Lee University's Encore Program, which offers the opportunity to take university courses to people age 60 and over, has a new line-up of mini-courses available for the spring semester. These mini-courses are planned exclusively for Encore-eligible students and are available along with selected traditional courses.
The cost is $25 to sign up for two courses, and the following courses will be offered: Spanish Language and Culture for Travelers IV, Fitness for the Encore Years, Joint Conditioning, Creative Writing Workshop, Basic Digital Photography, Consumerism and Society Today, Color Mixing and Composition, Creative Portraiture, Learning from the Great Revivals Part II, The iHows of the iWorld: A Guide to the iPhone and iPad, Second Seasons: What the New Research Has to Say about Aging, Presentation Software for the Novice, and Desktop Publishing for the Novice.
Spanish Language and Culture for Travelers IV is a continuation of a course offered in fall 2014. It is intended for travelers who wish to further their knowledge of Spanish-speaking countries through the study of the language, culture, and useful expression. Students will be exposed to an in-depth look into political, social, and religious issues currently relevant to Spanish-speaking countries. The course will be taught by Dr. Alexander Steffanell, assistant professor of Spanish at Lee. The four-week course will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays, 2-2:50 p.m., Feb. 2 to Feb. 25.
Fitness for the Encore Years is a 10-week course which focuses on a variety of fitness concepts. Activities include testing, low-impact aerobics, ballroom dancing, cardio machine workouts, walking, hiking, senior Zumba, and stretch-band workouts. The course will be taught by Roxanne Tyson, a part-time faculty member at Lee, on Wednesdays from 2-2:50 p.m. starting Jan. 28 and ending April 14.
Joint Conditioning is a ten-week course which will offer techniques to help students strengthen and regain movement in their joints. The class will include a variety of stretching and breathing techniques to help with relaxation and flexibility. This course will also be taught by Ms. Tyson and will meet on Wednesday afternoons, 3-3:50, from Jan. 28 to April 14.
The Creative Writing Workshop course will be taught by Brian Conn, Lee’s Public Relations director. Participants will discuss traditional standards of “good writing” and attempt to incorporate them into new creative work. The class will focus primarily on short fiction and nonfiction prose. The workshop format will require students to write and to read or hear others’ writing and provide useful commentary in order to aid in the objective of crafting quality prose. The seven-week course will meet Tuesdays, 4-5:50 p.m., March 24-May 5.
Basic Digital Photography will be taught by Tom Kilpatrick, a part-time faculty member at Lee. The six-week course is designed to give students a basic understanding of the camera functions and elements of a good photograph. Photoshop will be introduced for the use of basic tools in the editing of photographs. There will be two sections offered, one from Jan. 27 to March 5 and one from March 17 to April 23. Both will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays 1:10-2:25 p.m.
Consumerism and Society Today is a course tracing the development of the modern notion of “shopping” as an important feature of the emergence of a consumer culture that has redefined the relationship between humans and commodities. The course will be taught by associate professor of history Dr. Jason Ward and will focus on the origins of the tendency for many people to define themselves by means of the things they possess. In addition to studying shopping, participants will investigate the historical growth of a specifically consumer-oriented culture and its effects upon society. The five-week class will meet Thursdays, 4-5:50 p.m., March 19-April 16.
Color Mixing and Composition will be taught by Mary Mathias-Dickerson, assistant professor of art at Lee. The course will focus on developing knowledge of how color works and how to mix a full range of colors from a small set of basic colors. Participants will also learn how to create engaging compositions and use color most effectively within a variety of media. An additional $12 fee will be collected by the instructor to cover the cost of art supplies and materials. The four-week course will meet Friday afternoons, 1-2:50, Jan. 23-Feb. 13.
Creative Portraiture will also be taught by Mathias-Dickerson, where participants will learn basic proportions and techniques for drawing and painting people and animals from photographs while working in a variety of media. The class welcomes artists of all levels, including beginners, and a $12 fee will be collected by the instructor to cover the cost of art supplies and materials. The four-week course will meet Fridays, 1-2:50 p.m., Feb. 20-March 20.
Learning from the Great Revivals Part II will introduce students to historic revivalism. The five-week course will explore three major revivals: 1858 Prayer Revival, the Welsh Revival, and the Azusa Street Revival. Special attention will be given to the ministries of D.L. Moody and Billy Sunday. The course will be taught by Dr. Jerald Daffe, professor of pastoral studies at Lee and will meet Thursdays, 5-6:30 p.m., Jan. 22-Feb. 19.
The iHows in the iWorld: A Guide to the iPhone and iPad will cover the basics of navigation, settings, email, Facetime, messaging, and taking pictures and videos on iPhones and iPads. The students will learn how to share pictures with friends and family through messaging, email, and Facebook and will learn how to explore the Web and social media, such as Facebook, with the iPhone and iPad. In addition, the student will examine free apps, utilities, and games for both devices. The course will be taught by Dr. Bill Jaber, professor of computer information systems. The six-week course will meet Tuesdays, 5-7 p.m. from Jan. 20 to Feb. 24.
Second Seasons: What the New Research Has to Say about Aging is an interdisciplinary five-week course which provides an overview of the new research on aging within the context of social, interpersonal, spiritual, and biological/neurological aspects of aging. The course is taught by Dr. Karen Mundy Judkins, professor of sociology at Lee, and Dr. Ben Judkins, a part-time faculty member at Lee, a husband-wife team who both specialize in the area of gerontology and demography. Dr. Karen Mundy Judkins specializes in medical sociology/epidemiology and sociology of religion while Dr. Ben Judkins focuses on diversity studies and quantitative sociology. The course will meet Mondays, 4-5:15 p.m., Feb. 16-March 23.
Presentation Software for the Novice is a five-week course offering an introduction to the presentation software Microsoft PowerPoint and Prezi. By learning techniques and shortcuts for each program, students will become confident users and designers of presentations to use in various venues. Students are encouraged to bring a 2GB (or higher) flash drive for transferring files from class to personal computers, and the course is designed for students who are comfortable with the computer. The class will be taught by Dr. Mava Wilson, associate professor of computer information systems at Lee, and will meet Tuesdays, 5:15-7 p.m., from Jan. 27 to Feb. 24.
Desktop Publishing for the Novice will also be taught by Wilson and will introduce students to entry-level desktop publishing. Microsoft Publisher is an easy-to-use program with a focus in personal and small-business use. Students will explore templates for flyers, cards, brochures, and other publications along with creating their own documents. Students are encouraged to bring a 2GB (or higher) flash drive for transferring files from class to personal computers, and the course is recommended for students who are comfortable with the computer. The course will last five weeks, from March 17 to April 14, and will meet Tuesdays, 5:15-7 p.m.
Students may choose up to two courses from the list of traditional courses and special lecture topics. All enrolled students will have free entry to campus concerts, plays, and athletic events.
In-office registration will begin Tuesday, Jan. 6. The Encore Office hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Fast Track Registration will be held in the Centenary Room of the Higginbotham Administration Building from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15 and Monday, Jan. 19. Participants may complete registration in one step during these times.
For more information about Encore, visit www.leeuniversity.edu/encore or contact Bethany McCoy at 614-8598 or bmccoy@leeuniversity.edu.