Welcome to SPACE, our adult continuing education program which offers interactive monthly courses for personal enrichment! Learn more here.
August 2025 Modules
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Advanced Old English Series:
Readings in Prose
Candidate
As soon as we obtain enough interest in this class we will be in touch to work out a meeting time that works for the group.
Thank you for keeping your Blackberry availability up to date!
Welcome to the Readings in Prose page for the Advanced Old English Series in which students explore, in alternating months, a work of prose and then a work of poetry to introduce students to the breadth and depth of Old English texts available for study. Each month Dr. Swain surveys the group to see what they want to tackle next from month to month.
Precepted by
Dr.
Larry Swain
A History of the Vikings:
The Scandinavian Homelands
Cluster
Candidate
Hybrid
As soon as we obtain enough interest in this class we will be in touch to work out a meeting time that works for the group.
Thank you for keeping your Blackberry availability up to date!
From TV shows to computer games, the Vikings still manage to capture our imagination and ensnare us in an odd mix of fact and fiction. But who were they really? This new series aims to take a deep dive and provide challenging perspectives about the real Norse characters that shaped medieval Europe.
The Vikings (ca. 800-1100) would be impossible to understand without the geography and society that produced them. In this module, we will explore the intricate social and political frameworks that shaped Viking Age Scandinavia and investigate the interplay between kinship, community hierarchies, and power dynamics that underpinned Norse society.
Topics include the general context of Scandinavian history, social order, the importance of thing assemblies, the influence of chieftains and kings in regional power struggles, but also lesser discussed aspects such as the roles of women. By integrating primary sources such as chronicles, law codes, sagas as well as the latest archaeological findings and research methods, we will develop a nuanced understanding of how the Norse functioned and what enabled them to exert far-reaching influence across Europe and beyond.
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
The Vikings (ca. 800-1100) would be impossible to understand without the geography and society that produced them. In this module, we will explore the intricate social and political frameworks that shaped Viking Age Scandinavia and investigate the interplay between kinship, community hierarchies, and power dynamics that underpinned Norse society.
Topics include the general context of Scandinavian history, social order, the importance of thing assemblies, the influence of chieftains and kings in regional power struggles, but also lesser discussed aspects such as the roles of women. By integrating primary sources such as chronicles, law codes, sagas as well as the latest archaeological findings and research methods, we will develop a nuanced understanding of how the Norse functioned and what enabled them to exert far-reaching influence across Europe and beyond.
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
| Outline | 8-Session Structure |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Lecture 1: Ancient Scandinavia and the Beginnings of the Viking age |
| Discussion 1: Discussion about Lecture 1 material | |
| Week 2 | Lecture 2: Social structures and daily life |
| Discussion 2: Discussion about Lecture 2 material | |
| Week 3 | Lecture 3: Chieftains, kings and warriors |
| Discussion 3: Discussion about Lecture 3 material | |
| Week 4 | Lecture 4: Women of the Viking age |
| Discussion 4: Discussion about Lecture 3 material |
Precepted by
Dr.
Irina Manea
Beginning Greek 1
First in the Series
Candidate
As soon as we obtain enough interest in this class we will be in touch to work out a meeting time that works for the group.
Thank you for keeping your Blackberry availability up to date!
Want to read the NT in the original Greek? The Greek translation of the Old Testament? This module’s for you! The first module seeks to introduce learners to the basics of ancient Greek: the alphabet, introduction to the verb system (tenses and moods) and the noun system (the very helpful article, first and second declension). Over several modules, the students will learn the foundations of the language and then students will be able to read texts.
Precepted by
Dr.
Larry Swain
Creative Writing: Setting & Worldbuilding
(Novel in a Year)
Cluster
Spotlight
Candidate
As soon as we obtain enough interest in this class we will be in touch to work out a meeting time that works for the group.
Thank you for keeping your Blackberry availability up to date!
In this module, you will discover how to make your story's setting a vivid and fully-realized character in its own right! Through fun and engaging writing exercises, you will learn techniques to create immersive environments that grow and change along with your characters. Find out how to use sensory details to create a feeling of place in your story. In workshops, you will have the opportunity to share your novel-in-progress and receive feedback in a kindness-first, supportive environment. In your journal, you will continue to document the process of writing your novel as your story unfolds.
Novel in a Year Note: Anyone is welcome to join our Novel in a Year modules at any time (the only exception is Tree Workshop (Novel in a Year 11) which, while open to all who have a mature writing project ready for close scrutiny, is designed specifically for students who have completed at least 4 previous modules in the Novel in a Year sequence). Each module is designed to stand alone without prerequisites. However, for the richest experience, the full twelve-month sequence of modules will carry you from blank page through to completing your novel. In a writing journal, you will track your progress and moments of unexpected, joyful discovery as you continue your novel. Whether you are looking to publish commercially or simply writing for yourself, our program is designed to nurture your individual writing journey. Our workshops place kindness first, lifting up excellence and encouraging you to tell your story in your own voice. For more information about our Collaborative Feedback model, check out our video here.
Novel in a Year Note: Anyone is welcome to join our Novel in a Year modules at any time (the only exception is Tree Workshop (Novel in a Year 11) which, while open to all who have a mature writing project ready for close scrutiny, is designed specifically for students who have completed at least 4 previous modules in the Novel in a Year sequence). Each module is designed to stand alone without prerequisites. However, for the richest experience, the full twelve-month sequence of modules will carry you from blank page through to completing your novel. In a writing journal, you will track your progress and moments of unexpected, joyful discovery as you continue your novel. Whether you are looking to publish commercially or simply writing for yourself, our program is designed to nurture your individual writing journey. Our workshops place kindness first, lifting up excellence and encouraging you to tell your story in your own voice. For more information about our Collaborative Feedback model, check out our video here.
Precepted by
Dr.
Julian Barr
Discovering the Discworld:
The Adventures of Rincewind
Candidate
As soon as we obtain enough interest in this class we will be in touch to work out a meeting time that works for the group.
Thank you for keeping your Blackberry availability up to date!
Let us continue our journey through the Discworld series!
Over the eight classes we will read the seven books, in publication order, with one book being discussed in each of seven classes. The final class will be built to allow for further discussion of the themes raised in this series.
Access to the texts listed below is desirable. Prior knowledge of at least the majority of the listed texts will be assumed.
Over the eight classes we will read the seven books, in publication order, with one book being discussed in each of seven classes. The final class will be built to allow for further discussion of the themes raised in this series.
Access to the texts listed below is desirable. Prior knowledge of at least the majority of the listed texts will be assumed.
Precepted by
Dr.
Sara Brown