Current Courses
Our goal is to enhance the intellectual, social, and cultural life of adults by providing challenging, diverse, and relevant courses on academic topics. Most of our classes are four to six weeks long and meet once a week for 1-1/2 or 2 hours. Our volunteer instructors are motivated by their desire to share their knowledge and facilitate thoughtful discussions on academic topics.
We have two semesters: Fall and Winter/Spring.
Check out the great courses below and click here for instructions on creating a DavidsonLearns account, joining DavidsonLearns, and registering for Winter/Spring courses.
Winter/Spring 2022 Courses
This winter/spring, DavidsonLearns is excited to offer a fascinating selection of in-person and online courses. Before registering for any of these courses you first must have a DavidsonLearns account and be a current DavidsonLearns member. We encourage you to take care of both of these requirements now in order to avoid a delay when you register. If you need to create an account or become a DavidsonLearns member (or renew your membership), click here.
When registering for an in-person course, you must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. During registration for these courses, you will be asked to affirm that you are fully vaccinated. We rely on participants to report their vaccination status accurately. You do not need to be vaccinated in order to register for an online course.
In addition to the vaccination requirement, if you are taking an in-person course, we require that you wear a mask.
Online courses meet as a video conference on a Zoom platform. We encourage you to download and install the free Zoom application now. Click here for instructions.
If you would like to take a course that is full, please add your name to the waitlist, and we will contact you if a seat becomes available. Please do not contact the instructor directly.
In-Person Courses
Basic Economic Thinking: How Freakonomics Will Change the Way You View the World
Status: Closed
Every day we face important social, economic, and personal issues. Yet it’s impossible to make good decisions about these issues if we cannot identify clearly the key questions that lie at their core and cannot evaluate correctly the facts that are available to inform our decisions. With an economics professor serving as facilitator, discover how economic reasoning – how economists examine and analyze issues and draw conclusions – can clarify your thinking. This course may help redefine the way that you view the modern world. No background in economics required.
A sampling of the issues covered: why experts of every kind are positioned to exploit you; why a new car is suddenly worth so much less the moment it leaves the new car lot; whether police actually lower crime rates; and why conventional wisdom is often wrong.
Required Readings
Levitt, Steven D., and Stephen J. Dauber. Think Like a Freak: The Authors of Freakonomics Offer to Retrain Your Brain. HarperCollins, 2015.
This book may also be available from other sources.
Instructor: Ted Amato, PhD
Cost
$66
Location
Enrollment
Min 5, Max 25 students
Day
Monday
Time
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates
Mar. 14, 21, 28; Apr. 4, 11, 18
Status: Closed
Born in the USA: American Popular Music in the 20th Century
Cost
$66
Location
Enrollment
Min 5, Max 15 students
Day
Tuesday
Time
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Dates
Jan. 18, 25: Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22
America's music in the 20th century tells the singular story of how people from different backgrounds and experiences have come together to create a uniquely American art form. In this course, we’ll explore the ways popular music influenced and was influenced by the remarkable events of “The American Century,” a time when the United States was the dominant nation in the world in terms of politics, economics, science, and popular culture. We’ll consider the American musical scene through the lenses of civil rights and racism, feminism, technological change, and national politics.
(This course is primarily lecture but includes some group participation.)
Required Readings
Students will need to create a Spotify account to listen to playlists of music relevant to each lesson (available for free with ads and other limitations or by subscription with no ads and more features). Instruction for using Spotify will be provided. Assigned readings will come largely from articles that can be accessed on the internet, for example, "Who's Country," conversations with Ken Burns and Rhiannon Giddens at The Bitter Southerner.
Suggested Readings
The instructor will provide a list of other readings, films, videos, podcasts, and music.
