The session will begin with Professor Nelson’s nonpartisan assessment of Trump’s first 100 days, including how they compare to those of other presidents and what they indicate about the next four years, to be followed by Q&A. We will be meeting over Zoom to allow Rhodes alumni, families, and community friends to join this conversation from wherever you might be. All are welcome.
Michael Nelson is the Fulmer Professor of Political Science at Rhodes College and a Senior Fellow at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center. He has published over thirty books and more than fifty articles on the presidency, elections, southern politics, and more. Among his many accomplishments, in 2015 Professor Nelson was awarded the Richard E. Neustadt Award (given for the best book on executive politics published the preceding year) by the American Political Science Association. In the aftermath of every presidential election since 1984, he has organized a group of political scientists around the country to write a book on the election. (UVA Press) is now available for . Professor Nelson teaches courses on the American presidency, southern politics, the Constitutional Convention, and presidential elections. We sincerely hope you will join us as he shares his ongoing work with lifelong learners.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions: meemancenter@rhodes.edu. You can also follow us on or for the most recent updates.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions: meemancenter@rhodes.edu. You can also follow us on or for the most recent updates. We hope to see you soon!
The Meeman Center for Lifelong Learning extends Rhodes College's vision of the liberal arts to anyone curious and excited to learn. For almost eighty years, the Center has supported personal and professional development for individuals and businesses through unique adult education opportunities in the Mid-South and beyond. All classes, programs, and trips offered through the Meeman Center share Rhodes College's aspiration to instill a lifelong passion for learning, a compassion for others, and the ability to translate academic study and personal concern into action in our communities and the world.
Our non-credit classes, which range from one to four weeks, are taught by Rhodes professors across a vast array of topics in the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and fine arts. All are welcome. We believe individuals with a range of professional, personal, and educational identities bring a valuable diversity of perspectives to our classes. Full course descriptions and further details are available below. If you are curious about the Meeman Center and would like to learn more, you can write to us at meemancenter@rhodes.edu or call 901-843-3965. You can also reach out anytime to the director, Lori Garner, at GarnerL@Rhodes.edu. We hope to see you soon!
FILM AND CINEMA
THE LORE OF LITERATURE
PROFESSIONAL SKILLS
CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES
POLITICAL SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY
LEARNING ACROSS GENERATIONS
Medieval at the Movies
Professor Sarah Ifft Decker (History)
Tuesdays, January 21, February 4, 18, March 4; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or virtual (Zoom)
$35 per session, $140 for full series
Medieval historical fiction and medieval-inspired fantasy media both reflect and shape how modern people view the medieval world. From Braveheart to A Knight’s Tale, from Lord of the Rings to Game of Thrones, movies and television shows portray a medieval world that is at times both alluring and repelling—but one that ultimately tells us more about modern concerns than medieval realities. This course will explore both, as we pair movies set in medieval and medieval-inspired worlds with readings about real medieval experiences sometimes illuminated, but more often misrepresented, in film. Participants may view films independently through streaming services or register to attend optional film screenings (details to be provided), as you prefer. Readings will be shared as PDFs.
January 21: (2022)
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
February 4: (1968)
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
February 18: (2001)
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
March 4: (2021)
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
Cinema and Wine: French Culture Through Film
Professor Laura Loth (Modern Languages and Literatures)
Mondays, April 14, April 21, 28; 5:30-7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall)
$50 per session, $150 for full series
This course delves into the relationship between wine, culture, and identity in France, exploring how these themes are portrayed in three vastly different films: Cedric Klapisch’s Back to Burgundy (2017), Gilles Legrand’s You Will Be My Son (2011) and Agnès Varda’s Vagabond (1985). Through the lens of cinema, we’ll study how French wine culture embodies national identity, tradition, and lifestyle, while examining how these films capture the artistry, challenges, and stakes of winemaking. Our selected films will take students to vineyards in iconic wine regions highlighting the craftsmanship and complex social customs surrounding wine. Through screenings, discussions, and critical readings, students will learn how each film’s narrative and cinematography convey the symbolic and literal roles of wine in French culture. We’ll explore themes like family legacy and regional pride, all while analyzing how French films interpret and celebrate wine as an art form. Each session will culminate in a wine tasting featuring selections from the regions portrayed in the films, allowing students to directly experience the flavors and nuances discussed in class. This course is ideal for students interested in cinema studies, French culture, and oenology, offering a blend of film analysis, cultural exploration, and sensory immersion. No prior knowledge of film theory or wine studies is required. Participants may view films independently through streaming services or register to attend optional film screenings (details to be provided), as you prefer.
