One of the many advantages of living in the Roanoke metropolitan area is the variety of educational opportunities available. With Hollins University, Virginia Western, and Roanoke College there is no shortage of courses one can take, and you need not be a full-time student or even of college age. In many cases courses are available for audit. With no reason to dread a final exam you can sit back and soak up the information just for the fun of learning.
At Roanoke College there is a perfect venue that fills the bill: The Elderscholar Program. As the name implies, you need to be “elderly” (that means 55 or >) and you are supposed to live in the area. There are two courses of study in the fall and another two in the spring. The classes meet on Tuesday and Thursdays from 12 to 1 and are followed by lunch. More about that later. Each lecture is a stand-alone given by a faculty member. The topics are as varied as the Roanoke College courses of study.
The series is in its 23rd year and a spin off of the Elderhostel program. In that format, you travel for a week or so with a professor who will lecture daily on the topic of interest. It might be archeology in Egypt, Colonial Life in Williamsburg, or Ancient Greece. As attractive as those programs are, they do require travel, sometimes extensive. In the Elderscholar series, the only travel problem is parking space at the college and they even provide special spots for the participants.
As a former teacher I have always enjoyed being in the audience of a gifted lecturer, particularly when I don’t have the pressure of recalling at a later date everything that was said. It works both ways: In a formal class the professor is concerned about whether the students are getting the information plus the fact that there will be exams to grade, never, at least for me, an activity of unbridled joy. It is easy to tell when the lecturer is engaged with the class; in the elderscholar programs, each professor shows an enthusiasm that is infectious.
During the lectures, questions and comments are welcome. Unlike the usual college setting, you can ask a question without the risk of your fellow students or, worse yet, the professor pointing out that everyone in the world, except you, knows the answer. Nor is there a need to trot out some observation to impress anyone; everyone is there for the same purpose: to enjoy sharing of an intellectual pursuit.
Immediately following the lecture, the class adjourns to Sutton Commons for lunch. Many of us remember with distaste the college dining facilities of yesteryear. My college food service specialized in dozens of different ways to prepare baloney; I fully expected it as dessert with chocolate sauce, but fortunately, that never happened. In Sutton Commons, the food selection is vast and unfailingly excellent. Additionally, lunch provides a chance to continue, if you choose, the discussion with your classmates.
Roanoke College has distinguished itself further with the Fowler Public Policy Lecture Series. In 1983, Henry Fowler, a 1929 graduate of the college and former Secretary of the Treasury under President Johnson, established the series. The honorees include past presidents, prime ministers, internationally renowned columnists, most recently, Sandra Day O’Connor. These marvelous offerings are open to the public, free of charge, although you must reserve a place in advance. When Justice O’Connor’s appearance was announced, we called immediately but it was already filled. To our delight, the Elderscholar Program had tickets set aside for its registrants and they called to asked if we would like to attend (on the main floor, no less, not the bleachers).
Of course, as everyone is aware, there is no free lunch. The Elderscholar Program has a fee: $75 dollars for five lectures and a graduation banquet. It has to be one of the biggest bargains in the college arena. If you want to learn more call Stephanie Garst, the excellent Director of Community Programs (540-375-2323) or go to [email protected]. I wouldn’t wait too long if you want to find out about the spring curricula; the classes fill in a hurry.
By Hayden Hollingsworth [email protected]