Instructor: Rachel Stewart
Status: See Online
Contemporary French Cinema
Cost
$66
Location
Enrollment
Min 10, Max 25 students
Day
Tuesday
Time
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Dates
Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22; Mar. 1, 8
At Alan Singerman’s request, we are switching the Contemporary French Cinema course for winter/spring to an online format. Classes will meet virtually through Zoom, with the Zoom link being sent to registrants the day before each class. See the new course description below under the Online Courses heading.
If you were familiar with the previous description, you will note that we no longer have the in-person screenings at the Armour Street Theatre. Those screenings had been necessary because three of the course films were not available online. Now two of those films are available through Vudu or Prime Video; and Alan has replaced the third film, The Dreamlife of Angels, with A Prophet, which is available online. Also note that the class dates remain as before, but some of the films on those dates have shifted.
Instructor: Alan Singerman, PhD
Status: Closed
Creating Musicals: “The Addams Family Musical”
Cost
$44, does not include performance ticket
Location
Enrollment
Min 15, Max 40 students
Day
Monday & Wednesday
Time
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Dates
Feb. 9 (Wednesday), Feb. 23 (Wednesday), Mar. 28 (Monday), Apr. 11 (Monday)
From cartoons to television series to the stage, the fictional Addams family is embedded in American popular culture. Learn the history as well as the production and directing of musicals by focusing on the spring Davidson College production of The Addams Family. The four class sessions will include the following:
Wed., Feb. 9: introduce the history and highlights of musicals
Wed., Feb. 23: explore the production of musicals in general, including the role of the choreographer, and the production and direction of The Addams Family in particular
Mon., Mar. 28: provide a tour of the Duke Family Performance Hall, introduce tech services, and get a sneak preview of the performance
Mon., Apr. 11: reflect on the show, converse with cast members, and hold a Q & A
Please note that the first two meetings are on Wednesdays, the final two on Mondays, and the performance dates are April 7-10.
(This course is primarily lecture but includes some group participation.)
Required Readings
Charles Addams - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Addams
The Addams Family - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Addams_Family
The Addams Family Musical - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Addams_Family_(musical)
Instructor: Bill Lawing, DMA (Conductor)
Status: Closed
An Exploration of Davidson History
Cost
$44
Location
Enrollment
Min 5, Max 15 students
Day
Thursday
Time
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Dates
Feb. 17, 24; Mar. 3, 10
This course will open the door to the hidden stories found in the Davidson College Archives, Special Collections, and Community Department. Together, we will explore primary sources (photographs, manuscripts, artifacts, etc.) to understand the history of the town of Davidson in a personal way. In addition, we will engage in “close reading” and other techniques to uncover evidence about major events in Davidson’s history. We will also invite you to contribute to the historical record of the Davidson community.
Required Readings
Instructors will provide a curated selection of readings via online links or in a packet. The following are representative readings:
-
Excerpts from Cornelia Shaw’s Davidson College: Intimate Facts
-
Shared Stories: oral histories and transcripts
-
Excerpts from Mary Beaty’s Davidson: A History of the Town from 1835 until 1937
-
Articles from The American Archivist
Suggested Reading
The instructor will suggest additional readings in class.
Instructor: Jessica Cottle, MA
Status: Closed
The Future of the American Health Care System
Cost
$66
Location
Enrollment
Min 5, Max 25 students
Day
Thursday
Time
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Dates
Jan. 20, 27; Feb. 3, 10, 17, 24
The delivery of an effective, equitable system to protect and provide the health of the American people is a great challenge. The clamor about accessibility, affordability, and accountability cries out for evolution, if not revolution, of our current system. This course reviews the origins and concepts of the American health care system, the stakeholders of the system, and the emerging strategies being proposed to improve the system. Some of those strategies include disease prevention, cost containment (medical services, pharmaceuticals, insurance rates), and universal coverage vs. Medicare for All.
Suggested Readings
The instructor will identify a suggested text for students prior to the start of the course.
