Please feel free to reach out with any questions: meemancenter@rhodes.edu. You can also follow us on Facebook or Instagram for the most recent updates. We hope to see you soon!
The Meeman Center for Lifelong Learning extends Rhodes College's vision of the liberal arts to anyone curious and excited to learn. For almost 80 years, the Center has supported personal and professional development for individuals and businesses through unique adult education opportunities in the Mid-South and beyond. All classes, programs, and trips offered through the Meeman Center share Rhodes College's aspiration to instill a lifelong passion for learning, a compassion for others, and the ability to translate academic study and personal concern into action in our communities and the world.
Our non-credit classes, which range from one to four weeks, are taught by Rhodes professors across a vast array of topics in the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and fine arts. All are welcome. We believe individuals with a range of professional, personal, and educational identities bring a valuable diversity of perspectives to our classes. Full course descriptions and further details are available below. If you are curious about the Meeman Center and would like to learn more, you can write to us at meemancenter@rhodes.edu or call 901-843-3965. You can also reach out anytime to the director, Lori Garner, at GarnerL@Rhodes.edu. We hope to see you soon!
See our upcoming slate of classes below, and be sure to save the dates! Full course descriptions, pricing, and registration link will be available on this site on or before July 15. In the meantime, contact us with any questions: meemancenter@rhodes.edu.
America’s Declaration of Independence
Professor Tim Huebner (History)
Thursdays, August 28, September 4, September 11; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40 per session
The founding document and guiding light of the American republic—the Declaration of Independence—turns 250 years old in 2026. To commemorate this important anniversary, Rhodes has invited Danielle Allen, the James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard and an internationally recognized scholar in the area of political theory, to come to campus. This class focuses on Prof. Allen’s 2014 award-winning book, Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality, which has been described as part personal memoir and part civics lesson. In three sessions, participants in the course will discuss Allen’s close reading of the Declaration of Independence—an interpretation that is both grounded in the historical context and relevant to our contemporary moment. Danielle Allen’s free public lecture will be held the following Thursday, September 18, and Meeman students registered for Professor Huebner’s series will have reserved seating at this special event. Join Prof. Tim Huebner in re-reading and re-discovering this landmark document in U. S. history. The series is intended as a full sequence, but the option to attend individual sessions is available to accommodate scheduling needs. Thanks to the generosity of the Spence Wilson Center for Interdisciplinary Humanities, participants who register for all three sessions will receive a copy of Our Declaration at no additional cost.
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.
U. S. Nationalism
Professor Hadi Khoshneviss (Anthropology and Sociology)
Thursdays, October 30, November 6, 20, December 4; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40 per session
In this four-session course, we will examine why, despite many claims about the demise of nation-states during a global era, nation-states have gained more power and why nativist national movements have risen to power. To answer these questions, we will start our journey by learning what nations are, what gives them significance and primacy, and why and how they are preserved. The materials for these sessions (all provided in advance) will include academic writings, a documentary, and a short story. Register for individual sessions or the full series as your schedule allows.
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.
Contemporary Educational Challenges
Professor Emeritus Marcus Pohlmann (Political Science)
Wednesdays, October 29, November 5, 12, 19; 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Virtual (Zoom), $40 per session
This series will focus on the challenges of K-12 education today, with questions such as: Why do we educate children and at what age should public education begin? Do we need a U. S. Department of Education? Do smaller classes matter? Should there be student tracking? Is year-round school a good idea? Is it important to have a diverse student body? Do we need a “common core” across school districts? What standardized tests, if any, should be employed and for what purpose? Register for individual sessions or the full series as your schedule allows.
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.
Buddhism: The Basics
Professor Brooke Schedneck (Religious Studies)
Wednesday, September 3; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40
Who is the Buddha? What did he teach? How do Buddhists practice today? This session will start to answer these questions about one of the most influential religious traditions of the ancient and modern world. We will discuss the Buddha’s life and some of the foundational teachings, with a focus on modern Buddhist communities in Thailand. Through visual lectures, focused discussions, and optional readings, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the principles and contemporary expressions of Buddhism.
