Lifelong Learning
The Lifelong Learning Program is an opportunity for experiencing the joy of learning! The LLP is a collaboration by Colgate University and the community to provide adults with ongoing education for the enrichment of their lives in a diversity of fields. The LLP is a membership organization run by its members, all of whom are LLP students. The program gives members access to an unlimited number of programs, seminars and special events. Lifelong Learning programs have been called a "health club for the brain". Membership in the LLP develops insight, stimulates curiosity and satisfies the intellect. The LLP provides an opportunity for social interaction and intellectual gain in a group atmosphere. Members have the opportunity to develop new ideas and gain a better understanding of the community, the world and oneself!
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Current Courses
Lifelong Learning Program: Spring 2012 Course Descriptions
Microsoft Windows 7 and Office 2010 Interactive Support Tutorials
These sessions will be hands-on tutorials in which the instructor will address the most common Windows 7 and Microsoft Office 2010 issues as well as specific problems attendees bring to class. Participants may register for just one, a few, or all of the sessions. Tentative monthly topics are as follows:
January 11: Windows (file system, virus protection, backup, using help, common utilities)
February 8: Microsoft Word 2010 (templates; mail merge for group letters with personalized addresses; mailing labels and business cards)
March 14: Microsoft Excel (setting up a spreadsheet; charitable contributions; review mail merge)
April 11: PowerPoint (the basics first; slide show of photos; setting up a full presentation)
Date & Time: Wednesdays, January 11, February 8, March 14, & April 11 from 10:00 – 11:30 am
Location: Hamilton Public Library
Facilitator: Harvey Kliman, Ph.D.
Visualization Lab Show: Life: A Cosmic Story
Join us in the beautiful Ho Tung Visualization Lab for the cosmic story of how life began. The story begins in a redwood forest, with the sounds of wind and life. One redwood looms large, until we approach its branches and enter one of its leaves, adjusting our perspective to microscopic scales inside a cell. We see a pared-down version of its inner workings, learning about the process of photosynthesis and the role of DNA. This scene sets the stage for the story of life. We then leap backward billions of years to the origin of elements themselves. The early universe contained mostly dark matter, which drew hydrogen and helium together to form the first stars. The carbon and heavier elements required by living organisms came from generations of stars. Join us to see how the story ends!
Date & Time: Thursday, January 12 from 3:30 – 4:30 pm
Location: Ho Tung Visualization Lab, 4th Floor Ho Science Building, Colgate University (students will be on break so there will be plenty of free parking in the lot above the Ho Science Center)
Facilitator: Joe Eakin, Senior Visualization Laboratory Designer & Technician
Crash Course in Jazz Appreciation
Interested in Jazz but always felt you needed to “understand” it in order to appreciate it? Don’t be intimidated. A crash course in Jazz appreciation will be offered here. With toes tappin’ and heads bobbin’ we’ll chronologically explore Ragtime, Traditional Jazz, Swing, Bebop, Hard Bop, and beyond. We’ll hear the sounds and learn some history of one of America’s greatest artistic contributions to the world - Jazz.
Date & Time: Tuesdays, January 17, 24, & 31 from 4:00 – 5:30 pm
Location: Colgate Bookstore, 3rd Floor Community Room
Facilitator: Kara Rusch
The One-Month Macbeth
This course will examine a single tragedy intensively over the course of five meetings. Attention will be paid to a close reading of the text; critical and production history; and the printing of the play; along with various historical, political, and social contexts, including witchcraft and the supernatural as depicted in plays such as Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus and non-fictional pamphlet literature. Books are available at the Colgate Bookstore. Loaner DVDs of Roman Polansky’s production will be available and the course will end with a discussion of this film version. Feel free to bring your cloak and wand (white magic only).
