Original Query from Ara Rogers, OLLI, University of S. Florida, Tampa
Our 12-year old program is looking to establish a special tribute to those study group leaders who have contributed in outstanding ways to our program. We are tentatively calling it a “Hall of Fame” – though we hope to come up with a different name than that. We hope to inaugurate the program and induct our first class at an Instructor Recognition event next April. We are working on the criteria for such distinction and are wondering whether other programs that might have already instituted such a special recognition. Please share your experiences, criteria, and practices if you have similar institutional distinction for your own outstanding instructors.

From Anita Revelle, Senior Professionals, Illinois State University
Our Life-long-learning coalition in Illinois has been awarding not only professors/lectures but other aspects of our program for about four years. Here are the awards, if anyone wants more information or a copy of the application they can contact me.
Innovative Award - something new and different. Newsprint - Catalog/brochure - Challenge - something they had to overcome - Instructor

From Rose Arthur, RISE, Rivier College, NH
Rise, the Rivier Institute for Senior Education, has one honor called Emeritus Status. One Emerita has died, and one will replace her in late December, 2005. One is still living. We invite these persons to the Christmas Party and they are allowed to attend free any class they wish.

From Marion Lowenthal, LLI, Molloy College, NY
We honor leaders and people who have done specal things at the end of each year at a little ceremony and then they also receive a gift,certificate and recognition in that way. If you want more detail, please advise Marion Lowenthal

From xxx Marsilje, HASP, Hope College, Michigan
HASP has not had an instructor recognition program. We did, however, at one
time have a Distinguished Service Award. As you are experiencing, we found
that it is very difficult to determine what constitutes service which merits
special recognition. Our goal is to have all members be contributing members and the concern is that when you begin offering special recognition there may be hard feelings.
Also we found that the Distinguished Service Award came to be looked upon as
something to be offered on an annual basis which tends to lessen the
impact/importance. Good luck. We will be eager to hear what you decide.

From Nancy Owens, LLI, James Madison University, VA
We always have an instructor appreciation at the end of each semester, but we do have some that have taught each year.

From Lorene Porsild, ElderCollege, Capilano College, Vancouver, BC
Thank you for your enquiry regarding recognizing 12 year volunteers from Ara Rogers @ Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, at USF, Tampa, FL. They really have something to celebrate! Our ElderCollege is just in its 6th year so I do not have as much experience as they do. I will try to give you some ideas as a few of us have done some brainstorming on what can be done to recognize the Volunteers.
1. It is important to recognize volunteers!!
2. Send out printed invitations that includes your Logo, what the Invite is for, Time and Place, Invite     spouses too,
3. A small Gift ie. a rose, could be presented, and perhaps an Appreciation Certificate,
4. Food - small sandwiches and goodies - if it is an afternoon affair or it could be wine and cheese.
5. Have a welcome committee at the front door.
6. A Guest Speaker- perhaps the President of the College or the Mayor of the City. It is always very     good to have the Mayor say a few words and to speak on the value of having so many volunteers     doing good things in the community.
7. Have one of the volunteers speak on how they felt and what they enjoyed most about their     volunteering.
8. Just remember not to make it too formal and give the volunteers time to visit and recollect on all the good times that they had during their service to the seniors and to the community.
9. Have fun!!! and be sure you don't miss anyone.

I hope the above will be of some help to you.

From Pat Mielke, SPARK, MO
I think your idea of honoring the instructors is terrific. Because finances are a HUGE problem with our LLI, we do very little. We have been able to obtain gift certificates for concerts, restaurants, etc. from the public and give them to our instructors as a thank you gift. They especially enjoy the restaurants as most of them have season tickets to the performing arts programs. We recognize those who have taught at least 3 semesters of classes.

From Steve Appel, Institute for Learning in Retirement, University of Cincinnati, OH
For about fifteen years, we had a "Moderator of the Year" award but ran into all sorts of difficulties trying to develop proper criteria, especially trying to reconcile who was more deserving, the teacher with 100 or more in her class or the teacher with a small seminar of devoted students. Last year we came up with an idea resolved this difficulty and that our teachers really like. Our ILR instituted the "Master Moderators Society." We figure that if a moderator has voluntarily taught in our program at least one quarter per year in ten academic years, that's reason enough to honor that person. Each master moderator receives a certificate of appreciation at our December luncheon, and is told that the certificate, the free luncheon, and the thanks of our membership are sufficient reward for outstanding service -- and no one has complained.

From Shirley Hibarger, Center for Lifelong Learning, UWFlorida, Fort Walton
At the Center for Lifelong Learning on the UWF Fort Walton Beach campus in Florida, we have two semesters per year: January and September. At the close of each semester we hold a teacher appreciation luncheon at which we have entertainment, and present our instructors with certificates of appreciation. Since some of our instructors have been with us for the entire 12 years of our operation, the running joke is they're coming up on a sufficient number of certificates to wallpaper their bathrooms. Nevertheless, the luncheons are well attended and our instructors seem to enjoy the recognition.

From Heide Munro, College for Seniors, University of Maine, Augusta
We have an appreciation event, where students talk about their classes and then have lunch together. WE used to give certificates, but stopped that, instead each teacher (group leader) receives a free course and a free membership.