Please note that you must have either a UNC Asheville annual parking permit or a visitor 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.

Fall Catalog

The fall 2025 College for Seniors 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 Fall 2025 CFS Course Schedule View Fall 2025 Catalog

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.

September

Monday, September 15
College for Seniors fall 2025 deadline for scholarship requests (open registration)
Visit the Forms page to access the CFS fall 2025 scholarship form.

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.

Tuesday, September 16, 7 p.m. | World Affairs Council
Partner Program: “Digital Threats and Propaganda: How Foreign Actors Target North Carolina and Other States” (in-person + online)
Foreign intelligence services’ attacks and cyber threats are shaping public discourse and influencing communities through digital propaganda campaigns and misinformation. The Alliance for Securing Democracy’s groundbreaking research reveals how U.S. adversaries are targeting government institutions, exploiting trusted community voices and using sophisticated tactics, including AI-generated content, to destabilize American democracy. ADS has published its findings in a report, “The State(s) of Foreign Information Operations: A State-by-State Look at Foreign Information Manipulation in the United States.” In recent years, the U.S. government, nonprofits and social-media companies ramped up efforts to combat foreign malign influence. Where do those efforts stand during the second Trump administration? Are we prepared to defend against new and emerging threats?
Bret Schafer, an Alliance for Securing Democracy senior fellow for media and digital disinformation, is the creator and manager of Hamilton 2.0, an online open-source dashboard tracking the outputs of Russian, Chinese and Iranian state-media outlets, diplomats and government officials. As an expert in computational propaganda, state-backed information operations and tech regulation, he has spoken at conferences around the globe and advised numerous governments and international organizations. His research has appeared in The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, and he has been interviewed on NPR, MSNBC, CNN, Al Jazeera and the BBC. Prior to joining the German Marshall Fund’s Alliance for Securing Democracy, he spent more than 10 years in the television and film industry, including stints at Cartoon Network and as a freelance writer for Warner Brothers. He also worked in Budapest as a radio host and in Berlin as a semi-professional baseball player in Germany’s Bundesliga. Bret has an undergraduate degree in communications with a major in radio/television/film from Northwestern University and a graduate degree in public diplomacy from the University of Southern California where he was editor-in-chief of Public Diplomacy Magazine.
Join online via Zoom.

Thursday, September 18, 10 a.m.
Special Program: Standing Strong NC: Let’s Prevent Falls and Save Lives!
Preventing falls can be fun – really! Did you know that most falls are preventable and that falls are NOT an inevitable part of aging despite what we might hear and think? Come learn about the steps you can take to prevent a fall including ready-to-use resources and connections to local programs. UNC Asheville NC Center for Health and Wellness is the statewide resource center for evidence-based falls prevention programs and also leads the Standing Strong NC awareness campaign to prevent falls and save lives!
This event is free for OLLI members and members of the UNC Asheville community, but registration is requested.

Thursday, September 18, 2 p.m. | OLLI Inclusion Committee
Just Films: “The Song of the South: Disney’s Most Notorious Film”
Join Jim Lawrence, former Disney Studios writer, and the OLLI Inclusion Committee for a modern-day look back at Disney’s 1947 film The Song of the South. While a box-office success and a pioneering example of successfully blending live-action and animated segments, the reviews were mixed, and there was controversy and criticism regarding racial stereotypes. In addition to examining the film, we will also look at the various racial stereotypes that were all too prevalent in movies from the 1920s through the 1950s. Finally, we will raise an important issue: What do you do with films like Song of the South, Birth of a Nation and even Gone With the Wind, which reflect racist views and attitudes but may have significant artistic merit to them?
Jim Lawrence is a fourth-generation Floridian. He grew up on the east coast in New Smyrna Beach and had relatives all over the state in Monticello, Mayo, Havana, Lakeland, Titusville, Cocoa and Clewiston. He spent some 20 years in Los Angeles writing television movies for Walt Disney Productions, Warner Brothers and CBS. He recently retired from university teaching after a 25-year career in higher education. He currently lives in Asheville with his significant other Barbara and their Cairn terrier Dickens. He teaches regularly at CFS.
This event is free to OLLI members and the UNC Asheville community, but registration is requested.

