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A Sisterhood of Spies
Instructor: Sharon Lorish
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Dates: 10/22/2025 - 11/12/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 4
Fee: $48.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
“...The casual reader, or even a close student of history, would be forgiven for thinking that for most of its existence, only men worked at the Central Intelligence Agency. Not only that: very manly heterosexual men...” Liza Mundy, The Sisterhood This class will focus on women’s services in the CIA as spies at the end of WWII,during the Cold War, and as terrorist groups formed and acted after the breakup of the Soviet Union. What talents and skills did women have, and how did they use them? Are women more tactically geared to expose male vulnerability? What tensions were there among intelligence agencies and within the agency itself during these times? Come learn what roles women have played in the operation of the CIA and how important their service has been. There are interesting tales to tell.
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American Health Care: Challenges and Opportunities NEW!
Instructor: Robert Powers
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Day of the Week: Th
Times: 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Dates: 10/23/2025 - 12/18/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 8
Fee: $96.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA -
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
This course offers an opportunity to learn about the structure, function and financing of the health care system in the United States. Lectures and classroom sessions will cover the history and current status of the education and delivery systems, and examine the challenges that face providers, patients, policy makers, and citizens as health care becomes more effective and more expensive. Issues related to manpower, financing, access, disparities, and developing technology will be examined, with discussion of approaches to understanding and addressing significant problems, challenges, and opportunities.
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Archaeology and Native American History in Virginia
Instructor: Jeffrey Hantman
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Dates: 9/10/2025 - 10/15/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $72.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 30
Course Description:
This course reviews the long-term history of Virginia’s Indian people, based on archaeology, critical review of colonial histories, and Indigenous oral histories. We will engage in discussion/debate on current issues such as the date and migration route of the first people of Virginia, the remarkably sustainable adaptation to the regional environment, the rise of powerful chiefdoms, and the encounter between those chiefdoms and European colonists. In these contexts, we will consider the relation of archaeology to American Indian concerns, from Jefferson’s study of a Monacan mound to 21st century tribal persistence, rights of repatriation and sovereignty.
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Basics of Ethics
Instructor: Marion Votaw
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Day of the Week: Th
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 10/30/2025 - 12/11/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $72.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
This class is not intended to teach right from wrong, but explores *why* people think something is, or isn’t, what they would have done. We will practice arguing heartfelt opinions without insult or defamation. We will begin with an overview of the general field of ethics, concentrating on two basic axes: whether the ends can justify the means, and whether exceptions can be made to ethical rules depending on circumstances. The next four sessions will compare debatable situations from two of those viewpoints, in turn. For the final class, each student will try to use their personal ethical style in a real argument.
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Broadway and (Way) Beyond: The History of Theatre in America!
Instructor: Jeff Sands
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Dates: 11/5/2025 - 12/17/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $72.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA -
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
We will cover the span of American theatre history, beginning with a quick survey of its roots in colonial days and its development over the 19th century. We then behold the explosion of creativity from a new generation of playwrights, actors, directors, designers, composers and producers in the 20th century. Finally, we dive into 21st-century theatre, given new life with the emergence of women, African American, Latinx, Asian, LGBTQ and other historically underrepresented artists. The presentation will be predominantly visual – drawings, photographs, videos. No reading will be required, but an annotated bibliography will guide those who wish to delve further into the subject. Broadway. Off-Broadway. Off-off-Broadway. WAY-off Broadway. Musicals! Dramas! Comedies! Operas! Actors! SHOW BIZ!
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Christmas in Arizona
Instructor: John Burt, Jeanette Bowman
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Day of the Week: M
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Dates: 12/1/2025 - 12/15/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 3
Fee: $36.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 18
Course Description:
Your brain is craving something new. How would you like to bike through a cactus garden? A painted desert? Maybe a petrified forest? Perhaps the Grand Canyon under snow? A museum in Sedona? A ponderosa covered mountain town? Chase a real roadrunner? What a trip, all from the warmth of your OLLI classroom. It will be the best December ever! Join us! The most recent research points to the health benefits of awe experiences. See how they will work for you! *Stationary foot-pedal chair bikes are provided.
