Our Members

UT OLLI FORUM is a community of active, engaged adults who are enthusiastic about the pursuit of life-long learning. UT OLLI members join FORUM to explore fresh insights, stay current on important topics, and meet new, exciting people. The varied backgrounds and life experiences that our members bring from their professions, travel, volunteer work and communities enrich our program offerings, discussions, and friendships. 

Curriculum

UT OLLI FORUM offers three six-week sessions each year that meets on Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 2:10 p.m. CT from October to May. Our seminars and lectures are planned by FORUM volunteers with the support of UT OLLI program staff.  Seminars and Lectures are cover a wide range of topics in areas such as History, Science and Technology, Art and Music, Film and literature, Public Issues, Outdoors and Environment. 

In the morning, members attend two seminars.  Seminars explore one topic in depth for the entire six-week session. 

Planned Seminars for the Fall Semester (October 2 to November 6, 2026)

• 9:30 - Ancient India’s Commerce & Culture or Big Telescopes
• 11:00 - Codebreaking or Modern Middle East

Planned Seminars for the Winter session (January 22 to February 26, 2027)

• Harnessing the Wind: America’s Golden Age of Sail
• Texas Music
• How Pictures Work from Cave to AI
• Tickle Your Funny Bone – Humor with Music, Song and Dance 

Planned Seminars for the Spring Session (April 2 to May 7, 2027)

• CyberSecurity
• History of Jazz
• Amazing Americans
• Early Conservationists & The Fight to Protect Nature 1864-1964 

After the Lunch Break (many dine at the on-site cafeteria) is the lecture. Lectures cover a different subject each week.

Fall Lectures are:

• The State of Journalism
• The Lost Pines Archipelago: Its Cultural, Historical and Scientific Narrative
• The Hidden History of The Texas Dust Bowl
• Engaging Authenticity with Our Feelings during Turbulent Times
• T-Rex
• 200 Years of Archaeology, Orthodoxy and Russian Imperialism at Crimean Chersonesos 

Lectures for the Winter and Spring sessions will include: 

• Pringles for Beginners or How Ultra Processed Food Works and What to do about it
• The Path to Singularity: How Current Technology Changes are Shaping the Future
• Attracting Pollinators and other Beneficial Insects
• Tales of a Travis County EMS Pro
• Community Singing
• O. Henry Museum
• Scams targeting the Elderly
• Umlauf Sculpture Gardens

All of the seminars and lectures are in person at the Thompson Conference Center (TCC) located at the corner of Red River and Dean Keaton.  A parking permit is included with membership to park in Lot 40 next to TCC. 

Membership also includes live on-line seminars which are offered during each session.  On-line seminars are offered Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  All of the on-line classes are recorded and are available in the video library for the duration of the program year. 

In addition, UT OLLI is pleased to continue our partnership with Northwestern University in providing additional, quality online classes available exclusively to members. These classes have an additional nominal fee and dates and times vary. 

• Recordings available through the program year.

For more information, please check out UT OLLI FORUM's Course Catalog.  The Catalog will be updated with descriptions of the Fall offerings in mid-September.

More Than Just a Classroom Experience

Classroom learning is complemented by various Events and Special Interest Groups. Many of these events are designed to supplement seminars and lectures with the aim of providing an energetic social context for enhanced learning.

Events

Forum is more than learning, it is a community.  Members gather at a variety of social activities throughout the year. Many of our events are designed to not only be a time to socialize but to also enhance either a seminar or a lecture i.e. a tour of the Camp Mabry museum after a lecture on Camp Mabry, a tour of the National Museum of the Pacific War led by the speaker of the Pacific War seminar. Some of the events do have a nominal cost.  Events are still being planned for the Fall 2026 session. Examples of past events include:

• Tour of the Firefly Aerospace Rocket Ranch
• Tour of the Ransom’s Center’s Lives & Literacy in Ancient Egypt
• Private Tour of LBJ Library’s exhibit on Lady Bird Johnson
• Tour of the Gault Site
• Walking Tour of Old Clarksville and the Historic Haskell House
• Tour of the Vista Super Computer
• Lunar New Year Tea at the Buddhist Center
• OLLI-Wide Tour of Texas’ Painted Churches

Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

A variety of Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are available to members and include conversational Spanish, pickleball, book clubs, and UT online yoga.

Additional Information

UT OLLI FORUM membership fees are paid annually and include all costs and assessments except for optional excursions and social functions.