Wichita State University Lifelong Learning

Wichita State University Lifelong Learning Lifelong Learning courses cater specifically to individuals aged 60 and above in Kansas

Happy Summer Lifelong Learners. Our office is preparing for an amazing lineup of Fall classes, beginning mid-August. I ...
06/22/2026

Happy Summer Lifelong Learners. Our office is preparing for an amazing lineup of Fall classes, beginning mid-August.
I want to start sharing some upcoming classes with you. Be on the lookout for more highlights in the next few weeks. Registration will open early July! An exact date will be announced next week.

Class Highlight -Intro to Russian History
Class Dates: Mondays, September 28, Oct 5, 12, 19, 2026
Instructor: Dr. Brent Mai, Dean, University Libraries
Class time: 1-3pm
Class Location: In person Hughes Metroplex 5015 E 29th St N, Wichita or Online

Course Description: groups in Russia speaking over 100
different languages and dialects. Russia has occupied a strategic geopolitical position almost since its inception as a small Medieval state called Rus located around what today is the city of Kiev in Ukraine. Its status as a global “superpower” is not only a
phenomenon of the twentieth century. Through this 4-week course, students will gain knowledge of the history of Russia, its people and leaders, and the contributions that have been made to the history and culture of many parts of the world.

What is Lifelong Learning at WSU: Lifelong Learning courses cater specifically to individuals aged 60 and above, offering both in-person and online options. The courses, taught by qualified university faculty, consist of four classes held once a week for four weeks, with each class lasting approximately two hours. These courses operate on an audit basis, allowing students to participate without paying tuition fees, and scholarships are available to cover application and course fees for those who enroll before a specified deadline. There are no textbooks to purchase as all required materials are provided by WSU, and there are no tests or grades. The coursework encourages cohort-based learning, offering seniors the opportunity to engage in genuine college-level learning experiences.
All course work will be offered in-person and online.
In person classes will be held from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. at the Wichita State University Metropolitan Complex located at 5015 E. 29th St. North.
Online classes will be available. Students who select this option will receive a link via email each week to view the class on their own device.

Happy Summer Lifelong Learners. Our office is preparing for an amazing lineup of Fall classes, beginning mid-August. I ...
06/22/2026

Happy Summer Lifelong Learners. Our office is preparing for an amazing lineup of Fall classes, beginning mid-August.
I want to start sharing some upcoming classes with you. Be on the lookout for more highlights in the next few weeks. Registration will open early July! An exact date will be announced next week.
Class Highlight English Literature 500 - 1800 AD
Class Dates: Wednesdays, Sept 16, 23, 30, Oct 7
Instructor: Dr. Fran Connor, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of English
Class time: 1-3pm
Class Location: In person Hughes Metroplex 5015 E 29th St N, Wichita or Online

Course Description:
In 500 AD England was an isolated island of diffuse tribes fighting Anglo and Saxon invaders; by 1800 it was Great Britain, a financial, military, and cultural superpower. Literature offers one way to trace this remarkable development, and our course will do so by reading lyric and narrative poems, drama, and narrative prose from some of
the nation’s greatest writers, including Chaucer, Shakespeare, Donne, Milton, Defoe, and many more. If you have an old Norton Anthology of English Literature lying around, this will be an opportunity to put it to use!

What is Lifelong Learning at WSU: Lifelong Learning courses cater specifically to individuals aged 60 and above, offering both in-person and online options. The courses, taught by qualified university faculty, consist of four classes held once a week for four weeks, with each class lasting approximately two hours. These courses operate on an audit basis, allowing students to participate without paying tuition fees, and scholarships are available to cover application and course fees for those who enroll before a specified deadline. There are no textbooks to purchase as all required materials are provided by WSU, and there are no tests or grades. The coursework encourages cohort-based learning, offering seniors the opportunity to engage in genuine college-level learning experiences.
All course work will be offered in-person and online.

Online classes will be available. Students who select this option will receive a link via email each week to view the class on their own device

Fall Lifelong Learning Class Highlight. What Makes People SpecialDates: Thursday, September 10, 17, 24, Oct 7, 2026Time:...
06/18/2026

Fall Lifelong Learning Class Highlight.

What Makes People Special
Dates: Thursday, September 10, 17, 24, Oct 7, 2026
Time: 1-3pm

This course offers an engaging and meaningful series designed to inform, entertain, and encourage thoughtful discussion among participants.
Participants will enjoy a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at my years serving as a judge in the criminal division of the Sedgwick County District Court. Through personal stories and firsthand experiences, I will share insights into the courtroom, memorable cases, and the people who shaped my time on the bench.
We will also explore a topic I have researched extensively and presented on many occasions: What Makes People Special. Together, we will discuss the qualities, experiences, and relationships that make individuals memorable and meaningful in our lives. This portion of the course will include a variety of thought-provoking and enjoyable exercises designed to encourage reflection and conversation. Participants will be invited to share their own stories and examples by email between September 18 and September 30, 2026, and selected reflections will become part of our concluding discussion on October 1, 2026.
Another highlight of the course will focus on my 45 years as color analyst for Wichita State University Shocker basketball broadcasts. Joined by longtime broadcaster Mike Kennedy, I will share a lively history of Shocker basketball filled with memorable moments, behind-the-scenes stories, and reflections from decades behind the microphone.
The course will conclude with additional reflections and participant stories centered on What Makes People Special. Those who wish may also share their experiences with the class, creating an enjoyable, personal, and meaningful conclusion to our time together.