April 14: Cedric Klapisch, (2017)
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
April 21: Gilles Legrand, (2011)
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
April 28: Agnès Varda, (1985)
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
Meeman Matinees: Lifelong Learning Through Film
Barret Library Theatre, Room 34
Sundays, January 19, February 2, 16, March 2, April 13, 27; 2:00 – 4:30 p.m.
$15 for each screening, $90 for full series
This film series will be held in the intimate viewing theater classroom in Rhodes College’s Barret Library. “Meeman Matinees” has been created especially to complement our Film and Cinema course offerings but is open to all lifelong learners who share a love of cinema. Rhodes Lifelong Learning fellows will introduce films with background contexts, and a brief discussion will follow each screening. Popcorn and soda included! Register here.
*Please note that there will not be a screening of (2011); this film, however, can be viewed independently through several streaming services.
James Joyce’s Dubliners: An Introduction
Professor Brian Shaffer (English)
Wednesdays, January 22, 29, February 5, 12; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or virtual (Zoom)
$35 per session, $140 for full series
James Joyce's Dubliners (1914) is among the most esteemed and influential short story collections in English. The volume's wry and subtle yet penetrating tales, which are set in the Irish capital at the turn of the last century, anatomize and probe the social and cultural dynamics, and the struggles and aspirations, of ordinary Dubliners. Written when Joyce was in his early twenties, these stories represent an astonishing achievement given their maturity and sophistication. Although the later Ulysses (1922) is famous for its "high modernist" literary experimentation, these early realist fictions are remarkably accessible and engaging. Rather than attempting to discuss the entire collection in the limited class time available, we will burrow into, close read, or "slow read" a handful of the stories (along with selected contextual materials, popular songs included), the better to comprehend and savor the intricacies and richness of Joyce's singular artistic vision. Readings will be provided as PDFs.
January 22: “Eveline”
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
January 29: “The Boarding House”
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
February 5: “Araby”
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
February 12: “The Dead”
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
łŐľ±°ů˛µľ±±ô’s Aeneid
Professor Patrick Harris (Search)
Tuesdays, January 28, February 11; 5:30-7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) and virtual (Zoom)
$70 for full series
What does it mean to be a hero? How and why do stories about our origins matter to us? How do humans respond to the horrors of war, and can any good come from it? What is the relationship between art and political power? These are just some of the questions that Virgil's Aeneid still demands of us, even as it enthralls its readers with a tale of desperate exiles, doomed lovers, and imperial destinies written in blood. This course draws on SEARCH, Rhodes' signature interdisciplinary humanities program, for which the Aeneid has been a key text for over seven decades. Over the course of two sessions, we will explore one of the world's great works of literature, its historical and mythic context, its powers of poetic expression, and its values—both stranger and more familiar to us than we might think. Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .3 CEU, .3 PDP
What is a Shakespearean Text?
(Higher Education Faculty, Shakespeare Globe Theatre, LAMDA, and RADA)
Tuesday, February 25; 5:30-7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall)
$35
Have you ever wondered how directors figure out how to stage a speech or a scene from Shakespeare? What role does close attention to Shakespeare’s complex language play in their theatrical choices about character, emotion, and status? How does the specific textual form affect all these? In this session, British Director Nick Hutchison will explain and use the technique of “close reading” to offer insight into his approach to these questions. Hutchison will focus especially on Hamlet and Ophelia’s famous “nunnery scene,” alongside a scene from his lesser-known courtly love comedy Love’s Labour’s Lost in which a group of ladies discuss and plot against their “lovers." Readings will be provided in advance. Nick Hutchison’s visit to Rhodes College is made possible thanks to the Pearce Shakespeare Endowment. Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP.
Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales: An Introduction
Professor Lori Garner (English)
Tuesdays, April 1, 8, 15, 22; 5:30-7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or virtual (Zoom)
$35 per session, $140 for full series
Through a series of stories told by pilgrims on the road to Canterbury, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales offer readers memorable performances across a vast spectrum of medieval genres—chivalric romances, beast fables, moral allegories, and more. Across the month of April, we will read the General Prologue and six of the most widely-known tales. Readings will be provided in both the original 14th-century Middle English and in modern English translation.
April 1: General Prologue
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
April 8: Knight’s Tale and Reeve’s Tale
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
April 15: Wife of Bath’s Tale and Pardoner’s Tale
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
April 22: Nun’s Priest’s Tale and Franklin’s Tale
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
LinkedIn for Lifelong Learners (CANCELLED)
(Career Services)
Thursdays, January 23, 30; 5:30-7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or virtual (Zoom)
$70 for full series
LinkedIn is the world's largest professional social networking platform on the internet. It is designed to connect users with employers, colleagues, and fellow professionals. LinkedIn provides tools for learning new skills, joining groups to discuss relevant topics, and sharing content to enhance professional engagement and networking. Come learn how to build an effective professional profile, navigate industries, learn about professional development opportunities and networking strategies through its powerful information platform.
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .3 CEU, 3 PDP
Design Fundamentals
Professor Karl Erickson (Art and Art History)
Wednesday, February 26; 5:30-7:00 p.m.
In-person (Clough 302)
$35
Graphic Design is creative problem solving, with the goal of effectively and memorably communicating one’s message. From resumes to business cards, and from posters to social media posts, all design makes use of the elements and principles of art and design. In this class, which will meet in the Art and Art History Department’s newly designed computer classroom, participants will learn how to put these into action using commonly available software. Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 16 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
20-Hour Teaching English as a Foreign Language Certification
Dr. Erin Hillis (Buckman Center for Global Engagement)
Thursdays, March 20, 27, April 3, 10; 5:30-7:30 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or virtual (Zoom)
$300 for full series
This is the course for you if you’d like to gain a basic understanding of teaching ESL/EFL and learn beginning-level competencies in core ESL/EFL skills. This brief, 20-Hour TEFL Certificate offered by the Meeman Center will prepare you with the essentials to get started teaching English as a second or foreign language. You will learn basic TEFL elements, such as student-centered teaching and language teaching methodologies. Additional components will provide entry-level knowledge on how to teach vocabulary, reading, listening, writing, and speaking. This course meets for 2 hours/week for 4 weeks. To earn the 20-hour TEFL Certificate, you will attend each lesson and complete assigned readings and written homework. Students will be expected to read 3-4 chapters/week (approx. 2 hours of weekly reading) and complete written assignments for a grade (approx.. 1 hour/week). Successful completion in all elements of the course results in the 20-hour TEFL Certificate. Prior to the class, students will need to obtain the textbook, . Class size: minimum of 4 students and maximum of 20 students.
Humans and Nature
Professor Hadi Khoshneviss (Anthropology and Sociology)
Mondays, January 27, February 3, 10, 17; 5:30-7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall)
$35 per session, $140 for full series
European Enlightenment emerged as a response to Europe’s so-called “Dark Ages,” a long era in which human reasoning and scientific explanations were allegedly condemned. The reality, however, is far more complex. An unfortunate outcome of this shift to “enlightenment” was the separation of humans from nature. Due to this separation, humans were elevated above nature, and nature was regarded solely as a passive resource to be controlled and exploited. In this three-session class we will briefly explore this history and its consequences in the past, present, and future. The course will be very interactive with many opportunities for participation and involvement. Readings will be provided in advance as PDFs.
