Shepherd University’s Lifelong Learning program’s fall semester begins Sept. 5 and offers classes at the university’s new Martinsburg Center in addition to the Shepherdstown campus.

Courses at the center include The History of Berkeley County and Homer’s “The Odyssey.” Also offered is Expressive Drawing which is being taught at The Arts Center in Martinsburg.

All Martinsburg classes will be held on Thursdays for six weeks beginning Sept. 12.

“We are excited about expanding the program to offer courses in Martinsburg at Shepherd’s new location,” said Karen Rice, director of continuing education and lifelong learning at Shepherd.

Other course offerings at the Shepherdstown campus include History of the West Virginia Mine Wars, a survey of the events and history that comprise the West Virginia mine wars and features a three-day, two-night tour of West Virginia coal country led by Doug Estepp (tour not included in cost of class); West Virginia Entrepreneurial Success Speaker Series which will encourage participants to explore their entrepreneurial options and understand available resources; Intelligence, Congressional Oversight, and National Defense, a course that will explore the relationship between intelligence collection and disseminated intelligence products, national defense, and congressional oversight; China-India-U.S. Relations, a review of the trilateral relationship where a change in one side affects the others; Southern Short Story that will examine selected stories from five southern authors; National Parks at Risk–Challenges that Face Our Most Precious Places; History and Culture of Appalachia, and Restructuring the Government Process.

There is also a series of one-day lectures scheduled for Wednesdays at noon. Some of those lectures are Modern Day Beekeeping, India: Fiction and Fact, The Women’s Movement and Culinary Anthropology.

One of the more popular courses is Retirement Planning Today, a two-day retirement planning workshop with sessions on two Thursday evenings or two Saturday mornings. Instructor Ed Slonaker, a certified financial planner and wealth advisor, will conduct the workshop.

“Ed will provide high-quality, generic financial education on life planning to help individuals and couples build wealth and achieve their retirement lifestyle goals,” Rice said.

In addition, a tour of Montpelier, home of James and Dolley Madison, is scheduled for Wednesday, September 25. After a tour of the home, participants will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and a tour of Barboursville Vineyard with a wine tasting.

For more information, contact Karen Rice at 304-876-5135 or go to www.shepherd.edu/lifelonglearning/.