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Lee University’s Encore Program, which offers people age 60 and over the opportunity to take university courses, has announced its spring 2021 offerings, consisting of both in-person and online options.

With a fee of $25, Encore students may choose up to two of the following courses: All You Need is Love; Biblical Civilizations; Europe’s Long Nineteenth Century: 1815-1914; Fitness Class; Grief and Loss; Hello Darlin’: This is the New South; Is Fake News Real? How to Tell When Organizations are Skewing the Truth; Joint Conditioning; Graphic Design/Photoshop Basics; Microsoft Basics: Word, Excel & PowerPoint; Oil Painting Beginner to Intermediate Level; Psychology’s Four Biggest Ideas; Reclaiming the Discarded Image: Self and Cosmos from the Middle Ages Today; Responding to an Emergency: First Aid, Search and Rescue; The Book of Judges: An Enduring Biblical Message for a Modern World; The Sacraments of the Church; The Story of Covid-19: Act II; and Who is Driving This Thing? The Neuroscience of How We Map Our Brains, One Decision at a Time.

All You Need is Love is an online course that focuses on music as the language of love. Led by Maestro Bob Bernhardt, artist-in-residence at Lee, students will look at musical expressions of love from the classics to the contemporary. This course will be available throughout the month of February.

From Creation to the Greco-Roman World, the Biblical Civilizations course will contextualize the biblical events with their contemporary world cultures. By exploring the various societies
and cultures in which the Jewish nation interacted, this course will uncover the wider sociopolitical environment of the Ancient World. Dr. Timothy Lay, history professor, will lead this five-week course on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-5:15 p.m., beginning Feb. 2.

With roots in the 18th century and transcending into the early years of the 20th, the “long 19th century” witnessed the coming of age for Europe as it rose to the peak of its power and influence. This course will highlight the social, political, and intellectual manifestations that marked the emergence of Europe into the fullness of the Modern Age. Lay teaches this course on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-5:15 p.m., beginning March 23.

In the Fitness Class, students will build muscle and strength while using weights. Endurance and mobility will also be increased while enjoying fun music that helps with coordination. Students will need to wear the proper attire, such as clothing that one can move easily in, along with comfortable walking shoes. Roxanne Tyson teaches this course on Wednesdays from 1-1:50 p.m., Feb. 3—April 14.

Grief and Loss exposes students to knowledge and skills of counseling psychology with current research and theory in grief and bereavement. Grief therapy is a unique form of counseling and views bereavement as a normal response to life crisis. Students are taught the active steps in grieving that help people through their individual process of recovery. Lee counselor Lena Barber will teach this course Thursdays from 2-4 p.m. Dates will be announced soon.

Hello Darlin’: This is the New South is a five-week course offering a contemporary look at the region of the United States that is referred to as “The South.” The class will look at several aspects of the region: the people, the economy, politics, culture (including language, food, literature, music, etc.), religion, and health. COVID permitting, a 6th class period will occur (date TBD) where a traditional southern meal will be served. Lee professors Dr. Karen Mundy-Judkins and Dr. Bennett M. Judkins will lead this course Mondays, 4:15-5:30 p.m., from Feb. 1—March 1.

The course, Is Fake News Real? How to Tell When Organizations are Skewing the Truth, is a non-partisan examination of techniques used by organizations to bend the truth, and perhaps lie, in order to influence the public. This class will examine real-life case studies that give students an inside look at how news may become distorted through carelessness and by design. The course may involve some minimal assigned reading from readily accessible news media sites and free-access publications (student access to the internet will be useful, but not required). John Bland, public relations faculty, will teach this class on Tuesdays, 2-3:15 p.m., from Feb. 2—March 1.

Joint Conditioning will cover different techniques to help students strengthen and regain movement in their joints. The class will include different stretches and breathing techniques to help with relaxation, flexibility, agility, and strength. Chairs will be used in class, but some of the exercises do require standing. Students will need to wear the proper attire, such as clothing that one can move easily in, along with comfortable walking shoes. Tyson will lead the 10-week course on Wednesdays from 2-2:50 p.m., beginning Feb. 3.

Graphic Design/Photoshop Basics will teach students the basics of Photoshop. Students will learn skills for simple photo editing and graphic design and can use the skills gained for personal creativity or for business such as advertising products. Participants will need an Adobe Photoshop account for this class. Golden Madume, student success staff, will lead this five-week class on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:15- 2:40 p.m., March 1—April 15.