January 27: Human reasoning, instincts, and emotions
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
February 3: Settler colonialism and the buffalo genocide
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
February 10: Activism and the savior
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
February 17: Capitalism and patenting life
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
Disability Studies
Professor Charles Hughes (History and Urban Studies)
Thursdays, February 6, 13, 20, 27; 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Virtual (Zoom)
$35 per session, $140 for full series
This course will explore the experiences of disabled people in the United States in past and present, as well as different ways that disability has shaped our society, culture, and identities. From medicine to music, from colonial America to the 21st century, Disability Studies not only helps us understand what it’s meant to be disabled, but why disability-centered thinking holds transformative potential in a variety of topics. Register for individual sessions or the full series as your schedule allows. Readings will be provided as PDFs.
February 6: A Disabled History of the United States
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
February 13: Disability in Popular Culture
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
February 20: Sex and Sexualities
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
February 27: Disability Justice and Disability Futures
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
The Gift of Gender: Living, Theorizing, and Being Trans
Coordinated by Professor Judith Haas (English), Gender and Sexuality Studies Chair
Classes taught by Professor Beck Henriksen (Religious Studies) and Professor Laura Leisinger (Anthropology and Sociology)
Mondays, February 24, March 3, March 17, March 24; 5:30-7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or virtual (Zoom)
$35 per session, or $140 for full series
This course introduces students to the field of trans studies through readings that blend queer and trans theory with elements of lived experience. Beginning with a focus on disrupting normative connections between sex and gender, readings will attend to embodied differences, social implications, political discrimination, and economic justice. We will ask what gender is and what it means to “do gender.” The course will explore trans relationships to the medical system and how people navigate it and care for each other. Students will then have the opportunity to ask questions of and directly engage with renowned trans studies scholar, Dr. Hil Malatino, author of Queer Embodiment: Monstrosity, Medical Violence, and Intersex Experience (2019), Trans Care (2020), and Side Affects: On Being Trans and Feeling Bad (2022). The Question and Answer session will precede a public lecture by Malatino titled “Long Tensions: Trans Advocacy, Homonormativity, and the Reed Erickson Archives.” The course will conclude with reflections on the joys, difficulties, and potential sacredness of bodily “misfits” through “wasted” time within a capitalist framework. Readings will be provided as PDFs.
February 24: Introduction to Trans Studies: Categories and Identity, led by Professor Beck Henriksen
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
March 3: Trans Care and the Gift of Gender: Trans Experience, Mutual Aid, and the Medical Industrial Complex, led by Professors Beck Henriksen and Laura Leisinger
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
March 17: Question and Answer Session with (Penn State), facilitated by Professors Beck Henriksen and Laura Leisinger
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
March 24: Trans/Criptions: Gender, Disability, and Liturgical Disruption of Capitalist Efficiency, led by Beck Henriksen
Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .15 CEU, 1.5 PDP
Angelina Grimké on Equality, Abolition, and Female Prophets
Professor Erin Dolgoy (Political Science and Philosophy)
Wednesdays, March 19, 26; 5:30-7:00 p.m.
$70 for full series
In 1835, Angelina Grimké, born in Charleston to a prominent slave-owning family, gained notoriety when William Lloyd Garrison published a private letter she had sent him in The Liberator. Three years later Grimké would be the first woman to speak in front of a legislative body in the United States. In these sessions, we will read and discuss Grimké's "Letter to Garrison" (1835), An Appeal to the Christian Women of the South (1836), and the "Address to the Massachusetts Legislature" (1838). Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 20 students. | .3 CEU, 3 PDP
Philosophical Perspectives in Parenting
Professor Connor Kianpour (Philosophy)
Wednesdays, April 9, 16; 5:30-7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or virtual (Zoom)
$70 for full series
In this series, we will read and discuss contemporary works of philosophy that address questions about what children are owed, and what obligations parents have to children. Some think that people, in general, have a right to raise children and that children are owed the makings of good enough lives. Others think that only those who are best able to raise children have a right to raise them. We will discuss the merits and drawbacks of both of these perspectives. Doing so is important because we were all once children, and on that basis have an interest in understanding what we owe them. And some of us are parents, and on that basis have an interest in understanding what our role is in giving our children what they are owed. Class size: minimum of 6 students and maximum of 30 students. | .3 CEU, 3 PDP
Videogames For Parents 101
Professor Ricardo Martins (Modern Languages and Literatures)
Mondays, March 31, April 7; 5:30-7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or virtual (Zoom)
$70 for full series
Today’s kids are growing up immersed in technology, with video games playing a central role in their lives. But how can families navigate this digital world and ensure a healthy balance between screen time and other activities? This workshop, led by Professor Martins, will address the following topics:
Where are in-person classes held? Unless otherwise noted, in-person Meeman classes will be held in which is located along University Street on the West Campus of Rhodes College. Simply buzz the doorbell when you arrive, and you will soon be greeted at the door. Light snacks, water, and coffee will be available.