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Constructing An Empire NEW!
Instructor: George Robinson
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Day of the Week: Th
Times: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Dates: 10/30/2025 - 12/18/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 7
Fee: $84.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 45
Course Description:
Too often the study of the Roman Empire is centered around the military conquest of the Mediterranean Basin, but more permanent evidence of Empire are the structures that remain from the post military operations. Rome left its mark with its massive colosseums, temples, meeting places, baths, palaces and governmental buildings which are explored in this course. We will study the development of one of the most used construction materials used since the time of Rome, concrete, and how it still rivals the concrete used in the 21st century. Our study will be centered around major rulers who not only were military commanders but sone of the finest engineers that history has produced. Join us for a walk through Roman buildings, from Julius Caesar to Constantine and their marvelous structures that built and sustained an Empire that impresses and awes today.
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Creating a New American Architecture: Chicago and Midwest, 1870s-1950s
Instructor: Richard Guy Wilson
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Dates: 10/21/2025 - 12/9/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 7
Fee: $84.00
Course Location: Unity of Charlottesville -
Location Address: 2825 Hydraulic Road Charlottesville, VA 22901
Limit: 100
Course Description:
Chicago became a center for new American architecture in the decades after the great 1871 fire. The population grew from 298,977 in 1870 (the 5th largest) to 1,698,575 in 1900, making it the 2nd largest in the United States. Chicago architects and engineers created a new system of construction that allowed large and tall buildings and new suburban houses. Treated will be designers such as Louis Sullivan, William Lebaron Jenny, John Welborn Root, Frank Lloyd Wright, the emergence of Art Deco, Mies van-der Rohe, and others.
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Crises in American History
Instructor: Robert Toplin
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Dates: 10/29/2025 - 11/19/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 4
Fee: $48.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 100
Course Description:
This course will cover four topics. One: The Troubles and Triumphs of “Mr. Madison’s War” (1812). Two: How Andrew Jackson Uprooted Traditional Politics and Divided the Nation. Three: Abraham Lincoln, the Secession Crisis, and the Civil War. Four: John F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis. We will point to historical developments that produced these crises, judge the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of leaders that dealt with them, and consider the long-term influence of these events in U.S. and global history. Ideas and discussion are welcomed.
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Decisions, Decisions, Decisions! An Intuitive Introduction to Decision Analysis
Instructor: Gregory Sampson
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 9/17/2025 - 10/1/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 3
Fee: $36.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA -
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
Formal decision analysis incorporates one’s preferences and attitudes toward risk into a structured decision making framework. Applying basic concepts such as “decision trees” and “utility”, the course’s aim, minus the murky sea of mathematics and other esoteric technicalities, is to impart the fundamentals that will educate the learner in the creative act of decision making where the relationship between values and outcomes afford rich opportunities for some light-hearted self-appraisal and engaging discussion. You will not become an expert in Decision Theory, but you will be able to hold your own at cocktail parties if the subject comes up.
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Discover Your Roots: An Introductory Course on Genealogy
Instructor: Larry Brown
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Day of the Week: Th
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Dates: 9/11/2025 - 9/11/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 1
Fee: $12.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA -
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
This course is designed for beginners eager to explore their family history. This course provides fundamental techniques for tracing lineage, understanding historical records, and organizing genealogical data. Participants will learn to use online databases, interpret census data, and preserve family stories. With guidance from others with experience in genealogy, participants will develop research skills and create a family tree, uncovering valuable insights into their ancestry. Join us to embark on a journey into your past and connect with your heritage in meaningful ways.
