Odyssey fall lineup is enriching, enlightening, and eclectic!

Odyssey, a Continuing and Extended Education enrichment program that embarked on its maiden voyage this past summer, has emerged with an impressive fleet of course offerings for the fall semester. Registration is now open to the community at large for the Odyssey program, which offers a rich composite of short-term academic courses - from the practical to the profound.

"We are thrilled to present our fall program to the greater Austin community," said Lynn Box, one of Odyssey's three program coordinators. "Each of the five courses available this fall has its own unique appeal, but we are especially excited about Word for Word: The UT Speaker Series. This is an extraordinary opportunity to hear six well-known University scholars speak about timely, interesting subjects."

Lecturers in Word for Word: The UT Speaker Series include: William Livingston Ph.D., Senior Vice President at The University of Texas at Austin and the Jo Anne Centennial Professor Emeritus in British Studies; Edwin Dorn, Ph.D., dean, LBJ School of Public Affairs; Betty Sue Flowers, Ph.D., director, LBJ Library and Museum; Paul Woodruff, Ph.D., director, Plan II Honors Program; Evan Carton, Ph.D., director, The University of Texas Humanities Institute; and Paul Stekler, Ph.D., esteemed documentary filmmaker and professor in the Radio, Television, and Film Department. Word for Word lectures will be conducted on Wednesday evenings, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., October 1 - November 5.

Another noteworthy aspect of the fall enrichment program is that Continuing and Extended Education's long-standing Humanities Lecture Series is now part of Odyssey. The fall Humanities series is titled, "Mediterranean Encounters." Classes will meet on seven consecutive Monday evenings, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., beginning September 29.

The fall Odyssey schedule also consists of the following three courses that will meet on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday evenings respectively for six weeks beginning the week of September 29: Texas Studies, Basic Financial Planning, and Sounds Like Texas: Selected Chapters in Texas Music History.

Odyssey classes will be conducted as one-hour lectures followed by thirty minutes of discussion. The one exception to the lecture format will be Sounds Like Texas, which will blend live performances by Austin area musicians into the lecture format. All classes will be conducted in the Thompson Conference Center or the Bass Lecture Hall on the UT Austin campus.

While outside reading and preparation may be required in some courses, students will not be tested or graded. In other words, this multi-disciplinary, short-term personal enrichment experience illustrates the true meaning of "serious fun."

Additional information about Odyssey lecturers and performers, course descriptions, and course fees is available on the Odyssey Web site at www.utexas.edu/cee/odyssey/. Specific class locations will be available by September 22 on the Odyssey Web site and from the Odyssey Registrar at (512) 471-2938. Enrollment is limited and registration is on a space-available basis.