Please note that effective August 19, 2024, you must have either a UNC Asheville 2024-2025 annual parking permit or a visitor’s permit to park on campus 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year. Visit the Campus Parking for OLLI Members page for instructions on how to purchase an OLLI-subsidized annual parking permit. Daily and monthly visitor permits must be obtained through the UNC Asheville parking site; OLLI does not provide visitor permits.

Summer Catalog

The summer 2025 course schedule and catalog of courses, programs and events are available by clicking on the buttons below. Please be aware that courses, programs and events are subject to change or cancellation, which may not be reflected in the catalog; the online registration system will always include the most accurate locations and other information about our courses, and this page will always include the most accurate information about programs and events. Consult the schedule of upcoming College for Seniors terms (including term dates, catalog availability and registration).

View Summer 2025 Catalog View Summer 2025 CFS Course Schedule

Program Calendar

Unless otherwise noted, programs take place at the Reuter Center and are free and open to everyone.

Please see UNC Asheville’s expectations of mutual respect and care for all for more information/guidance about maintaining a healthy environment for in-person courses, programs and events.

May

Monday, May 5, 10 a.m.-Monday, May 12, noon
Lottery registration for summer 2025 CFS courses
Volunteers will be available for in-person registration assistance Monday, May 5-Friday, May 9, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and Monday, May 12, 10 a.m.-noon.

Tuesday, May 13, 4:30 p.m. | STEM Lecture Series
OLLI Program: “Women, Economics and Social Change” (in-person + online)
As an outreach specialist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Susan Kizer’s work focused on creating presentations and materials that simplified and explained monetary policy, economics and the activities of the Federal Reserve. How we allocate our resources and who participates in that decision-making process is a critical determinant of outcomes. Full participation in the U.S. economy has eluded women for centuries. Social and political movements, legislation and individual perseverance have been the hallmarks of a battle for economic freedom that continues for women to the present day. We will look at the milestones for equality that have been critical in this fight. Questions to consider: Are small, incremental changes to our social and economic systems enough? Do we need a new vision for participation in our economy? Who wins? Who loses?
Join online via Zoom.

Friday, May 16
Last day of spring 2025 CFS classes

Friday, May 16, 11:30 a.m.
Fab Friday: “Practical Actions for Building Healthy Habits and Unbuilding Unhealthy Habits” (in-person + online)
We will cover the systems for building and maintaining habits for healthy living, longevity in particular. The focus will be on practical actions in a framework that can be applied to creation of systems for changing habits. Four key steps for building healthy (and unbuilding unhealthy) habits will be covered and ideas shared for implementation.
Bill Loggins worked for more than 15 years as social worker, psychotherapist and marriage counselor helping individuals and couples improve their relationships and self-management of their behavior and skills. He switched gears to engineering and worked for more than 30 years primarily as a systems analyst, systems engineer, data engineer and data governance consultant for numerous commercial and government customers. Bill also worked through high school and college as tennis instructor and tennis-court construction, then community organizer, social worker, organic bakery owner, expert systems developer, training and development consultant, prior to his launch into full-time post-graduate work.
Join the May 16 Fab Friday online via Zoom.

Friday, May 16, noon
All payments due for summer 2025 CFS lottery registration participants

Friday, May 16, 2-4 p.m.
OLLI Program: “Spring 2025 Theme-Term Community Conversation” (in-person + online)
This spring, in addition to our normal wide array of course topics, we offered dozens of courses related to the theme “Women, Gender and Social Change.” We invite you to join us for this session to reflect on your experiences of participating in theme-term courses, programs and events and to discuss what you learned, are taking away, are still curious about and more.
Registration requested; RSVP to attend in person or online. Read more about the theme term.

Friday, May 16, 5 p.m. | Death Café
Partner Program: “Death Café”
Death Café is an engaging gathering with storytelling and conversation about a topic that too often alienates people in our death-phobic culture. At Death Café, participants break into small groups of five or six people and discuss personal stories related to the death of loved ones; loss of jobs, relationships or marriages; or loss or death of parts of ourselves. These programs are facilitated by Karen Sanders, Greg Lathrop and Said Osïo from Third Messenger. Learn more about Death Café by visiting the Death Café website, the Third Messenger website, or facebook.com/deathcafeasheville. If you have questions about meetings of Death Café at the Reuter Center, please contact Karen Sanders at 828-778-8882.