Thursday, September 18, 7 p.m. | Asheville Museum of History
Partner Program: “Color Beyond the Lines Documentary Screening” (in-person + online)
There was a great thirst for education in the Black community because they understood to be truly free, they needed to be educated. Black education was available since the 1870s, mostly in people’s homes, in church basements and in small one-room schoolhouses. In the 1920s, there were Black schools in at least seven communities: Edneyville, Clear Creek, Horseshoe, Etowah, Brickton, Saluda and East Flat Rock. In 1951, they were all consolidated to the 9th Avenue School which had a reputation for providing high-quality education to students as well as a family-like connection to teachers. However, Black students had access to inferior facilities compared to the white community, old torn-up books and cramped spaces; in spite of that, many alumni of 9th Avenue School received superior learning. When integration was established in Henderson County in 1965, there was an embrace of the better facilities but also a sense of loss that precious Black institutions had been taken from them.
Register to attend, and read more about the Center for Cultural Preservation and director David Weintraub.

Friday, September 19, 10 a.m.
OLLI Event: “New Member Welcome/Returning Member Refresher” (in-person + online)
Are you considering becoming an OLLI member? Are you new to OLLI at UNC Asheville and the Reuter Center? Are you returning after being gone awhile? Do you want to catch up on organizational developments, learn more about volunteering, figure out how things work and meet new people? Come learn about all that OLLI has to offer!
Register to participate in person or online. Join online via Zoom.

Friday, September 19, 1 p.m.
College for Seniors Information Session: “Preparing to Be a Class Representative”
Have you signed up to be a class rep to support one or more of your CFS instructors? We will review the role of these important classroom volunteers and practical matters such as how to work the lights and microphones, where to pick up and drop off attendance clipboards, how to check in course participants and when and where to get help if needed. This info session is especially geared towards new class reps, but experienced class reps are welcome to attend as well.
Register to attend in person.

Friday, September 19, 1 p.m.
College for Seniors Information Session: “Zoom Café”
Are you planning to participate in an online or hybrid course, program or event? Have you signed up to be a Zoom assistant? This info session is a great opportunity to learn basic skills and improve your experience of our video-conferencing software! We will review how to install and update the Zoom app on your device, log into a meeting, change your Zoom name and background, mute/unmute, post/respond in the Chat box, use the “raise hand” function and reactions, move into and out of breakout rooms, participate in polls and more. We will also leave plenty of time for your questions and to troubleshoot your device.
Register to attend online.

Friday, September 19, 3 p.m.
College for Seniors fall 2025 deadline to drop all courses for a full refund
Visit the Forms page to access the CFS fall 2025 drop request form.

Friday, September 19, 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 Saïd Osio 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.

Sunday, September 21
Osher Online fall 2025 priority registration/drop request deadline
Visit the Forms page to access the Osher Online fall 2025 drop request form.

Monday, September 22, 6:30 p.m. | Science Book Club
Partner Program: “Thinking Like a Wolf: Lessons from the Yellowstone Packs by Rick McIntyre, moderated by Michael Barron”
Thinking Like a Wolf explores the intricate world of wolf behavior in Yellowstone National Park, highlighting the individual character traits that allow wolf packs to thrive. The book unveils power struggles, politics, family interactions and interpack struggles. Through the unique personalities of pack members, readers enter the dynamic inner workings of the wolf pack in a story of rivalry and resilience. The book is a testament to the power of animal behavior and the lessons we can learn from it.
Internationally recognized as one of the world’s foremost experts on wild wolf behavior, Rick McIntyre’s scientific insights and storytelling about the Yellowstone wolves have been featured on “This American Life,” in the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal. A retired National Park Service ranger, McIntyre has spent more than 40 years watching wolves and accumulated over 100,000 wolf sightings.
Michael Barron spent much of his career as an eighth-grade social studies teacher. He is an outdoor enthusiast, having logged thousands of miles as a backpacker and canoe camper, and enjoying every opportunity to observe animals in the wild. A lifelong learner, Mike now studies animal intelligence, communication and culture in his retirement.

