Press Release

February 2, 2024 | By Cole Hatcher

Registration begins Feb. 5 for the spring session of the Lifelong Learning Institute at Ohio Wesleyan University. The classes are open to those 55 and older. (Photo by Mark Schmitter '12)

Class Act

Registration Begins Feb. 5, Classes March 4 for Spring Session of Ohio Wesleyan's Lifelong Learning Institute

DELAWARE, Ohio – The Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) at Ohio Wesleyan University is offering 10 courses this spring, with topics ranging from crime in film, preserving memories, culinary medicine, and even UFOs.

For their $75 registration fee, individuals 55 and older are able to sign up for as many courses as they wish during the spring session, which runs from March 4 through April 12 for most classes.

The multi-week classes are taught by volunteers, including current and retired Ohio Wesleyan professors and other experts in a non-competitive environment. All classes will last approximately two hours and will be held in person unless otherwise noted.

Scheduled spring classes are:

  • Crime, Corruption, and Cover-Ups, featuring film screenings and discussions at the Strand Theatre, 28 E. Winter St., Delaware.
  • Preserving the Past – Sharing our Stories, featuring topics including how to preserve photographs and create digital photo books at the Richard M. Ross Art Museum, 60 S. Sandusky St., Delaware.
  • LLI Potpourri, featuring single-topic sessions including:
    • "Legacy of Leadership: 25 Years of Progress as Delaware's City Manager," with Tom Homan
    • "The 'Tribal Twenties': America in the 1920s and 2020s"
    • "Preview of the 2024 Elections: Presidential Nominations"
    • "The Ins, Outs, Tips, Tricks, and Trends of Starting a Business After 50, 55, 60?"
    • "Nurses in the Spanish-American War"
    • "It's A Small World After All," exploring international travel with Ohio Wesleyan students and OWU Office of International and Off-Campus Programs
  • Brain Longevity: The 4 Pillars of Alzheimer's Prevention
  • Science in Action, featuring the topics:
    • "The Great American Eclipse, Part 2: Standing in the Shadow of the Moon"
    • "The World of Bats!"
    • "The Future is Wall Lizards: How One Species Thrives in our Human-Altered World"
  • Women Pioneers
  • Culinary Medicine: A Deeper Dive into Evidence-Based Foods and Trends Directing Nutrition Science and Discover a Delicious Route to Health and Wellness
  • Banned and Challenged Books: Classic American Novels through the Decades
  • My Life As A … featuring Zoom conversations with accomplished individuals including OWU alumni who have built careers in such diverse fields. Scheduled presenters include:
    • "My Life as a Scientist, Astronaut, Explorer," with Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, geologist, former NASA astronaut, first American woman to walk in space, and oceanographer
    • "Our Lives as a Venture Capitalist and a Social Business Entrepreneur," with Dr. Fred Haney and Barbara Haney, OWU Class of 1963
    • "My Life in Washington, the White House, the Airline Industry and More," with Nick Calio, President and CEO, Airlines for America, and OWU Class of 1977
    • "My Life as a Dead Sea Scrolls Scholar," with Dr. James Charlesworth, President, Foundation on Judaism and Christian Origins, and Director and Editor, Princeton Dead Sea Scrolls Project, OWU Class of 1962
  • Close Encounters of the Scientific Kind: the Good, Bad, and Ugly of the Interactions of Science and the UFO/UAP Phenomenon

Online, mail, and telephone registration for spring session opens Feb. 5 and runs through Feb. 27. The LLI is able to offer a limited number of $50 scholarships for the spring session thanks to support from SourcePoint. Scholarship applications are due by March 8.

For additional class descriptions (including dates, times, and instructors), scholarship applications, and online registration, visit www.owu.edu/LLI. Confirmation of course registration will be sent to each paid registrant.

Launched in 2019, the Lifelong Learning Institute at Ohio Wesleyan University encourages individuals to "discover ideas, acquire knowledge, and fuel your curiosity" with fall and spring sessions each year. For questions, contact the Lifelong Learning Institute at lli@owu.edu or (740) 368-3078.


Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation's premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and competes in 24 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through its signature experience, the OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer in service to others, build a diverse and global perspective, and translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience through internships, research, and other hands-on learning. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book "Colleges That Change Lives" and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review "Best Colleges" lists. Connect with OWU expert interview sources at owu.edu/experts or learn more at owu.edu.