Tuesdays and Thursdays, May 20-29, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Life Transitions Program: “Exploring Alternatives to CCRCs”
Options for senior living are varied and broad, ranging from staying in one’s home to continuing care retirement communities. Each person’s individual needs, resources and desires are different, and there is an overwhelming range of ways to address housing and services for aging. This course will explore myths and realities of different senior living models, including aging in place, non-CCRC residential options and planning for long term care. Members of the OLLI Life Transitions committee have designed a course to help you evaluate your options, become aware of different local and regional services, and equip you with tools for asking the right questions to create plans and next steps.
Cost: $150 per person; a 2024-2025 OLLI annual membership is required to register for this program. Find registration instructions here. If you have questions, email Hilary Schroeder, life transitions and special programs manager.

Tuesday, May 20, 7 p.m.
OLLI Program: “An Evening of Storytelling”
Join us for an exciting evening of stories about personally impactful women performed by fellow OLLI members! This evening’s storytellers were participants in Chuck Fink’s spring 2025 CFS course Storytelling: Women in Our Lives.

Tuesday, May 20, 7 p.m. | Blue Ridge Audubon
Partner Program: “The Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Nocturnal Bird Migration Across Colombia” (in-person + online)
Migratory birds that travel between temperate and tropical latitudes must contend with a range of climates that aid and impede their journeys, but most of what we know about bird migration is biased towards the global north. Join ornithologist Jacob Drucker to hear about his research.
Jacob Drucker is a doctoral candidate at the University of Chicago and the Field Museum of Natural History where he studies how birds interact with tropical climates over ecological and evolutionary time. He uses remote sensing to study migratory flyways through Colombia, and behavioral and molecular data to study the ecological plasticity of birds in the tropical Andes. Jacob has worked on a plethora of research and conservation projects across the Americas and beyond, and as a guide for Victor Emanuel Nature Tours.
Join online via Zoom and learn more on the Blue Ridge Audubon’s website.

Thursday, May 22, 5 p.m.
OLLI and University Program: “Second Annual Brews and Bequests: Craft Your Legacy”
Join us for an enlightening and enjoyable session focused on tax-wise legacy planning, where you’ll gain insight into how to creatively develop a plan that benefits both your loved ones and the causes you care about.
Presented by UNC Asheville’s Office of Advancement with Tim Prosser, senior relationship manager with TIAA Kaspick and Kinna Clark, esq., senior director of development and gift planning services for the University of North Carolina System.
Read more about this event, including information about how to register

Friday, May 23, late afternoon
Summer 2025 CFS preliminary schedules emailed to lottery registration participants

Monday, May 26
OLLI offices and the Reuter Center closed for Memorial Day holiday

Tuesday, May 27, 10 a.m.
Open registration for summer 2025 CFS courses begins

Wednesday, May 28, 2 p.m. | OLLI Inclusion Committee
OLLI Program: “Just Conversations: Homelessness After Helene” (in-person + online)
Join the OLLI at UNC Asheville Inclusion Committee and Debbie Alford, homeless strategy specialist with the City of Asheville, for a conversation on homelessness after Hurricane Helene. This two-hour presentation will include information about the causes of homelessness, vulnerable populations and types of homelessness. The presentation will include an overview of the 2025 point-in-time count data and the community’s response to homelessness in the aftermath of Helene. Attendees will hear from homeless service providers, have an opportunity to ask questions and learn how to get involved.
This event is free to OLLI members and the UNC Asheville community but registration is requested.

Thursday, May 29, 5:30 p.m. | Alzheimer’s Association
Partner Program: “A Caregiver’s Guide to Managing Dementia”
Learn about some of the common triggers for behaviors associated with dementia, how to assess the person’s needs, and how good communication strategies and person centered approaches to intervene effectively. We will also review helpful resources from the Alzheimer’s Association.

Friday, May 30, 2:30 p.m. | Council on Aging of Buncombe County
Partner Program: “Introduction to Medicare: Understanding the Puzzle”
In workshops presented by the Council on Aging in Buncombe County in conjunction with the North Carolina Department of Insurance Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program, learn how Medicare works, the enrollment process, how to avoid penalties and ways to save money. Anyone who is ready to join Medicare or is a caregiver or family member helping older adults with the Medicare insurance may want to attend this informative session. To register visit the Council on Aging of Buncombe County website, or call 828.277.8288.

