Astronomy, history, science, politics, religion, the arts—and everything in between—are what members of the James Madison University Lifelong Learning Institute study, learn and experience.
On March 2, LLI will celebrate its 15th anniversary at the JMU Festival Center with a dinner, recognition of LLI’s long-term instructors and a presentation of the program’s history.
“We are encouraging our members to bring a non-member guest,” said Roxanna Theiss, a member since 1999.
Since the program’s inception, membership has grown from 70 to about 500 this year, Theiss said. “It’s been close to 600. The number goes up and down and it can change across time, but it’s been a steady growth up.”
Originally, membership was restricted to age 55 and older, before changing to age 50.
“We have just recently gone through a constitutional change and opened it up to all adults,” said Theiss. “We’re assuming 18 and over.”
Weekend courses, day trips, brown bag lunches and common interest groups are offered. Although most classes are during the day or on weekends, LLI courses are looking to expand to evening hours, Theiss said.
Annual membership is $20. A five-week course—no tests or grades—is $35, which Theiss considers “the bargain of a decade.”
“Often we’ll pull from JMU history and science faculty to teach for us. We have a very eclectic program from “Golf With a Shotgun,” a class on sporting clays, to a course on Middle Eastern literature,” she said. “We’re getting a reputation among the instructors, who know if you want to have a good time, come to LLI. [The members] learn a lot, there are no discipline problems, and they’re engaged.”
Two such members are Cathy and Bill Hunter, of Mauzy. They started taking courses shortly after moving to the area in 1997.
“It was a way of getting to know people and we found we really loved the courses,” said Cathy. “We have made wonderful friends through LLI.”
The couple was “hooked” after their first course on plant identification—their new property had been landscaped with a multitude of unfamiliar species.
Other “fabulous” courses included histories on the Valley and the area’s Mennonites, as well as legends of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah River and trips into the area’s gaps and hollows that early settlers explored by horse and wagon.
Next up for the couple—“Grave Tidings,” a look at the county’s graveyards and the symbolism of gravestone markings.
“No homework, no tests, strictly for enjoyment, edification and personal enrichment,” said Bill.
The couple now encourages retirees looking to relocate to consider moving to a college town, which is “a big plus.”
The member-run program has a number of volunteers, including Theiss, who serve on various committees and an advisory board, and also recruit instructors. The JMU-affiliate institute is under the auspices of the social work department, Theiss said, with two JMU employees, program director Nancy Owens and a part time assistant. The program was originally designed on the Elder Hostel model by social work professor Ann Myers and Dr. Cecil Bradfield.
JMU Lifelong Learning Insittute’s 15th Anniversary Celebration will be March 2 at the JMU Festival Center from 5-7:30 p.m. Tickets for members and non-members are $15, which includes dinner. The registration deadline is Friday. To register or for more information, call 568-2923. For more information about the program and upcoming courses, visit www.jmu.edu/socwork/lli.
