Closing the Loop:

​The End-of-Course Appreciation Message
​

At OLLI at Duke, we are always looking for ways to deepen student engagement and strengthen our learning community. One of the most effective ways to do this is through a thoughtful End-of-Course Appreciation message.
The goal is simple: to celebrate the time spent together and gently encourage students to share their feedback through the End-of-Course Survey.

Why Send a Closing Letter?
While our members love the classroom experience, they sometimes need a friendly nudge to complete the administrative "homework"—the survey. A personal note from you makes the request feel less like a corporate requirement and more like a personal favor to help you grow as an instructor.

The Anatomy of a Great Closing Letter
Every instructor has a unique style, so feel free to tailor this to your personality. However, we recommend following this general flow to ensure all the "need-to-know" info is included:

1. The Thank You: Start by acknowledging the time and energy the students brought to the term.
2. Specific Appreciation: What made this particular group special? Being specific makes the message feel authentic rather than a template. Examples: Their challenging questions, the respectful way they engaged in debate, or their eagerness to share additional resources.
3. Tying Up Loose Ends: If there were questions from the final class that required a bit of "homework" on your part, provide those answers here. It shows you were listening until the very last minute.
4. Technical Reminders: If your course was recorded, remind students of the final date the recordings will be available. This helps prevent "access expired" emails to the office later!
5. The Survey Nudge (The "Big Ask"): This is the most critical part for OLLI’s growth. We suggest using wording similar to this:  “If you haven’t already done so, please fill out the End-of-Course Survey. The link is available in your student portal until [DATE]. As your instructor, I truly value your feedback—I want to know what hit the mark and what I can improve. Additionally, your responses help the OLLI staff and Advisory Council better understand how to meet your needs.”
6. Looking Ahead: End with a "see you later." Mention your next upcoming course or simply express your hope to see them in another OLLI at Duke classroom soon.

Let Us Know How It Goes!
If you decide to try this End-of-Course Appreciation message, we’d love to hear about it. Did you see a bump in survey participation? Did students reach out to you? Your feedback helps us decide if we should make this a permanent recommendation for all OLLI instructors.

Need more help? You can find additional resources and templates on the OLLIatduke.online instructor page.