Date & Time: Thursdays, January 26 and February 2, 9, 16, & 23 from 3:30 – 5:00 pm
Location: Hamilton Public Library
Facilitator: Dr. Susan Cerasano, Edgar W.B. Fairchild Professor of Literature, Colgate University
Comfort, Compassion, and Care with Hospice and Palliative Care
Comfort, compassion, and care with Hospice, where every moment counts. Come and listen to members of the Hospice Team as they talk about bringing dignity to patients, families, and caregivers during one of life's most difficult journeys. Learn how Hospice care exceeds the management of physical needs by caring for patients as a whole, while providing support to family and friends. Come dispel the myths of Hospice and Palliative Care. There will be plenty of time for questions and answers in these sessions.
Date & Time: Tuesdays, February 14 & 28 from 3:30 – 5:00 pm
Location: Hamilton Public Library
Facilitators: Employees of the Hospice Speakers Bureau, New Hartford, NY
Middle East: Current Events in Context
This course will begin with a basic survey of recent Arab history since WWI and then focus on a few countries and the challenges they have faced which brought them to the upheavals of the past year. In addition to providing a better framework for understanding recent events, this course will clarify some common terms and issues which are too often used in our media without sufficient explanation. Reading assignments will be suggested.
Date & Time: Wednesdays, February 29 and March 7, 21, & 28 from 4:00 – 5:30 pm
Location: Hamilton Public Library
Facilitator: Dr. Noor Khan, Assistant Professor of History, Colgate University
Why the Great Recession: Government’s Role and Limitations
The recession that began in 2007 has officially ended, yet the country’s output and employment have not recovered to pre-recession levels. The Federal government has taken many actions to offset the recession. This course will examine economic conditions, an analysis of the effects of government programs, and the choices faced by both Congress and the Obama administration.
Date & Time: Mondays, March 12, 19, & 26 from 3:30 – 5:00 pm
Location: Hamilton Public Library
Facilitator: Dr. David Sturges, Lecturer in Economics, Colgate University
A Golden Potpourri
Come join Hugh Humphreys as he discusses some of his favorite works, which include: Week 1: The Magnificent King James Bible and Our English Tongue; plus readings from the Book of Job. Week 2: The Legend of Faust, through Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, Charles Gounod’s Faust, and Steven Vincent Benet’s The Devil and Daniel Webster. Week 3: Some of the poetic, from Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood, Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology (with class participation), and several more poems. Week 4: From the stage, via George Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan with emphasis on the trial scene, plus the reflections of some who played Joan. Week 5: The Scopes case.
Date & Time: Wednesdays, April 4, 11, 18, 25, and May 2 from 4:00 – 5:30 pm
Location: Hamilton Public Library
Facilitator: The Honorable Hugh Humphreys
Putting the Sun to Work
How do we get electricity from sunlight? In the first part of this course, we’ll get a hands-on answer by building and testing model cars powered by solar cells. The second session will provide a brief introduction to the physics of solar cells.
Date & Time: Tuesdays, April 24 & May 1 from 4:00 – 5:30 pm
Location: Colgate Bookstore, 3rd Floor Community Room
Facilitator: Dr. Beth Parks, Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Colgate University
“With Liberty and Justice for All?”: The Pledge vs. the Plague
We will examine the REAL BIG American political issues of today – one each session. Week one will cover equal opportunity prosperity; week two we’ll discuss majority vote democracy; and week three will be about just-war diplomacy. We will ask questions about jobs vs. deficits, citizen access vs. competitive performance, and winning wars vs. waging peace. Finally, we will ask if our elected leaders are looking out for us or for themselves.
Date & Time: Tuesdays, May 15, 22, & 29 from 4:00 – 5:30 pm
Location: Hamilton Public Library
Facilitators: Dick Cheshire, Ph.D. (ret.) and Carl Albrecht, Captain, U.S. Navy (ret.)
The Swinging Gate: US Immigration Policy in the 21st Century
This course begins with building the historical foundation for current U.S. immigration policy. We will explore the challenges to controlling and managing international migration to and from the United States in this new century and also examine the costs and benefits of immigration on domestic society, economy, and polity. While U.S. immigration policy is formed at the federal level, the effects of immigration vary significantly for regions and communities. Our proximity to Utica in upstate New York also provides an excellent opportunity to observe the local effects of national, as well as international, processes in the form of refugee migration and settlement.
