Lifelong Learning for the fun of it.
No tests, no papers, and no grades.
Independence Day Is Coming!
On April 20, 2020, the Board of Directors of Coastal Senior College, one of 17 senior colleges in the Maine Senior College Network, voted unanimously to transition to independent status from the University of Maine System. With the full support and encouragement of our UMA Rockland Center affiliate, Coastal Senior College will become the 6th independent senior college in the Maine Senior College Network by July 1, 2021. Independent not-for-profit status will give CSC the increased flexibility and benefits that come with full autonomy.
“For example, in addition to our excellent classes, more opportunities to participate in a variety of activities, groups and programs will be available for our members. Also, once this transition is complete, students will be able to register and pay for for CSC courses online,” said Shelly Swazey, former President of Coastal Senior College.
The decision to transition coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic, which caused the cancellation of the entire Spring 2020 trimester of CSC courses. “We plan to resume in-person classes and programs once it is safe again to gather in groups. However, if this remains untenable, then we will be ready to use technology like Zoom to keep our CSC learning community connected,” Swazey continued, “Zoom technology is easy to learn to use, and can offer the community the opportunity to get to know the many benefits of becoming a member of Coastal Senior College.”
We invite you to also visit the Coastal Senior College Facebook page to stay informed as our transition and planning continue.
Do you enjoy teaching adults who love to learn?
Do you have an interest in topics that you’d like to share with your friends and neighbors? If so, we invite you to become a member of the Coastal Senior College faculty and our learning community of over 400 members. Our mission is to enrich the lives of seniors through the joy of lifelong learning. CSC is one of 17 members in the Maine Senior College Network (maineseniorcollege.org).
Our 30 plus volunteer faculty include academics, professionals and knowledgeable instructors who graciously teach classes in the liberal arts and sciences, healthy living and outdoor and hands-on learning to those 50 and older in Lincoln and Knox counties. We invite you to discuss teaching opportunities by contacting the curriculum committee co-chair, Byron Stuhlman, bstuhl@tidewater.net.
Meet the New CSC President
My name is Maryanne Ward and I am the new President of Coastal Senior College. Many CSC members know me as a faculty member teaching courses on 19th century British literature and as an occasional voyager to ancient Greece with Homer’s Odyssey. I am also the self-styled Chief Detective on Mystery Mondays. When I left my position as Academic Dean at Kenyon College I swore I would never leave the classroom again, but when the board asked me to accept the nomination to be president I could not say “no.”
I want you to know that this organization is staffed entirely by dedicated and talented volunteers. They always say “yes” to requests for more work and do it with good will and extraordinary care. From the moment that a new faculty member is recruited to the time when you receive your catalogue with a new course in it, your friends and neighbors have put their expertise to work in order to present another term of challenging offerings. I emphasize these traits because they are crucial to CSC as we embark on this next phase of our voyage together. In the future, please watch for opportunities to volunteer to help us be better than ever.
Click here to read the rest of Maryanne’s letter.
Coastal Senior College Officers 2020 – 2021
President – Maryanne Ward
Vice President – Jayne Gordon
Secretary – Winslow Myers
Treasurer – Robert Stephen
