Thursday Forum
Coe College invites you to participate in the Thursday Forum, a program for older adults who want to expand their knowledge in an academic setting. Throughout the academic year, forums explore a variety of topics through a blend of lecture, media and discussion.
Thursday Forum will resume in-person lectures during the 2021-2022 season.* In-person forum sessions are held in Kesler Lecture Hall of Hickok Hall on the Coe campus. Each session begins with registration and refreshments from 8:45-9:15 AM, followed by the class until 11:30 AM. The sessions blend lecture, media and discussion. Masks are currently required for all Thursday Forum presenters and attendees. In the event of inclement weather, consult local media outlets to find out if the day’s forum will take place.
Admission to each four-week course can be purchased for $30 on the first day or in advance. Admission to individual lectures is $10 per week. (Note: These temporarily reduced rates reflect the current suspension of refreshment service at forum due to face-covering policies.) Payment can be made in person on Thursday mornings by cash or personal check. Credit card payments can be processed by registering here in advance. Gift certificates may be purchased by calling 319.399.8523.
For more information about Thursday Forum, click the relevant links on this page, call 319.399.8523, or email thursdayforum@coe.edu.
*Thursday Forum will follow Coe's Safe Campus Initiative guidelines for in-person gatherings. Thursday Forum programs may pivot to an online format should campus or community health conditions require. Any such changes would be announced here.
2021-2022 Thursday Forum Brochure
2021-2022 Thursday Forum Season
Film Music, Concert Music and the Hollywood Connection
Alan Lawrence, Instructor and Teaching Artist in Music
September 2, 9, 16, 23
Jane Austen, Then and Now
Melissa Sodeman, Associate Professor of English
September 30 & October 7, 14, 21
The Science and Politics of Pandemics
Maria Dean, Ben Peterson Professor of Chemistry
Lynda Barrow, Professor of Political Science
October 28 & November 4
The Past, Present and Future of Biodiversity
Daniel Hughes, Assistant Professor of Biology
November 11 & 18
The International Year of Glass
Mario Affatigato, Fran Allison and Francis Halpin Professor of Physics
Ugur Akgun, Associate Professor of Physics
Caio Bragatto, Assistant Professor of Physics
Firdevs Duru, Assistant Professor of Physics
Steve Feller, B.D. Silliman Professor of Physics
February 3, 10, 17, 24
Teaching and Learning Inside:
The Transformative Potential of College-in-Prison Programs
Gina Hausknecht, John William King Professor of Literature & Creative Writing
March 3, 10, 24, 31
BREXIT: Why, How and What Now
Kimberly Lanegran, Joan and Abbott Lipsky Professor of Political Science
April 7, 14, 21, 28
Thursday Forum welcomes gifts to support the long-term vibrancy of the program. Gifts may be made at any time and in any amount at alumni.coe.edu/thursdayforum (for credit card payments) or by mail to Coe College Advancement Services, 1220 1st Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 (please make checks to “Coe College” and indicate “Thursday Forum” in the memo line).