The Week's News in Review - Riverside
Fee: $65.00
Dates: 9/17/2026 - 10/29/2026
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 7
Building: EUV Riverside
Room:
Instructor: Martha Miller
Seats Still Available: 27
An interactive discussion of events shaping the news each week. Media sources include print, TV, the internet, and social media. This course will discuss politics, the economy, sports, show business, and topics pulled from the "headlines." Discussion based course hosted by UCR Osher volunteers.
Please note that if you do not see the "Add to Cart" button under your course, you must first create a new account or sign in to your current account. If you do not have current membership, once you have signed in, add your membership to the cart in order to register for courses.
History of Political Theory from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance
Fee: $65.00
Dates: 9/21/2026 - 10/26/2026
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Days: M
Sessions: 6
Building: EUV Riverside
Room:
Instructor: Michael Hayman, MA
Seats Still Available: 33
Periods of powerful central governments and huge increases in social wealth have alternated with periods of collapse, local isolation, rival aristocracies, and impoverishment. The Middle Ages (800 - 1300) are often presented as an age of decline following the fading shell of Roman dominance. We will examine both the validity of this characterization and the legacy the period left in the political theories of Europe and America.
Please note that if you do not see the "Add to Cart" button under your course, you must first create a new account or sign in to your current account. If you do not have current membership, once you have signed in, add your membership to the cart in order to register for courses.
Breathing Life into Fiction: Margaret Garner and Toni Morrison’s Beloved
Fee: $65.00
Dates: 9/23/2026 - 10/14/2026
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 4
Building: EUV Riverside
Room:
Instructor: Shawn Vee, LMSW, M.Ed.
Seats Still Available: 34
Discover the profound intersection of a part of America’s dark history and literary genius during this compelling four-week course. Together, we’ll explore the harrowing true story of Margaret Garner, an enslaved woman whose tragic 1856 flight to freedom captured the nation’s attention and examine how Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison transformed history into the Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece Beloved . Over the course of four weeks, take a deep dive into the novel's powerful themes of motherhood, grief, generational trauma, and the enduring legacy of enslavement. Join us for a thought-provoking exploration of how Morrison breathed life into forgotten corners of history and created one of the greatest American novels ever written.
Please note that if you do not see the "Add to Cart" button under your course, you must first create a new account or sign in to your current account. If you do not have current membership, once you have signed in, add your membership to the cart in order to register for courses.
Can You Pass a Citizenship Test?
Fee: $65.00
Dates: 10/6/2026 - 11/3/2026
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 5
Building: EUV Riverside
Room:
Instructor: Yolanda Rodriguez
Seats Still Available: 32
Could you pass the U.S. Citizenship Test? This engaging course challenges participants to answer the same civics questions required of individuals seeking naturalized U.S. citizenship. Along the way, we'll explore the history, purpose, and process behind the test administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Covering topics from the Constitution and branches of government to key moments in American history, the course offers an enjoyable refresher in U.S. history and civics while providing a deeper appreciation for the knowledge expected of America's newest citizens.
Please note that if you do not see the "Add to Cart" button under your course, you must first create a new account or sign in to your current account. If you do not have current membership, once you have signed in, add your membership to the cart in order to register for courses.
Chess Fundamentals
Fee: $65.00
Dates: 10/28/2026 - 12/16/2026
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 6
Building: EUV Riverside
Room:
Instructor: Andrew Sacks
Seats Still Available: 35
Whether you're learning the game for the first time or looking to strengthen your skills, Chess Fundamentals provides a welcoming introduction to the world's most enduring strategy game. This course covers the rules of chess, proper chess etiquette, and game strategy through instructor-led demonstrations, guided play, and group analysis of actual games. Students will also solve chess puzzles and compose problems designed to build confidence and improve strategic thinking. Along the way, we'll explore the rich history of chess and some of its greatest champions. Students are welcome to bring their own chess sets, but Osher will provide chessboards for classroom instruction. Those using Osher's boards are welcome to take them home between class sessions for additional practice, provided they are returned to Osher at the final class.
