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.

Spring Catalog

The spring 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 Spring 2025 Catalog View Spring 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.

February

Monday, February 10, 10 a.m.-Monday, February 17, noon
Lottery registration for CFS spring 2025 term
View the spring 2025 catalog of courses, programs and events. Log into the online registration system to request courses. Read more about CFS registration, including how the lottery works.

Wednesday, February 19, 7 p.m. | Common Word Community Read
University Program: “Thomas Wolfe at the Door: A Close Look at Asheville’s Famous Novelist” (in-person + online)
Tom Hearron will discuss how Thomas Wolfe transmuted his life in Asheville to fiction when writing his debut novel Look Homeward, Angel. Tom is the president of the Thomas Wolfe Memorial advisory committee. A well published author, he has taught extensively at universities around the country and is a CFS instructor.
Register to attend in person or online. To learn more, visit the Common Word Community Read website.

Friday, February 21, 11:30 a.m.
Fab Fridays: “Inflammation and Lifestyle Medicine” (in-person + online)
This topic discusses the pervasive effects of inflammation on multiple body systems and chronic conditions. Lifestyle medicine focuses on several interventions to improve our quality of life such as healthy eating, active living, and stress management strategies which may extend lives and allows patients to live longer, in better health, with fewer disabilities, and with an improved quality of life.
Brian Asbill, M.D., is board-certified in cardiology and lifestyle medicine. He currently works as the chief lifestyle medical officer with C2 Life Foundation’s Thrive program, and as the medical director for the cardiac-rehabilitation program, Heart Path, at HCA Mission. Brian formerly worked at Asheville Cardiology for 19 years. He attended medical school at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston and completed internship and residency in internal medicine at University of Virginia Health Sciences Center and a cardiology fellowship at Medical University of South Carolina.
Join online via Zoom and read more about the winter 2025 Fab Fridays.

Friday, February 21, noon
Deadline for spring 2025 membership and tuition payments for CFS lottery participants
Log into the online registration system to pay for OLLI annual membership and spring 2025 CFS tuition.

Friday, February 21, 5 p.m. | Death Café
Partner Program: “Death Café”
Death Café is an engaging gathering with storytelling and conversation around a topic that is often avoided or feared. Participants discuss personal stories related to the death of loved ones, loss of jobs, relationships or marriage, or loss of parts of themselves. 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.

Monday, February 24
Last day of College for Seniors winter 2025 classes

Tuesday, February 25, 4:30 p.m. | STEM Lecture Series
OLLI Program: “Personalized Medicine: What’s DNA Got to Do with It?” (in-person + online)
Lynn Dressler will describe what personalized medicine is, how it has impacted care of cancer and non-cancer patients and the opportunity for personalized medicine to usher in a new way of thinking about our own healthcare.
Join online via Zoom and read more about Lynn Dressler and the February 25 STEM lecture

Tuesdays and Thursday, February 25-March 13, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Life Transitions Program: “Exploring Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs)”
Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs), also called Life Plan communities, are an attractive residential option for active older adults. CCRCs offer a full continuum of independent housing, assisted living and skilled nursing care within a single campus setting. There are a variety of these kinds of communities, each with a different financial model, various health and wellness options and services, and varied amenities. Navigating your way through all of the choices to find a community that is right for you can be a challenge. A Life Transitions program, Exploring CCRCs is designed to help you assemble the relevant information and ask the right questions to see whether a CCRC is a living option that meets your needs and in turn help you choose among the options available to you. Cost (includes program materials and program administration): $150; a 2024-2025 OLLI annual membership is required to register for this workshop.
For more information and instructions for joining the waitlist, visit the Exploring Continuing Care Retirement Communities page.

Friday, February 28, late afternoon
Preliminary course schedules sent to CFS lottery participants
Log into the online registration system to access the results of the lottery (ACCOUNT > CLASS LIST).

March

Saturday, March 1
Proposals for CFS fall 2025 term open
Visit the Forms page to access the live course proposal and a sample proposal.