Instructor: Joseph Konen, MD, MSPH
Status: CANCELLED
Global Trade and International Relations
Cost
$66
Location
Enrollment
Min 15, Max 25 students
Day
Tuesday
Time
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Dates
Mar. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; Apr. 5
Every day our lives are impacted by the dynamic interplay between global trade and highly charged international relations. Understanding this interplay and having complete and accurate information are critical in making informed decisions and having broad-based perspectives on world events. This series of interactive classes will provide an in-depth overview of global trade and the role governments play in facilitating and disrupting trade. We will also explore how our trade, economic, and political relationships with China, Europe, Mexico, and Canada affect our daily lives.
The six sessions include the following topics:
-
Global Trade – An Overview
-
Drivers, Benefits, and Costs of Global Trade and Government Interference
-
Global Trade in Reset
-
Europe and Trade with the USA and the World
-
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)
-
China – The Defender of Globalization? International Relations Beyond Trade
(This course is primarily lecture but includes some group participation.)
Suggested Readings
Brief reading assignments (short articles) will help set the context for the class.
Instructor: Greg Knudson, PhD
Status: Closed
The Good Life
Cost
$55
Location
Enrollment
Min 10, Max 16 students
Day
Friday
Time
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Dates
Jan. 21, 28; Feb. 4, 11, 18
What is a good life, a life that is good for the person whose life it is? We will explore four different approaches to understanding and thinking about what makes a life good: Is it maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain; is it achieving goals, or more generally getting what you want; is it living as a human should; or is it measured by what a person is capable of? For each approach, we will consider the associated philosophical position, the arguments in favor and against it, and the practical guidance each approach can offer. We will conclude by taking a brief look at the movement within psychology that attempts to understand happiness and what might be learned from this psychological research.
(Brief lecture followed by class discussion.)
Required Readings
Readings will consist of classic philosophical sources and excerpts from more contemporary writings. These will either be freely available on the internet or the instructor will provide copies.
Instructor: Sean McKeever, PhD
Status: Cancelled
CANCELLED - Intelligence and Espionage in the Cold War
Cost
$66
Location
Enrollment
Min 10, Max 25 students
Day
Wednesday
Time
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Dates
Mar. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; Apr. 6
The early Cold War was perhaps the most dangerous phase in the history of the world. Both the US and the USSR had thermonuclear warheads on hair-trigger alert and nuclear-tip missiles that could hit any target in the world within minutes. Intelligence helped to stabilize this dangerous standoff, as both superpowers and their allies relied heavily on intelligence to avoid a direct conflict. Early in the Cold War, the superpowers were unevenly matched in espionage. This course begins with the Soviets’ deep penetration of the US government in the 1930-40s. We will examine the Cold War’s most important spy cases and covert operations, as well as the role of technological intelligence such as spy satellites, planes, submarines, and intercepts. We will also discuss Intelligence successes and failures on both sides.
(This course is primarily lecture but includes some group participation.)
Suggested Readings
The instructor will provide a reading list for those wishing to pursue this topic more deeply.
Instructor: Thomas Rynne
Online Courses
Status: Closed
The Rynne Lectures in International Affairs
Cost
$44
Location
online
Enrollment
Min 20, Max 50 students
Day
Monday
Time
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Dates
Feb. 21, 28; Mar. 7, 14
Global hot spots are shaping future policies about national security and diplomacy for the US. Current and retired faculty members from Davidson College and UNC Charlotte, some of whom have advised policymakers in Washington, DC, will provide insight into these issues in a 4-session course. Topics followed by Q & A will include:
-
US-China Tension is Still Rising (Shelley Rigger, PhD)
-
The French Presidential Election 2022 (Homer Sutton, PhD)
-
Psychology of Political Leadership: Motives, Character Traits, and Ethics of Leaders (Besir Ceka, PhD)
-
Update on President Joe Biden's Trade Policy (Joe Papovich)
Required or Suggested Readings
None
Instructor: Thomas Rynne (Coordinator)
Jacqueline Culpepper, MM (Music Director)
Ann Marie Costa, MFA (Director)
Status: Closed
Intermediate/Advanced Genealogy Workshop
Cost
$55
Location
Enrollment
Min 6, Max 8 students
Day
Wednesday
Time
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Dates
Jan. 19, 26; Feb. 2, 9, 16
The workshop focuses on furthering your original research, breaking down “brick walls,” and determining your next steps. I strive to help each person individually. Topics include getting the most out of primary records, such as maps, land plats, court records, deeds, and wills, and unusual research sources. Using indirect evidence is a major focus of the workshop. We will touch briefly on Ancestry.com and other data bases, but only so far as they are sources of original documents you need for your research. We will follow the Genealogical Proof Standard and analyze case studies for insight into how research is compiled and presented.