How do I join classes that are offered remotely? Zoom links will be sent to all registrants for remote classes and to those registering for the remote option in hybrid classes. Please note that if you are sharing a screen with other members of your household, only one registration is necessary. If you are new to Zoom, you can find a beginners’ guide .
How big are Meeman Center classes? In keeping with the liberal arts mission of Rhodes College, our lifelong learning courses are kept small enough to allow everyone to actively participate, including remote participants. The minimum class size is 6, and classes are normally capped between 15 and 25, depending on subject matter and class needs.
The class I want to take is offered both in-person and remotely. Which is better? The choice is completely up to you. The AV system in our classroom is excellent, and remote learners will be able to see, hear, and fully participate in all aspects of the course. Additionally, a Lifelong Learning fellow will typically be on Zoom calls to help ensure a seamless experience for remote learners.
Where should I park for my Meeman class? Meeman students are free to make use of any lots on the Rhodes campus at no charge. Parking is available in the lot directly behind King Hall and in the adjacent lot near McNeill Concert Hall. A campus parking map can be found here.
Does Dorothy C. King Hall have accessible facilities? Yes, the back of King Hall has an accessible entrance. Simply buzz the doorbell or knock when you arrive. King Hall also has a wheelchair accessible restroom. Please feel free to contact us with any additional needs you might have.
Do Meeman courses have textbooks? Some faculty select textbooks that students should purchase ahead of time, others share readings with students as PDFs, and many expect no advance reading at all. Participants will be sent an email well ahead of time with details for their course.
Do Meeman Center classes have exams or other requirements? Unless otherwise noted, our courses have no entrance requirements, no grades, and no tests. Meeman classes are non-credit bearing and offer opportunities for adult learners to explore new ideas in an informal and open environment.
An emergency came up, and I can no longer attend my Meeman class. Can I receive a refund? We understand that life is sometimes uncertain. Full refunds will be given for registrations cancelled at least two weeks before the first day of your class. Those needing to cancel less than two weeks before a course start date may choose to receive either a credit of the original amount toward future classes or a 50% refund.
What if a class is cancelled due to inclement weather? If any class must be cancelled due to inclement weather or for any other reason, students will be notified via email and plans will be made to reschedule. In the event that rescheduling is not possible, refunds will be issued for any cancelled classes.
I would like to earn Continuing Education Units or Professional Development Points through my Meeman course. How can I do this? All Meeman Center classes are eligible for CEU and PDP credits, normally .1 CEU and 1 PDP per hour of instruction. If you would like a certificate to verify your course completion, simply write to meemancenter@rhodes.edu or to the director, Lori Garner, at garnerl@rhodes.edu.
My Meeman class ends after dark. Is anyone available to escort me to my car? Yes, Rhodes Campus Safety is happy to escort Meeman students. Just call the Campus Safety non-emergency number: 901-843-3880.
What kind of discussion can I expect in my Meeman class? Meeman Center students can expect the same commitment to an open learning environment found across the Rhodes College campus. Freedom of thought, a respectful exchange of ideas, and an appreciation of diverse perspectives are fundamental characteristics of the Rhodes learning community.
How can I stay connected with the Meeman community on social media?
Follow us on facebook at facebook.com/meemancenter or Instagram at Instagram.com/meemancenter
I have a question not answered here or an idea I would like to share. Who should I contact? You can reach us by phone at 901-843-3965 and by email at meemancenter@rhodes.edu. Feel free also to email the director, Dr. Lori Garner, at GarnerL@Rhodes.edu. We would love to hear from you!