Sunday, March 2, 2:30 p.m. | The Autumn Players
Partner Program: “Murder in the Studio by Agatha Christie, directed by Elliot Weiner”
From the pen of the so-called queen of crime, experience the glory days of old-time radio with live, onstage sound effects in two thrilling dramas: Personal Call and Butter in a Lordly Dish.
Read more about the play and purchase tickets online via the Autumn Players’ website for $8; any remaining tickets will be sold for $8 (cash only) at the door beginning at 2 p.m. prior to each performance.

Monday, March 3, 10 a.m.
Open registration for CFS spring 2025 term begins
View the spring 2025 catalog of courses, programs and events. Log into the online registration system to register for courses. Read more about CFS registration.

Tuesday, March 4, 7 p.m. | World Affairs Council
Partner Program: “Is Climate Change Now in the Rearview Mirror?” (in-person + online)
In this initial, chaotic phase of the new U.S. presidential administration, it is difficult to discern a positive forward path that addresses climate change. What will be the impact of the U.S.’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the new policy of putting the U.S. first in international environmental agreements? What will be the consequences of the administration’s dramatic policy reversals on climate change? How will China and other nations respond, and will it matter?
Roger Helm worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for 25 years assessing the impact of oil and other contaminants on wildlife and pursuing restoration claims against polluters. He coauthored Marine Mammals of California, chapters on the effects of oil on seabirds and marine mammals, and numerous other referred publications on marine birds and mammals and global climate change. Presently, Roger teaches on the effects of global climate change and works with various organizations on solutions to this potentially catastrophic problem. He holds a doctorate from the University of California Davis.
Join online via Zoom.

Wednesday, March 5, 7 p.m. | WNC Sierra Club
Partner Program: “International Birding” (in-person + online)
Originally from Suffolk, England, Simon Thompson has lived in North Carolina for more than 20 years. Prior to moving to the U.S. he lived in Lebanon, Kenya, Yemen and Ghana, where his interest in birds and natural history began. In addition to traveling extensively in the U.S., Simon spent six months in China studying the crane and bird-of-prey migration as a member of the British China Crane Watch expedition. He is on the board of the Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society in Asheville. As owner and operator of Ventures Birding Tours, Simon has led many birding trips all over the world.
Join online via Zoom and read more at the WNC Sierra Club’s website.

Thursday, March 6, 7 p.m. | Astronomy Club of Asheville
Partner Program: “Detecting Intermediate-Mass Black Holes at the Centers of Galaxies” (in-person + online)
Chris Richardson, Elon University
The Astronomy Club of Asheville is dedicated to helping people of all ages understand and enjoy astronomy at all levels of interest. OLLI members may attend club meetings featuring an interesting lineup of speakers, as well as stargazes, with club members on hand to advise and assist them in the basics of astronomy and the techniques of observing celestial phenomena.
Join online via Zoom. To find out more about upcoming meetings, visit the Astronomy Club of Asheville website.

Sunday, March 9, 5:30 p.m. | Carolinas’ Nature Photographers Association
Partner Program: “Travel Photography: A Tale of Three Continents” (in-person + online)
Beth Hampton Jones
To join online and for more information, visit the CNPA-Asheville Region’s website.

Tuesday, March 11, 7 p.m. | Blue Ridge Naturalists Network
Partner Program: “The Geology of the Blue Ridge, its Mountains and Its Waterfalls: Understanding How We Have These Special Places” (in-person + online)
Ever wonder why Looking Glass Rock and nearby Devil’s Courthouse have such radically different profiles; or why Looking Glass Falls is rugged and precipitous, but a few miles upstream Sliding Rock is smooth and slide-able? We will answer these and many similar questions by exploring the processes, spread over more than 500 million years, that have created the Western North Carolina mountains.
Bill Jacobs is the author of Whence These Special Places? The Geology of Cashiers, Highlands & Panthertown Valley. When he retired from his Atlanta-based legal career in 2011, he began pursuing his curiosity about the geological origins of the mountains. After years of in-person and online courses, wide-ranging self-study and numerous backcountry explorations, he began to give presentations to interested groups as well as writing Whence These Special Places.
Join online via Zoom and visit the Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter’s website to learn more about free monthly programs and bird walks.