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Discovering Willpower
Instructor: John Burt, Jeanette Bowman
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Day of the Week: M
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Dates: 9/29/2025 - 10/27/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 5
Fee: $60.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 18
Course Description:
The 400,000 people who walked the 2,000-mile Oregon trail discovered the secret of willpower. Our course journey will retrace their discovery, stopping along the way to discuss “willpower challenges”. We will bike from the comfort of our OLLI classroom while discussing the source of willpower exhumed from the trail, together with Helen Keller’s willpower discovery under even more difficult situations. Keller summarizes her motivation: “Life is an exciting adventure or it is nothing.” Join us on this aerobic willpower adventure. Aging is not which genes were passed to you, but rather which ones you turned on. *Stationary foot-pedal chair bikes are provided.
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Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?
Instructor: Michael Kelley
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Dates: 10/22/2025 - 12/10/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 7
Fee: $84.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
“Welcome to studying with Professor Michael Sandel, who relates the big questions of political philosophy to the most vexing issues of our time. Sandel engages his Harvard students in debates on income inequality, human rights, property rights, affirmative action, as well as personal ethical issues. After watching a video of his students debating an issue, we have a roundtable discussion on the same issue, meeting a few of history’s most influential philosophers along the way. Our goal is a thoughtful, enjoyable learning experience. Bring your thinking cap! Suggested Reading: Justice, What’s the Right Thing to Do? by Michael J. Sandel
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Labyrinth: A Practice of History, Mystery, Beauty, and Wellness
Instructor: Mary Ann Wamhoff
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 9/9/2025 - 9/30/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 4
Fee: $48.00
Course Location: Unity of Charlottesville - Large Classroom
Location Address: 2825 Hydraulic Road Charlottesville, VA 22901
Limit: 24
Course Description:
Have you ever wondered why some folks walk in circles and seem to love it? Do you know the difference between a labyrinth and a maze? Have you ever wanted to build a labyrinth in your yard or on a beach? Are you interested in exploring moving meditation? Would you like some inspiration? Are you in a process of discernment? Would you like to think more metaphorically? Come, explore with us! We’ll learn about the varieties and history of what is constructed using sacred geometry and why it works! We’ll practice on various labyrinths in each session.
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Listening: "What Did You Say?"
Instructor: Richard Mason
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 9/17/2025 - 10/22/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $72.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA -
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
Listening is a skill used every day in our lives. How many people could be better listeners? Ironically, for a skill that is so important and used so much, most people never have had any training or education in developing the skill. Listening skills can be developed and strengthened through understanding and practice. In this course the instructor will present a simple model of the communication process. The sessions will include "one-on-one" student interaction and some whole group discussion. Throughout the course, many opportunities will be available to practice new skills.
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My Lai 1968: An American War Crime
Instructor: Fred Borch
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Dates: 9/9/2025 - 9/16/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 2
Fee: $24.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 24
Course Description:
In March 1968, at the height of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, Army Lt. William Calley and his fellow soldiers murdered between 350 and 500 unarmed and unresisting old men, women, and children at the small Vietnamese hamlet of My Lai. The so-called “My Lai Massacre” was the worst war crime in U.S history and came as a great shock to the American public. Using information gathered from criminal investigations and the transcript of the court-martial that prosecuted Calley for murder, lawyer and historian Fred Borch will examine how and why the killings occurred. He also will discuss the criminal prosecutions of the American soldiers who participated in the My Lai Massacre. Fred will close by explaining what lessons the Army learned from the event and how it made changes to its organization to prevent future tragedies like My Lai.
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Pedestrian 2.0: Walking—Reimagined!
Instructor: Daniel Kulund
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 9/17/2025 - 10/15/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 5
Fee: $60.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
Join Walkman Dan to reimagine walking—refine your gait, harness simple tools and environmental props, and unlock creativity on the move. Each episode blends a short talk with hands on (or rather, feet-on) practice, so you can apply new skills right away—indoors or out. Whether you’re a casual stroller or a seasoned walker, you’ll discover fresh ways to enliven every step, turning everyday streets and paths into vibrant playgrounds. “I’m walkin’—yes indeed!”
