Seniors College
17c起草红桃 is excited to announce a new round of Seniors College courses. Our diverse courses keep your mind sharp, spark new interests and offer a platform to share your expertise.
Beginning in 1998, the 17c起草红桃 Seniors College has offered educational opportunities to thousands of students. Special thanks to the sponsor, The Carol K. Hession Fund. For more information, email seniors.college@alvernia.edu or call 610-790-2958.
Take The Next Step
Fall 2026 Offerings
Classes are located at 17c起草红桃鈥檚 McGlinn Conference Center, 460 Saint Bernadine Street, Reading, PA 19607.
- Presenter: Eric Robuck, Professional Specialist 鈥 Computer Science (Cyber)
- Time: 10:30am - 12 p.m.
Designed specifically for adults age 60 and older, this practical, easy-to-understand course will address the potential risks encountered when using the internet. No technical background is required. Learn how to:
- Ensure the safety of your devices
- Recognize scams
- Avoid identity theft
- Safely use email and social media
- Confidently navigate online banking and shopping
- We will also explore the latest AI-powered scams, phishing attacks, and simple steps you can take to protect yourself and your family.
- Presenters: Laurel Radzieski, Director of Grants, 17c起草红桃, and Writer
- Time: 10:30am - 12 p.m.
17c起草红桃鈥檚 own award-winning poet, Laurel Radzieski, will share poetry from her new book, Leaf Manifesto, and offer a behind-the-scenes peek at her creative process, from idea to book. A guided creative writing exercise will encourage experimental approaches suitable for all genres and levels of writing experience.
- Moderator: Dr. Travis Berger, Applied Leadership Fellow
- Panel Members: Dr. Victoria Williams, Professor of Political Science, Dr. Kevin Donnelly, Professor of History, and Dr. Nicholas Nicoletti, Director, Ph.D. in Leadership
- Time: 10:30am - 1:30 p.m.
A panel of 17c起草红桃 faculty will examine the erosion of democratic institutions and the growing pressures on constitutional government, elections, public trust, and the rule of law. Their discussion will cover the ways American democracy has been reshaped in recent years and examine democratic backsliding worldwide. The event will conclude by considering how citizens can strengthen accountability, participation, and civic life to ensure the survival of democratic institutions.
*This session has an optional box lunch and further discussion with panelists.
- Presenter: Rabbi Brian I Michelson
- Time: 10:30am - 12 p.m.
We will do a close reading of some important documents from American history. Do we know these documents as well as we think we do? What surprises emerge when we delve into the texts and their historical context?
- Presenter: Rabbi Brian I Michelson
- Time: 10:30am - 12 p.m.
We know the first 10 amendments of our Constitution as the Bill of Rights. They were adopted in hopes of preventing abuse of Constitutional powers and insuring public confidence in the Government and 鈥渢he beneficent ends of its institution.鈥 More than 230 years after their adoption, these rights remain significant aspects of daily life.
What do we learn about our country and ourselves through a close reading of the Bill of Rights? Do our beliefs about these texts truly mirror these texts and history?
- Presenter: Ashley Mikulsky, Chief Executive Officer, Animal Rescue League
- Time: 10:30am - 12 p.m.
Animal shelters today do far more than provide temporary care for homeless pets! Join us for an inside look at the challenges facing animal welfare today, common misconceptions about no-kill shelters, and how organizations like our Animal Rescue League are adapting to meet the changing needs of the communities they serve.
- Presenter: Glynis Fitzgerald, Ph.D., President, 17c起草红桃
- Time: 10:30 a.m. -12 p.m.
Join President Dr. Glynis Fitzgerald for a conversation on preserving the promise of Catholic higher education through the lens of 17c起草红桃's Franciscan mission. Drawing on 17c起草红桃's commitment to educating students to lead with purpose, integrity, and compassion, she will explore the opportunities and challenges facing Catholic higher education today, as well as the vital role of philanthropy, partnership, and community engagement in ensuring its future.
*This session includes lunch.
- Presenter: Dr. Nicholas Nicoletti, Director, Ph.D. in Leadership
- Time: 1-3:30 p.m.
It鈥檚 no secret that productive dialogue is challenging in today鈥檚 world. This workshop will introduce evidence-based strategies for rebuilding productive dialogue, reducing defensiveness, and creating conditions for compromise. After a brief overview of what has brought us to this point, participants will consider how polarization, misinformation, moral conviction, and institutional distrust shape how people engage with opposing views. Join us as we apply these techniques in small-group exercises designed to practice listening, perspective-taking, disagreement, and democratic dialogue constructively.
- A.M. Presenter: Dr. Spencer S. Stober, Professor Emeritus
- Time: 10:30am - 1:30 p.m.
AI has the potential to become more than a tool; it may serve as a powerful extension of human cognition, bringing both benefits and risks. Professor Stober invites us to explore how artificial intelligence could reshape what it means to think, learn, create, and be human.
*This session has an optional box lunch and further discussion with the presenter.
- Presenter: Sister Dorothy Fabritze MSC, and Sister Bernard Overcamp MSC
- Time: 10:30am - 12 p.m.
Come one, come all! Learn about the many twists and turns between Papua New Guinea and Sarasota, Florida, as Sisters Dorothy Fabritze and Bernard Overkamp, Missionary Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, are led to the grace-filled experiences of a circus ministry.
Presenter: Dr. Debra Powell, MD, MS 鈥 Chair of Medicine, Tower Health Reading Hospital; Division Chief of Infectious Diseases
Time: 10:30 a.m. 鈥 12:00 p.m.
There are many ways our local community is affected by a wide range of infectious diseases. They range from everyday tick bites and infected food or water to diseases encountered in far-off lands, as well as those that can be prevented here at home through vaccination. Dr. Powell will discuss some of the current infections, assess how concerned we should be about them, and tell us what steps we can take to maintain our health.