New Programme of Courses for Adults in North Cumbria

From autumn 2002 the Department of Continuing Education is to run a programme of short courses for adults in the north Cumbria area. Until summer 2002, Newcastle University had run a successful programme in this area. Following a review of provision at Newcastle University, and discussion between the two institutions, agreement has been reached for Lancaster University to continue and to develop the programme.

The Open Studies programme is currently run in towns and villages of Lancashire and south Cumbria, and recruits over 3,000 adult students each year to over 300 courses.

"Our aim is to offer choice and flexibility in the kinds of courses available," says Keith Percy, Head of Department for Continuing Education. "We run courses in towns and villages across Lancashire and south Cumbria, and expect to do the same in north Cumbria. They take place during the daytime, in the evenings and at weekends so that they are convenient for as many people as possible. We try to cater for all tastes too - the programme includes high quality courses in traditional adult education favourites such as art, history, literature and music, but also a whole host of newer subjects like complementary therapies, ecology, computing and photography. The largest and most popular subject area currently is creative writing, with courses running in seven different towns this autumn.

"We are pleased and excited to be able to offer Open Studies courses in the north of Cumbria. We already have many students in the area who travel to our courses, and who take our learning from home courses, and we are looking forward to being able to offer them courses nearer to where they live. We also look forward to welcoming new students. The courses are informal and interactive, and they are open to everyone. We place as much emphasis on participants sharing their ideas and experiences as we do on the tutors passing on their expertise and enthusiasm."