes will be emailed a week before your course start date, if needed.
OLLI Shared Interest Groups
OLLI at WMU’s Shared Interest Groups (SIGs) are growing! SIGs are a free benefit for all OLLI members, offering opportunities to connect with others who share a common interest. These participant-driven groups provide even more chances to feed your curiosity—all while cultivating flourishing friendships with fellow lifelong learners! OLLI members have organized seven SIGs that will meet this fall; click here to see what they’re all about...
Highlighting OLLI Instructor John Geisler
By Tom Dietz
If you have come to an intersection where two roads diverge but directional arrows point in the same direction, you probably saw a sign that John Geisler once discovered on his travels throughout Michigan. Why? Contradictory and confusing signs are the subject of just one of John’s many well-loved OLLI classes.
John has been with OLLI at WMU from the beginning. As an instructor, his knowledge has made his classes extremely popular—but not his knowledge alone. As one student noted, “the enthusiasm John has for the subject matter and the humor was enjoyed by all.” Whether traveling the “Old Sauk Road” or the Dixie Highway, discussing Michigan’s territorial land survey, or inviting students to explore the archaeological dig site at Fort St. Joseph, John has been a valued and beloved instructor.
Teaching has only been one part of John’s contributions to OLLI—in fact, he was one of the original members and has served on several committees, notably as co-chair of the Curriculum Committee, for many years. If you’d like to join John at his next OLLI class, register now for “Can You Dig it? Tour of the WMU Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Dig Site,” happening tomorrow, Saturday, August 2 at 10 a.m.
Osher Online
For almost two years, OLLI at WMU has benefitted from the many online course offerings provided through the Osher National Resource Center. After each semester, they provide end-of-term evaluation results provided by students who registered for Osher Online courses. Below is a brief summary of what OLLI members across the country (including WMU members) have said about these wonderful course offerings:
Instructor Ratings Remain Exceptionally Strong
- “Well prepared for class,” “Effective communicator,” and “Overall quality” all received high marks, with a combined 83–86% of responses in the “Strongly agree” category.
- No notable drop compared to previous terms—instructors continue to be a cornerstone of satisfaction.
Topic Dominates Course Choice
- As in past terms, "Topic" was overwhelmingly ranked the #1 reason participants selected a course (203 responses).
- This far outweighs other factors like instructor (25), day/time, or cost—suggesting content remains king in participant decision-making.
Impact Ratings Are Very Positive
- “Feeling welcomed” and “Class variety” both had nearly 250 respondents in “Agree” or “Strongly agree” categories.
- Even “Opportunities to connect” and “Website usefulness,” which typically score a bit lower, were solid this term (especially compared to earlier terms like Winter 2025).
Noteworthy Improvements or Signals
- A slight uptick in satisfaction with the website ("Delivering useful information")—136 “Strongly agree” vs. 112 last term—may reflect recent improvements to navigation or content.
- While “Connecting nationally” still has room for improvement, it has stabilized in the mid-90s–100 range for “Strongly agree.”
We thought you might be interested in what’s being said about the Osher Online courses. When your schedule permits, you should consider connecting with other OLLI members from across the country through the joy of shared learning.
Events
Join Us for Taste of OLLI: A Celebration of Lifelong Learning, Community, and Fun!
Come experience everything our lively Taste of OLLI event has to offer—and enjoy the best of lifelong learning in one inspiring morning!
What to Expect:
- Enjoy a delicious continental breakfast, enter to win door prizes, and uncover even more surprises along the way!
- Reconnect and mingle with fellow OLLI members, make new friends, and catch up with familiar faces.
- Meet our incredible instructors and hear about the engaging, thought-provoking courses coming this fall.
- Discover exciting ways to get involved—from volunteering and Shared Interest Groups (SIGs) to fascinating trips and special events.
- Celebrate OLLI at WMU’s 10-Year Anniversary with an energizing video tribute to a decade of our growing community built around a shared love of lifelong learning.
- Support a great cause by bringing your donations for the Kalamazoo Literacy Council!
- Connect with VIPs who champion learning and community engagement.
- Bring a friend—Taste of OLLI is free for everyone!
Registration is required, so make sure you don’t miss out on all the fun by clicking here to save your seat or by calling the office at (269) 387-4157 to register today!
Come curious. Leave inspired.
Travel
Let’s Explore New Horizons—Together!
In addition to the trips coordinated by OLLI at WMU’s travel program, Premier World Discovery offers opportunities to explore over 80 worldwide destinations, including international cities, river cruises, and domestic tours throughout United States, as well as excursions to Canada and other countries abroad! Enjoy browsing their website to discover all of the adventures that await you at www.premierworlddiscovery.com...
Also, remember that we have a partnership with Premier World Discovery, so if you book a tour with them that is not being offered through our OLLI Travel program, be sure to let Premier’s reservation department know that you are a member of OLLI at WMU, so we get credit. If you have specific questions about the company or any of the tours, you are welcome to call Premier World Discovery toll-free in California at (877) 953-8687 between the hours of 12 to 7:30 p.m. (EST).
Happy Travels!
Volunteer
In Memory of Marcia Watts
By Carole Smith
Travel Committee Co-Chair
In late June 2025, our lifelong learning community lost one of its most dedicated volunteers—Marcia Watts, Co-Chair of the Travel Committee. Marcia had staged an enduring battle against cancer but in the end her valiant effort ended in peace for her.
