Senior University September Class Highlights and October Class Sneak Preview

Explore History, Ideas and Issues That Matter

Universal Basic Income: An Idea Whose Time Has Come?

Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a regular cash payment made to all adult citizens, regardless of their employment status or income. An idea with a long history, it is now gaining traction globally and across the political spectrum. This talk will explain UBI and examine the major arguments for and against it. It will then look at recent UBI experiments around the world, including here in Tacoma. This program is made possible by a generous donation to Senior University.

September 4, 3:00 pm, Bristol View 1^st Floor Bowditch Room

The Many Faces of the American Immigrant Experience: How Local and State History Matters

In this session, we’ll explore how states and cities — not just the federal government — have shaped the experience of immigrants throughout American history. We’ll look at paired case studies like Arizona and New Mexico, two neighboring states that made very different choices at statehood, and we’ll ask what Tacoma and Washington’s own complicated past — from the 1885 expulsion of Chinese residents to the state’s pioneering 1993 driver’s license law — tells us about who we are as a place. Together we’ll consider how local decisions about belonging, language, and services echo across generations, and we’ll ask how this history matters for events we’ve seen recently in places like Minneapolis and beyond.

September 16, 2:00 pm, Bristol View 1^st Floor Bowditch Room

The Road Ahead: Safe Driving for Seniors

Aging brings with it higher risks, especially in driving; however, one’s ability to drive safely is not based on age alone. Join Jillian Kirschke, an occupational therapist specializing in driver rehabilitation, as she shares practical, evidence-based approaches to ensure safety behind the wheel as we get older. This session provides a proactive guide to healthy aging and driving independence.

September 23, 3:00 pm, Bristol View 1^st Floor Bowditch Room

 Remember the Ladies: Abigail Adams Looks Back – A Living History Performance by Karen Haas       

   
Abigail Adams had a front-row seat for pivotal times in the United States: her husband, John Adams was in the Continental Congress, an ambassador to England and France and was our second President. But Abigail was no mere onlooker, and her words on such things as women’s roles, vaccinations and economic issues often sound downright modern to our 2026 ears. Meet this remarkable woman as Living History Performer Karen Haas portrays her looking back on her amazing life. This program is made possible by a generous donation by Claire & Dick Griffin.

September 30, 2:00 pm, MJ Wicks Wellness Center

Senior University October Sneak Preview 

Romantic Poetry

The Romantic literary tradition marked the emergence and exploration of “the self”, the self as an agent of intellect, spirit, emotion, and reason. Romantic poets of the late 18th and early 19th centuries found a capacity to see themselves, the subject, as part of a broader landscape in society and the natural world. How might the “Self” emerge differently for women than men? Join us for a 2-part course on the poetry of “Self” from the Romantic.  This program is made possible by a generous donation to Senior University.

Friday, October 9 & October 16, 2:00 pm, Bristol View 1^st Floor Bowditch Room

AI and Education

Teach-bots? Silicon students?  Algorithmic class assistants?  AI is in education–and education, especially higher education, is trying to respond to the pervasiveness of AI.  This session will detail the latest ways that AI is changing education, both for better and for worse. This program is made possible by a generous donation to Senior University.

Wednesday, October 14, 11:00 am, Bristol View 1^st Floor Bowditch Room

The Presidency, the Courts, and the Constitution: Unprecedented Crisis or Familiar Tension?

In this session, we’ll explore the balance of power between the presidency and the courts — and ask whether the tensions we’re seeing today are genuinely new, or whether American history offers real precedent. Starting with the early republic and the standoffs between figures like John Marshall and Thomas Jefferson, we’ll trace how presidents and courts have tested each other’s authority at various points in American history and ask what those episodes can tell us about the present and the future. This program is made possible by a generous donation to Senior University.

Wednesday, October 28, 2:00 pm, Bristol View 1^st Floor Bowditch Room

Registration required for all classes. To register please call 253-756-6219 or email Jana at jwennstrom@franketobeyjones.com

For a full class and activity list, click here.