Mini University to offer more than 100 classes

About 500 participants will descend upon Bloomington on Monday for IU’s Mini University.

The weeklong program will place adult learners from around the country in 112 different classes taught by more than 100 of IU’s top professors.

“It’s an adult learning week held on-campus annually that involves the opportunity for returning students to take advantage of some short courses,” said Jeanne Madison, co-chairwoman of Mini University. “You can actually do 15 classes – really extended lectures – during the week, in which the best IU teaching faculty will be presenting current topics.”

Madison said that like other years, there is a heavy emphasis on arts and music on IU’s campus. Some of the courses offered this year include “75 Years of Theater at IU” and “Jazz Greats of Indianapolis, Past and Present.”

“We have a strong emphasis this year on the arts and music on the campus because there are a lot of people that recognize IU as a leader in these fields,”
Madison said.

This year’s Mini University will be the most-attended ever.

Registration opened mid-February this year and was closed by mid-March because of the large enrollment. Last year, about 490 participants attended. Participants are not all IU alumni, although they make up about 50 percent of the students. But many come to IU without having been students previously.

The Mini University has no tests, papers or final exams, but is just about the “pleasure” of learning. The program is ranked as one of the top eight learning vacations in the country by Frommer’s Budget Travel, Madison said.

The professors teaching courses are all top teachers in their fields, Madison said, and the professors are donating their time for the lectures.

In addition to the lectures next week, Mini University is offering a series of podcasts recorded by IU professors from the 2006 program, featuring topics such as the U.S. Supreme Court and the theory of evolution.