No Class on November 11 & 25, 2026.
Please note that if you do not see the "Add to Cart" button under your course, you must first create a new account or sign in to your current account. If you do not have current membership, once you have signed in, add your membership to the cart in order to register for courses.
Staying Out of the Fray: Five Neutral Nations in the Second World War
Fee: $65.00
Dates: 11/2/2026 - 12/14/2026
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Days: M
Sessions: 6
Building: EUV Riverside
Room:
Instructor: Robert Ellingsen
Seats Still Available: 26
Between 1939 and 1945, Europe was engulfed by the most destructive conflict in history. Yet only five European nations—Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, and Portugal—managed to avoid both direct participation in the war and occupation by one of the warring powers. In this course, we'll examine how and why these countries remained neutral during World War II, exploring their diplomatic strategies, economic relationships with both the Axis and Allied powers, and the extent to which each nation's neutrality was tested. We'll also consider how the war shaped the daily lives of ordinary citizens and conclude by examining the Allied victory in 1945 and the lasting legacies of the war years for each nation.
Please note that if you do not see the "Add to Cart" button under your course, you must first create a new account or sign in to your current account. If you do not have current membership, once you have signed in, add your membership to the cart in order to register for courses.
The Recurring Threat to Our Divided Democracy - Riverside
Fee: $65.00
Dates: 11/3/2026 - 12/15/2026
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 6
Building: EUV Riverside
Room:
Instructor: Stephen Harding, MPA
Seats Still Available: 15
This course examines the nation's recurring self-consternation. Throughout U.S. history, periods of political polarization, racism, nativism, economic inequality, excessive executive power—or a combination of these forces—have risen to the point of threatening the very survival of the republic. Many would agree that the United States is once again experiencing one of these pivotal moments. Following, in part, Four Threats: The Recurring Crisis of American Democracy (2019) by Suzanne Mettler and Robert C. Lieberman, we will explore the five moments in American history when the core beliefs and institutional foundations of U.S. democracy were called into question. These periods will also be examined through the lens of The Growing Divide That Threatens Democracy: Rural vs. Urban (2025), also by Suzanne Mettler and Robert C. Lieberman. What is unique—and alarming—about the present moment in American politics is that all four conditions exist simultaneously. Yet the nation has survived these threats before. The challenge is to identify the methods, leadership, and resolve needed to repair our civic fabric once again.
No Class on November 24, 2026.
Please note that if you do not see the "Add to Cart" button under your course, you must first create a new account or sign in to your current account. If you do not have current membership, once you have signed in, add your membership to the cart in order to register for courses.
The Week's News in Review - Riverside
Fee: $65.00
Dates: 11/5/2026 - 12/10/2026
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 5
Building: EUV Riverside
Room:
Instructor: Martha Miller
Seats Still Available: 29
An interactive discussion of events shaping the news each week. Media sources include print, TV, the internet, and social media. This course will discuss politics, the economy, sports, show business, and topics pulled from the "headlines." Discussion based course hosted by UCR Osher volunteers.
No Class on November 26, 2026.
Please note that if you do not see the "Add to Cart" button under your course, you must first create a new account or sign in to your current account. If you do not have current membership, once you have signed in, add your membership to the cart in order to register for courses.
Has the U.S. Constitution Been Amended as the Founders Intended
Fee: $65.00
Dates: 11/12/2026 - 12/17/2026
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 5
Building: EUV Riverside
Room:
Instructor: Yolanda Rodriguez
Seats Still Available: 33
Has the U.S. Constitution been amended as much as the Founding Fathers intended? This course will cover foundational information about the U.S. Constitution and will specifically focus on Article V, the amendment process. Additional founding documents will be analyzed to engage in a healthy debate about when, which method, and how often the Constitution should be amended.
Please note that if you do not see the "Add to Cart" button under your course, you must first create a new account or sign in to your current account. If you do not have current membership, once you have signed in, add your membership to the cart in order to register for courses.
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