Monday, March 17
Deadline to request a partial CFS tuition scholarship (open registration)
To request a partial scholarship, visit the Forms page and complete the CFS Spring 2025 Scholarship Request form.

Tuesday, March 18, 7 p.m. | World Affairs Council
Partner Program (in-person + online)
The World Affairs Council (WAC) organizes fascinating lectures and discussions that aim to advance international awareness and foster Western North Carolina’s global ties. These lectures are sponsored by the WNC chapter of the World Affairs Council, OLLI at UNC Asheville and UNC Asheville Department of Political Science.
Join online via Zoom.

Wednesday, March 19, 7 p.m. | Common Word Community Read
University Program: “Behind the Scenes at Dixieland” (in-person + online)
In this lecture, Kayla Seay, site manager at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, will share the history of the Old Kentucky Home and take us behind the scenes of the house that Wolfe immortalized as “Dixieland” in Look Homeward, Angel.
Register to attend the March 19 Common Word Community Read program. To learn more, visit the Common Word Community Read website.

Friday, March 21, 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 information session is especially geared towards new class reps, but experienced class reps are also welcome to attend.
Sign up to attend in person.

Friday, March 21, 1 p.m.
College for Seniors information session: “Zoom Café” (online)
Have you signed up to be a Zoom assistant, or are you planning to participate in an online or hybrid course, program or event? Zoom Café 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.
Sign up to attend online.

Friday, March 21, 3 p.m.
Deadline to request to drop all CFS courses for a full refund of tuition
To drop all courses and receive a full refund, visit the Forms page and complete the CFS Spring 2025 Drop Request form.

Friday, March 21, 5 p.m. | Death Café
Partner Program: “Death Café”
Death Café is an engaging gathering with storytelling and conversation around a topic that is often avoided or feared. Participants discuss personal stories related to the death of loved ones, loss of jobs, relationships or marriage, or loss of parts of themselves. 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.

Monday, March 24
First day of spring 2025 CFS classes

Monday, March 24, 6:30 p.m. | Science Book Club
Partner Program: “A Terrible Thing to Waste: Environmental Racism and Its Assault on the American Mind by Harriet Washington, moderated by Steve Thomas”
Harriet Washington takes up two great public and academic debates that have spanned both the 20th and 21st centuries. The first involves the question of what is the nature of intelligence, is there a method to measure it and what can explain the differences between racial categories of people. The second involves the struggle between technological developments, including in the field of chemistry, and the potential and actual negative consequences of those technologies on human health. In this 2019 text Washington demonstrates links between toxic environments, racism and damage to the cognitive capabilities of children and adults especially in regard to lower-income people of color.
Harriet Washington is a medical ethicist associated with Harvard’s medical school and school of public health as well as Tuskegee University’s center for bioethics. Her book, Medical Apartheid, won the National Book Critics Circle Award for nonfiction. Moderator Steve Thomas did undergraduate and graduate studies in both philosophy and computer science which led to his day job as a mainframe database administrator during the day and an adjunct college instructor in philosophy in the evening. Steve was part of a rotation of book-club moderators in Miami for 20 years. He has participated in several book clubs since moving to Asheville eight years ago.

Friday, March 28, 11:30 a.m.
Fab Friday: “Finders, Eaters: Wild-Food Foraging” (in-person + online)
Wild food is the ultimate local, natural food. Ideal for people and the planet, it is far fresher, more nutritious and flavorful than its garden-variety descendants. Foraging can be safe, easy and fun; it is what everyone did “BC” (Before Costco). Come meet a dozen denizens of your “yarden” and rediscover Eden right outside your door.
Alan Muskat is the founder of No Taste Like Home, the largest foraging education company in the world. Author of Leela: Foraging, Fungus and Oneness, he has appeared in dozens of major media outlets. When it comes to bringing out the fun in fungi, Alan is the champignon.
Join the March 28 Fab Friday online via Zoom and read more about the spring 2025 Fab Fridays.