Required & Suggested Readings
None
Instructor: Marilyn Rousseau, PhD
Cost
$66
Location
Enrollment
Min 5, Max 12 students
Day
Wednesday
Time
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Dates
Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23; Mar. 2, 9
When, in the first scene of Shakespeare’s King Lear, the aging king disinherits and banishes his youngest daughter, Cordelia, he seems unjustified. After all, she loves him more than his other two daughters, whose fawning affection is actually insincere. Yet the text hints that the situation between royal father and daughter is more complex than a villain-victim relationship. Read another way, the scene can make Lear seem vulnerable and Cordelia’s treatment of him cruel. In this class, we’ll study one act of the play each week with close attention to Shakespeare’s signature prismatic complexity. Students will receive study questions in advance of class and, in class, will read aloud to explore the text. A movie version or two will figure in the last class.
(This course primarily involves student participation but includes some lecture.)
Required Readings
Shakespeare, William. King Lear (Arden Shakespeare: Third Series), edited by R. A. Foakes, 1997.
This work is available from multiple online sources; be sure you get this edition as we will be reading aloud in class.
Instructor: Cynthia Lewis, PhD
Status: Closed
“King Lear” in Five Acts
Status: Open
Poets Teaching Poets: A Beginner-Friendly Workshop
Cost
$44
Location
Enrollment
Min 5, Max 12 students
Day
Thursday
Time
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Dates
Apr. 7, 14, 21, 28
The course is designed to help you “construct” your own poetry. Whether you’re an experienced poet or a novice, you will learn from reading selected poems provided by the instructor, examining the work of each poet, creating your own poems, and engaging in conversation with other students about their work. The goal is to enhance the development of your own writing through the lens of selected poets and class feedback. Poems will be from the work of W. H. Auden, Robert Frost, W. S. Merwin, John Balaban, Eleanor Wilner, Jamal May, Betty Adcock, Marilyn Nelson, Claudia Emerson, and others.
This course is a workshop, individually supervised by the instructor.
Required Readings
Instructor: Nora Hutton Shepard, MFA
Status: Open
Hands-On Genealogy: A Beginner’s Guide
Cost
$55
Location
Enrollment
Min 6, Max 10 students
Day
Tuesday
Time
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Dates
Mar. 29; Apr. 5, 12, 19, 26
Interested in exploring your family tree? Reach for the first branch with this introduction to genealogical research. Hands-On Genealogy is suitable for those who have never tried genealogy … or who have dabbled in it but have not made much progress. The emphasis will be on learning some enduring principles of genealogy and on getting guidance on applying these principles to your own project. You are encouraged to bring your laptop/tablet, but it’s not required. Each class will include a 30-min. laboratory-type experience for individualized work.
