The Importance of Being an Osher at CMU Board Member
Dear Fellow Osher Members,
Every year at this time Osher at CMU looks to its entire membership seeking persons with the right background, experience, collaborative working style, and commitment to become new members of the Osher Board of Directors.
For many of our members experience with Osher does not go beyond registering for and taking courses. But, how do those courses magically appear in your inbox, three times a year? A lot of attention and effort goes on behind the scenes to make this highly rated and respected Osher program work and evolve.
Osher at CMU is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of between 11 and 17 Board members who serve three-year terms. Our by-laws stipulate that directors can serve no more than two successive terms, so we have Board vacancies to fill every year. We expect to elect 3 or 4 new Board members this year. As your Immediate Past President, I chair the Nominating Committee, which is responsible for recommending new members for election by the Board.
We need YOU to apply to become a board member if:
- You have experience with and are enthusiastic about being a member of Osher.
- You believe your life-experiences have prepared you to work collaboratively on a board of Directors.
- You are able to commit perhaps 3 to 5 hours a month to this important role.
- You would like to participate in the current and future planning for how Osher operates.
- You believe you have some special skill, knowledge or experience that would benefit our governing board.
This is an especially exciting time to be involved in the governance, planning and future vision of Osher at CMU. During the current and upcoming year, Osher will be:
- Finalizing designs, plans, equipment needed and moving into our new space in Cyert Hall.
- Establishing new procedures for what is more than our classrooms, what will become an Osher Home, complete with several classrooms, a conference room, offices, state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment, AND our lounge, with a kitchenette for our members. We must establish protocols, which will make this work for everyone.
- Beginning the process of providing classes to and through Chatham University.
- Exploring what we have learned during this pandemic that will affect how we deliver future courses.
The organization is aware that most of us have commitments relative to our private and family lives. Many of us travel. Some of us have winter homes. Some have extended family responsibilities. These can and will be taken into consideration, but expect to devote a significant portion of your attention, during a term you might serve, to the task of assisting with the governance of your Osher program.
There are 10-12 monthly meetings of 1 & ½ hours each. Information to be reviewed is sent out in advance of each meeting. Each Board member is expected to serve on at least one of our working committees, which include Curriculum, Human Resources, Finance, Leadership and Membership.
You can find the application form on the Osher website, by clicking on the link below. Please feel free to e-mail me any questions you might have if you believe you might be interested but want further information.
Jim Reitz - Osher Immediate Past President