The mission of Carolina Meadows University is to provide life-long learning short courses for residents of Carolina Meadows.

These in-house educational programs offer opportunities for residents to explore diverse areas of interest. The curriculum is selected by a volunteer committee and the courses are offered by Carolina Meadows residents and outside instructors. Instructors are experts in a given discipline and capable of exhibiting their passion for the subject to the participants. Program formats vary from lectures to discussion and all programs facilitate participation.

Courses are from three to four weekly one-hour presentations with 30 minutes of questions and discussion. Participation by residents has been excellent with 75 to 200 people attending each session.

Guest speakers during this spring’s curriculum have included Joe and Terry Graedon, Fred Mueller, Kevin Guskiewicz, Anson Dorrance, Jan Boxill and Raymond Pulley. While the spring 2014 session is coming to a close, there’s still time to enjoy two really engaging lecturers.

Kathryn Moss, whose first two sessions have received high praise, will wrap up her mini-course about “Dance in Broadway Musical Theater” on Monday, May 12, 1-2:30 p.m. in the Lecture Hall. Many of you have heard and seen Kathryn at the piano accompanying the MeadowSingers or in one of her own concerts in the Auditorium, so you know she can put on a great show. Join us on May 12 for more of her musical insights, specifically related to dance in the Broadway musicals of recent years.

John Shelton Reed, resident and retired Kenan Professor of sociology and director of the Odom Institute for Research in Social Science at UNC, will close out our spring semester with a session called “Picturing the French Quarter.” Gather with us in the Lecture Hall on Monday, June 2, 1-2:30 p.m., as John discusses his recent book, Dixie Bohemia, and how he assembled more than 170 illustrations – 70 of them period photographs – from 1920s New Orleans.

All interested residents are invited to join the curriculum committee. We welcome everyone’s help as we develop the fall 2014 lineup and look to bring amazing speakers and topics to our fellow residents.