Outreach opportunities abound for faculty, staff

For faculty and staff looking for outreach opportunities, the Wisconsin Alumni Lifelong Learning Program offers chances to connect with alumni and state residents.

A partnership between the Wisconsin Alumni Association and the Division of Continuing Studies, the program engages faculty and staff who want to share knowledge and expertise with interested adult learners — and an occasional grandchild.

“The lifelong learning audiences are probably the best I’ve had,” says Susan Brantly, chair of the Department of Scandinavian Studies. “They ask informed and stimulating questions, and are happy for the opportunity to do so.”

Alumni Learning Workshops are an ongoing component of the lifelong learning program that can be tailored to fit a presenter’s interests and schedules.

“The Alumni Learning Workshops are a great way for faculty and staff to explore ideas that don’t quite fit into a course’s curriculum,” says coordinator Sarah Schutt.

Designed for alumni and others with varied interests, these workshops occur on campus throughout the year, usually on a Friday or Saturday, and require one or two hours of presentation time.

Similar presentations can be organized in other cities with many alumni.

Senior Academy provides minicourses for retirees and residents of Meriter Heights or Attic Angel retirement communities. Each minicourse involves four weekly, one-hour presentations.

WAA, Continuing Studies and UW-Extension’s Family Living Programs are also planning for the 2005 Grandparents University, which brings children and their grandparents together on campus to learn from each other, and from faculty and staff through fun and educational activities. Grandparents University is usually in July and requires 90 minutes to six hours of teaching, plus two planning meetings.

Other on-campus opportunities include Day on Campus, which is usually the second Friday in May as part of the alumni reunion weekend for classes celebrating 60th, 55th, 50th and 40th anniversaries.

Freshman Parents Weekend, usually in November, connects faculty who teach freshmen courses with parents.

Other opportunities include the On the Road Whys and Wows!, at which faculty and staff gather at public venues like museums to give minipresentations at stations throughout the day; and the Founders’ Day programs, at which faculty and staff lecture at scholarship fund-raising dinners that alumni organize around the state and country to celebrate the UW’s founding.

Information: Sarah Schutt, 262-5699, SarachSchutt@uwalumni.com.