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.
Imagining Jesus Across Time and Space
Professor Sarah Rollens (Religious Studies)
Mondays, October 20, 27; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40 per session
There is a veritable cottage industry in New Testament scholarship devoted to assessing the historicity of early Christian writings to reveal who the historical Jesus “really” was. While this is an important historical question, there have been countless other depictions of Jesus that, whether intentionally or not, go beyond the meager historical evidence that we have for him. These later representations of Jesus are categorized as the “reception history” of the figure of Jesus, and, though these moments of “translation” do not tell us anything about the historical Jesus himself, they nevertheless reveal how different individuals and groups have creatively and enthusiastically imagined him throughout history. Accordingly, this course looks at a selection of texts in the reception history of Jesus in order to explore the long-standing interest that various people have had in him, leading them to infuse their understanding of him with their particular interests and concerns. The two classes will be roughly organized chronologically. Ancient and medieval texts will be covered in the first class, while the second class will treat more contemporary works. Each class will also bring in media representations of Jesus for further discussion. As we will see, each representation, whether textual or visual, treats the figure of Jesus as a screen onto which cultural hopes, values, and anxieties are projected. Register for either or both sessions as your schedule allows. All readings will be provided as PDFs.
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.
Ancient Fakes, Frauds, and Forgeries
Professor Patrick Gray (Religious Studies)
Monday, November 3; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40
Fakes, frauds, and forgeries in the realms of literature, art, and material culture have a long and distinguished history. Studying them helps us to understand the culture and society of the times and places in which they were produced and consumed. They bear unique testimony to the values, attitudes, and perceptions of those who commissioned and produced them. This session looks at examples from the ancient world and considers the similarities and differences from contemporary “fakes.”
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.
The Iliad
Professor Scott Garner (Ancient Mediterranean Studies)
Tuesdays, September 9, 16, 23, 30; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40 per session
This four-week sequence will investigate the text and traditions of Homer’s Iliad as we endeavor to understand how this epic was meaningful in its own time and continues to resonate for us today. In order to organize our discussion more efficiently and also accommodate those who are unable to attend all four sessions, each week will focus on a particular portion of the epic, but our topics will range broadly according to participant background and interest. Whether you know the poem so well that you could recite it in the style of the ancient bards or are coming to this text for the very first time, you should still find our discussions quite meaningful and productive! For the fullest engagement, participants should obtain Richard Lattimore’s translation. Register for individual sessions or the full series as your schedule allows.
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.
September 9. Books 1–5
September 16. Books 6–12
September 23. Books 13–18
September 30. Books 19–24
Dante’s Inferno
Professor Judith Hass (English, Gender and Sexuality Studies)
Tuesdays, October 7, 14; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $80
This course focuses on Dante’s depiction of hell in the first book of his Divine Comedy. We will consider some of Dante’s influences, including Virgil’s Aeneid and Augustine’s Confessions, and we will track Dante’s ideas about love, vernacular language, and poetry. Students should obtain the Hollander translation of the Inferno. Excerpts from Purgatorio will be provided as a PDF.
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.
Jesmyn Ward’s Let Us Descend
Professor Lori Garner (English, Linguistics)
Tuesdays, October 21, 28; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $80
“Now let us descend into the blind world
down there,” began the poet, gone pale.
“I will be the first and you come after.”
~Dante’s Inferno, 4.13-15
This two-week class explores the most recent novel by Jesmyn Ward, two-time winner of the National Book Award (Salvage the Bones, 2011; Sing, Unburied, Sing 2017). In Ward’s distinctive lyrical, haunting, and deeply compelling style of storytelling, Let us Descend (2023) follows the young teenaged Annis from the Carolina rice fields to a New Orleans slave market and beyond, a journey akin, as its title suggests, to Dante’s slow descent through hell itself. Annis’s story is one of personal empowerment and beauty, inextricable from systemic cruelty and trauma. Participants should obtain Let Us Descend in advance and read Chapters 1-6 prior to the first class session.
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.
