Fall 2024 Courses

• Archaeology and Wild Rice at the Whitehouse Nature Center
• Book Discussion: Heather Cox Richardson’s Democracy Awakening
• Movies Everyone Should, But May Not, Have Seen
• Built to Stand Forever: The Design, Materials, and Construction Philosophy of Old Buildings

---

What are the courses like?

There are no academic requirements other than an active, inquiring mind. There are no exams or grades, but some courses may have homework assignments. Most courses meet for two hours a week for four to five consecutive weeks. Courses are mainly taught by members of AALL, many by active or retired Albion College faculty.

The courses are simply for the enjoyment of learning.

When a course with limits is over-enrolled, the names of all of those who had it listed as #1 shall be entered in a lottery. Those randomly drawn shall be placed in the class. Those not selected will comprise the waiting list and also be given first access if that course is offered again. The registrar will keep a record of those on the waiting list until the course is offered again. Those selected for the course in its first offering will not be eligible to retake it until all those on the waiting list have had the opportunity to take the course. Those who have signed up for a class with limits and listed it as #1 are encouraged to sign up for at least one additional class. Members are also encouraged not to sign up for a course with limited enrollment if they know they won’t be there for all four sessions.

---

How much does it cost?

AALL Membership cost is $25/year. This entitles each person to take one course per term without additional charge. Additional courses are $10. There may be some extra charges in some courses for materials or transportation.

If you are unable to attend a course for which you have registered, fees will be refunded up until the beginning of the course.

---

How do I sign up?

Visit our Course Registration page for forms and instructions.

---

A Sampling of Previously Offered AALL Courses

Spring 2024 Courses

• Divided Loyalty in the American Revolution
• Woodworking — minus the wood and the work
• The Life and Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright
• Religions: Exclusivism, Inclusivism, and Pluralism
• Seeing Birds

Winter 2024 Courses

• Book Bans: Truth, Lies, and the Deliberate Destruction of Knowledge
• The Dames
• Travelogue Series
• Handmade Notebook: An introduction to relief printing and single-signature bookbinding

Fall 2023 Courses

• The Mount Pleasant Industrial School and the Anishinaabe
• Learn How to Support Your Friends, Family and Neighbors
• Historical Black Colleges and Universities and Their Impact on Today’s Society
• Movies Everyone Should (But May Not) Have Seen

Spring 2023 Courses

• The Foundations of Financial Investment Decision-making
• Animal Communication
• Ancient Faith, Modern World
• Music, It Inspires

Winter 2023 Courses

• Inventing Nature: Humboldt, Darwin, Thoreau, and Leopold
• Down Memory Lane: the Relationship Between Long and Short Term Memory
• Cures, Quacks, and Remedies: From Ancient to Modern Times
• The History of Negro Leagues Baseball and the Impact on The Black Community
• En-ROADS Climate Solutions Workshop
• Movies Everyone Should But May Not Have Seen

Fall 2022 Courses

• Inspired By Austen: Five Jane Austen Film Adaptations Set In Modern Times
• Wine Tasting
• Justice and Climate Solutions
• Travelogue Series

Spring 2022 Courses

• Human Rights In Albion: International Standards, Local Practices
• The Poisonwood Bible
• Christian Contemplative Literature
• Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease Mini-series
• Winston Churchill and the Movies

Winter 2022

Sadly, due to the pandemic, AALL Curriculum Committee and Board have made the decision to cancel the Winter Term entirely. Although we all were looking forward to the classes being offered, it was thought that the safer course would be to postpone the classes until the Spring Term (May). If you have already registered for a Winter Term class, your money will be refunded.

Fall 2021 Courses

• Adventures On the Internet
• Common Trees of Southern Michigan
• Who Runs the World? Women Writers and Social Commentary In the Eighteenth Century
• More Than a Single Story: Exploring Africa Through Multiple Lenses
• Stem In the Natural Environment
• Movies Everyone Should (but May Not) Have Seen

Spring 2021 Courses

• COVID-19 Vaccines And CRISPR
• When Michigan Was French
• Shakespeare at the Bohm
• STEM In the Natural Environment

Winter 2021 Courses

For 2020-2021 dues are reduced to $10. As always, members must pay dues to take classes. Members may take one course each term at no additional cost. Additional courses are $10 each (“Book Club” courses are $5).

• The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid
• Backyard Biodiversity
• Adrienne Rich: Poet of Our Time
• Movies Everyone Should, But May Not, Have Seen

Fall 2020 Courses

• Pandemic In Perspective: The Spanish Flu of 1918
• Writing (and a Little Bit of Speaking) For the Fun of It
• Celebrating the Centennial: Anna Howard Shaw and the New Suffrage Scholarship

Spring 2020 Courses

The Board of Directors decided to cancel spring classes due to health concerns related to Covid-19.

• Movies Everyone Should, but May Not, Have Seen
• Adrienne Rich, Poet of Our Time
• Writing and Speaking For the Fun of It
• STEM In the Natural Environment

Winter 2020 Courses

• American Pharma: The Science and Big Business Behind Your Drugs
• The Golden Age Of Musical Performance
• Unknown Austria Hidden In the Heart of Europe
• Celebrating Black History Month on the Bohm Screen
• Travelogue

Fall 2019 Courses

• Great Lakes Playlist
• Medical Imaging
• Sir Winston Spencer Churchill, a Life Told in Film
• The Self-Portrait as Artistic Expression: A Beginner’s Guide
• Toward a Healthy Lifestyle

Spring 2019 Courses

• A Brief History Of Jazz
• Influencers And Game Changers: Biographical Documentaries At The Bohm
• Nanoscience
• Shakespeare in Performance: King Lear and the Two Gentlemen of Verona
• Storytelling With Statistics

Winter 2019 Courses

• International Development and Humanitarian Aid in Africa: Dead or Live?
• Living, Struggling and Surviving Microorganisms: As Necessary Friends and Unavoidable Foes in Our Environments.
• Writing for The Hell of It.
• Travelogue.
• What We Talk About When We Talk About Genes.

Fall 2018 Courses

• A Path Apart: Women Philosophers Of The 19th Century
• The First Amendment: Free Speech On Campus
• Palestinian / Israeli Conflict
• Why Antarctica Matters
• Current Trends In Healthcare, First Aid, And Safety In The Home