I. Responsibilities of the Sponsoring Institution
The minimum commitment of the Sponsoring Institution includes:

• Assignment of a staff person as liaison to the LLI
• Public notice of the connection between the Sponsoring Institution and the LLI (i.e., granting permission to the LLI to use the name of the Sponsoring Institution).

Very few Sponsoring Institutions will restrict support to the minimum commitment. Sponsoring Institutions are typically colleges and universities and offer substantial support services. None is required, but this support may include:

Start-up funding to launch the Institute

• Space and equipment for study group meetings, office tasks and social activity
• Library privileges, student rates for events and activities offered by the sponsor, use of recreational facilities
• Fiscal management
• Provision for parking
• Reduced cost or fee waiver for other educational offerings of the sponsor.

Alternate sponsorship arrangements may be considered on an individual basis.

II. Benefits to your Campus
LLI members and their sponsor campuses agree that an LLI does much more than enrich the lives of older learners. Sponsoring campuses are enjoying a multitude of benefits - some anticipated, many unexpected - that extend well beyond those experienced as a result of more traditional programs.

Retirement age students have been welcome on campuses for a long time. Colleges and universities have granted them special access to regular classes, designed programs specifically for them, and reached out to senior centers.

But the Institute concept does even more. It forges intense bonds among its members, the LLI, and the campus they share. How? By empowering its members, who in turn enrich and support campus life. As the age of the majority of Americans shifts upwards, institutions that draw in older learners will prosper.

On campuses that have embraced LLIs, the benefits are clear:

Empowering Older Learners. LLIs build on the unique strengths and characteristics of older students, putting them in charge of their own educational programs. This is empowerment through education, the finest tradition of higher education.

Developing a New Constituency. As our society moves further into the 21st century we are rapidly reorienting ourselves to an aging population. Campuses which remain exclusively focused on traditional age students, or even on traditional age "adult" students, ignore our fastest growing and soon to be dominant age group. LLI members champion and support their sponsoring campuses.

Preparing for the Future. There are special skills required to work successfully with older learners, both in the classroom and in administration. These skills will be in ever increasing demand as older people become a prominent force on campuses. The time to develop those skills is now, while innovations are being put in place and society is in a transitional phase.

Building Community Support. Older people are quickly becoming, and in many communities already are, the dominant group in reference to voting and political action. As a group they enjoy a high percentage of discretionary income. Their support for higher education on a national level will be won by involving them in large numbers in programs specifically designed to meet their needs and interests. This is no less the case on the local level. Community support for an institution cannot remain strong if older people are left out of its educational program.

Increasing Community Recognition. A LLI is a highly visible community activity. Media coverage is extensive and exceptionally positive. Older learners are themselves active sales people, building support for the campus among an extensive and influential network of friends and associates. This positive image of the campus extends throughout the community, far beyond the peer group of the active membership.

Creating New Community Ties. The creation and ongoing operation of a LLI provides a way to work with community groups and leaders from whom the campus might otherwise be isolated. Political leaders, senior citizen groups, governmental agencies, service clubs and local businesses can play important roles in initiating and sustaining a LLI, creating new partnerships that traditional programs have not established.

Developing New Resources for the Campus. It is axiomatic to refer to the wealth of wisdom and experience older people possess. In LLIs around the country, time and again this wealth is tapped. LLI members help:

• in the career counseling department * tutor international students
• volunteer in libraries * act as research subjects for students
• work with administrators * sponsor cultural events
• host other programs such as Elderhostel * counsel adult learners
• consult with business and community groups

Enhancing the Campus Environment for Students of All Ages. Older people help set a new tone on campus. They take education seriously. They view campus life as a joy and a privilege. They actively support cultural events. Their very presence, their enthusiasm, and their dedication to learning provide role models for students in other age groups, affecting their attitudes about education and transforming their images of their own aging.

Extending the Development Effort. LLI members become dedicated, effective campus boosters. They may volunteer in traditional fundraising efforts, contribute to scholarship and building funds, or take on fundraising projects that promote the LLI and the campus too. Their good will and support have an expansive effect in the community, enhancing the campus' standing and credibility in all its development efforts.

Involving Alumni. LLIs offer meaningful academic and leadership roles to local alumni, enabling them to be more than socially connected to campus.

Rewarding Emeriti Faculty. Retired professors have been instrumental in establishing many LLIs. The chance to continue to teach and to be part of the campus and a community of scholars is perhaps the most rewarding service a campus can provide its retired faculty.

Enriching the Work of Staff and Faculty. Administrators like their work with older learners. Faculty are invigorated by teaching people who are responsive, knowledgeable, and full of insights and experiences of their own to bring to the subject at hand. The presence of a successful LLI is an uplifting experience for everyone connected with the campus.

Fulfilling the Mission of the Institution. The active, high profile involvement of older learners is a forthright statement of a campus commitment to the creation of an education-oriented society, and to education as a way of life.