Suggested Readings
Instructor: Christopher J. Ritz, PhD
Cost
$66
Location
Enrollment
Min 5, Max 25 students
Day
Wednesday
Time
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Dates
Mar. 23, 30; Apr. 6, 13, 20, 27
This course analyzes the Reconstruction period after the Civil War, which lasted from approximately 1865-1877, and the impact Reconstruction had on subsequent civil rights struggles. During this period African-American slaves were freed from slavery but found that freedom did not bring about racial equality. For a short time, Blacks in the former Confederacy received the right to vote and participated in southern governments. However, White southern resistance to Black participation in government was fierce, and northern Whites came to prioritize reuniting with the White South and resolving issues around the economic crises of the 1870s and 1880s over protecting the rights of southern Blacks. In the end White southern opponents of Reconstruction and Black rights seized power in the South with the tacit approval of most White northerners, and southern Blacks were effectively denied the right to exercise the rights and privileges they had been guaranteed by federal law and the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution. The stage was set for the next phase of African American’s history, where they would fight to actually exercise the rights and privileges of American citizens.
Required Readings
Foner, Eric. A Short History of Reconstruction (Updated Edition). Harper Perennial, 2015.
This book may also be available from other sources.
Instructor: Daniel W. Aldridge, III, PhD
Status: Cancelled
CANCELLED - Reconstruction: America’s Unfinished Revolution
Cost
$55
Location
Enrollment
Min 6, Max 12 students
Day
Monday
Time
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Dates
Jan. 31; Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28
During the Golden Age of Spanish literature, 1550-1650, writers gave the world the immortal protagonists Don Quixote and Don Juan. Lesser known was the creation of the anti-hero, the “picaro,” who was a poor, orphaned, lower class con-artist. Picaresque novels featured naughty but delightful scammers, barely surviving starvation by using their wits. The cynical humor and playful deviousness of these scamps exposed the seamy side of Spanish society-- its corruption, cruelties, failures, and injustices. We will follow the mischievous behavior of Lazarillo de Tormes and young Pablos, the Swindler, in two short novels and discuss the influence of the “picaro” in future literature of Europe and the Americas.
(This course is primarily lecture but includes some group participation.)
Required Readings
Lazarillo de Tormes and The Swindler: Two Spanish Picaresque Novels. Translated by Michael Albert, Penguin Classics, 2003.
This book may also be available from other sources.
Instructor: Deborah Fosberg Nelson, MA
Status: Closed
Scoundrels and Rogues in Spanish Literature’s Golden Age
Cost
$44
Location
Enrollment
Min 5, Max 25 students
Day
Wednesday
Time
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates
Mar. 30; Apr. 6, 13, 20
This course will examine the lives and experiences of Black and White southern women, addressing topics such as family life, childbearing and rearing, economic roles, religion, schooling, and health. After brief coverage of the colonial South, we will focus on the decades up through the Civil War. How did the South influence its women? Were (and are) they unique?
Required or Suggested Readings
None
Instructor: Sally McMillen, PhD
Status: Open
Southern Women: Black and White in the Old South
Cost
$77
Location
Enrollment
Min 10, Max 25 students
Day
Thursday
Time
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Dates
Mar. 17, 24, 31; Apr. 7, 14, 21, 28
A survey of the people, the events, and the inventions that developed mass media – from the cave painters of Europe to the press barons of the 19th century to today's Fake News pundits. In this lecture and discussion course, you'll meet the mysterious woman behind press freedom icon John Peter Zenger, intrepid "girl reporter" Nellie Bly, and the bat-winged moonmen who held New York in their thrall while creating mass-circulation newspapers. We’ll also look at the impact of photography and television on 20th century culture.
Required or Suggested Readings
None
Instructor: Mark Washburn
Status: Open
They Made the News
Cost
$55
Location
Enrollment
Min 10, Max 20 students
Day
Tuesday
Time
10:00 AM -11:30 AM
Dates
Mar. 15, 22, 29; Apr. 5, 12
This course explores the relationship between organized religion and the systems of higher education that have developed on the American scene. Beginning with a brief survey of the several European religious and educational traditions, the sessions move chronologically through the formative periods and major developments from colonial times to the 21st century. The final session will consist of brief student presentations (optional) on the interaction between faith and learning in a particular academic institution of the student’s choice.