Date & Time: Tuesday, June 26 & Thursday, June 28 from 10:00 – 11:30 am
Location: Colgate Bookstore, 3rd Floor Community Room
Facilitator: Dr. Ellen Percy Kraly, William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Geography, Colgate University
Wildflower Walks in Hamilton, NY
We will explore two natural areas around Hamilton searching for wildflowers, concentrating on identification, taxonomy, and natural history of the species we encounter. The walks will be led by Fred Von Mechow. Fred has a degree in Nature Interpretation from SUNY Cortland and has been an outdoor and environmental educator for 32 years, most recently as program director at Rogers Environmental Education Center in Sherburne, NY. Wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather.
Date & Time: Tuesday, May 8 and Thursday, May 10 from 3:00 - 5:00 pm. Participants should meet in the parking lot of the library at 2:50 pm.
Location: Hamilton Public Library
Facilitators: Fred Von Mechow
Introductory Payment Option: To encourage more people to sample the Lifelong Learning Program, we offer the option of paying for a single course. Fees will be based on the number of sessions in the course or event; each session is $5.00 (e.g., a four-session course would cost $20). Introductory payments can be credited toward a full year's membership fee of $30 (or $55 for a family), which is a Lifelong Learner's "best bargain" by any measure. To enroll in a course, contact the Lifelong Learning Program at LLP@colgate.edu or 315-228-6623.
Partner Events
The following events are hosted by other organizations but may be of interest to our members. Please note that these may have a separate registration and/or attendance fee! Please contact the host organization for more information or to register.
Emerging Cinema at Hamilton Theater
Remember that Lifelong Learning Program members receive discounted admission to these films, offered Sunday through Thursday at 5:30 pm. The discounted rate for LLP members is $5.50 a ticket. Click here for the Hamilton Theater website
Hamilton Book & Movie Club:
The Colgate Bookstore and the Hamilton Movie Theater partner to offer this Book & Movie club, which provides three evenings of entertainment, including a private film screening of a film adapted from that month's book selection, followed by a light dinner and lively discussion at the Bookstore. To join the club, or for more information, a list of featured selections, and screening dates, visit www.colgatebookstore.com/bookmovie
You may also contact Heather Elia at 228-6944 or helia@colgate.edu.
Education Unlimited
For more information visit www.educationunlimitedofa.org
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits? - The Lifelong Learning program gives members access to an unlimited number of programs, seminars and special events.
- Lifelong Learning programs have been called a "health club for the brain." Membership in an LLP develops insight, stimulates curiosity and satisfies the intellect.
- The LLP provides an opportunity for social interaction and intellectual gain in a group atmosphere.
- The LLP allows members to develop new ideas and gain a better understanding of the community, the world and oneself!
PLUS:
- All LLP members receive a 20% discount at the Colgate Bookstore any day of the week on most items.
- All LLP members have borrowing privileges at the Case-Geyer Library at Colgate.
- All LLP members receive discounted admission to the Emerging Cinemas offerings at the Hamilton Theater.
Who can join?
- The Lifelong Learning program is open to any adult who is interested in continuing to learn and spend time with like minded individuals.
What’s required?
- An individual annual membership of $30 allows one to attend all events offered through the program. Family memberships are obtainable for $55. Scholarships are available!
- To attend courses, members must enroll.
Who’s in charge?
- The Lifelong Learning program is sponsored by the Upstate Institute at Colgate University.
- A board of directors of community members and Upstate Institute staff have developed and guided the Lifelong Learning program. Future planning will involve the membership functioning through a committee structure.
What opportunities are offered?
- The program includes peer-taught and faculty-led courses as well as special events, lectures and discussion groups.
- A list of the courses being offered each semester is published in the Lifelong Learning Program newsletter and on the Upstate Institute website.