Leo Tolstoy’s “Master and Man”
Professor Sasha Kostina (Russian Studies, Linguistics)
Monday, December 1; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40
Tolstoy’s “Master and Man” is a story of moral transformation, death, and redemption, topics that preoccupied Tolstoy throughout his life. In contrast to the gradual change of coming-of-age stories, transformation in this particular tale happens in an instance; it may be foreshadowed in small and unconscious ways but rushes in on the central figure of the story all at once. While the developments in the story appear to operate on the chances of fate, their results are far from inevitable. The eponymous master, merchant Brekhunov, fails the test of selflessness many times, but none of his actions in the past matter in the end, when he reverses everything and saves the man against whom he had defined himself. PDF provided in advance.
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.
Charting New Pathways: Three Remarkable Films
Professor Emerita Valeria Nollan (Russian Studies, Media Studies)
Mondays, September 8, 15, 22; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40 per session
The three films we will view and discuss in this series are noteworthy for challenging established conventions in film practice, whether aesthetic, thematic, or technical. Yet in doing so, these films remain delightful and engrossing to view! Before each class session, participants should watch the scheduled film through streaming services at their convenience. Prior to each film, an information sheet will be provided with questions to consider, as well as relevant readings. Class discussions promise to be lively and to reveal new perspectives from which these films can be understood.
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.
Videogames for Parents 101
Professor Ricardo Martins (Modern Languages and Literatures, Media Studies)
Thursday, September 25; 5:30–7:30 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom) $40
Today’s kids are growing up immersed in technology, with video games playing a central role in their lives. But how can families navigate this digital world and ensure a healthy balance between screen time and other activities? This interactive workshop will explore some of the big questions facing parents, grandparents, teachers, and other caregivers of this new generation: Why are videogames so engaging for children? How might video games foster creativity, problem-solving, and social skills? How can families address concerns about addiction, online safety, and the impact on physical activity? What are some strategies to balance screen time and play time? How can caregivers be informed without constantly supervising their children?
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.
What Is Cinematic TV?: Analyzing Stranger Things
Professor Rashna Richards (English, Media Studies)
Saturday, October 18; 2:00–3:30 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40
For decades after its invention, television was regarded as culturally deficient when compared to cinema. More recently, however, denigration has been replaced by celebration, as most critics consider this a golden age of TV. Indeed, many critics suggest that television’s formally innovative and narratively challenging conventions make it look and feel cinematic. What exactly does “cinematic TV” mean? We will consider Netflix’s Stranger Things as a prime example of cinematic TV, analyzing how the series lovingly recreates 80s cinema, especially as it chillingly combines Steven Spielberg, Stephen King, and John Carpenter. This series is extremely popular with young adults, including my daughter Madeleine, who will be joining this class. Please feel free to bring your teens or tweens along at no additional cost.
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.
Memphis’ Historic Elmwood Cemetery
Dr. Erin Hillis (Executive Director of the Buckman Center for Global Engagement)
Mondays, September 29, October 6, 13; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40 per session
Some of Memphis’ most fascinating history, love stories, heroic deeds, and devastations are recorded in the lives of those at rest at Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis’ oldest cemetery still in operation. We’ll cover a range of topics such as the history of the cemetery itself, the Victorian influence on its design, the historic events which Elmwood bears witness to, and the many fascinating stories of the people buried there. Many of the names which built Memphis can be found at Elmwood; let’s learn about their contributions together. We’ll also discuss the interesting and educational events happening regularly at Elmwood. Register for any or all as your schedule allows.
Class size: minimum 5 of students, maximum 20.
Rhodes College Liberal Arts in Prison Program
Professor Steve Haynes (Religious Studies)
Tuesday, November 4; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40
This class provides an overview of efforts at providing higher education to incarcerated students, with special attention to the Rhodes Liberal Arts in Prison program and the Certificate of Liberal Arts Rhodes offered at the Women’s Therapeutic Residential Center in Henning, Tennessee.
Class size: minimum 5 of students, maximum 20.
