April 10, 2024
Fifty and Better Cares About Their Students
Submitted by Ruth Buono
As a lifelong learner who likes to have fun (the picture is of me at the Hammer Museum) and seeks intellectual stimulation, I really enjoy the courses FAB offers, including those focused on art history (really any course with Katherine Zoraster), music (especially courses with Cary Ginell), and history (particularly the contextual approach of Dr. David Parsons). I also appreciate learning from new faculty like Dr. Jason Hensley (Judaism & Christianity). The independent lecture series between course sessions (artificial intelligence, the Harvey Houses and so many more) and the timely free lectures FAB has arranged (about the Mars Rover and the James Webb Space Telescope to name a few) have been fantastic. I also like when faculty engage with the students in the chat box of the virtual classes (and the students engage with each other), we get to share our perspective of events and places as we experienced them. FAB took a risk and was the first program I know of to offer virtual courses to our population and now has offered some courses where students have a choice to take the same course in-person or virtually. If you are able to get to campus to take a course you can, but if you are not, you can take the course from anywhere. I am appreciative that they have not neglected those who cannot take courses in-person. I am thankful that FAB truly cares about the students and their needs. The FAB team respects us and makes sure our needs are met. I serve on the FAB Advisory Committee and appreciate that the FAB team listens to our input.