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Piano Solos by Major Composers: Part 10 NEW!
Instructor: Arnold Popkin
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Day of the Week: M
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 9/15/2025 - 9/29/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 3
Fee: $36.00
Course Location: Westminster Canterbury of the Blue Ridge -
Location Address: 250 Pantops Mt. Rd. Charlottesville, VA 22911
Limit: 80
Course Description:
This class will feature many beautiful compositions by Frederic Chopin and Franz Liszt, my two favorite composers of piano solos. Each week will include one hour of live piano performance and a half hour of information about the composers and the pieces on the program.
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Poems for Aging Children NEW!
Instructor: Susan Sharpe
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Dates: 10/28/2025 - 12/2/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 5
Fee: $60.00
Course Location: Unity of Charlottesville - Classroom
Location Address: 2825 Hydraulic Road Charlottesville, VA 22901
Limit: 15
Course Description:
Can poetry help to console us for the losses of old age or the anxieties of our time? In this course we’ll read poems old and new that seem particularly addressed to our circumstances now. The instructor will present information about context and authors, formal matters and themes, but students will do a lot of the talking. Topics will include grief and loss, memory, our fears for the world, and the consolations found in nature, in love, and in the world of the spirit. The poems will be available online and will also be screened in class. No particular expertise is required.
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Religion At Half Mast: A Wake Up Call
Instructor: Elias Awad
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Day of the Week: F
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Dates: 9/19/2025 - 10/10/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 4
Fee: $48.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA -
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 30
Course Description:
Religion has been the core of humanity for centuries and still is. This course is about the decline of today’s religion worldwide. It covers areas like who God is, spiritual vs religious, Christians and Christianity, world religions, Islam and Christianity, Americanization of Jesus, the millennials and religion, and whether there is an afterlife. Most sources came from decades of experience in the field, field research, the renowned Pew Research Center, and articles and studies from two major seminaries. The course will be open to discussion and exchange of ideas and opinions where appropriate.
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Rights vs Dollars: The Uneasy Tension Between American Capitalism and Democracy NEW!
Instructor: Gary Moore
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 9/16/2025 - 10/14/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 5
Fee: $60.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA -
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 15
Course Description:
Former Council of Economic Advisors Arthur Okun has written: “Contemporary American society is, in a sense, a split-level structure. Its political and social institutions provide universally-distributed rights and privileges that proclaim the equality of all citizens. But its economic institutions rely on market-determined outcomes that generate substantial disparities among citizens in living standards and material welfare. The resulting mixture of equal rights and unequal incomes creates tensions between the political principles of democracy and the economic principles of capitalism.” This course will use the Okun analytical framework to think about and assess the continuing tension between American democracy and capitalism. *Students should really purchase or have access to the short (110 pages) book by Arthur Okun that costs around $15-20 online. For the especially frugal there is alternatively a 16 page Aspen Institute manuscript that covers much of the same ground and could be reproduced.
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Self-Driving Vehicles: Curious Novelty or Mobility Revolution?
Instructor: David Fitzpatrick
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 10/28/2025 - 11/11/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 3
Fee: $36.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA -
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 30
Course Description:
Self-driving passenger vehicles are (slowly) arriving on our public roads. They could disrupt our mobility landscape in both beneficial and harmful ways. We’ll take a deep dive into SDVs, first with a critical look inside the industry to learn what’s happening and why. From the public’s perspective, we’ll examine critical technological, public policy, social, and business issues, as well as barriers to scaling deployments. Then we’ll take a user’s perspective of the riding experience, focusing on issues of accessibility for the public and then around the specific needs of older persons and other transportation disadvantaged populations.
