Survey says...The spring 2021 membership survey results are in and, as expected, they reflect what the rest of us experienced. ILR was an overwhelming success. Not only did our enrollment increase a whopping 20% over last fall, but your comments indicate that you're embracing the technology and hoping we'll keep it around. Rest assured, we're planning to do just that.
Just one "short" year ago, the decision to cancel our spring semester and move our programming online was met with trepidation and uncertainty. But with all hands on deck and our strong determination, the outcome far exceeded all expectations.
Never before have we had to adapt so quickly to so many circumstances outside our immediate control. Thank you for your flexibility and resilience throughout the pandemic. ILR remains successful because of your dedication to our mission.
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Worth crowing about Your review of your ILR experience has definitely given us something to crow about.
86% feel our 5-week term length is just right. Another 9% wish it was longer (or would never end).
90% prefer the 75-minute class length, while 3% feel the time flies by too fast.
99.3% report being very/highly satisfied with the customer support received. We couldn't be prouder.
98.6% were very/highly satisfied with the value received for the price paid.
98% report a very/highly satisfied overall satisfaction rating!
The initial review of all comments reveals both an eagerness to return to face-to-face programming AND a desire to retain some measure of online or hybrid programming:
“I hope some consideration to continuing the online portion of some classes at least will continue. I attended a class that was not in Monroe and will probably do more if they are virtual." ~ Sarah Baker
“After two terms of WebEx offerings, it's abundantly clear that ILR has broadened its availability and options for instructors, topics and guests… ILR has become more "Age Friendly" as a result of the "inconvenience" of the Covid lockdown.” ~ Mike Griffith
“Not knowing what the fall term will bring, I have enjoyed the on-line courses simply because it gives me a greater choice of classes.” ~ Martha Henry
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Hat tip to our presentersIn the ILR spring semester, ILR's presenters gave generously of their time, knowledge, and skills as they enriched the lives of so many members of our ILR community. Going above and beyond, they embraced and overcame the challenges of learning to teach online. They provided not only engagement, enrichment, and enlightenment to our students, but a bright spot in their day—for weeks on end.
Because the ILR is a self-supporting, nonprofit organization, volunteers are our lifeblood. We cannot overstate the value our presenters bring to ILR by giving so freely of their time and expertise. We hope our debt of gratitude can be repaid via our deepest appreciation. Thank you!
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What a team!
This virtual semester, like the last, would not have been possible without the time investment, technical assistance, and confidence the ILR Tech Team provided to each of this semester’s presenters. Each team member spent the late-winter/early-spring months working with instructors, coordinators, speakers, other team members, and students in the critical role as a Webex host.
Every ILR class had at least one Tech Team member serving as host for its weekly sessions. The role this team played in our success cannot be overstated. Team members include Paul Allen, Sarah Baker, Charles Ganelin, Alfredo Huerta, Judy Macke, Sante Matteo, Jerry Riesenberg, Marilyn Ruther, Mike Ruther, Tom Schaber, Rob Schorman, Robin Seaver, and Pat Sidley.
Our team can always use a few more hands. Want to join? Drop us an email. We'd love to have you.
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Are you cicada savvy?
With the mercury creeping toward 80, we may be just days away from trillions of cicadas emerging from their 17-year slumber in Ohio and throughout the Northeast. In this interview by Jessica Rivinius, University News and Communications, you can explore why you should embrace their emergence. Or not.
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Hurry! Some events this Thursday
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Meet the authors
Meet celebrated authors Curtis Sittenfeld and Sharon M. Draper. Thanks to our friends from OLLI at the University of Cincinnati, you're invited to attend their free online class this Thursday, May 21, 10 a.m.-noon ET. Email olli@uc.edu to receive the "join meeting" link.
These two bestselling authors with local roots will talk about writing, discuss and read from their books, and take questions from class participants. Draper is a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Literary Award and Sittenfeld's novels include Prep, Eligible (a Cincinnati retelling of Pride and Prejudice), American Wife, and Rodham.
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Love. Honor. Learn.
Miami Presents: Paper Science and Engineering - Miami’s Role in the Future of the Pulp and Paper Industry, Thursday, May 20 | 12:00 p.m. ET
Miami’s program in paper science and engineering has a long, distinguished history. Today, the program continues to be successful by preparing students for careers in the pulp and paper industry and as a model for how academia and industry can work together. Join us for a discussion of the past and current successes of the paper science and engineering program, and hear about how the program is changing to meet the needs of the future.
Join the Miami University Alumni Association (MUAA) for these upcoming events & webinars! Our online events are all free & open for anyone to attend, but registration is required.
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Wine tasting this SaturdayCalling all Oenophiles! The Spicy Olive travels to South America - Chile and Argentina with our next Virtual Wine Tasting Experience.
Italo Jofre, Wine Ambassador, Fetzer Vineyards (Concha y Toro) will lead the tasting and discussion. Learn more...
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Calling all bookwormsThe reading period for Even As We Breathe, a novel by Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle is right around the corner, May 27 - July 29. A few top reasons why we think you’ll want to grab a copy of this selection and join in the discussion include:
Novelist Charles Frazier lauded "Even As We Breathe is a fresh, welcome, and much-needed addition to the fiction of the Appalachian South and its neglected people and places. Clapsaddle creates characters with sensitivity, subtlety, humor, and warmth. A splendid debut by a writer well worth following."
Even As We Breathe was nominated for The PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction. Get your copy.
This is an opportunity to read a multilayered narrative that transcends genre and entertains readers as much as it informs them. Learn more.
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Just my typeThe Extraordinary Times is on a mission to explore the cultural and historical landscape of southwestern Ohio. This week, we’re excited to catch up with Gary Walton, founder of the Cincinnati Type & Print Museum in Lower Price Hill. Read blog.
Strike up the band
This week, join the Southwestern Ohio Symphonic Band as they attend performances in the Teatro Rossini in Pesaro, The St. Bartholomew Church in New York City, and West Point’s Trophy Point Amphitheater. Listen in.
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Enjoy a beautiful summer!Make plans to join us this fall, October 4 thru November 5, 2021
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