ISSUED: 5 August 2019
MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Owens
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — Shepherd University’s Lifelong Learning Program kicks off its fall semester Wednesday, August 28, at 5 p.m. in the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education with instructors making presentations about this semester’s course offerings and a reception, which is free and open to the public. The Lifelong Learning semester begins Wednesday, September 4, and will include a series of classes, brown bag lunches, films, and tours that run through November 20.
Some fall semester Lifelong Learning classes, which will attempt to explain the times as the United States enters an election year, will include Misinformation Propagation, U.S. Presidents from Kennedy to Trump, Top Ten Congressional Investigations, Politics and Messaging, School Reform, Voter Knowledge of Politics, and a seminar discussion series on international issues. The course Theory of Knowledge promises to explain how perspective shapes the way we interpret knowledge.
Literature classes will include a celebration of Margaret Atwood’s early work, two courses on short stories, the latest in the Voices of the Misty Mountains series focusing on Denise Giardina, and the return of the Wild Writers Fiction Writers retreat. Spiritual topics include Jesus Before Christianity and a reprise of the previously offered Reading the Bible Through the Eyes of Darwin.
Arts offerings include exploration of specific opera performances through Operas Based on Shakespeare Plays, a course on “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and two courses from the award-winning Contemporary American Theater Festival—Introduction to Theater and the New Play Process and 2019 CATF Postseason Discussion. History courses this semester include East Asia: Commerce, Convicts and Conflict and the continuation of the Big History of Humanity class.
Self-improvement courses continue to be a part of the Lifelong Learning Program, with new and ongoing classes in Creating a More Fulfilling Retirement and Ecopsychology and Art. The Brown Bag Lectures include a diverse lineup of topics ranging from Medicare to science to philanthropy.
Returning this semester are workshops in the Fine Art, Science, Technology, Engineering, Educational Resource (FASTEnER) Lab. Hands-on workshops include paper making, metalworking, 3D printing, MIG welding, wax casting, 3D self-portrait, glass fusing, and woodworking.
Lifelong Learning’s partnership with the Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education continues with showings and discussions of two films that focus on socially and historically relevant issues and support of the President’s Lecture series by coordinating three presentations on societal and science topics from leaders in their fields.
Day and overnight excursions offer a wide range of cultural and historical experiences along the Eastern Seaboard and beyond. Trips offered this semester include Harriet Tubman National Historic Park, Great Falls Canal, Chincoteague Island, Winterthur Museum, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and Southern Maryland.
The Lifelong Learning Program also facilitates national and international tours, including Danube and Black Sea cruises, Black Hills/Badlands of South Dakota, Cultural Treasure of Japan, Scandinavian Highlights, Fall Colors of the Great Lakes, Greece: In the Footsteps of Paul, Reflections of Italy, and South Africa Adventure.
Classroom and lab offerings consist of mostly six-week courses and one-time luncheon Brown Bag Lectures. Although some items are free, course attendance generally requires an annual membership fee starting at $85 per year plus class fees, which also includes free Brown Bag Lectures and discounts on day excursions.
Shepherd’s Lifelong Learning Program is volunteer, member-driven, and dedicated to offering stimulating academic courses and activities to the community. For additional information and to register, visit www.shepherd.edu/lifelonglearning or contact Karen Rice at krice@shepherd.edu or 304-876-5135.
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