Friday, September 26, 11:30 a.m.
Fab Fridays: “Sometimes Better, Sometimes Worse: How Local Weather Is Modified by the Mountains” (in-person + online)
Conventional wisdom says that the mountains protect us from bad weather. We will focus on examples when this is true. However, our mountains also make societal impacts worse under certain weather scenarios. We will also focus on examples when the mountains make our outcomes more severe than if we lived in the flatlands.
Douglas Miller, Ph.D., is a professor of atmospheric sciences at UNC Asheville. His research focuses on situations where mountains influence weather to make it have a high impact on humans compared to other situations when mountains diminish the chances of high-impact weather.
Join the September 26 Fab Friday online via Zoom.

Tuesday, September 30, 4:30 p.m. | STEAM Lecture Series
OLLI Program: “Introduction to STEAM” (in-person + online)
The STEAM Lecture Series presents interdisciplinary lectures with a focus on science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. UNC Asheville faculty, OLLI members and scientists from our community present on a variety of topics. Programs are typically held on select Tuesdays throughout the year in room 206 and online via Zoom from 4:30-6 p.m.
Sara Sanders is an engineer, welder/fabricator and community collaborator. She holds an undergraduate degree from the joint UNC Asheville/NC State mechatronics engineering program and a graduate degree in engineering with a concentration in engineering management from NC State. Sara spent four years at Eaton Corporation as a product applications engineer before returning to work at UNC Asheville as the Engineering Design Studio and lab manager. She designed and developed STEAM Studio with a collaborative team from the engineering and art departments, and in 2018 she transitioned to the role of director of STEAM Studio. Under Sara’s leadership, students, faculty and staff at STEAM Studio designed and fabricated Mel Chin’s Wake, the largest sculpture ever installed in Times Square.
Join online via Zoom.

October

Wednesday, October 1, 7 p.m. | WNC Sierra Club
Partner Program: “Environmental and Health Impacts of Plastics” (in-person + online)
Anna Alsobrook, French Broad riverkeeper at MountainTrue and Christine Mauck, bord-certified physician in preventative medicine and public health, will discuss plastics pollution and the effect of microplastics on human health.
Join online via Zoom and visit the WNC Sierra Club’s website for more information.

Thursday, October 2, 7 p.m. | Astronomy Club of Asheville
Partner Program: “Astrophysics Research at the Three College Observatory” (in-person + online)
Anatoly Miroshnichenko, UNC Greensboro
Join online via Zoom.

Friday, October 3, 11:30 a.m.
Fab Fridays: “Why Are My Keys in the Refrigerator? Comparing Normal Aging with Dementia” (in-person + online)
It is normal to misplace things or forget names occasionally, especially as we get older. But how do we know when forgetfulness might be a sign of something more serious, like dementia? This engaging and informative presentation explores the differences between typical age-related memory changes and warning signs of cognitive decline. We will discuss how the brain changes with age, what kinds of memory lapses are considered normal, and which behaviors might warrant further evaluation. Whether you are concerned about yourself, a loved one or simply want to be informed, this session will provide practical insights, tips for promoting brain health and guidance on when to seek professional help.
Mary Donnelly is a nationally known dementia consultant, educator and trainer with MemoryCare in Asheville and with national dementia expert Teepa Snow. She provides family consulting and staff training on dementia care across the U.S. and is a dynamic speaker on dementia-related topics.
Join the October 3 Fab Friday online via Zoom.

Friday, October 3, 4:30 p.m.
OLLI Event: “Fall Member Social”
Join your OLLI friends in the Reuter Center’s lower level to socialize! Enjoy a casual taco buffet (including vegetarian and vegan options), drinks and music. This event is for OLLI members only, but be sure to reach out to make sure that your OLLI friends know about the event and are registered.
Register to attend.

Sunday, October 5, 2:30 p.m. | The Autumn Players
Partner Program: “Morning’s at Seven by Paul Osborn, dir. Peter Thomasson”
Set in two 1920s back yards, this charming portrait of small town America peels back the layers of a family dynamic to reveal the secrets, loves and discontent that all lie just beneath the seemingly harmonious surface.
Read more about the play and purchase tickets online via the Autumn Players’ website for $11; any remaining tickets will be sold for $11 (cash only) at the door beginning at 2 p.m. prior to each performance.