Sometimes life brings people together for a mission that requires hard work and dedication. The effort results in satisfaction, joy, individual growth, and lasting friendships. Luckily, Marcia and I had such a mission. We committed our time and energy together with an unbelievably dedicated committee of volunteers to produce day trip opportunities for OLLI members and their friends. We came together from very different backgrounds and life experiences. Through our volunteer experience we each grew to appreciate our individual strengths and weaknesses and teamed together to coordinate over 1,000 travel experiences for OLLI members and friends.
Our journey as volunteers is and was a celebration of joy, purpose, camaraderie, and unending laughter. In this 10th Anniversary Year of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at WMU, let’s sing praise to all past, present, and future volunteers—and especially to Marcia.
The gift of time is a precious commodity. Marcia and I lived by our motto: “You Just Cannot Make This Up!” We loved every minute. Thanks to OLLI for friendship, learning, fun, purpose, and tributes to our lives…well lived! May Marcia rest in peace.
Wellness Moment
Chronic Lower Back Pain—3 Common Causes (and Fixes)
Written by Tyler Norman, Ph.D.
Manager of Corporate Outreach
ACSM Exercise Physiologist
NCFI Corporate Fitness Specialist
West Hills Athletic Club, WMU
Here we are in August with a few more months of gardening, other outdoor chores, and hopefully staying active with recreational activities like golf, tennis, or pickleball. All this activity can lead to chronic lower back pain, which affects almost everything we do. I can speak from the experience of having suffered chronic lower back pain and worked with countless clients dealing with it over the years. Here are three common causes of chronic lower back pain, and some options to reduce or eliminate it.
First: a lack of flexibility in the lower back and hamstrings. A lack of flexibility will increase our odds of straining a muscle or tweaking something when engaging in physical activity. The more pliable our muscles are, the better their ability to withstand stress. Conversely, tight hamstrings are more likely to incur injury and inflammation, and because they are innervated by the sciatic nerve which has branches that extend from our lower back, a hamstring injury often can result in lower back pain. A quick Google search for hamstring stretches will give you some ideas that you can do anywhere. Ideally, we should stretch daily for 20 minutes and hold each stretch just to the point of discomfort for 30 seconds.
Second: an imbalance of strength between our abdominal muscles and lower back muscles. Knowing that our abdomen and lower back support all of the weight of our upper body, if the abdominal muscles are proportionately weak, the lower back will take the brunt the load, so to speak, and increase our chances of straining a muscle in the lower back. If you aren’t doing any abdominal strengthening exercises, start with basic crunches. Lay flat on your back with your legs elevated on a chair or ottoman and roll your shoulder blades off of the floor while pressing your low back into the floor. Start with 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions and exhale as you crunch upward. Your hands can be crossed across your chest or clasped behind your head.
Third: poor posture. I can sense you all sitting up straight in your chairs upon reading that. When we roll our shoulders forward as our standard posture, the muscles in the low back that support our spine become disengaged. Having those muscles disengaged will increase our odds of suffering chronic lower back pain, particularly when participating in physical activity. Ideally, our spine should be erect, with the muscles engaged. The benefits of good posture cascade to many other aspects of health, beyond the prevention of chronic lower back pain. It is widely recognized in the wellness arena that posture is linked to health span and lifespan. Just think about lifting your chest up a couple inches, and pull your shoulders back a couple inches, and you’ll feel your back muscles engaging. Whether you’re sitting at your desk, or during physical activity, try to be cognizant of your posture.
Kalamazoo Literacy Council
Little Words, Big Impact: Your Tutoring Could Change a Life
Are you looking for a meaningful way to give back to our community? Do you have a passion for literacy and education? The Kalamazoo Literacy Council invites all OLLI members to consider becoming a volunteer tutor!
Why become a tutor?
As a tutor, you'll have the rewarding opportunity to help adults improve their reading, writing, and communication skills. Your support will open doors to new opportunities, enhance employment prospects, and foster greater independence for those seeking to better their lives.
No experience needed!
The Kalamazoo Literacy Council provides comprehensive training and ongoing support for all volunteers, ensuring you feel confident in your role. Whether you’re a seasoned educator or simply want to make a difference, your time and skills are invaluable—and life changing.
How to get started:
Visit kalamazooliteracy.org/volunteer/tutor to sign up for the September session of tutor training. Please contact Abbey at (269) 382-0490 ext. 219 or aweathers@kalamazooliteracy.org with any questions.
Let’s work together to create a community where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We hope many OLLI members will consider stepping into this impactful role!
What is the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute?
The program was initiated under the auspices of the WMU Emeriti Council and WMUx. OLLI offers intellectually lively and culturally appealing learning experiences. We accomplish this by focusing on intellectual stimulation, personal growth, social engagement and enrichment. Read more
What do we do?
We offer short courses for one to four weeks. Sessions are usually two hours long. Travel programs are also a part of our offerings. There are no tests and no required homework, just exploring lots of interesting topics.
In the near future we will offer courses in different formats -- noon hour discussions, several sessions in one week, and more evening courses. OLLI courses and activities are developed and produced by its members with the support of the staff of WMUx.
We need your ideas for course topics and instructors. Let us know your suggestions. Call the OLLI office at (269) 387-4157 or send an email. The curriculum committee will review all suggestions.