Memphis Made: Famous Memphians Who Have Made a Difference
Bill Short (Associate Director of Library Services)
Mondays, November 10, 17; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall), $80
Join Rhodes librarian and archivist Bill Short for a look into the lives and achievements of 17 individuals, some of whom are Rhodes alums and all of whom have fascinating stories. Drawing from a wealth of materials in the Rhodes College Archives, this two-week class will introduce participants to the following individuals: Robertson Topp, Shelby Foote, Judge D’Army Bailey, Edwin Howard ’50, Abe Fortas ’30, Carroll Cloar ’34, John Quincy Wolfe, Richard Halliburton, Peter Taylor ’39, Jack Farris, Jim Roper ’48, Anne Howard Bailey ’48, Rev. William Herbert Brewster, Dr. Burnett Tuthill, Tony Garner ’65, Ellis Rabb, Vincent Astor ’75, and Irma Sternberg. Brief profiles will also be provided for Margaret Polk (the Memphis Belle), Marion Keisker ’42 (discovered Elvis), Albert Erskine ’32 (legendary editor), Dixie Carter ’60 (actress), George Hearn ’57 (Broadway legend), Robert Penn Warren and Alan Tate (Rhodes professors). Come learn more about this storied city and its place in the world.
Class size: minimum 5 of students, maximum 20.
Engaging Chemistry: The Science of Beer
Professor Kimberly Brien (Chemistry)
Wednesday, October 15; 5:30–7:30 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall), $40
Lagers, ales, stouts, pilsners. We consume hundreds of different beers and over 188 million kiloliters annually. It all comes from four ingredients working in harmony: malt, hops, water, and yeast. We are doing a multisensory tour of the art and science of the perfect brew. Hear the symphonies of chemistry, biochemistry, physics, and aesthetics that lead to beer. See the reaction of enzymes, carbohydrates and sugars at the molecular level. Smell essential oils that make unique flavors. Touch the hops we use to brew and of course taste our malts. Join us for the art and science of brewing the perfect brew. Engage your senses in this interactive lecture on the science of beer. There will be malts to taste, essential oils to smell, and hops to touch. Science will meet art as we journey through the brewing process to craft the perfect ale.
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.
Listening to Children
Professor Emeritus Marsha Walton (Psychology)
Thursdays, October 2, 16, 23; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40 per session
It is a lot of fun to listen to children, but it may be a mistake to dismiss their adorable discourse as cute. There is much to be gained by taking children seriously and by listening to them with respectful curiosity about what they have to say—about friendship, aggression, punishment, gender, religion, grown-ups, and all the great questions we discuss with college students in Philosophy 101. In this course, we will look at what elementary-school children have to say, comparing it to the thinking of philosophers, psychologists, and theologians. We will explore memories of our own childhood thinking about these topics, and participants will be encouraged to bring observations of the children in their lives. Starting in 1999, Professor Walton collaborated with Rhodes students to gather nearly three thousand stories from children in Memphis, Orlando, and ShenZhen, China. The Narrative Development Research Team met weekly over tea, analyzing what children told us about their lives. Now, in retirement, Dr. Walton is re-visiting these narratives, not so much as data, but as stories. She makes weekly Substack posts with three-minute reads that explore something a child wrote or said. We will use some of these posts as jumping-off points for our discussions.
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.
Discover Your Strengths
Amy Moen (Associate Director of Career Services)
Tuesday November 11; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $50
The Clifton StrengthsFinder, known as CliftonStrengths, developed by Gallup, is a personal development tool designed to help individuals identify their natural talents and maximize their potential. Here are its key benefits:
Prior to the class, the CliftonStrengths survey (included in the cost of the class) will be given to all participants.
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.
Amy Moen (Associate Director of Career Services)
Tuesday, November 18; 5:30–7:00 p.m.
In-person (Dorothy C. King Hall) or Virtual (Zoom), $40
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform, designed to connect users with employers, colleagues, and industry peers. It offers a wide range of tools for professional growth, including online courses for lifelong learning, industry-specific groups for discussion, and content sharing to enhance engagement and visibility. Join us to learn how to build an effective LinkedIn profile, explore career and personal development opportunities, and leverage powerful networking strategies.
Class size: minimum of 5 students, maximum 20.