Tuesday, October 7, 7 p.m. | World Affairs Council
Partner Program: “What’s So Important about U.S. Agricultural Exports?” (in-person + online)
Because countries view agricultural imports as politically and culturally sensitive, they are among the most regulated and restricted products traded globally. What impact do these sensitivities have on U.S. trade policy, domestic producers and our economy as a whole? What is the importance of exports to the U.S. agricultural sector and to North Carolina? What has been the economic impact of past trade policies and regulations? What are the potential outcomes of current policies?
Clay Hamilton retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service in August 2024 at the rank of career minister (three-star equivalent) with more than 40 years of government experience of representing U.S. agriculture development, promoting agriculture exports and encouraging global policies based on sound science. Clay served in diplomatic posts in Bulgaria, Italy, Japan, Turkey, Pakistan, Brazil and India, where he negotiated increased market access, oversaw marketing programs and resolved trade barriers affecting billions of dollars of U.S. exports. From 2018 to 2023, he served as associate administrator for the Foreign Agricultural Service where he oversaw trade policy development and managed marketing and credit export guarantee programs valued at $5 billion.
Join online via Zoom.

Friday, October 10, 11:30 a.m.
Fab Fridays: “Hope After Helene: Rebuilding Lives, Repairing the World” (in-person + online)
NECHAMA – Jewish Response to Disaster is the only national Jewish organization providing sustained, direct recovery services after natural disasters. They serve all communities, regardless of faith, as part of their commitment to tikkun olam (the Jewish value of repairing the world through action). NECHAMA will talk about their response in WNC after Hurricane Helene, the impact of their volunteers and how putting Jewish values into action helps build bridges and push back against antisemitism in communities that have little or no Jewish presence.
Tzlil Bandy McDonald has over a decade of experience in program management, nonprofit leadership and community engagement. She has held leadership roles at organizations such as the Jewish Federation of Central Alabama, the Israeli American Council and the Jewish Agency for Israel, where she managed multiple programs in both North America and Israel. Tzlil holds degrees from Ben Gurion University and The George Washington University, as well as certification in conflict of interest from the i-Center. Tzlil is passionate about building bridges with diverse faith communities to combat all forms of hate and discrimination.
Join the October 10 Fab Friday online via Zoom.

Friday, October 10, 2 p.m.
Special Program: “A Perfect Frenzy: A Royal Governor, His Black Allies and the Crisis that Spurred the American Revolution with author Andrew Lawler” (in-person + online)
As the American Revolution broke out in New England in spring 1775, dramatic events unfolded far to the south that proved every bit as decisive as the battles of Lexington and Concord in uniting the colonies against Britain. Virginia, the largest, wealthiest and most populous province in British North America, was governed by Lord Dunmore, a pugnacious Scottish earl. Outgunned and outmanned, he allied with the colony’s enslaved Africans, who made up two of every five Virginians and were eager to gain their freedom. Dunmore emancipated those who would fight for King George III and sent them into battle against their patriot owners as part of the first corps of Black soldiers in American history. The crisis that gripped Virginia in 1775 and 1776 has long been relegated to the background by historians, in part because it is the story of two liberty-seeking groups of Americans fighting against one another. This book shows how the upheaval in Virginia shaped the course of the Revolution and sheds light on the issues or race, gun control, immigration and the split between city and country that continue to divide the nation.
Register to attend and read more about Andrew Lawler and A Perfect Frenzy. Books will be available to purchase.

Monday, October 13, 2 p.m.
College for Seniors Information Session: “You Too Can Teach!” (in person + online)
Are you interested in (or curious about) teaching a course at the College for Seniors? You may have never thought that you could be an OLLI instructor, but you too can teach! Our instructors run the gamut from retired teachers and professionals to those with deep knowledge of a certain topic. The common thread with all our instructors is passion for their subject matter and a desire to share it with peers. The process of becoming an instructor is not daunting. In this information session, current CFS instructors will introduce what teaching at OLLI is all about and demystify the process from having an idea for a course through creating a good proposal. All your questions about teaching will be answered!
Register to attend in person or online.

Tuesday, October 14, 7 p.m. | Blue Ridge Naturalist Network
Partner Program: “Mitigating Climate Change: Using Science to Transform Uncertainty into Progress” (in-person + online)
Jake Hagedorn, Ph.D., will review factors that contribute to climate change, impacts in our region and findings of his research into how agricultural practices impact soil carbon and nitrogen cycling so we can better understand what techniques lead to more soil carbon sequestration, less greenhouse gas emissions and mitigation of climate change.
Jake Hagedorn is an assistant professor of environmental science at UNC Asheville.
Join online via Zoom and learn more on the Blue Ridge Naturalist Network website.

