Course Policies
Attendance at any public event involves certain unavoidable risks such as exposure to or infection by transmissible diseases, viruses, and other illnesses (including, but not limited to, COVID-19 and its variants). Your presence at events or programs hosted by The Pennsylvania State University indicates your assumption of any and all such risk as well as your agreement to adhere to all University policies including, but not limited to, those intended to mitigate the spread of transmissible illnesses. As a member of our community or guest, it is your responsibility to practice basic health, safety, and sanitation measures and avoid engaging in Penn State sponsored programs and activities when symptomatic with any commonly spread transmissible illness.
Volunteer instructors are responsible for developing their own course content. The information, views, and opinions provided by OLLI at Penn State instructors are those of the instructor and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of OLLI at Penn State.
OLLI members are expected to interact with each other with civility and respect, recognizing that disagreement and informed debate are valued in an academic community.
OLLI courses are offered in-person and online. Some OLLI courses will be offered as a hybrid in which participants have the option of attending in-person or online via Zoom.
If your plans change and you need to drop a course for which you are registered, call the OLLI office for the location hosting the course.
- Wear your OLLI lanyard/nametag at OLLI courses and events.
- Arrive to class on time.
- Refrain from perfumes and colognes.
- Respect others’ rights to hold opinions and beliefs that differ from your own.
- If you cannot hear the instructor, please let the Course Coordinator know while you are in class.
- Turn your cell phone to vibrate, and step outside of the OLLI classroom to text or take a call.
- Stay on topic during discussions.
- Refrain from having conversations with other members until the course has ended.
- Please stay home if you are sick.
- Join early — 5 to 15 minutes before the meeting start time.
- Find a quiet space without interruptions/background noise.
- If you get a message that your internet is unstable, turn off your video.
- If you freeze up, leave the session and rejoin.
- Zoom Webinar:
- Video and audio are turned off for all participants upon entry.
- Audio can be enabled to ask questions.
- Zoom Meeting:
- Most courses will use this format.
- Adjust your camera to be at around eye level if possible.
- Mute your microphone when not talking.
- Try to avoid talking over/at the same time as other participants.
- Be aware you are on camera.
OLLI courses are available to members and nonmembers. Guests, age 18 or older, may attend a course as a nonmember by registering online. We cannot accommodate anyone under the age of 18 at any OLLI course or event. Interested friends who wish to register for a course as a nonmember must create their own online account.
Your OLLI membership gives you access to register for programs for 365 days.
Please note:
- You can only register for programs that end before your membership expires.
- If you are registering for a program that is not scheduled to end before your membership expiration date, you will need to renew your membership to receive member pricing if applicable. Membership will be extended for another full year from your original expiration date. To check to see when your membership expires, please log in to your online account and select My Account and Membership Status to view your membership dates.
If you would like to cancel your course registration for a refund, you must call the office at least one week before the start of the course. To be eligible for a refund on a multi-session course, all sessions must be canceled. Please note that a full refund may not be possible for any courses where an additional fee may have been paid (e.g., entrance fees or course supplies). If a refund is warranted, your account will be credited after canceling a course, and any credits on your account at the end of the semester will be refunded back to you via the payment method used, either check or credit card. If a course is canceled by OLLI or the instructor, OLLI members will receive a full refund.
If you register online, you will receive an instant email confirmation once your course registration and payment are complete. If you register by mail, you will receive an email confirmation once the noncredit registration office at University Park has received and entered your course registration.
You will also receive an email confirming course-specific details—including date, time, location, parking, or Zoom link—the week prior to each in-person course and another reminder email the morning of each course.
We often have waitlists for courses. If you cannot attend a course for which you are registered, please call and let us know so we may add someone from the waitlist. If a seat opens in a course that has a waitlist, our office will email and call the first on the list.
Parking
A free parking permit and a campus map will be emailed to participants prior to the course start date. This parking permit is required for you to park in the Olmsted West Parking Lot, the designated lot for OLLI members.
If you have not received a parking permit and your scheduled course is less than one day away, please check your email’s spam/junk folder. Your email server may have directed it there instead of your inbox. If it’s not located there, please contact the OLLI office.
When you attend courses at Penn State Harrisburg:
- Print out the permit and bring it with you.
- Display the permit face up on the dashboard of your car while you are in class.
- Use the same permit for every session of that course.
Permits are valid only for the date(s) and times listed.
If you are unable to print out your permit, please arrive at least 15 minutes before the start of your course so you can pick one up.
Outreach Building
Parking in the Penn State Outreach Building parking lot is free, so simply park and head inside for your OLLI class or activity!
Please note: This complimentary parking applies only to the Penn State Outreach Building parking lot and does not apply to other visitor parking areas on the University Park campus.
OLLI at Penn State York is fortunate that our members do not have to pay a fee for parking. OLLI members may park in the following areas of campus:
- The parking lot in front of the Graham Center for Innovation and Collaboration
- The lower-level parking lot, behind the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center
- Handicapped parking is available right outside the doors of the Main Classroom Building with a valid state-issued hanging permit or license plate.
New members should pick up a parking pass in the OLLI office prior to their first course. These passes should be placed on your dashboard while on campus.
Inclement Weather
If Penn State Harrisburg announces a delay or early dismissal, OLLI courses and events may be canceled, following the same schedule. An email will be sent to OLLI members and registrants to confirm whether a class will be held, canceled, or rescheduled.
If you’re scheduled for an in-person course during inclement weather, please check your email before heading to the facility.
In-person/hybrid courses: If Penn State or the State College Area School District (SCASD) announce a full-day closure due to weather, OLLI courses will be canceled. If a delay or early dismissal is announced, OLLI courses/ events may be canceled. In either event, OLLI will send an email confirmation of cancellations. If you are scheduled for an in-person course and there is inclement weather, please check your email prior to heading to the facility.
Online courses: A great thing about Zoom is that online courses can be held no matter what the weather is outside!
If Penn State York cancels classes, OLLI classes are canceled. If Penn State York is on a two-hour delay, the 9:00 a.m. class is canceled, but the 11:00 a.m. (and after) classes will be held pending the ability of the instructor to arrive safely. In the event of a two-hour delay, an email will be sent to all 11:00 a.m. class registrants informing them if the instructor is holding the class.
In either event, OLLI will send an email confirmation of cancellations.