In Microsoft Basics: Word, Excel & PowerPoint, students will learn skills to create documents using Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, which can apply to both personal use and business settings. Madume instructs this course on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:45 a.m.-1:10 p.m., Jan. 26—Feb. 25.

Oil Painting Beginner to Intermediate Level offers those who identify as beginners instruction in color mixing, painting techniques, and drawing. Participants from the Fall 2020 Encore painting class, or those who identify as intermediate level painters, will receive separate instruction in composition and methods of transfer to canvas from photos or drawings. Gary McDonald will instruct this class Mondays and Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m. Feb. 15—March 31.

In Psychology’s Four Biggest Ideas, four sessions will be dedicated to discussing human behavior through the eyes of Freud, Pavlov, Skinner, and Maslow. These four men and their views of the human experience had a profound impact on the way we have understood our behavior in the 20th and 21st centuries. Lee Chancellor Dr. Paul Conn will teach this course on Tuesdays from 6:30-7:50 p.m., from Feb. 2—March 2.

C.S. Lewis described a living, spiritual, and deeply meaningful image of the cosmos by which pre-modern people understood their place in the created order, but with the advent of the modern world, views of creation and humanity’s relation to it has changed. By tracing this cosmological image through medieval writings and how it influenced Lewis’ own work, students in the Reclaiming the Discarded Image: Self and Cosmos from the Middle Ages Today course can rediscover a bit about themselves and where and how they belong. David Schlosser, adjunct professor, will teach this class on Wednesdays, 10-11 a.m., Jan. 20—March 31.

Responding to an Emergency: First Aid, Search and Rescue will give students the chance to learn how to respond to different emergencies, negotiate difficult situations, and learn lifesaving medical interventions and search and rescue techniques. Participants will receive First Aid and CPR certification through the course. Dr. Ross Ian Vance teaches this course on Thursdays from 5:45-7 p.m., Feb. 4—March 4.

The Book of Judges: An Enduring Biblical Message for a Modern World class is a close analysis of the book of Judges in its ancient Near Eastern and biblical context with a focus on the importance of the ancient message for a modern world. The course will be taught by Dr. Brian Peterson, religion professor, on Thursdays, 2:45-3:45 p.m. from Jan. 14- Feb. 18.

Sacraments of the Church will trace the various ecclesial positions on the issues and disagreements over sacraments, noting the historical developments that affect the current situation in today’s churches and exploring the theological meanings behind their practice. Dr. Lisa Stephenson, religion professor, will teach this four-week course on Thursdays from 9:30-10:30 a.m., beginning Feb. 4.

The Story of COVID-19: Act II addresses the central question, “Are we safe yet?” This class provides the newest information on the science of COVID-19 and includes a primer on “best medical practices” for the consumer. The class considers initiatives to reduce zoonotic illnesses and the “self-correcting” nature of science, controversies of COVID-19, the differing responses of states and nations, the fads and foibles, and the politics of the epidemic. Dr. Karen Mundy-Judkins and Dr. Bennett M. Judkins will teach this four-week course on Mondays from 4:15-5:30 p.m., beginning April 5.

Who is Driving This Thing? The Neuroscience of How We Map Our Brains, One Decision at a Time offers a practical look at the way people choose to behave and make decisions, exploring how humans were designed to live, work, and communicate with others. This course will be taught by Vance on Mondays from 5:45-7 p.m., Feb. 1—March 1.

Students will be required to wear masks and class capacity has been decreased in the interest of safety and to observe distancing guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Hybrid options are available for many of the courses and will be available upon request. All courses are on a first-come, first-served basis, and spaces are limited. 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.

Registration will take place on Jan. 6 and 7 in the Communication Arts Building, Room 113, from 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Beginning Jan. 8, registration will only be available via email, over the phone, or by drop box in the lobby of the Higginbotham Administration Building. In-person registration will be by appointment only to ensure social distancing.

Lee University’s Encore Program is a part of the institution’s commitment of service to the community.

For more information about Encore or to schedule an appointment, contact Community Relations at (423) 614-8598 or [email protected] or visit leeuniversity.edu/encore/.

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