Sunday, March 30, 2:30 p.m. | The Autumn Players
Partner Program: “Bridge Narrows by Norm Foster, directed by Peter Thomasson”
In this heartwarming comedy by one of Canada’s best known playwrights, two travelers get much more than they bargained for when they are subjected to the kindness of strangers at the Kendall B&B.
Read more about the play and purchase tickets online via the Autumn Players’ website for $8; any remaining tickets will be sold for $8 (cash only) at the door beginning at 2 p.m. prior to each performance.

April

Saturday, April 5, 11 a.m.
Women, Gender and Social Change Field-Trip Series: Asheville Art Museum
OLLI will present a series of private, guided tours of local arts and cultural organizations to explore the theme from different points of view. The Asheville Art Museum’s vision is to engage, enlighten and inspire individuals and enrich community through dynamic experiences in American art of the 20th and 21st centuries. We will visit the museum’s collection and selected special exhibitions to learn more about artists related to our theme.
Space is limited; registration is required. Open to OLLI members only. Cost: $15 each; transportation not included. Starting February 10 at 10 a.m., register separately for each field trip you wish to attend using our online registration system.

Saturday, April 12, 11 a.m.
Women, Gender and Social Change Field-Trip Series: Black Mountain College Museum + Art Center
OLLI will present a series of private, guided tours of local arts and cultural organizations to explore the theme from different points of view. The Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center preserves and continues the legacy of educational and artistic innovation of Black Mountain College. We will tour the special exhibition viewshed and visit BMCMA+C’s archives to explore the history of women and gender as it relates to BMC.
Space is limited; registration is required. Open to OLLI members only. Cost: $15 each; transportation not included. Starting February 10 at 10 a.m., register separately for each field trip you wish to attend using our online registration system.

Wednesday, April 23, 9 a.m.
College for Seniors information session: “You Too Can Teach!” (in-person + online)
Are you interested in (or curious about) teaching a course at CFS? You may have never thought that you could be an 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 instructors will introduce what teaching at CFS 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!
Sign up to attend in person or online.

Wednesday, April 23, 7 p.m. | Common Word Community Read
University Program: “How the Magic Works: Breaking Down the Craft Elements in Look Homeward, Angel” (in-person + online)
In this lecture, Wiley Cash discusses the writerly craft behind some of the most iconic scenes in Look Homeward, Angel. Cash is The New York Times bestselling author of four novels and the Executive Director of Literary Arts at UNC-Asheville.
Register to attend the April 23 Common Word Community Read program. To learn more, visit the Common Word Community Read website.

Friday, April 25, 2 p.m.
Women, Gender and Social Change Field-Trip Series: Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center
OLLI will present a series of private, guided tours of local arts and cultural organizations to explore the theme from different points of view. The Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center preserves and interprets the social, cultural and natural history of the Swannanoa Valley by developing dynamic programs and engaging exhibitions for the education and enrichment of the community, its children and future generations. We will explore stories of women in the Valley told through the museum’s galleries and special collections.
Space is limited; registration is required. Open to OLLI members only. Cost: $15 each; transportation not included. Starting February 10 at 10 a.m., register separately for each field trip you wish to attend using our online registration system.

May

Thursday, May 1
Last day for course proposals for CFS fall 2025 term
Visit the Forms page to access the live course proposal and a sample proposal.

Friday, May 2, 2 p.m.
Women, Gender and Social Change Field-Trip Series: Asheville Museum of History
OLLI will present a series of private, guided tours of local arts and cultural organizations to explore the theme from different points of view. The Asheville Museum of History preserves and promotes the history and legacy of Western North Carolina through interpretation, education, collection and collaboration. We will examine objects in the museum and from its archives to learn more about the history of women and gender in Asheville and how they relate to the Smith-McDowell House.
Space is limited; registration is required. Open to OLLI members only. Cost: $15 each; transportation not included. Starting February 10 at 10 a.m., register separately for each field trip you wish to attend using our online registration system.

Friday, May 16
Last day of spring 2025 CFS classes

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

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 are participants in Chuck Fink’s spring 2025 CFS course Storytelling: Women in Our Lives.