What is Senior College?

Designed to encourage community members to participate in academic learning opportunities beyond a single field of study, ATCC established the series in 2006 in response to community interest in informative and challenging college learning without the pressures of tests, grades or degrees. The Distinguished Lecture Series brings noted speakers and college faculty from across the state and beyond to share their expertise on a range of topics of thought.  Individual sessions delve into Community, International Affairs, History, Humanities & the Arts, Literature, Nature & Ecology, Science, Travel, Personal Interest and context relevant to our world today.

  • Senior College Fall Season Kicks Off Tuesday, September 10 with a Discussion about Supreme Court Updates.

    Jul 12, 2024 by Senior College   Updated: 07/12/24

    Since 2006, Senior College of Alexandria Technical & Community College has been hosting accomplished educators, researchers and speakers from around the state & beyond to share their expertise, passion and perspectives. Please join us for these distinguished lectures – All are welcome.

    The first speaker is Timothy Johnson, Horace T. Morse Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Law at the University of Minnesota. In this session attendees will learn Supreme Court Updates.

    The seasons will feature prominent speakers who will present informative, timely and socially relevant discussions about our world today. Among them: Supreme Court Update; Sustainability and Our Common Future; The Federal Reserve 101: Structure and Impact on Money Supply and Interest Rates; Equality at the Ballot Box and more.

    New for Fall 2024, sessions are being offered in flexible hybrid option. Members can come to see lecturers in-person at the ATCC campus or tune in on Zoom to attend.  Admission is by Season membership only - $125 per person provides four weeks of programming (8 Lectures).  Season membership registrations and/or gift certificates may be purchased online or by phone.  For more information, please contact the ATCC Customized Training Center at 320-762-4510 or register online.

    Register for Senior College >> 

      Fall 2024 Lectures

      • September 10 | Supreme Court Update | Timothy Johnson, Horace T. Morse Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Law, University of Minnesota
      • September 12 | Current Police Standards: Effects Statewide and how ATCC is Navigating all of it | Shawn L. Williams Ed.D., Dean of Police Training & Education, Alexandria Technical & Community College
      • September 17 | Sustainability and Our Common Future | Timothy Schoonhoven PE, retired City Engineer, WSN BSCE, Montana State University
      • September 19 | Election Year Economics | Louis Johnston, Associate Professor of Economics, College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University
      • September 24 | The Federal Reserve 101: Structure and Impact on Money Supply and Interest Rates | Kelly Hughes, Economics Instructor Liberal Arts Department, Alexandria Technical & Community College
      • September 26 | Pumpkins and Squash: The Oldest Crop in the Americas | Linda Wessel-Beaver, Professor (retired, Ad honorem) Department of Agroenvironmental Sciences University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, USA
      • October 1 | The Periodic Table – Iconic and Ingenious | Julie Hanson, Licensed HS science teacher (Iowa); Master's Degrees in Horticulture and Education; PhD in Food Science
      • October 3 | Equality at the Ballot Box | Lori Lahlum, Distinguished Faculty Scholar, Professor & Graduate Program Coordinator Department of History and Gender Studies, Minnesota State University, Mankato

      Schedule subject to change.

      Register for Senior College >> 

About Senior College

Distinguished Lecture Series

Three “seasons” of programming include fall and spring lecture series and a winter short course.  All lectures are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15-5:00 p.m. - typically in the auditorium of the ATCC Information and Technology Center. 

Admission is by Season membership only.  Season membership registrations may be purchased on-line or by phone.  For more information or to register, please contact the Customized Training Center at 320-762-4510 or 888-234-1313 or register online.

The program has hosted some of Minnesota’s best educators. From the flagship University of Minnesota, the program has featured cutting edge research and initiatives underway to develop solutions that affect our lives, including Dr. Michael Osterholm on infectious disease and Mark Seeley on climate change in our own back yard. Professors also come from University of Minnesota Morris, University of Minnesota Duluth, College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University, St. Thomas University, St. Olaf College, Carleton College, Hamline University, Macalester College, Augsburg College, and Alexandria Technical and Community College. It is an exhilarating experience to be in the presence of public intellectuals who demonstrate a care for and attention to lifelong learning.

Additional Resources:

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Senior College Season Schedule Download Senior College Season Schedule Document pdf

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Contact Senior College

Customized Training Center: 320-762-4510

Toll Free: 888-234-1313

Email Senior College seniorcollege@alextech.edu