Heads up ALIRians!
New! This Spring we’re introducing a batch of new three-week-long classes (they’re marked Just3!) for your consideration. The majority of ALIR classes are still 12- and 6-weeks long, but the shorter-length classes have been so popular as “Flex Friday” and summer offerings, that we decided to make them a permanent part of the ALIR curriculum.
In addition, ALIR is working towards outfitting a few classes or events to be held simultaneously on campus and online via Zoom. Our first of these hybrid classes, Writing a Compelling Family Story (pages 11 and 21), is open for enrollment this Spring; we invite you to be among the first to test this new use of technology.
As always, all people age 50+ are welcome at ALIR. You need to register to attend a class (whether it’s on campus or online) and in order to register you first need to pay a single fee – you can then attend as many classes as you want during the term. (See page 2 for payment and registration details.)
Important Dates for Spring 2023
Monday, Jan 9–13 Online payment opens for Spring; payment required to register
Tuesday, Jan 17 Registration for classes opens; ongoing throughout term
Tuesday, Jan 31 Instructors’ Meeting | Orientation for new students
Monday, Feb 6 First day of classes
Tuesday, Feb 21 First Luncheon
March 13–17 Spring Break week, NEISD closed; no on-campus classes
Monday, March 27 First day of 2nd 6-weeks classes
Wed, March 29 Second Luncheon
Friday, April 7 No on-campus classes; NEISD closed
Wed, April 26 Third Luncheon
Friday, April 28 No on-campus classes; NEISD closed
Tuesday, May 2 Art Exhibition and Performing Arts Show
Friday, May 5 End of Spring term
About
Academy of Learning in Retirement
The Academy of Learning in Retirement (ALIR) began in 1989 as an extension of the University of Texas at San Antonio, with a founding vision of an all-volunteer learning academy offering a variety of intellectually stimulating classes to an over-50 crowd. Growth and space considerations necessitated a move from ALIR’s initial home at the Institute of Texan Cultures; happily, the North East Independent School District (NEISD) welcomed ALIR to its Community Education Department in the spring of 2006. In 2020, as a 501(c)(3) corporation, ALIR had a student body of more than 650 senior San Antonians when the COVID-19 pandemic challenged it to begin offering courses online. Although now fully back to a curriculum of in-person classes, ALIR continues to offer Zoom-based, online classes to those who are limited in mobility as well as those who prefer online learning.
Mission Statement
Through volunteerism, the Academy of Learning in Retirement (ALIR), believing in lifelong learning, recognizes and utilizes its members’ wealth of experience and abilities to achieve educational stimulation in the arts, history, literature, languages, and sciences.