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Singers of Italian Opera: Sopranos and Mezzosopranos
Instructor: Timothy Snider
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Dates: 9/10/2025 - 10/1/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 4
Fee: $48.00
Course Location: WTJU-UVA's Community Radio Station -
Location Address: 2244 Ivy Road , VA 22903
Limit: 25
Course Description:
Opera was born in Italy but its popularity soon spread throughout the peninsula and Europe. In the early days, it was considered unseemly for women to perform on-stage. The established church prohibited women from singing opera. But audiences clamored to see and hear the beauty, passion, and flexibility of the female voice. Within a generation some of the biggest stars were women. We will study opera’s history from the Baroque until the modern era through the careers of the most notable women singers of their respective eras. We will hear examples of their art.
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Social Psychology of Bigotry
Instructor: Marion Votaw
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Day of the Week: Th
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 9/11/2025 - 10/16/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $72.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA -
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 10
Course Description:
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream. But *can* we see the content of the character at all, or only the color of the skin? This course will take a more focused look at bigotry than a general Social Psychology course. We will start with an overview of how social perception and cognition happen in general, then concentrate on how the “Us or Them"" component influences how we see others, and what we read into their behaviors. We will address highly controversial issues, such as police shootings, anti-Semitism, sexism, ageism, politicization of science, and other prejudices and discriminations. We will conclude with how to [try to] work against such divisions.
Note: Recommended materials: colored pencils, paper or laptop for taking notes.
Suggested Reading: King, Martin L. I Have a Dream. Speech presented at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Washington, D.C., August 1968. https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/mlk01.asp.
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Speeches Written, But Never Delivered: How Those Speeches Could Have Rewritten History
Instructor: Steve Bevis
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Day of the Week: Th
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 10/30/2025 - 11/20/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 4
Fee: $48.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 25
Course Description:
Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Helen Keller, John Lewis, Hillary Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, and John F. Kennedy were all leaders who made a significant impact on history and delivered historic speeches. However, history-changing events often require two drafts of a speech: one for victory and another for defeat, failure, or a change of heart. In other words, “Speeches Written... But Never Delivered” and “How Those Speeches Could Have Rewritten History.” This course will examine these fascinating speech drafts, whose words were never uttered, and how they might have altered the course of history had they been delivered.
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Suddenly in the Spotlight: How Everyday People Nearly - And Sometimes Did - Alter History
Instructor: Carl Pales
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 9/23/2025 - 10/14/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 4
Fee: $48.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
Much like a character in an Alfred Hitchcock movie, people in positions of relatively little consequence with unremarkable backgrounds have suddenly been thrust into the center of events with potentially enormous consequences, often without realizing it. A cab driver in 1930s New York, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Soviet Union’s vast defense establishment, and the wife of a British merchant ship’s chief engineer all may have unknowingly changed history - or come very close. This course will describe those and other people’s actions and both their real and potential consequences.
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Tai Chi for Beginners
Instructor: Ronald Salomon
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Day of the Week: F
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Dates: 10/31/2025 - 12/19/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 7
Fee: $84.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
This course is a short introduction to Yang Style Tai Chi. Yang is the most popular style, and uses slow, continuous movement designed to enhance strength, balance, and mindfulness. It will also include an introduction to Qi Gong. Participants should check with their physicians to make sure that there are no contraindications or limitations to prevent their participation.
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Talking History
Instructor: Robert Toplin
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Dates: 12/3/2025 - 12/17/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 3
Fee: $36.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 16
Course Description:
This course will cover three significant controversies from the American past that can be approached from different perspectives. Good arguments can be made from different points of view. What do you think? The course format will introduce a topic for 20 minutes with discussion to follow. Topic One: If you had been an adviser to President Truman, would you have recommended using atomic bombs against Japan? Topic Two: Jefferson and Slavery: How do you evaluate Jefferson in terms of his personal life and political leadership? Topic Three: Can we have free speech during wartime? The case of Eugene Debs in World War I.
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The French Revolution: Causes and Major Events
Instructor: Debbie Corber
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Dates: 10/14/2025 - 11/18/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $72.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
The French Revolution was a period of political and societal change in France that lasted from 1789 to 1799. Fueled by social inequality, economic hardship, financial debt and Enlightenment ideals, the Bourbon monarchy was overthrown. Over ten years, France witnessed the abolition of the feudal system, the demise of absolute monarchy, the establishment of a Republic and the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. The French Revolution helped to shape modern democracies by showing the power inherent in the will of the people.