June

Sunday, June 1
Course proposals for CFS winter 2026 term open
Visit the Forms page to access the live course proposal and a sample proposal.

Monday, June 2, 6:30 p.m. | Science Book Club
Partner Program: “The Light Eaters by Zoë Schlanger, moderated by Sue Studlar”
In researching for her book, which is written with enthusiasm and clarity, Zoë Schlanger traveled to the labs of researchers studying plant behavior and became fascinated with the controversies (both in scientific and public circles) that arose over the meanings of their findings. After this botanical journey, she saw plants in a new light, so to speak, as light-eaters and remarkable beings that exhibit intelligent behavior parallel to that of animals and humans. Noting our total dependence upon and entanglement with plants, Zoë will end with a ringing call for plant conservation.
Zoë Schlanger, a staff writer for The Atlantic magazine and winner of the 2017 National Association of Science Writers’ science reporting award, writes articles on climate change and other environmental issues for newspapers, magazines and NPR. The Light Eaters is her first book and represents her journey as a journalist into research on plant behavior.
Moderator Sue Moyle Studlar is a botanist specializing in bryophytes (mosses) who also likes lichens. With and undergraduate degree from Carleton College and a doctorate from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, she has taught botany courses for more than 40 years including at West Virginia University, Mountain Lake Biological Station, Centre College and Wellesley College. Her most recent teaching adventures were at Highlands Biological Station, UNC Asheville and the Asheville Botanical Gardens. Sue also does bryophyte consulting work.

Wednesday, June 4, 7 p.m. | WNC Sierra Club
Partner Program: “Smart Urban Planning and Asheville” (in-person + online)
Join influential and innovative urban planner Joe Minicozzi as we discuss smart urban planning in Asheville. Joe has an undergraduate degree in architecture from the University of Miami and a graduate degree in urban planning from Harvard University.
Join online via Zoom.

Monday, June 9
Deadline to apply for summer 2025 CFS scholarship (open registration)
Visit the Forms page to complete and submit the Summer 2025 Scholarship Request form.

Friday, June 13, 10 a.m.
OLLI Program: “New Member Welcome/Returning Member Refresher” (in-person + online)
Are you new to OLLI at UNC Asheville and the Reuter Center? Are you returning after being gone awhile? Do you just want to catch up on the latest? Come learn about all that OLLI has to offer and about ways to get involved! Meet other members, and learn what it means to “grow through life.”
Join online via Zoom.

Friday, June 13, 3 p.m.
Last day to drop all summer 2025 CFS courses for a full refund
Visit the Forms page to complete and submit the Summer 2025 Drop Request form.

Monday, June 16
First day of summer 2025 CFS classes

Sunday, June 22
Priority registration deadline for summer 2025 Osher Online courses
Log into OLLI’s online registration system to register. Registrations may be accepted after this date based on availability.

July

Friday, July 25
Last day of summer 2025 CFS classes

August

Friday, August 1
Last day for course proposals for CFS winter 2026 term
Visit the Forms page to access the live course proposal and a sample proposal.

Wednesdays, August 6-September 3, 9:20 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Life Transitions Program: “The Gift of Time”
The Gift of Time is a five-session course that is designed to encourage you to think about how to plan and communicate your end-of-life wishes to the important people in your life. The workshop takes place as an extended conversation with trained facilitators as well as invited speakers who will address legal, medical and spiritual issues and offer the tools to prepare an end-of-life plan. Registration is open to OLLI members only.
Cost (includes a 2025-2026 OLLI membership, programmaterials and administration): $175. If you have questions, please contact Hilary Schroeder, life transitions and special programs manager, at 828.250.3973 or hschroed@unca.edu.
For more information, visit the Gift of Time page. Log into the online registration system to register.

September

Tuesday, September 16, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Wednesday, September 17-November 12, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; and Wednesday November 19, 2-6 p.m.
OLLI Program: “Leadership Asheville Seniors”
LAS is in its 39th year, although the program was cut short in fall 2024 by Hurricane Helene. Some sessions take place onsite at the Reuter Center, but most meet offsite in the community. Cost (includes 2025-2026 OLLI annual membership, program materials, lunches and program administration): $500. For more information or to inquire about scholarships, visit the Leadership Asheville Seniors page or email Laurel Jernigan, LAS program manager. Log into the online registration system to register.