The Strategic Plan for 2025-28 has been developed by the Management Committee and key U3A leaders. It is available here:
Strategic Plan 2025-2028

An importan part of the plan is recognition of the need for a volunteer leader to drive each section to ensure that our targets are met in a timely fashion. Two important volunteer positions need to be filled as soon as possible to help us drive this plan forward over the next three years. Role descriptions are:
Lead – Membership

Lead – Classes and Tutors

We call for volunteers to apply for these leadership positions. Applications close on 26 February. Members filling these positions will be part of the new Management Committee that will come in at the AGM in April 2025.

This 9-minute interview with Sofie Formica was broadcast on 4BC Brisbane on 28 January 2025. It is about connecting seniors with Lifelong Learning, with particular emphasis on creative arts classes and the social benefits of being part of the U3A community.
(Acknowledgement: 4BC Brisbane)

Methanol Poisoning: Not just a Laotian problem!

Date: Thursday 20 March 2025, 11:30am-1:00pm
Presenter: Dr David Williams
Venue: City Campus, 232 Adelaide St.

Prompted by recent tragic events in Laos and as I have expertise in the analysis of alcoholic beverages for adulterants, I decided it would be opportune to prepare a talk on the topic for the wider U3A audience. My ultimate aim is to place the recent events into a global context.

The talk begins with the isolation, uses, exposure and metabolism in the human body of methanol. This is followed by a recent history of methanol poisoning before moving on to describing a little-known event during America's Prohibition years. The main crux of the talk then centres on events in Laos and Fiji, setting out in a step-by-step fashion as they transpired, the medical treatment received and the Laotian investigation (or lack of!). I also comment on the 60 minutes expose (Channel 9 aired on 2nd February 2025) and finish up on a scenario that goes some way in answering what may have happened on those fateful days in November 2024.

Current Bookings: 33   (Maximum: 50)

Register for this Event

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Annual General Meeting 2025

Date: Wednesday 16 April 2025, 10:00am-11:00am
Venue: Online meeting (Zoom)

Annual General Meeting 2025. See March eNews for details.

Current Bookings: 13   (Maximum: 120)

Register for this Event

Class Schedule for Term 1 2025 is now active and enrolments are open. Term 1 commenced on Tuesday 28 January.

To join a new class, enrol through the Class Search page by clicking on the Enrol button, or contact the tutor directly. If you book online you may assume your enrolment is accepted unless the tutor advises otherwise.

You can use the Member Dashboard to view your class enrolment status.

Search Classes and Enrol

Member Dashboard

2025 Term dates:

Term	From	To	Weeks
1	Tue 28-Jan	Fri 4-Apr	10
2	Tue 22-Apr	Fri 27-Jun	10
3	Mon 14-Jul	Fri 19-Sep	10
4	Tue 7-Oct	Fri 12-Dec	10

Public Holidays during Term 1:
None.

This segment was broadcast on Brisbane Channel 9 News Seniors Report by Bruce Paige on 5 July 2024.
(Acknowledgement: 9News Brisbane)

The classes shown were Lily Buttigieg's J218 Spanish Continuing and Bruce Holdsworth's E16 Politics and the Economy - Hopes and Fears, both Wednesday classes at 232 Adelaide St.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here, and anyone can use it. In order to assist U3A members in understanding AI, we have developed a resource to provide practical information on using the various AI tools publicly available, and to outline some of the thorny social issues AI presents:

Introduction to AI

The technology has advanced more quickly than expected, and has the potential to reshape our world. This resource page is offered primarily to provide information about the numerous ways in which AI can currently be used. In the longer term, there are philosophical and even existential considerations, but the more we know about practical AI, the better we will be equipped to understand the deeper issues for humanity.

We are running various presentations on AI as part of this educational process. Tutors and Members are encouraged to explore the creative opportunities of AI.

 AGM 2024 Documents
 The following reports and documents were made available at the AGM held on 10 April 2024:
    2024 AGM Agenda
    2023 AGM Minutes
    Financial Report for the year ended 31 December 2023
    Management Committee Nominations 2024
    Treasurer's Report 2024
    President's Report 2024

The Management Committee for 2024/25 is as follows.

See Social Events page for details of social events organised by our Social Events Team.

To keep our members up to date with current and important information, we produce monthly e-newsletters and those are sent to members on our Email mailing list. For details of our classes and timetable, we produce a quarterly Class Schedule issued two weeks before the end of each term.

Recent Issues

2025
March 2025

February 2025

2024
December 2024
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024

Prior Years

E-News Back Issues

U3A Brisbane now has a Discussion Forum, mainly intended for members to discuss class content with each other. In order to access the forum, members who have not otherwise registered a password as Tutor or staff Volunteer need to firstly:
Register a username and password via Website Registration. Make sure you respond to the security email otherwise the password won't be registered. If you ever forget your password, you can re-set it via the same process.

Once you have a username and password:
  1. Login via the login window at top right of home page.
  2. Go to Members menu that will then show on the right and select Discussion Forum.

Tutors may request a new forum category for their class. See Discussion Forum explanatory page for more information.

U3A Brisbane recommends Zoom videoconferencing to tutors who do not wish to conduct face-to-face classes. Many tutors are successfully running their classes online at present. This facility will not be appropriate to all classes but should suit those classes where presentations are typically made. It is very easy to use and we encourage all members to join these sessions online when invited by the tutor.Closed Captions are optionally available in Zoom sessions for those members who need them.

  Zoom - Student Instructions
  Zoom - Tutor Instructions

Email Discussion Groups
U3A Brisbane is also recommending that tutors consider setting up an Email Discussion Group. This enables class members to join the group for interactive discussion.
  Discussion Group Instructions (for tutors)

The Management Committee and other key volunteers have been working on a new 3 year Strategic Plan to take us through to 2024. Thanks to all those who have contributed so far. The Strategic Plan is now available. Feedback is welcome.

U3A Brisbane is required to have COVID-19 Safety plans in place iin order to offer face-to-face classes. Tutors should contact the relevant District Coordinator if you wish to conduct a face-to-face class.

COVID Safe Plan - City Campus 2023

COVID Safe Plan - District Classes 2023  

The IT Group that functioned for many years with Saturday morning monthly meetings no longer meets except for occasional Zoom events. Notes of past meetings are available here: IT Group Notes.

The one-week Winter School has been in abeyance since 2019 as a result of restrictions imposed by the COVID outbreak. Presentation notes from past Winter Schools are available here: Winter School Notes.

U3A Brisbane is a member of the U3A Queensland Network, which produces occasional Network Newsletters.