Classes
Welcome to the spring 2012 Commonwealth Society course opportunities. Below you will find the classes for our first Session beginning in March and Session II courses, which begin in April. Also please note our extended list of brown bag lunch opportunities, the choices for our ongoing book group and travel opportunities.
Please join us for the spring semester of Commonwealth Society. We promise an exciting and enriching learning opportunity.
A base membership of $25 per person is required to join The Commonwealth Society each semester and entitles members access to the Book Group and Brown-bag Lunch Series, a lower fee on certain special programs and parking passes for each class. Memberships and enrollments in classes are nontransferable. Unless otherwise noted, classes are $45 each and are offered in convenient locations on VCU’s Monroe Park Campus. Please remember that class sizes are limited and registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. We reserve the right to cancel a class if there is not sufficient enrollment. There will be no refunds once a class begins.
For more information, explore this website, call (804) 828-3635 or e-mail psworley@vcu.edu.
Download the registration form [PDF] to sign up for our classes.
Session I
Mondays, March 19 – April 16
Spring Bird Migrations, Part I
9-11 a.m.
Late winter and early spring are wonderful times for observing the seasonal migration of birds. Participants will meet at various locations throughout the area to view and identify birds. A schedule of meeting sites will be sent to registrants. Nominal fees may be required for entrance into some venues.
Instructor: Paul Bedell, principal double bass with the Richmond Symphony, is a lifelong naturalist and birder. He formerly served as councilor for the Virginia Natural History Society.
Tuesdays, March 20 - April 17
The Road to the Civil War
10 a.m.–noon
The course will trace the key events that led to the U.S. Civil War, from the Missouri Compromise of 1820 to the firing on Fort Sumter in 1861, culminating in a discussion of the main episodes of the Civil War, 1861-1865.
Instructor: Harold Greer, Ph.D., professor emeritus, is retired from VCU’s Department of History.
Wednesdays, March 21 - April 18
Modernism in Richmond
9–11 a.m.
Nationally known for its wealth of colonial and 19th century architecture, Richmond also embraced the winds of modernism in the mid-20th century. This course will explore the buildings, spaces of this international design movement through classroom and field studies.
Instructor: Edwin Slipek, Jr, an architectural historian and architecture critic for Style Weekly, teaches at VCU and Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies.
The Mediterranean Odyssey: Cities on the Edge, Part I
2–4 p.m.
Around the Mediterranean coastline lays different countries and their cities with many similarities. In this course we will look at the culture of cities of Greece, France, Spain, Turkey and Italy as part of a unit and will discuss their similarities as well as their differences.
Instructor: Cinzia Corubolo is on the faculty of VCU’s School of World Studies and an enthusiastic native of Italy.
Session II
Mondays, April 23 – May 21
Spring Bird Migrations, Part II
9-11 a.m.
This course may be taken independently from Part I, or as a continuation.
Instructor: Paul Bedell, principal double bass with the Richmond Symphony, is a lifelong naturalist and birder. He formerly served as councilor for the Virginia Natural History Society.
Tuesdays, April 24 - May 22
Van Gogh: The Man, the Mind, and the Medium
10 a.m.–noon
This course will provide an in-depth look at the personal history of Vincent Van Gogh, and how the artist’s internal struggle affected his art. Our instructor Dr. Cliff Edwards brings a wealth of knowledge and recent research on Van Gogh, which will serve as a basis for the course.
Instructor: Dr. Clifford Edwards is on the faculty of VCU’s School of World Studies and is a resident Van Gogh scholar.
Wednesdays, April 25 - May 23
Post-Modernism in the 21st Century
9–11 a.m.
In a combination of classroom and field instruction, we will look at trends of post-modernism, neo-modernism, adaptive reuse and historic preservation in the Richmond area. Field trips will include a visit to a leading architectural firm.
Instructor: Edwin Slipek, Jr, an architectural historian and architecture critic for Style Weekly, teaches at VCU and Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies.
The Mediterranean Odyssey: Cities on the Edge, Part II
2–4 p.m.
A continuation of the Part I class (see description above). Part I is not a prerequisite.
Instructor: Cinzia Corubolo is on the faculty of VCU’s School of World Studies and an enthusiastic native of Italy.