From a study of climate change through the archaeological remains of the great civilizations of the Americas to a 10-session novel-writing tutorial, the eclectic Odyssey program has something for every curious mind. And now it's more readily available to alums: The liberal arts program for adults founded by the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences is now part of the Alumni Association's Lifelong Learning offerings. In its new home, Odyssey will leverage the association's experience with virtual education programming, as well as an extensive network of accomplished alumni to teach its intensive courses.
Unlike Hopkins at Home, the Alumni Association's catalog of free virtual minicourses, Odyssey will present fee-based noncredit courses taught not only by Hopkins faculty but also by nonaffiliated community members and award-winning alumni. "One of the things we learned from a survey we did in 2018 is that our alums want to hear from their fellow alums if they are subject matter experts," says Susan deMuth, associate vice president for alumni engagement and annual giving. "Odyssey gives us an opportunity to share, in a broader sense, the expertise of our alums with the Hopkins community."
Bringing Odyssey into the Lifelong Learning fold also streamlines programming. "We found a lot of synergies in terms of content—the offerings sometimes were happening in both places—so we wanted to coordinate those efforts," says Vicky Schneider, Ed '13 (MS), senior associate director of Lifelong Learning.
In January, Odyssey's spring course catalog will be detailed on its own stand-alone site, odyssey.jhu.edu. While social-distancing policies are still in place, Odyssey courses will be given online with some in-person exceptions. JHU alumni receive an 80% tuition discount, Osher at JHU members receive a 25% discount, and full-time JHU faculty, staff, and retirees, as well as their spouses or same-sex domestic partners, are eligible for tuition remission benefits. Ideas for future programming can be sent to odyssey@jhu.edu.
