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UCSC LLL September 13, 2009 Meeting Topic: The Osher Proposal

Questions asked after the presentation (Recorded by Patty Stumpf; minor editing by Robert Franson):

Q: What does the acronym STARS represent? A: Services for Transfer and Re-Entry Students

Q: Any idea over the last 5 years how the membership has increased in LLL? A: In 2002, there were 200 members. Today there are 350+ members

Q: What thoughts does the Board have about larger facilities once we outgrow Room 150? A: No detailed thoughts yet; however we can use the Stevenson Event Center, which should be adequate, and the Media Studies room can hold 350 people. That might be a possibility.

Q: Has the University begun to charge LLL for services? Have costs gone up? A: Our costs have gone up, but mostly because we switched from the coffee shop, for which we were not charged to the Event Center.

Q: How are the three grants of $50K each intended to be used? What is the amount of money generated by the endowment fund? A: The first two grants of $50K will be used to build up the membership and pay for the staff time attributable to the service the University provides us. The third grant of $50K would be a bridge grant to cover the first year before we would receive any interest from the endowment. The endowment fund is anticipated to generate $40,000 ± annually.

Q: What happens if the market goes down? A: Osher grants now provide for universities for payout even if the endowment falls below the original amount, whereby in a down market we can dip into the principal. The annual amount of return to LLL would be fixed at 4.2%.

Q: Has UCSC indicated that they will either withdraw services currently being received by LLL or that they will begin to charge for these services? A: No. The reality of the current economic situation and the LLL reliance on the largesse of the University makes this a likely possibility that either or both of these situations might happen. The University has recently told the Arboretum that it will no longer pay the director’s salary, and several University administrators have said that they are being forced to cut back on all non-core functions.

Q: If approved in October, what is the plan for growing the membership? A: Several suggestions have been proposed to date including gathering of old and potential members to introduce them to the organization; to speak to other UCSC affiliated organizations like Friends of the Library to discuss over-lapping or reciprocal membership; and community outreach via speaking at various local service groups and organizations.

Q: Is there a Cabrillo College LLL Group? A: Yes, however a member stated that the group will cease to exist at the end of 2009 due to lack of funds and a significant support staff. The membership is estimated to be between 150 – 200 members.

Q: Has it been stated that money from the Osher Foundation stays allocated to the STARS budget? A: The Osher Foundation money goes into the LLL account – we determine how it is spent. There is a 1st year commitment to STARS of $20,000. After year one, there will be an annual review of the budget for program staff.

Q: Can we maintain our focus on our current organization and still afford to advertise? A: Yes. We are revenue neutral now. We need a volunteer to help with article placement in the local subscription and free publications.

Q: How much control will the Osher Foundation or their Osher network have over our internal policies? A: None what so ever. Osher finds the UCSC LLL program distinctive and is offering financial support to our program. We have contacted a number of Osher institutes and are satisfied that it does not attempt to interfere in their operations.

Q: Going back a generation, what does Corinne think of the Osher proposal? A: Corinne answered that she feels that this is an opportunity at a very fortuitous time. She supports LLL and the symbiotic relationship it has between STARS and the students. STARS has lost funding, already one full-time employee (FTE) and now about to lose another FTE, reducing the staff from 5 to 21/2 people now. The future does not look good, her staff is exhausted and stressed. She supports anything to bring in money to support their program. She has been told to cut back to the STARS core mission. In light of these circumstances, the Osher offer seems like a good idea.

Other Comments and observations from the meeting:

An example was given for membership growth that occurred in Sacramento with the Renaissance Society. In 1992 they had 350 members and wondered if it was too many. Today they have 1,060 members and find that the sociability aspect of the group has not been diluted by the membership increase.

The ability to audit a class at UCSC is not limited to members of LLL. The option is open to all those who qualify in the community.

It is a sign of growth and distinction to become an affiliate with the Osher Foundation.

The re-entry students who apply for book scholarships are not the normal student profile. Many of them have responsibilities outside the classroom and have unique and special needs compared to the younger students. The Scholarship Committee would like to see an increase in the scholarship amounts when possible.