Instructor: Judge David Dahl, Retired District Court Judge, Division 2, Sedgwick County

The class will be offered in-person and online.
In person classes will be held from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. at the Wichita State University Metropolitan Complex located at 5015 E. 29th St. North.

Online classes will be available. Students who select this option will receive a link via email each week to view the class on their own device.

Happy Summer Lifelong Learners. Our office is preparing for an amazing lineup of Fall classes, beginning mid-August. I ...
06/11/2026

Happy Summer Lifelong Learners. Our office is preparing for an amazing lineup of Fall classes, beginning mid-August.
I want to start sharing some upcoming classes with you. Be on the lookout for more highlights in the next few weeks. Registration will open early/mid July! An exact date will be announced in a few weeks.

Class Highlight - The History of American Serial Killers
Class Dates: Wednesdays- Aug 19, 26, Sept 2, 9, 2026
Instructor: Tim Relph
Class time: 1-3pm
Class Location: In person Hughes Metroplex 5015 E 29th St N, Wichita or Online

Course Description:
This course explores the history, psychology, and investigation of serial crimes, with a special focus on serial homicide cases that have shaped modern criminal investigations. Designed for adult learners and lifelong learning students, the class examines how investigators, psychologists, and forensic scientists work together to understand patterns of violent crime and identify offenders.

Students will learn about the evolution of serial killer investigations, including the development of criminal profiling, behavioral analysis, and advances in forensic science and technology. Through engaging case studies, documentaries, readings, and class discussion, participants will examine how multiple-murder cases are classified and how investigative methods have changed over time.

No prior background in criminal justice is required. The course is intended for curious learners interested in true crime, psychology, history, and forensic investigation in an informative and respectful academic setting.

What is Lifelong Learning at WSU: Lifelong Learning courses cater specifically to individuals aged 60 and above, offering both in-person and online options. The courses, taught by qualified university faculty, consist of four classes held once a week for four weeks, with each class lasting approximately two hours. These courses operate on an audit basis, allowing students to participate without paying tuition fees, and scholarships are available to cover application and course fees for those who enroll before a specified deadline. There are no textbooks to purchase as all required materials are provided by WSU, and there are no tests or grades. The coursework encourages cohort-based learning, offering seniors the opportunity to engage in genuine college-level learning experiences.

All course work will be offered in-person and online.
In person classes will be held from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. at the Wichita State University Metropolitan Complex located at 5015 E. 29th St. North.

Online classes will be available. Students who select this option will receive a link via email each week to view the class on their own device.

Happy Summer Lifelong Learners. Our office is preparing for an amazing lineup of Fall classes, beginning mid-August. I ...
06/09/2026

Happy Summer Lifelong Learners. Our office is preparing for an amazing lineup of Fall classes, beginning mid-August.

I want to start sharing some upcoming classes with you. Be on the lookout for more highlights in the next few weeks. Registration will open early/mid July! An exact date will be announced in a few weeks.

Class Highlight - The 1970s and 1980s: Precursors of the Present
Class Dates: Tuesdays - September 1, 8, 15, 22, 2026
Instructor: Gretchen Eick
Class time: 1-3pm
Class Location: In person Hughes Metroplex 5015 E 29th St N, Wichita or Online

Course Description: The 1970s and 1980s are a time few adults have studied. They just lived through them. But they were the decades of older Americans’ child-raising, when life was happening and allowing little time for reflection.

This course will examine these important decades in the U.S. past, looking at the political and social/cultural developments they saw and the changes they made in Americans’ ways of seeing issues, political parties, and politics. In both decades international events profoundly shaped the U.S. political response and the message politicians put out re: how to regard protesters, wars of liberation, the U.S.S.R (Soviet Union), environmental change, and popular culture.

What is Lifelong Learning at WSU: Lifelong Learning courses cater specifically to individuals aged 60 and above, offering both in-person and online options. The courses, taught by qualified university faculty, consist of four classes held once a week for four weeks, with each class lasting approximately two hours. These courses operate on an audit basis, allowing students to participate without paying tuition fees, and scholarships are available to cover application and course fees for those who enroll before a specified deadline. There are no textbooks to purchase as all required materials are provided by WSU, and there are no tests or grades. The coursework encourages cohort-based learning, offering seniors the opportunity to engage in genuine college-level learning experiences.
All course work will be offered in-person and online.

In person classes will be held from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. at the Wichita State University Metropolitan Complex located at 5015 E. 29th St. North.

Online classes will be available. Students who select this option will receive a link via email each week to view the class on their own device.

04/29/2026

Thank you for a great semester. Today was our last Lifelong Learning class. Watch for the fall catalog in late July early August.

04/12/2026

Reminder: there will be no LL Cleopatra class on Monday 4/13. Next class is 4/20.

Leslie is in Manhattan today at the Manhattan Convention Center Leading Age conference sharing information about the WSU...
04/08/2026

Leslie is in Manhattan today at the Manhattan Convention Center Leading Age conference sharing information about the WSU Lifelong Learning program. If you are a Kansas Resident and over the age of 60 you qualify to take our designated classes for FREE! Learn more. Www.wichita.edu/lifelonglearning

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1845 Fairmount Street, Box 136
Wichita, KS
67260

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