Washington College

Overview

The Washington College Academy of Lifelong Learning (WC-ALL) is designed to reach out to area residents through non-credit courses, lectures and travel offerings as varied and diverse as possible. It has become a major link between the College and the local Kent County community.

WC-ALL members benefit from its broad program of courses, including history, music, literature, philosophy, the sciences, drama and the visual arts, as well as a series of monthly luncheons, dinners and field trips. The monthly Learn at Lunch events center around stimulating speakers drawn from all walks of life and are open to all members of the community.

WC-ALL also conducts a Mentor Program which places the experience and expertise of individual members of the community at the service of international Washington College students, in close collaboration with other College academic resources.

WC-ALL funds a College scholarship, and adds a significant amount annually to its scholarship fund.

WC-ALL members pay a membership fee either by the semester or by the academic year. A member is entitled to:

• attend any of the WC-ALL courses offered in two sessions each fall and spring
• attend WC-ALL lunches and dinners at the member rates

An individual can become a Friend of WC-ALL for $30 per academic year and be entitled to receive all member emails and mailings and to pay the reduced member fee for Learn-at-Lunches and special events; no course participation is included in this category.

Washington College provides office and classroom space and many College amenities to WC-ALL and recognizes it as an educational program providing non-credit courses. WC-ALL is, however, an autonomous organization administered by a Council and supported by academic member fees and contributions.

Further information is available from the Administrator, Susan McRae, at the WC-ALL Office. Phone 410-778-7221, e-mail: wc_all@washcoll.edu, or write WC-ALL, 300 Washington Ave., Chestertown, MD 21620.

Courses

Registration for courses can be accomplished in several ways:

• Online - click on the Catalog button at right
• By mail sent to WC-ALL, 300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, MD 21620
• In person at the semiannual Showcase (See Learn About Special Events, above)
• In person at the WC-ALL Office, 510 Washington Avenue, Hours: 8:30 am-12:30 pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

Membership is for the semester or the year, and membership fees are due at registration. You may register for as many courses as you like.

Visitors and prospective members who wish to become familiar with the Academy's programs are welcome to attend one WC-ALL Class by arrangement with the WC-ALL office (410-778-7221).

College undergraduates, faculty, and staff are welcome to sit in on all WC-ALL classes if there is room remaining in the classroom.

In some courses, handouts will be provided in the classroom as a reference. Recommended books may often be available for purchase at the WC-ALL office.

All registrants will be notified before classes begin of room assignments. WC-ALL classes will not be scheduled on College holidays; if the Campus is closed because of inclement weather or other emergency, our classes will be canceled as well, and rescheduled for another time if that is possible.

For more information on any of the classes listed or to register please contact the WC-ALL office at ext. 7221 or by e-mail at wc_all@washcoll.edu.

Learn at Lunch

Over the years we have featured talks by writers, historians, educators, environmentalists, politicians and artists. If someone is doing something of interest around the Chesapeake Bay, the chances are that he or she will give a Learn at Lunch lecture.

These informative lectures combine three ingredients. First, a serious and often provocative lecture by someone who knows the subject. Second, an excellent lunch currently provided by Washington College Dining Services in the pleasant atmosphere of the Hynson Lounge on the college campus. And finally, a varied and attentive audience from the surrounding Community, where one meets many people one knows, and new people one would like to know better.

The seven luncheons during the academic year begin at 12:00 noon. They are well-publicized and well attended. The cost is $15.00 for WC-ALL members, $20.00 for non-members. We accept paid reservations only; no telephone reservations accepted. Hynson Lounge in the Hodson Hall Commons is handicapped accessible.

Parking for Learn at Lunch is allowed only in the parking lot east of Kirby Stadium.

Contact

• Susan McRae at 410-778-7221, wc_all@washcoll.edu

About Our Faculty

Meet Some of Our Faculty

The Washington College Academy of Lifelong Learning (WC-ALL) is indeed fortunate to have a faculty rich in teaching experience who have a sincere desire to share their experience and expertise with others. A brief résumé for each of the current semester's instructors may be found in the WC-ALL Course Catalog or at this website by clicking on Classes and On-line Course Registration, then scrolling down and clicking on a course title. Our instructors design, prepare and present courses primarily for the sheer joy and fulfillment of teaching, and because there are no tests, no homework assignments to grade, nor final grades to record, the emphasis is truly on presenting one's ideas to eager students! Geoffrey Chaucer summed it up in his Canterbury Tales' description of the Clerk, a.k.a., the Oxford Cleric: "And gladly would he learn and gladly teach."

There are several advantages in being a WC-ALL instructor. In addition to receiving an honorarium for teaching a course, each instructor receives a free WC-ALL membership for the school year in which he or she teaches, allowing attendance in other courses and special member prices for Learn at Lunch and other WC-ALL events. Instructors also enjoy access to the Washington College Fitness Center, Pool, and Miller Library. All of this, combined with the flexibility in creating one's own course, choosing the teaching day, class length and even course length, as well as having the availability of resources such as scheduling AV equipment and office copying of handouts, makes teaching for WC-ALL a truly enjoyable experience.

WC-ALL is continually seeking to expand its curriculum with new faculty members and new course topics. If you have a special expertise which you believe might be of interest to other mature adults seeking enrichment and knowledge, please consider becoming a WC-ALL instructor. Our Curriculum Committee enthusiastically welcomes new course proposals! For more information about this process, click on Course Proposal Form at this website or call our Administrator, Susan McRae, at the WC-ALL office, 410-778-7221.