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Partnership Provides Intellectual Engagement
First semester for Westminster/Wesleyan Lifelong Learning Institute is a big hit
Featured News | February 20, 2018
By Laynee H. Timlin
Fall 2017 was the first semester for the Westminster/Wesleyan Lifelong Learning Institute, an initiative that offers courses, taught by Virginia Wesleyan faculty, to members of the Westminster-Canterbury community through a unique partnership between Virginia Wesleyan University and Westminster-Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay.
"Live lectures on our own campus by seasoned professors are a big hit,” noted Ben Unkle, president and CEO of Westminster-Canterbury. “Our members are raving about the quality and they’re excited to have access to the VWU campus with its full course catalog and cultural/sporting events.”
Westminster-Canterbury on the Chesapeake Bay is a non-profit life care community for active retirees age 62 and over with a mission to provide members with a stress-free, financially secure, dynamic lifestyle.
“The Lifelong Learning Institute was a major upgrade to the intellectual dimension of our Wellness of Life programs,” continued Unkle. “Now, we are the only independent senior living resort style campus with both a beachfront location and a university affiliation. Our residents love it. Attendance keeps growing."
Though Virginia Wesleyan has had a longtime connection with Westminster-Canterbury, a formal partnership agreement was not signed until last year when VWU President Scott D. Miller and Unkle officially formalized the relationship between the two organizations on September 26, 2017 with a signing ceremony.
Previously, the University has engaged with Westminster-Canterbury on projects such as The Birdsong Initiative, which was funded by Westminster-Canterbury Foundation Board Member Sue Birdsong and her husband, VWU Trustee Emeritus George Birdsong, both longtime friends of Virginia Wesleyan. This 24-week study examined whether the use of computer technology could increase socialization and improve mental health among residents of nursing homes and memory support programs. The project also involved researchers at Eastern Virginia Medical School, who led the study with support from students in Virginia Wesleyan's Recreational Therapy program. VWU students played a critical role in assessing residents, providing treatment intervention and collecting data. Participation in the study was part of VWU Professor of Recreation and Leisure Studies Wayne Pollock's course, "Recreational Therapy Analysis and Assessment."
This new aspect of the relationship, the Westminster/Wesleyan Lifelong Learning Institute, brought eight courses, half of them on faith-related topics, to the members of Westminster-Canterbury at no cost to the members. The non-credit courses ranged from art, history, and political science, to psychology, religion, popular culture, and other subjects. As part of the partnership, those living at Westminster-Canterbury also receive complimentary admission to the University’s facilities, plays, concerts, lectures, and regular athletic events. The Institute is funded through Westminster-Canterbury and administered and supported through the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom at Virginia Wesleyan University.
Virginia Wesleyan adjunct professor Benson Fraser, the newly appointed Westminster-Canterbury Fellow for Religious Studies and Lifelong Learning, coordinates the program and also teaches two courses.
“Our goal is to provide the best educational experience possible for the Westminster Canterbury community on a variety of educational subjects,” noted Fraser. “Critical thinking and intellectual growth is important to mental well-being and physical health at any age.”
Fraser also noted that opportunities for Virginia Wesleyan students and residents from the Westminster-Canterbury community to interact in a classroom setting offers benefits for both populations and that integrating the two communities brings a unique perspective and knowledge to the learning experience.
The first courses for the Wesleyan/Westminster Lifelong Learning Institute offered in fall 2017 included:
Unique Scripture: The Quran, The Book of Mormon, and the Lost Gospels, Dr. Craig Wansink, Professor of Religious Studies and Joan P. and Macon F. Brock, Jr. Director of the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom
Living Virginia: A Natural History of the Flora and Fauna, Dr. Victor Townsend, Professor of Biology
Saints and Sinners: 500 Years of the Reformation, Dr. Ben Fraser, Westminster-Canterbury Fellow for Religious Studies and Lifelong Learning
From Walter Cronkite to Sean Hannity: Media Change and Its Effects on American Democracy, Dr. Leslie Caughell, Assistant Professor of Political Science
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in the U.S. Supreme Court’s Recent Term, Dr. Tim O’Rourke, Provost and Vice President and Professor of Political Science
Your Grandchildren’s World: Eating Disorders, Dr. Taryn Myers, Associate Professor of Psychology
Faith and Film: Images of Prayer in Film, Dr. Terry Lindvall, C.S. Lewis Endowed Chair in Communication and Christian Thought and Professor of Communication and Dr. Benson Fraser, Westminster-Canterbury Fellow for Religious Studies and Lifelong Learning
Apparel in American History, Dr. Kathleen Casey, Assistant Professor of History
Spring 2018 promises to be equally exciting. The Wesleyan/Westminster Spring 2018 Schedule includes another intellectually stimulating lineup of course offerings, speakers and events.
“We are extremely grateful for our ongoing relationship with Westminster-Canterbury, as it is a natural fit and truly a win-win,” said President Miller. “It allows Westminster-Canterbury members to stay challenged and energized as they continue their path of education and growth, and it gives Virginia Wesleyan opportunities to share the talents and leadership of our faculty, students, and community.”