As the spring semester progresses, enrolled students are not the only members of Charlottesville who will get to enjoy the pleasures of learning here at the University. Through the University's Community Scholar Program, approximately 400 community members, high school students and senior citizens have the opportunity to attend lectures, meet and interact with the faculty, and fight over the limited number of parking spots alongside University students.
Donna Klepper, Director of the University Center at the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, said she believes that the program serves as a way to make the educational opportunities at the University open to anyone with the desire to learn.
"What is so exciting about this program is that it spans the University, and community members can take courses from many different departments," Klepper said. "So many individuals within the University participate in making the program successful, and the faculty appreciates the opportunity for continued interaction among members of the community."
The program caters to a variety of different needs, from assisting former alumni of the University in completing necessary requirements for graduate schools, to allowing senior citizens to audit classes of interest for free by means of the Virginia Senior Citizen Higher Education Act.
"Some of the other participants we get in this program are taking classes in hopes that they will be able to upgrade their skills in their careers," Klepper said. "For example, if individuals are working for a state agency in the environmental science department, they might want to try to get into one of those classes here to increase their knowledge of the field."
Another group of individuals who participate in this program are academically gifted high school students who are unsatisfied with the diversity of courses offered at their respective schools and thus seek to broaden their course electives by attending classes in a specific University department.
For community members, admission into the program simply involves expressing interest in taking University classes and seeking out professors to find class openings.
"Registration is relatively easy, and most of the individuals only run into problems when they are trying to get into the classes they want," Klepper said. "Community members can go directly to the professors and inquire about their class of interest, but enrollment in the course depends on obtaining instructor permission."
However, most students and community members have appreciated the opportunities presented by the program to become, if only for a limited time, a part of the University community. "The Community Scholar Program continues to cater to individuals' needs and offers a course-by-course preview of the University," Klepper said. "All individuals involved have the opportunity to experience the learning experience available here, with either their personal career advancement in mind or simply because of their belief in the sheer joy of learning."
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