Wednesday, October 15, 7 p.m.
Special Program: “Asheville’s Jewish Industrialists documentary screening”
Join us for a showing of the film Asheville’s Jewish Industrialists, narrated by Jerry Sternberg (of blessed memory) and created by Marty Gillen. Jerry shares his memories of growing up in the River Arts District before its renaissance when there were factories, junk and hide businesses and other undesirable activities. He highlights the entrepreneurs who made something out of nothing and became successful business owners. This program is cosponsored by the Center for Jewish Studies and OLLI.
This event is free and open to everyone, but reservations are required.

Thursday, October 16, 4:30 p.m.
OLLI Program: “OLLI Authors” (in-person + online)
Mary Louisa Ippolito and Julia Loughran
OLLI Authors, a quarterly reading program begun in 2017, provides a forum for talented OLLI writers to showcase their creative efforts. Each reading features two poets or prose authors.
Read more about Mary Louisa Ippolito and Julia Loughran and the October 16 OLLI Authors event. Join online via Zoom.

Friday, October 17, 11:30 a.m.
Fab Friday: “Palliative Care Might Just Save Your Life: How I Decide to Recommend Heart Transplant for One Person and Hospice for Another, but Consider Both to be Palliative Care” (in-person + online)
Ray Barfield, M.D., will speak to the differences between palliative and hospice care and the benefits of each. Ray is a physician at Mission Hospital where he has been the medical director for palliative care for the last three years. Prior, he focused on pediatric oncology and bone marrow transplant, first at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and then at Duke University where he was a tenured professor of pediatrics and Christian philosophy. After 20 years, he woke up and realized he wanted to get out of the academic goldfish bowl and shape his medical practice in a way that was more community-associated. His whole family lives in Asheville, and he grew up in Highlands, NC, where his father was the minister at the Presbyterian church, so he jumped at the chance to move back to the Smoky Mountains. He wanted to write philosophical novels rather than research papers, if only to justify the years he spent earning a Ph.D. in philosophy from Emory University instead of earning an income. So far, he has published three novels and four books of philosophy including a philosophical critique of corporate medicine called The Practice of Medicine and Being in Time. His mother, along with a handful of other people, have purchased copies of his books. His wife is an Episcopal priest at St. Andrews in Canton, and he is sure this helped her patience when he finished medical school at Emory and then said he would like to study philosophy for a while instead of moving on with his career. They have two kids and one grandson. If he ever retires from medicine, he hopes to land a retirement job playing guitar and trying to imitate his favorite musician, Tommy Emmanuel, in small local pubs on non-busy nights since he gets stage fright whenever he plays in public.
Join the October 17 Fab Friday online via Zoom.

Friday, October 17, 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 Saïd Osio 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.

Friday, October 24, 11:30 a.m.
Fab Fridays: “All About Bulldog Athletics” (in-person + online)
Learn about UNC Asheville’s high-achieving Division I athletic program from athletic director Janet Cone! More than 270 of UNC Asheville’s enrollment are student-athletes participating in a variety of sports. Learn how the program keeps the focus on their academic studies and community impact while giving them ample opportunities to excel in athletic competition. Get the news about facilities improvements, recent successes, ongoing fall sports and those coming up in winter and spring. Learn about ways that you can get involved through mentorship, game attendance, volunteer work and more.
Janet R. Cone, director of athletics, who oversees all 16 Division 1 sports on campus will present, plus members of the coaching staff and some student-athletes, as available. Janet has served as UNC Asheville’s director of athletics since 2004. Bulldog teams have won over 30 Big South Conference Championships since then. Among NCAA Division I schools our Bulldogs stand out for a graduation rate and grade point average higher than for the overall student body, the result of Janet’s philosophy of “Champions in Athletics and Leaders in Life.”
Join the October 24 Fab Friday online via Zoom.