Required or Suggested Readings
None
Instructor: John W. Kuykendall, PhD
Status: Closed
What Has Athens to Do with Jerusalem? Religion and Higher Education in America
Cost
$66
Location
Enrollment
Min 5, Max 12 students
Day
Thursday
Time
4:00 PM -5:30 PM
Dates
Mar. 24, 31; Apr. 7, 14, 21, 28
The last few years have seen several excellent new novels on women in Ancient Greece. Rather than read them all, we will spend the bulk of the course reading the Greeks themselves. After an introduction to the time period and the evidence, we will read abridged versions of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey (Stanley Lombardo’s translation), followed by Euripides’ take on the women of the Trojan War, and finally, Natalie Haynes’ retelling of the Trojan War from the perspective of the women—the mothers, wives, daughters, and warriors. At the end of the course, students should be able to approach these new novels (a bibliography will be provided, of course!) with more understanding and pleasure.
(This course is primarily lecture but includes some group participation.)
Required Readings
Homer. The Essential Homer. Translated by Stanley Lombard, Hackett, 2000.
Euripides. Andromache, Hecuba,Trojan Women, Translated by Diane Arnson Svarlien, Hackett, 2012.
Haynes, Natalie. A Thousand Ships: A Novel. HarperCollins Canada, 2021.
Instructor: Jeanne Marie Neumann, PhD
Status: Open
The Women of the Trojan War
In this introduction to contemporary French cinema, we will discuss one award-winning, critically acclaimed film each week: Mathieu Kassovitz’s Hate, Josiane Balasko’s French Twist, Michael Haneke’s Caché (Hidden), Laurent Cantet’s The Class, Jacques Audiard’s A Prophet, and Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano’s The Intouchables. This sampling includes both dramas and comedies, from male and female directors, and many with strong social themes.
Students will access and watch the films prior to class discussions, using Netflix by mail (for subscribers) or streaming from Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, or Apple TV. The class will be held virtually using Zoom. The Zoom link will be sent the day before each class.
Hate (1995, 1h38)
Viewing prior to class: rent from Netflix by mail (subscribers) or stream from Amazon Prime $3.99 or Apple TV $3.99.
In Netflix, search for Hate under its French title, La Haine.
Discussion: Tues., Feb. 1, 10:30 a.m. to noon on Zoom
French Twist (1995, 1h42)
Viewing prior to class: stream from Vudu $2.99 or Amazon Prime $3.99
Discussion: Tues., Feb. 8, 10:30 a.m. to noon on Zoom
Caché (2005, 1h59)
Viewing prior to class: rent from Netflix by mail (subscribers) or stream from Vudu $2.99 or Amazon Prime $2.99
Discussion: Tues., Feb. 15, 10:30 a.m. to noon on Zoom
The Class (2008, 2h08)
Viewing prior to class: rent from Netflix by mail (subscribers) or stream from Vudu $2.99 or Amazon Prime $2.99:
Discussion: Tues., Feb. 22, 10:30 a.m. to noon on Zoom
A Prophet (2009, 2h35)
Viewing prior to class: rent from Netflix by mail (subscribers) or stream from Vudu $2.99 or Amazon Prime $2.99
Discussion: Tues., Mar. 1, 10:30 a.m. to noon on Zoom
Intouchables (2011, 1h52)
Viewing prior to class: stream from Netflix (subscribers) or from Vudu $2.99
Discussion: Tues., Mar. 8, 10:30 a.m. to noon on Zoom
(This course primarily involves student participation but includes some lecture.)
Suggested Reading
Singerman, Alan, and Michèle Bissière. Contemporary French Cinema. A Student’s Book. Hackett, 2018.
Status: Closed
Contemporary French Cinema
Cost
$66
Location
Zoom
Enrollment
Min 10, Max 25 students
Day
Tuesday
Time
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Dates
Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22; Mar. 1, 8
Instructor: Alan Singerman, PhD