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The Geologic History of Virginia
Instructor: Mark Barnhill
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Day of the Week: M
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 11/3/2025 - 12/15/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $72.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA -
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
The course will begin with an overview of rocks, plate tectonics, and the geologic time scale. We will then examine the Proterozoic-age rocks and minerals, crustal extension, and evidence for glaciation in the Blue Ridge. We will discuss the Cambro-Ordovician carbonate factory and fossils in the Valley and Ridge Province, and learn about the Taconic Orogeny, accreted terranes, and economic resources of the inner Piedmont. We will then discuss the Acadian Orogeny; its associated deposits in the Valley and Ridge province, and accreted terranes in the outer Piedmont. We will learn about the Alleghenian Orogeny including structural expression in the Blue Ridge, Valley and Ridge and Allegheny regions. We will discuss the Triassic rifting event and the associated formation of the Triassic Basins as well as dinosaur and insect fossils. Finally, we will examine the Cenozoic fossils of the Coastal Plain sediments and the Chesapeake Bay impact crater. No prior geologic background required but helpful.
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The Greatest Books You Never Read: Njal’s Saga NEW!
Instructor: Evelyn Edson
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Day of the Week: M
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 9/15/2025 - 10/6/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 4
Fee: $48.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 15
Course Description:
The Sagas of the Icelanders are works of prose fiction written down in the 13th and 14th centuries, based on historical events from the 10th and 11th centuries. We will read Njal’s Saga, a tale rich in memorable characters and dramatic interactions. Iceland has one of the world’s oldest constitutions with an intricate legal structure, superimposed on a society in which kinship and vengeance are fundamental.
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The Leadership Gap: Why Some Leaders Succeed and Others Fail
Instructor: Terry Newell
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Dates: 10/1/2025 - 10/22/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 4
Fee: $48.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA -
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 20
Course Description:
This course explores the nature of exceptional leadership, whether of teams, local civic groups, organizations or nations. We’ll focus not on what leaders promise but on who they are and how they behave. We’ll also examine why some good leaders stumble. We’ll use case studies, film clips and discussion about real and fictional leaders to see what makes for great leadership – and how to spot those we should not follow. Sessions will include: (1) Trust, Legitimacy and Leadership; (2) Leadership Ethics and Moral Courage; (3) Why Some Good Leaders Stumble; and (4) Challenging Followers: The Hallmark of Transformative Leadership.
NOTE: If you do not see the "Add to Cart" button, there are four possible reasons. 1) Registration may not be open 2) You have not added a membership to your cart or renewed your membership (Click HERE to purchase your membership) 3) You are not logged in (Click “Sign In” on the blue bar above) 4) You may need to refresh your screen.
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The Magic of Watercolor Painting
Instructor: Pam Roland Lengel
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Day of the Week: M
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Dates: 10/27/2025 - 12/8/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $72.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA -
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
Does watercolor fascinate you? Visit Pam’s website (www.pamroland.com) to see what we can explore in this OLLI course, “The Magic of Watercolor Painting,” an introductory hands-on experience. Bring your interest and she will provide the rest!
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The Rise and Fall of Apartheid: South Africa’s History, 1600-2025
Instructor: David Throup
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Day of the Week: F
Times: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Dates: 10/31/2025 - 12/19/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 7
Fee: $84.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 30
Course Description:
The course examines the history of South Africa since 1600, covering the Dutch arrival at the Cape in 1652 and the arrival of the British in 1798, We shall examine the impact of the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand, the 2nd Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902, and the subsequent formation of the Dominion of South Africa in 1910. We shall discuss the growth of Afrikaner and African nationalisms, the economic boom of the 1930s and World War II. The class will consider the evolution of Apartheid in the 1950s and 1960s, the Soweto disturbances of 1976, and the political turmoil of the 1980s, before analyzing the transfer of power negotiations in 1990-94. We shall conclude with an assessment of South Africa under ANC rule sine 1994.
