Kickoff event planned for WMU's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Western Michigan University will offer an information fair to announce its offerings for fall 2014.
The fair is from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 21, on the Grand Tier Lobby of Miller Auditorium. Attendees will learn about the institute, meet instructors, volunteers and other students and may register for classes. They also can find out about other campus events and offerings of interest to adult learners aged 50 and over. Refreshments will be served and door prizes will be awarded.
The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are requested at (269) 387-4200 or at wmich.edu/olli/courses.
Wide variety of courses
The institute is offering 32 courses from September through November, with each course meeting one to four times. Topics include bioethics, problem-solving courts, fundamentals of Islam, wine-making, Jane Austen, the Great Lakes, plays by Eugene O'Neill, digital cameras and digital photography, Antarctica and introduction to film. Registration opens for OLLI members on Aug. 11 and for all others on Aug. 21.
Several trips also are planned for fall, including Art Prize in Grand Rapids, a Petoskey trip to visit sites associated with Ernest Hemingway, a show at the Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea and shopping in Frankenmuth and at IKEA. Trips are offered in cooperation with AAA. Reservations may be made by calling (800) 887-4791.
About the institute
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at WMU, developed under the auspices of Extended University Programs and now in its fourth year, provides low-cost, short-term, non-credit learning experiences for mature adults in an informal and stimulating environment. There are no exams and no grades. Classes take place on campus and at various off-campus locations. All instructors are volunteers. Some are retired WMU faculty, while others are experts from the community.
The complete fall catalog and registration is available online at wmich.edu/olli or call the Extended University Programs office at (269) 387-4200.