Beacon Hill Seminars (BHS) members joined the spring semester kick-off for its 20th anniversary academic year, on January 6. Continuing the success of its first virtual semester kick-off in the fall, this Zoom event drew about a hundred viewers, roughly half of BHS’s membership. President William Sherdan gave an opening speech to provide the overview of the 18 online courses in art and architecture, film and music, history, literature, science and social science offered in the spring semester. There will be ten courses in the ‘early’ block of the semester, from February 1 to March 15, and eight in the ‘late’ block from March 29 to May 26. Sherdan explained that none of the class sessions overlap, making it easier for members to schedule in multiple different courses. “We are confident that we can keep on offering online courses until we can safely return to our traditional in-person meetings,” said Sherdan, alluding to the achievement of having effectively ran the first virtual semester in the fall. Then, the instructors for the eighteen courses gave short presentations to introduce the content of the upcoming semester.
The event ended with a description of the course registration process and Q&A session led by Judy Tedeschi, the Executive Director of the organization. She explained that the membership fee was reduced significantly this year and that the registration deadline is January 10th. With the one-time membership fee of $100 for the academic year and a $100 registration fee each semester, members can register for up to four courses per semester, giving them ample opportunities to learn. Tedeschi also mentioned that hands-on Zoom training sessions are offered from January 25 to the 27 to allow members to become comfortable with taking online courses before the semester starts. Members enjoyed learning about the upcoming spring semester and opportunities to ask questions. BHS is a membership organization established in 2000, aimed at creating a community-based program for lifelong learning. Various liberal arts college-style courses encompassing a wide range of disciplines are offered in the fall and spring semesters. To watch the recording of the spring semester kick-off event, and to learn more about BHS and courses offered, visit beaconhillseminars.org.