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Thinking Like an Economist
Instructor: Gary Moore
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Dates: 10/29/2025 - 12/3/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 5
Fee: $60.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA -
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 15
Course Description:
At its core, economics provides a way of thinking about human behavior, social organization and needed (as well as unneeded) public policies. In this class we will consider a number of simple yet profound principles of economics, e.g., scarcity, tradeoffs, incentives, exchange; and think about how an application of these principles can help us understand everything from tariffs to affordable housing to the price of Taylor Swift concert tickets.
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USS Houston CA-30/POW Experience
Instructor: John Schwarz
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Day of the Week: Th
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Dates: 10/16/2025 - 10/16/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 1
Fee: $12.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
The presentation covers the rather short life-span of a warship serving in the Asia West Pacific commencing with the outbreak of America’s entry into World War II. It then chronicles the POW incarceration for the modest number of survivors of the sinking of the USS Houston CA-30 on March 1, 1942. This would be for the entire remainder of WWII, or 3.75 years! During this period most of the survivors were forced into labor while assisting their captors in the building of the ‘Burma-Thailand Death Railway’. That rail was made famous in the epic WWII movie titled; ‘Bridge on the River Kwai’. In this presentation the real version of that episode of POW incarceration is told. Included also is the aftermath of returning home after the war, the forming of the Survivor’s Association, and perspective on the ‘Greatest Generation’.
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Whealthspan: More Years, More Moments, More Money NEW!
Instructor: Scott Fulton
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Day of the Week: Th
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Dates: 9/18/2025 - 10/23/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $60.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
Live healthy longer and spend less on housing and healthcare. Sounds simple, but good intentions derail easily. Longevity opportunities abound; the secret is identifying and acting on them early. You’ll become grounded in the biology of aging, the lifestyle keys proven to slow aging and preserve brain health and get help building a successful housing strategy. The course is designed around the five foundations of healthspan: Mind, Environment, Diet, Activity, and Community. We cover a lot of ground, providing abundant topics for proactive discussion and substantive content to design the future you’ll look forward to living.
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Whither Music
Instructor: James Erler
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Day of the Week: M
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Dates: 10/6/2025 - 10/27/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 4
Fee: $48.00
Course Location: Private Residence -
Location Address: details will be shared with enrolled members , VA
Limit: 10
Course Description:
*Private residence in Charlottesville, six minutes from Barracks Road Shopping Center, specific address and directions will be sent to those enrolled.
Whither Music is inspired by Leonard Bernstein’s Norton Lecture series “The Unanswered Question” and Mr. Erler’s personal quest to understand why we respond to music and what makes some performances better than others. The course starts with the first sounds we hear at birth and how these lead directly to pleasing harmonies and rhythms through a discussion of the physics of music and the relationship between language and music. The evolution of music is then viewed through harmonic and structural changes. Mr. Erler will talk from the keyboard and will include recorded examples and a Master Class with a professional musician to demonstrate differences in performance.
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World War II: The Pacific Air War
Instructor: Edward Dillingham
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Dates: 9/10/2025 - 10/15/2025
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $60.00
Course Location: R.R. Smith Center for History and Art - Upstairs Lecture Room
Location Address: 22 South New St Staunton, VA 24401
Limit: 35
Course Description:
“Remember Pearl Harbor!!” was the battle cry, and the resulting Pacific air war was unlike any battle before or since. Fought over millions of square miles of land and sea by the United States and Empire of Japan, the air campaign in the Pacific was a hard-fought struggle to the bitter end. Using pictures, videos and firsthand accounts, this course will examine the Men, Women, aircraft, and missions that ultimately crushed the Japanese empire during World War II.
*Recommended reading will be shared with those enrolled in this course.
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