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September 2, 1999
Vol. 18. No. 09
Published by the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka, California. HSRC is a non-profit community-based organization offering services for senior citizens, multi-generational families and caregivers.
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September 2, 1999 Vol. 18. No. 09 Published by the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka, California. HSRC is a non-profit community-based organization offering services for senior citizens, multi-generational families and caregivers. |
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Back to School
by Ralph Nelson
Lea Mills came back to school this fall after all. She had retired in June from her position as Dean of Arts and Humanities and Director of the Police Academy at College of the Redwoods (CR). She was about to experience the first autumn since 1974 that she had not reported for work to the CR campus, instead had plans to take some classes herself and work on hobbies long shelved. But an unexpected resignation of another CR administrator left a void that Mills would be the best person to fill-that of Assistant to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Director of the Public Safety Programs. "I've been in administration since 1983," Mills said. "I thought it was time to try something else. But they asked me to come back to help make some long-range planning in several areas." She'll be writing some curriculum and overseeing some courses. "This (assignment) will include more program planning and assessment of programs to enhance them," she said. "It will use more of my creative energy." One arena Mills plans to address this year are the community "campuses" in Southern Humboldt, Hoopa, and downtown Eureka. The downtown Eureka campus has long been a site for business and professional course work. She plans to order the classes in Southern Humboldt so that students can make plans and accomplish a course of study. She plans a greater outreach to the community so that CR can sponsor more avocational courses and special events like the week-long symposium in August, Art and Nature. Already a plan is underway to launch the Humboldt Senior Resource Center's "Senior College" in September and create a community "campus" at the old Washington School on California Street. The first course to be offered beginning Sept. 13 will be Debt-Free and Prosperous Living. In mid-October, the second course will begin, Writing Your Life. Then in January, a Computer Genealogy class will be offered. (See page 10 for registration information.) "That's just a start," she said with her characteristic grin. "We don't want to duplicate what is already available in the community. We want to find our niche and help develop what the community needs. We have a tremendous wealth of talent in our area, and we want to find out what they would like to contribute. We want to make classes accessible and reasonable in cost." So Lea Mills is putting off the classes she intended to take this year in water color, photography and cultural anthropology. Already an excellent photographer of flowers and landscapes, she had postponed hobbies like sculpting, jewelry making and even the holiday crafts classes that she used to teach. Walking across campus on the first day of the fall semester in August, Mills looked around happily. "I am glad to be here," she said. "I was a little worried about the pangs of withdrawal. Now my husband (David Mills, also on the CR faculty) and I can retire together next year and we'll go off and do something interesting on the first day of classes."
- by Barbara Clark, Senior News editor One-time article Copyright 1999 by Humboldt Senior Resource Center. |
Senior News
Back to School
