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Presented By:
Gloria Kleiman, Academy for Lifelong Learning, Carnegie Mellon University
George Kingman, Duke Institute for Learning in Retirement, Duke University
Frances Eckert, Lifelong Learning Society, Christopher Newport University
(Moderator)
Facilitators, leaders and volunteers are a valuable resource and
LLIs cannot operate without them. This workshop showed participants how
to make recruitment a successful operation and how to ensure continuity
as the LLI grows.
Please contact the presenters for more detailed information.
Gloria Kleiman, Academy for Lifelong Learning, Carnegie Mellon
University
• Although different means may be used to recruit and retain facilitators,
leaders and volunteers, once they are on your team they must
be made to feel that they’re a real part of the “family”
and experience personal satisfaction from their participation.
• An ILR is a special kind of entity, with a different ambience
than any other part of the University. In ALL, we strive to
keep our organization as well appreciated and as of the same excellent
quality as it was 12 years ago at its inception. What was
once a tiny clan has grown to be a major tribe. And our growth is self
imposed…we do not want to become a larger organization
until we are certain that the mission to satisfy our members
is being fulfilled.
• As the organization grows, so does its needs. The primary, the
most essential requirement, is personnel. Yes, we need chairs
and telephones and speaker systems, but those can always be obtained.
What are not so easily obtained are the people who run the
show---who teach, who govern, who administer, who handle the money,
who answer the phone and stuff envelopes.
• We believe that to serve must be a rewarding experience. I am
not entirely familiar about how other institutions are structured,
but except for a part time administrator, our organization is entirely
staffed by volunteers. To obtain competent and reliable volunteers,
whether it is someone who teaches classes or helps with the
mail, it is important that the person feel needed, worthy and appreciated.
• That means thanking and thanking and thanking again. We must create
the atmosphere to make everyone who in any way serves the
organization feel that he or she is contributing to the success of the
institution. I love the expression “warm fuzzies.”
I first heard it many years ago at a seminar for school administrators
in Tennessee. Perhaps it is just a southern expression, but
it should be applied everywhere. What it connotes to me is
“feeling good.” And if your volunteers feel good about what
they are doing, in return they will do a good job for you.
• Warmly greet any volunteer who walks into the office. (For that
matter everyone who walks in should be warmly greeted.) Try
to make the volunteers feel that their service is special to the organization
and that you can’t do without them. The truth of the
matter is that you can’t do without them.
Facilitators
• From time to time, circumstances may change, but the one thing
that doesn’t change is the need for facilitators. We
call our facilitators study group leaders. They are all volunteers. Perhaps,
in that way we are more fortunate than others, but that’s
the way ALL was established, and that is the way it will remain.
• Many of our study leaders rush from their undergraduate and even
graduate classes to teach us without compensation. Along with
CMU faculty we also have many who come from Pitt, Duquesne and other local
schools. And they do so, not only willingly, but with enthusiasm.
We also have, as most of you also do, doctors, lawyers, musicians,
writers, Francophiles, literary scholars, health experts, scientists,
etc., to teach our classes. Some are retired; some squeeze
us into their busy schedules.
How do we find them and keep them interested?
• Willingness to talk about our program’s excellence.
• Write thank you notes every term (even if it is the 30th term
that person has lead a class).
• Convene annual Faculty Liaison Committee meetings to maintain
relationships with deans and University officials.
• Admit new study leaders to membership after they have taught for
us (we have a large waiting list).
• Hold an annual volunteer “Ice Cream Social.”
• Pay study leaders’ parking.
• Provide class mailing labels.
• Provide class assistants to be responsible for copying material,
keeping class records, checking AV material, etc..
Volunteers
• Office volunteers should have a good time. Chair organizes groups
that work congenially together.
• Provide snacks.
• Ask front desk volunteers to make calls from interested member
list to recruit other desk volunteers.
• Send questionnaire to all new members - promptly contact everyone
who indicates interest in volunteering.
• Get potential volunteers into the office--- old volunteer work
with new volunteer.
• Compile volunteer manual explaining all procedures.
Leadership
• Form a ‘Ready Able and Willing’ (RAW) committee to
observe fellow classmates and keep a list of people with leadership
qualities.
• Keep your eyes and ears open.
• Ask Board members to submit names of potential leaders.
• Survey membership for talents and training (financial, management,
other board service).
• Establish system of training for the one who will next assume
responsibility (co-chairs, assistants).
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August 29, 2008
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