Currently accepting SPRING 2026 SEMESTER COURSE PROPOSALS
Deadline: FRIDAY, October 24, 2025. Late submissions may be reviewed if received no later than Friday, November 14, 2025.
All course proposals must be submitted through the online OLLI Course Proposal form.
About OLLI Courses
Thank you for your interest in teaching a course for OLLI at Illinois.
OLLI’s courses are scholarly in nature and most often involve lectures/presentations and in-class discussions. While almost all courses offer suggested readings, the typical OLLI course does not have out-of-class assignments or prerequisites. Instructors can expect an engaged and enthusiastic audience with varying levels of familiarity with the course topic – so it is strongly recommended that courses be tailored for an educated general audience.
OLLI course instructors are expected to have a combination of credentials and professional experience commensurate with teaching the topic to an educated general audience, and they must submit a current CV or resume as part of the application process. First-time instructors must also provide contact information for two teaching references.
Most courses meet once per week for 90 minutes. Class meetings (when they are conducted in person) are scheduled at OLLI’s facilities in the M2 building in downtown Champaign, with most classes meeting during Monday through Friday during business hours; early-evening and Saturday classes are also scheduled where appropriate. Online classes follow the same schedule. Following approval of the course, instructors will be contacted by the OLLI staff to discuss scheduling and other plans.
(Please see the Courses webpages for examples of course descriptions and biographies.)
Deadlines
OLLI at Illinois is currently accepting proposals for courses to be offered in the Spring 2026 Semester. The 8-week semester will begin on Monday, February 23, 2026, and end on Friday, April 18, 2026. OLLI also offers some 4-week courses, which can meet during the first or last 4 weeks of the semester.
Spring 2026 course proposals are due by Friday, October 24, 2025. Early submissions are encouraged. Late submissions may be reviewed if received no later than November 14, 2025. Only complete proposals will be considered, so please read the submission guidelines carefully.
Course proposals are reviewed by the OLLI Curriculum Committee and the Director. Course proposers will be notified in mid-December of a decision.
Stipend
Courses are taught by current and retired faculty from the U. of I. and other local colleges, or by members of the community with the qualifications and experience to offer the proposed topic; or team-taught by multiple instructors from a unit within the U. of I. or a relevant community organization (with one person serving as the coordinator and facilitator of the course). A stipend of $1000 is provided by OLLI ($500 for a 4-week course). In the case of a team-taught course, the stipend can be transferred to the coordinating unit.
Submission
All materials should be submitted via our OLLI Course Proposal form.
To view the form or submit a course proposal, go to https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/1139620491. There is a Save and Submit later option with this form.
Questions
Please direct questions about courses and the proposal process to the OLLI Director at olli@illinois.edu or (217) 244-9141.