Courses

SIUE offers programs designed for a lifetime of learning and personal growth. Expert presenters provide insight on a range of topics covering history, culture, art, current events, health and nutrition. Membership for the semester is $40 per person, per semester with the option to buy campus parking.


This course contains no sessions
Lifelong Learning Members are encouraged to attend this first session. Not only will we take some time to catch up with one another, welcome new members, and discuss Lifelong Learning Institute updates for the semester, but we will also complete administrative tasks and paperwork so you can make the most of your membership.


This course contains no sessions
Click here to submit a question or be notified about the next scheduled program.
The Illinois Waterway (IWW) is a system connecting Lake Michigan in Chicago to the Mississippi River at Grafton, Illinois. The system includes eight locks and dams along 333 miles of waterway consisting of the entire Illinois River and portions of the Des Plaines, Chicago, and Calumet Rivers. This presentation provides a brief look into the unique development and construction history of the waterway.


Wednesday, April 23, 2025, Morris University Center - Legacy Room
Chris Fulton with AgeSmart Community Resources will speak about how their organization can help when changes occur due to health, family dynamics, finances, etc., help is needed to make good decisions.


Wednesday, April 9, 2025, Morris University Mississippi Illinois Room
Barb Kay will present for us details on the largest maritime disaster in the US, the steamboat Sultana. This steamboat exploded on the Mississippi River in April 1865 and killed more people than the Titanic.


Wednesday, March 5, 2025
This presentation will explore the evolution of community-oriented policing, tracing its roots from early efforts to build trust between police and communities to its widespread adoption as a proactive law enforcement strategy. It will delve into current successful initiatives that foster community collaboration and it will look ahead to the future, discussing emerging trends that impact public safety.


Wednesday, April 2, 2025
There are many challenges to food production. One of the most important but sometimes overlooked issues is what different cultures find acceptable and unacceptable to eat. This presentation will consider who eats what where, and how these cultural preferences impact food production.


Wednesday, March 19, 2025, Morris University Mississippi Illinois Room
Rainscaping reclaims stormwater naturally using simple techniques to manage rainwater where it falls - the way nature intended. Learn about resources and success tips to enhance your landscape with rainscaping. We will inform you of the benefits of rain gardens and inspire you to design, install, and how to maintain your own rain garden.


Wednesday, May 7, 2025, Morris University Mississippi Illinois Room
From container gardens to pocket prairies, Tamar and Jennifer share methods and purposes for implementing important native systems and habitats - there's no space too small to support wildlife with native plants!


Wednesday, April 23, 2025, Morris University Center - Legacy Room
St. Louis has a rich and complex musical history. In this presentation we will delve into the music at the 1904 World's Fair, explore the world of ragtime musicians and sheet music publishers, and track the development of the jazz and early blues music scenes.


Wednesday, May 7, 2025, Morris University Mississippi Illinois Room
This talk will explore the benefits of friendships, both in an online world and in offline world. It will discuss strategies for using social media as a way to form and strengthen relationships.


Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Dr. Mora will emphasize the importance of nutrition in promoting overall health and well-being. She will highlight key nutritional concepts and provide practical tips for making healthier food choices. By highlighting the benefits of a balanced diet, empowers people to take charge of their nutrition and enhance their quality of life.


Wednesday, February 19, 2025, Morris University Mississippi Illinois Room
Mark Poepsel, PhD presents a discussion about how social media algorithms and self-selected media consumption have directed citizens to live not just on opposing sides of issues, but in two different realities in many ways. Not just politically speaking, people have different viewpoints about fundamental facts about the world. Poepsel will address what you can to do break out of the mold without losing your cultural and ethical bearings.


This course contains no sessions
Click here to submit a question or be notified about the next scheduled program.
"The best camera is the one you have with you." Being a "pocket photographer" is about being creative and mindful about how you take photos with your smartphone cameras. This session will cover photographic tips and smartphone techniques to enhance the quality and creativity of your photos.


Wednesday, April 2, 2025
For 75 years, historians have consider the election of 1876 and its supposed compromise to be the end of Reconstruction. However, that compromise is a myth. This talk will explain what really happened during the famous contested presidential election of 1876."


This course contains no sessions
Click here to submit a question or be notified about the next scheduled program.
What is generally known as the "Palestinian-Israeli conflict" is actually a war on Palestine that began with the British colonization of the territory immediately after World War I. Understanding this historical context clarifies the roots of the violence that has beleaguered the region for the last 100 years.


This course contains no sessions
Click here to submit a question or be notified about the next scheduled program.
Embark on an exclusive tour of our premier athletic facility, where you'll explore vibrant locker rooms, a cutting-edge sports medicine room, and a dedicated nutrition center fueling our athletes' performance. Discover the dynamic weight room, the academic center supporting student-athletes, and culminate your journey in the exhilarating main arena, the heart of our sporting events. Experience firsthand the energy and commitment that drive our athletic community!


Wednesday, February 19, 2025, Vadalabene Center
In 2016 Lavender was added to a 300 acre corn and soybean farm in the non-tillable. With 450 varieties of lavender, finding the right plants can be challenging to grow. In 2021 the farm opened to the public to allow our community to come pick their own lavender.


Wednesday, April 9, 2025, Morris University Mississippi Illinois Room
Anthropology professors and archaeologists, Drs. Julie Zimmermann and Susan Kooiman will summarize what we know of past Native Americans based on excavations at the Gehring Site on the SIUE campus. They will also discuss what we know of their descendants, living Native Americans who still maintain their ties this land.


This course contains no sessions
Click here to submit a question or be notified about the next scheduled program.