The Center for the Arts in partnership with the University’s Grammy affiliate initiative are pleased to announce the launch of a full selection of virtual Adult Education Series courses for 2021 that explore topics that blend leisure and learning. The courses taught by Monmouth University faculty and friends will be offered via Zoom on Thursday nights from January through May and cost $50 for three sessions making a registration the perfect gift for a friend or family member this holiday season!

After a successful pilot program in the fall with two sold out courses, Monmouth University’s Center for the Arts is pleased to add seven courses to the spring offerings. Kicking off the series will be “Entertainment in America’s Golden Age” which starts January 7, 2021 and takes place from 7:30 – 9 pm. The instructor for this course will be Walter Greason, professor and chair of the Department of Educational Counseling and Leadership. The course will focus on jazz, baseball, and Hollywood during the rise of television and suburbanization from 1945-1981.

The second course being offered will be the “History of Motown.” This course will meet on January 28, February 4 and 11 and will be instructed by popular music author Kit O’Toole. Covering topics such as music from The Supremes, The Four Tops and The Temptations, the course will help to enhance participant’s understanding of Motown’s history and enduring legacy.

Next, back by popular demand will be return of the sold out fall course, “Writing Memoir.” Meeting on February 18, 25 and March 4, the instructor for this course will once again be Monmouth University alumnus and author, Mike Farragher ’88. Students will enjoy engaging, wide-ranging discussion about the joys and challenges of bringing their memories to life.

The fourth course being offered will be “Photography’s Facts and Fictions.” Students will explore how the lines of fact and fiction blur at different moments of photography’s history—from the inception of the medium in the nineteenth century to the contemporary era. The course is instructed by professor of Art History, Corey Dzenko and will be held March 11, 18, and 25.

The fifth course being offered is “Songwriting: Unlocking Your Creativity” and it will be instructed by professor of Music and owner and director of Sweet Music Academy, Jay Sweet and will be held on April 1, 8, and 15. It will provide a supportive outlet for those songwriters looking to share their works for evaluation or for those looking to learn from others’ processes.

The sixth course being offered this term is “Understanding Climate Change” taught by professor of English and a specialist in ecocriticism Heide Estes. The course will discuss the powerful ways in which we can stem the tide of climate change on personal, local, and national levels and will be held on April 22, April 29, and May 6.

Rounding out the spring 2021 course offerings will be “Poetry Appreciation”, taught by associate dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences Michael Thomas. The course running May 13 – May 27 will provide attendees with an introduction to the craft of poetry, while also carefully considering poems that have been deeply meaningful to our lives.

The Adult Education Series offers life-long learning opportunities to the surrounding community while simultaneously highlighting the talents and insightful research of Monmouth University faculty, alumni and friends. Ken Womack, coordinator of the University’s Grammy affiliate initiatives notes that, “each semester we plan to offer new courses devoted to music, the arts, and other aspects of the humanities for our community. This program will complements our partnership with the Center for the Arts, which provides folks across the MU community and beyond with such offerings as Tuesday Night Record Club, Tuesday Night Book Club, and, for the first time this summer, the MU Summer Music and Arts Festival.”

Courses are $50 for three sessions and the Zoom Link will be provided upon registration. For more information about the series and to register for events please visit: https://www.monmouth.edu/mca/series/adult-education-series/