Friday, October 24, 2:30 p.m.
University Program: “Health and Performance Assessments at UNC Asheville”
We will learn about the variety of health and performance assessments offered within the health sciences department at UNC Asheville including a comprehensive cardiovascular fitness assessment, iDXA testing for body composition, iDXA testing for bone density and osteoporosis risk, maximal aerobic capacity and lactate threshold. This discussion will include descriptions and rationale for each test as well as scheduling and pricing information. Time will be allotted for Q&A.
Read more about the Wellness Evaluation and Lifestyle Lab (“The WELL”) at UNC Asheville.

Friday, October 31, 11:30 a.m.
Fab Fridays: “Epilepsy and Aging” (in-person + online)
Leslie Grayson, M.D., will join us to talk about the fastest growing segment of people living with epilepsy in the United States: older adults. One in four new epilepsy diagnoses in America occur in a person age 65 or older. Dr. Grayson will explain why adults are more likely to develop epilepsy later in life, outline the challenges of recognizing, diagnosing, and treating epilepsy in older adults, and provide valuable information for older adults living with epilepsy and their caregivers. The presentation will include information on the latest medical and surgical treatment for epilepsy in older adults.
Dr. Leslie Grayson is a neurologist and epileptologist who has been in practice for more than 10 years. A graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, she began her career as assistant professor of neurology at the University. During her six-year tenure at UAB she focused on epilepsy and rare diseases, cannabinoids as a treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy, functional neurological disorders and transition care in the adolescent population. In 2021 she relocated to Asheville where currently serves as the Epilepsy Medical Director for Mission Hospital.
Join the October 31 Fab Friday online via Zoom.

November

Saturday, November 1
Last day to proposal a course for College for Seniors spring 2026 term
Visit the Forms page to access the CFS spring 2026 course proposal form.

Friday, November 7, 11:30 a.m.
Fab Fridays: “The Historical MacBeths” (in-person + online)
Upon the Corner of the Moon (March 2025, Regal House) is the story of the Macbeths you’ve never known: Destined to unite Scotland, they first had to survive as pawns in a dynastic struggle. While closely following recorded history about the rise of this rightful king who ruled for 17 years, it also speculates on the heritage of his wife Gruach, drawing on the Neolithic settlement of Alba and the mysterious legacy of the Picts. This two-book project begins with the childhoods and young adulthoods of Macbeth and Gruach and delineates the complex political, social and religious life of early medieval Scotland between the Viking incursions and the Norman conquest.
Valerie Nieman is a graduate of West Virginia University and Queens University of Charlotte. She has held National Endowment for the Arts and regional fellowships, including a South Arts grant. Now professor emerita of creative writing at NC Agricultural and Technical State University, she was a founding editor of two literary magazines and continues to teach at writers’ workshops. Nieman is the author of a short fiction collection, three poetry books and six other novels, including In the  Lonely Backwater, winner of the 2022 Sir Walter Raleigh Award, which was called “not only a page-turning thriller but also a complex psychological portrait of a young woman dealing with guilt, betrayal, and secrecy.” Her novel Blood Clay won the Eric Hoffer Prize in General Fiction. To the Bones, a horror/Appalachian/ecojustice novel, was a finalist for the 2020 Manly Wade Wellman Award and now has a sequel, Dead Hand. Upon the Corner of the Moon, Nieman’s debut historical novel, will be followed by the second book, The Last Highland King, in 2027.
Join the November 7 Fab Friday online via Zoom.

Friday, November 14, 11:30 a.m.
Fab Fridays: “Acute Stroke Care in WNC” (in-person + online)
Acute stroke is a medical emergency. Time to treatment is critical to long term recovery. This presentation will focus on local hospitals in Western North Carolina and their capability to care for acute stroke. The discussion will include national and state protocols that guide EMS and hospital response to acute stroke.
Robin Jones is a NC Registered nurse with over 40 years of acute stroke care experience. She is a member of the NC Stroke Advisory Council and co-contributor for the NC Stroke System of Care, as well as a Certified Stroke RN (SCRN) by the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses.
Join the November 14 Fab Friday online via Zoom.

Sunday, November 16, 3 p.m.
OLLI Event: “Original Stand-Up Comedy”
Join us for a fun-filled afternoon of comedy performed by your fellow OLLI members! Comedians were participants in Randy Robins’ fall 2025 course Performing Original Stand-Up Comedy.